EVERYBODY IS BETTER IN OAXACA...OH BABY

Well I returned to Oaxaca for the 6th winter...I keep a place year round and have spent a couple of great summers here also.  My youngest daughter Heather joined me for the first week of the New Year.  First time we shared time together without children, family, or work.  It was very special.  
      Then a cold snap came in and I dug out the long underwear.  There is NO heating or Air Conditioning except in plush hotels...it normally is not needed as the weather is so temperate here...like Shangri La..but waking to 36% INSIDE like a refrigerator is challenging.  Forecast is 5 more days then back to normal. 
       I went to a birthday party in Teotitlan del Valle, a textile village where every family owns a loom, last night.  There is a family there that lives in the same dwelling their ancestors did....over 1500 years ago! 

          The breeze throughout the open house chilled the atmosphere so a little mescal helped to revive it and we had a great meal, good time and a live band for this 72 year old to dance to.  I returned home early and expect to see snow on the ground this morning .

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE MICHELLE

LAST TO EAT...OUR PHOTOGRAPHER ALLEN

THE RELIABLES

THE FANTASTIC "CHEAP SEATS"

MICHELLE'S MANTRA

        It was 39 % but the sun was up as usual and it should be a warm day...My grand daughter Taja, gave birth to my third great grand daughter two days ago.  Now I have 7 great grandchildren and 10 grandchildren along with 3 daughters to remember birthdays...etc.  Keeps my mind sharp.
        The whole day was spent inside posting old Travel Journals to my Blog.  I have over 20 years of them before I discovered Blogger and started posting my travel there.

        Gadi came today in an attempt to resurrect last year's Spanish she implanted in my brain.  It was coming back slowly as most things at this time in my life.  Adelina cleaned house while I dined on more Pizza while renewing my friendship with Hector over lunch at the Bakery.  I noticed my intermittent claudation in my legs was causing the pain to return since my daughter left.  I tried to think of diet, lack of water, medicines, ...what was it that had changed.  Today I discovered it was my Puma sports socks that were very much like compression socks.  People that have limited circulation in their legs or arterial blockage should not restrict the flow of blood with compression socks!!  I will give it a test run tomorrow.
     Helen arrived late last night with an urgent message from Ginny, her traveling companion.  My phone had been shut off but while resting to alleviate the pain in my legs on the way to lunch I turned it on and discovered she was seriously sick with possible pneumonia and at the very least a bad case of influenza.  I sent her Dr. Z's work and mobile number but she was already there.  Follow up appointment in two days to see if it has progressed into pneumonia or if her treatment  made her better.  I'll visit her then.
     Tomorrow will be another day of Posting the historical travel journal to my Blog...these posts are in chronological order.  If your interested in hearing about my trip to Southeast Asia...its 2008-9 on the posts.