New Friends....

Visiting with our new Mexican friends...

Duck pond!

Christmas in Mexico...

Talking with Dad in Afghanistan!!

Christmas morning in San Miguel de Allende 2010

Different but fun Christmas morning!! MORE pictures shortly!!

New Roof

My home has a center courtyard... open to the sky... by the end of today it will be closed with a new glass roof.

No more dodging the rain to run to my back room, and hopefully the house will be warmer!!!! My goal is warm!!!!

I am trying not to watch the process because these guys are way up in the air!!!!!

Here are a couple of pictures...

Mi Familia

Well one gringa learned a lesson the last couple of days.

My mexican family group has decided that they like living where they do and they do not want to move. I did find them a clean , nice, safe apartment but they were not allowed to bring their 5 dogs and 5 cats so they choose to stay where they are, in a mud hut with no windows, doors, water, lights and no bathroom..

To me the most important thing was getting the children to a warm place. I have had to let go of that and realize that was my dream not theirs. They are happy and simple don't want something better.

This has been very hard for me to wrap my head around... and I am not sure I have been able to do that yet.

BUT thank you all so much for the offers of help. I will still give them food and blankets ... but for now they are where they want to be. I guess we should all be so lucky...

Baby Book Movement in San Miguel De Allende

If I still had a baby book I would so be writing this in the Book...

TOday at the tender age of 62 I rewired a lamp!!! Best part I went and bought the parts in Spanish!!! I just had to brag!!

On a much more serious note... I have adopted a family of 7 people. I AM ASKING FOR HELP

5 children and parents. Ana has been collecting my trash for over 4 years .. never once has she missed ... while pregnant or the day AFTER she had the babies.

This week her husband who has returned from the USA had an accident. She ask me to drive her to the hospital which of course I did. The husband had stitches and a bad concussion. He got settled away and she ask me to drive her home .. HOME is not what I would call it...

They live in a mud hut with a board roof held down with rocks, No windows, doors , water, lights ... NOTHING... they sleep on the ground. IT IS VERY VERY COLD HERE..at night.

I had no idea this family was in such need. I have found them a small house to rent... Two bedrooms with kitchen, for about $150 USD a month. I plan to pay the rent for at least 6 month until they can get on there feet and set up with the gov programs.

At least they will have water , toilet.. but no hot water or heat. I did find a cooking stove for them today so they will have something. Also have been donated two blow up matteress.

These people are the poorest of the poor. SO poor that the social services can not help.

Because they did not have a "REAL' address they could not apply for help... so now with help they will have an address. Plans are in the works to get them in the system. Despite ALL of this hard ship her 3 oldest children are in school and she wants them to stay there... She is a mom so worth helping.

They need so much, I am collecting whatever you have ... if you live here in San Miguel I will come get it... if you live out of Mexico Money is always welcome... I will control it and you can be assured it will go to this family.

A friend of mine knitted them some hats to help keep warm... Thank you Michele... EVERY little big helps... small rug, a pan, a plate, cleaning supplies.. sheets , blanks etc...

Meet the family IN THEIR HATS>..

:Ana the mom, Jesica 11, Oscar 14 , Julisa 1, Gabriela 3 , Monse 9

Get your Christmas spirt out... if you can not help then send a prayer... they can use all of them.

Happy Holidays... Victoria...

New Show

Flowers and more flowers... my new show at my gallery!!

Getting ready for Christmas

Planning a Mexican Christmas!!! Starting to decorate!!!

Hamburgers for Thanksgiving..

What a great day... I am so happy and grateful for living in Mexico.

Went for a hamburger Thanksgiving.. super..had great fun... this is so not a McDonalds..

This is a picture of my rebel hamburger eaters.. I did bring cranberry sauce, so it was a traditional meal!! :-)

Silver and Taxco

Taxco is a wonderful Mexican town FULL of jewelry!!!! It is the silver capital of the world.

Just spent two days there with friends. I got so over come by all the choices that I bought almost nothing!! On the way home I kept saying.. 'gee I wish I had bought.... etc...." Oh well guess when I recover from this trip I will have to think about going again!!

Funny Faces...

There is a camera out there that will put a smile on your face if you don't smile... It is very scary!! Be afraid... check any camera

Florida and More

Great time in Florida... ... The Buddy Walk was on the beach.. wonderful weather and super sweet grandbabies...

By the way DORA rules!!!

Just enjoying Sunday in San Miguel de Allende...

Great day walking around... and tonight dinner with two dear friends, Lena Bartula a super artist who is having her first dinner party in her new house... she has been in 2 days... and Eschwan Winding an encaustic artist supreme!!!

Check out the Mexican war heros in mime... really fun...

Home in Guadalupe

Want to live near Via Organica, Tapas, the Black and White shop, Pato's the art store and the new cheese shop opening soon? And don't forget around the corner from Gombos... then you must see check out this home in Guadalupe!!


