I was wrong

I thought the evening would not be magical because it was cold and grey all day, but as soon as the sunset it warmed up and it is now hot (but not) the magic is just beginning.

Do you remember when....

I am going to try to explain to you what an evening on my patio in my hammock is like, just as it is hard to explain the word "magical" it is hard to explain the peacefulness of a hot tropical evening, but here goes; it is magical, not in the scary black magic like voodoo like magic but in the unexplainable magic way.

Do you remember when you were a kid how hot it got sometimes in the summer? It doesn't seem to get that hot anymore, or maybe it's because most people have air conditioners now, or because our homes are built differently as well, I'm not sure what it is but it just doesn't get that hot anymore....except here, it's still that hot, even when it's not overly hot....got that? Remember laying in bed thinking it was so hot but you weren't hot, you laid above the cool cotton sheets and watched the curtains move in the breeze. It's that kind of a warm feeling that is in the air here, hot but not...got that, do you remember that? That feeling doesn't exist anymore at home. I think it's because the sheets aren't cotton anymore and the curtains don't move anymore. I'm thinking the curtains don't move because they are usually not made of cotton, cotton that has been washed over and over and over again making it light as silk and just as soft and thinner than paper, the slightest breeze moved them. Most people have blinds now, and usually the window is closed (because they have air condition) or the curtains are made of some heavy fancy expensive fabric and I've even seen little weights sewn into the bottom seams to prevent them from moving....well the curtain here still move, and the sir is still hot...but not. So picture this if you could;

On a hot (but not) evening all windows and all doors on my street are open, most windows have no glass or screens, curtains can fly like sails, we live side by side and back to back, not much privacy (privacy? whats that?) It's after 6 pm and almost everyone is outside either on their front decks, or in their front or back yards, under their palapas, some of us are sprawled out in hammocks, some are lazing on plastic furniture, sometimes there is a bed full of kids under a palapa or under a makeshift roof, babies are being rocked in rocking chairs, young girls are huddled together on a front step giggling at a cell phone, men are leaning up against trees, moms are stirring pots on open fires, kids are sitting on the ground watching a television that sits on plastic table in the driveway. In the distance the tide is rolling in and out, mesmerizing us all so that we barely hear the roosters, a horse neighing 2 doors down, the sewing machine next door humming away, a cowboy whistling a tune to anyone that will listen, someone is practicing playing the trumpet up the hill, a fire is crackling in the yard behind me, a baby cries somewhere, a motorbike drives by, it's rider is chatting on a cell phone, a gecko clicks his checks above me somewhere, a kid peddles by on a bike with a bag of tomatoes swinging from the handle bars, he is barefoot, and the crickets, always continuous like the waves. So much going on but yet it's peaceful and quiet, the peace and quiet survives through the neighborhood noise. Once I am in bed the curtains move and I smile, it's a dream and I am 6 years old in my bed and I have no worries or cares, what does a 6 year old worry about? Not a lot, but I am not 6....thank goodness, I am in Mexico and here, the crickets are alive and well, the curtains still move and moms can still sent their kids to the store..barefoot....and coke is still made with sugar and hot chocolate is still made with milk and we still use pretty Pyrex dishes.......Remember these, everyone had these, what happened to them, I blame Tupperware.
Check out this site to look up your old Pyrex dishes, http://www.pyrexlove.com/vintage-pyrex-pattern-guide/  There were so many beautiful patterns. This bowl is from the Spring Blossom collection # 401 and was manufactured in the 1970s. Would love to know if you have some vintage Pyrex dishes. Do any of the patterns bring back memories. I am heading off to the Juarez Market tomorrow, maybe I'll score some Pyrex....or some cotton curtains.
I stick my tongue out at you Tupperware, can't believe I bought into you during my youth...foolish youth.

All this magical stuff did not happen today because it is cold and grey out today....not complaining just sayin is all. 

Random things

A few weeks ago I had a hankering (yes hankering) for homemade yogurt. Once you've had homemade yogurt you are spoiled forever, and once you know how easy it is to make you feel like a dummy for eating crappy store yogurt for so many years. There are many ways of making yogurt and the web is full of all kinds of instructions, here is how I made yogurt last week with limited supplies. First you need  a starter, so I went to the health food store in Mazatlan, it's on Zaragoza and I can't remember the name, across the street from the little Zaragoza plaza. Once you find your way there you buy a small container of their homemade organic yogurt which  you will use as a starter. Your starter has to be plain yogurt, no flavoring or sugar. You take 2 heaping Tbsp of it and put aside, the rest you eat. If you don't want to make yogurt right away you can freeze your starter until you are ready ready. I checked the weather forecast and picked a day that was supposed to be hot. I heated up 3 cups of milk in a pot on the stove...you must stand there and stir so the milk does not burn, heat the milk to about 180 F (never boiling) try to hold that temperature for about 5 minutes at least, maybe even 8-10....I usually get tired of stirring at about the 5 minute mark and call it good.   Now I put some cold water in my sink and put the hot pot in the cold water to cool the milk off fast, cool it until it is about 100F, then you put your 2 tbsp of room temperature starter into the milk and whisk to make sure it is stirred. Now you need an incubator, be creative. I pour the milk into a mason jar and put a loose fitting top on it (a little bowl turned upside down on the top, then I wrapped it all in a tea towel and put into a plastic bag and tied the bag shut. Then I set it out in the hot sun (on top of my fence) like so 

Yogurt incubator 

 The longer your yogurt is incubating the tarter the yogurt, I find 6 hours is perfect for me, I don't like it too tart at all. Ideal temperature for incubating 32 C. Once done put it in the fridge, warm yogurt doesn't taste very good. If you want some flavoring you can add it at the same time as you add your starter, honey is nice if you like some sweetness, vanilla is good, play with it...remember if you use any flavoring you now can't use it as a starter, always save some for a starter. If you like your yogurt firmer you can add about 4 tbsp powered milk when you add the starter, I usually do but I didn't have any.
Now on to some other random stuff.....

I'm doing a little knitting in the evenings in my hammock 

 Went Geocaching in Mazatlan with a friend, not sure what that is? Check it out here http://www.geocaching.com/ One day we ended up in  graveyard, graveyards here are like museums, full of art, full of history and beauty.

Petra lived for 99 years. 

I see this bus all the time parked in front of an orphanage on Zaragoza, it was donated by the Rotary club in Grande Prairie a few years ago. If I remember right they also donated a fire truck and an ambulance. I saw a school bus today from the Lethbridge Rotary Club at the La Vina Church. Way to go Rotary Clubs! 

Now on to the singing/whistling cowboy that lives 2 doors down. 

This is Cowboys everyday riding horse,  here he is giving his grandchildren a ride. He rides with them almost everyday. 

This is the horse that he is training, when he rides him he ties a handkerchief  (remember those) over his face

He is completely blindfolded and must trust cowboy completely to guide him.....it's been an interesting process watching the bonding between them. 

This is the horse he is teaching a lesson, from my understanding (he took his time explaining this to me) this horse likes to put his head down and his bum up, I didn't understand that all because even with the tree around his neck it looks like he could still put his head down and his bum up. But I pretended that I understood him.....don't want to appear to be too stupid. 

Moving on.....told you this would all be random. Do you remember Orange pop, the real orange pop, made with real sugar instead of corn fructose, in a real glass bottle? They still have it here, and the Coke is made of real sugar too. 

The real deal

 Now just some random shots

an artsy one

Misfortune 

Done for the day

  

Why it's called Stone Island

Workin hard on the deep blue sea

Hope

How could you ever have a bad day if you start it off like this, gratitude flows so easily at sunrise