Es hora de decir adios

With a weather forecast of 8 to 15 inches of snow in Maine tomorrow, I am not relishing leaving this city of color and warmth. Nonetheless I am looking forward to seeing loved ones and being home, home, home.

¡ Vive Mexico!

We took a trip to a small town that is dominated by a monolith, Bernal, MX. Actually, though dominated by a monolith, it is really dominated by tourism. This little girl captured my attention because she was reading the newspaper being handed out to passersby. After I took her photo, I told her she was very beautiful, and then I got an even better photo because she burst into a huge smile and thanked me. My favorite photos in Mexico are of the children.

I loved these marimba players. Their music added to the ambiance of the day. They'd pick up this instrument and set up in locations all around town. I was happy to donate 20 pesos to them, and even happier when asked a second and third time, that I was able to say, " ¡ya hice!" Learning the preterite has been so helpful.

The sombrero that I got in Patzcuaro blows off my head when it is windy, so I brought it to my favorite cobbler and asked him to put in two grommeted holes and fit it with a long leather cord to tie under my chin. He was called at home and while I waited for him, I admired the many old tiles on his floor.

Woven plastic bags are owned by all the locals and used daily. They're remarkable in that they are durable, colorful, basic and ever so handy. These four are outfitted for the grandkids, ready to go back to the States, filled with Mexican tchochke.

Mexican Meter Man. At this moment he is writing out a ticket for one of these vehicles.

Primavera

Local kindergartners (jardin de niños) herald the spring season by parading through el jardin in costumes which celebrate nature and new beginnings (and quite a few princesses). The audience waits 30 to 40 minutes for the start of the procession. The paraders too, must endure hours of preparation and quite a long walk in costume. I'm impressed with their young patience.

La clase de comida mexicana, empezar en el mercado

Juxtapositions in Michoacan

What does this mean, to see a dollar bill in the hands of a Mexican priest figure in a nichos at a church?
These sisters delighted me with their beauty and charm. Ages about 6 and 4.
Note the life size Christ figure in a room all his own and the sale of cast iron sinks in the front yard.
What ritual do these chrysanthemums denote, along with purple ribbon decorating an entryway to a home?
Street art way out in the hinterlands, looking very modern to me.

More About Vintage Toys and Grandkids

Here's that area (described in the post below) like my grandparent's and aunts'. All the cupboards are filled with vintage toys. We're making 2-D shapes from geometric shape blocks. I'm making characters, S is making flowers and Dylan, a robot.



Dylan doesn't know it, but he's also learning about geometry.

This is the first time Sophia has shown interest in Auntie Sylvia's dolls. There are old Scandinavian handknit sweaters and matching hats knit by Sophia's great-grandmother and me, her grandmother, and hand-sewn doll clothes by the two of us. S entered her fantasy world and played by herself with her "children" and then without being reminded, packed them all up in the suitcase and carried them back to the room where they are stored.

Making Grandparent Progress

The grandkids are becoming more and more enjoyable for me as they gain in competence and skills. I've always liked collecting blocks and using them. Now the kids are able to use lots of my collections. This gives me great pleasure and I'm delighted that their parents no longer feel they have to bring the kids own toys to keep them from being bored. Bill Ding was always one of my favorites. S and D are starting to see his possibilities. Checking on line I was surprised to see that this set is still being manufactured and sold. I'm tempted to get a third set which comes with multitudinous diagrams of positions he can hold.

I've made up a toy area in the living area that mimics the one my aunts and grandfather had when I was a child, in the library of their home outside of Phila. One of the cabinets under the books, held the toys that my mother and her siblings had used. My cousins and I never considered these toys boring nor old and "less than" more modern toys. In fact, we were fascinated with them. There was an old orange metal Dusenberg car, a felt hand-sewn Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, a round chalkboard with letters on tracks surrounding the slate.

Just like that area, all my vintage toys are in under cabinets behind a large Oriental rug to play on. There are child size hardwood flat blocks that help stabilize buildings. You can't see the cupboards in the above photo because of the contrast.
We can also play cards with them now! S wants to play SNAP as soon as she is up in the morning. She learned the game quickly and we don't have to hold back too much to let her win! Knowing she needs to learn to lose as well, we do manage to let that happen occasionally. And when she is winning, she often gives us half her cards so we won't feel bad. Games are great.
Almost five, S now wants to assist in the kitchen and at meal times too. She helps set the table and dry the dishes. At one point she sat down and covered the dish she was drying with the towel right there on the floor. It's best to let her do it her way, rather than discourage her by teaching her the "right" way, I think.