Col Guadalupe
Bedrooms: 3 BR
...Studio
Bathrooms: 2.5 BA
Description: 2000 plus sq ft home in San Miguel de Allende. 3 plus bedrooms,
2.5 bathrooms, off street parking, beautiful roof top garden with 360 view, Huge
laundry, 10 min flat walk to centro,Security system,
$298,000
I will post pictures in photos under Home in Guadalupe...
More info please contact
Victoria
154 9866

Brokers are welcome to take the listing.

Hanna is one year old!!!

What a difference a year makes!!!

Miss Chloe needs your help!!!

http://buddywalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=428039&lis=1&kntae428039=EEDA298D725E41609AD1DC471C281094&supId=298289548


Miss Chloe is walking for Down Syndrome... please help her and kids like her..

New Email

Getting a new email is a PAIN!!!
IF I have not sent you a message with my new email PLEASE send me a message to my AOL account and I will send you my new email... AOL will be open for the next 4 or 5 weeks...

Music Man...

The young man kicking high is my grandson. He is one of the youngest in the show...
Can hardly wait to get my DVD of the play...

Music Man

My grandson has a role in the 'Music Man'... tonight is opening night.. WISH I WAS THERE!!!
He is the youngest dancer to get in... he sings, dances etc... I am very proud of him...

In the picture he is in the center coming down the center... I will post more later and any of you that want can buy the DVD... :-)

This minute is all we have

My wonderful friend Eschwan was almost lost to us today. She walked away from this accident.

It happened when a truck behind her lost its brakes.. Four other cars were struck.. her car (Fred) took the worst of it...

Please remember it is only a blink of the eye and we are gone...

Tonight we are celebrating the fact she is still with us!!!

ZACATECAS

What fun we had in Zacatecas!! Eschwan Winding ( see her site www.ezshwan.com ) and I went for 3 days and 2 nights. It was a trip to see art and art we saw. My hero Manuel Felguerez has a museum devoted to his work... for me that made the trip really special. Driving home with Hurricane Alex is something I could have done with out. I recommend a visit to the museums..

and if anyone has 28,000usd to give me I found a painting I want....

Enjoy the pictures from Zacatecas!!

PS We are chipping in to get Eschwan a new umbrella....

NEW WORK

A couple of new pieces...

The rains have started in SMA so the weather is back to cooler!! Feels good..

My house on Google

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cielito+Lindo+2a,+Guadalupe,+San+Miguel+de+Allende,+M%C3%A9xico&sll=36.707031,-95.951157&sspn=0.011491,0.016351&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cielito+Lindo+2,+Guadalupe,+San+Miguel+de+Allende,+Guanajuato,+Mexico&ll=20.92176,-100.744361&spn=0.006654,0.008175&z=17&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=20.921756,-100.744376&panoid=rEjJ_7IqhHzAFaKZ9h5TqA&cbp=12,130.33,,0,5.29

This is my house. It is the green one with the small tree. Then you can cruise the rest of the hood...

Grandbabies

Had a great time visiting my daughters and their families.

Spring Fever!!!

I NEVER paint flowers or almost never.

After looking at the pictures on line I went back and removed the pears. I like it better.

One person.. big change

http://www.lenabartula.com/mariposassanmiguel.html

Check out what my friend is doing for the women in Mexico. It is a small step but a big one for the women.

This allows them to support themselves and their family..

The bags are great.. ( I own several)

This is a chance for you to make a difference.. buy a bag..!!! AND please share this post... we can make a change and it starts with one small bag!!! PLease help.....

Ojala.......Kids learning art, music and more

I spent the afternoon in the country just outside of San Miguel de Allende watching the most amazing group of women, mexican and american teaching over 50 children art and so much much more!!

This group of children are among the poorest of the poor. Not all but most have no running water or electricity in their homes. A family of 6 children are living in an old burned out van with two mattress... and nothing else..

The meal served (more a snack for most kids I know) is sometimes all they may have had that day... Today it was 1/2 a cheese sandwich , one carrot stick and 1/3 of a banana. This is all donated food. ALL this work is done with volunteers and donations... HINT HINT....

Please check out the web site... I got some photos today which I share.. and the website is full of great info and photos...

http://www.ojala-kids.org/

WE ARE a prototype after school program for rural Mexican students. WE ARE Rancho San Miguel Viejo kids: Girls and Boys ranging in age from five to fifteen. WE ARE adult volunteers: Mexican, American and Canadian, many with a teaching background. All with a common goal of assisting curious children reach creative goals and develop self-confidence. WE ARE OJALA kids and we are directed in all aspects of art, music and language by caring adults. WE ARE Elsmarie Norby's mission for Mexican rancho children and WE all strive to set a platform from which future after-school programs may develop. WE ARE funded by generous donors.