Sunday, in Manzanillo
It is 85 with mild humidity and a brisk breeze, wonderful. I continue to spend most of my time preparing and eating meals. Phyllis is amazed at the quantities I consume. I am enjoying all the tastes, smells, and textures. Each day we have fresh avocados, mangos, coconut milk in the coconut shell. I have made guacamole, curry chicken salad with mango, potato and green bean salad, fresh cucmbers, chicken in fresh tortillas, and tres leches cake. Yesterday we went shopping and although I had no intent to buy anything, I managed to find several interesting items. Today we strolled the beach nearby looking for interesting shells and soaking up the warm sun. Soon I will join Phyllis at la Recif and sunbathe a while before our massages. A short nap will follow the massage, and then we plan to shower and go out for a lobster dinner. Tonight we will meditate on the beach under the full moon. Tomorrow will be our last full day here so I don't plan to take the time to blog again until I return to Portland, returning late Tuesday night. Then I will be able to upload some photos of this beautiful place.
Hasta la vista
Pamela

Today is Friday. We arrived in Manzanillo Tuesday, hung out on the beach in Santiago Wednesday, and stayed in the condo community of Vida del Mar and had massages on Thursday. Today we got an earlier start on the day so that we could get to the bakery while there were goodies left, and they were good. We did errands and a little light shopping (purses, fabric, candy, linens) then ended up at the beach club for lunch. After excellent curry chicken tacos and guacamole, we strolled a couple miles on the beach, enjoying a dish of coconut ice cream along the way. After sunning and a fruit smoothie, we returned to Vida, stopping for a selection of fresh fruit at the neighborhood market. I have taken a couple hours to catch up on email and write. Soon I will return for more food, dinner in. Tonight we plan to do yoga asana and meditation under the full moon on the patio terrace at la Recif.
This vacation has been heavenly, just what I needed. Yesterday we had the most remarkable massages in the open fresh air on Phyllis' condo deck overhanging the ocean. The wind was whipping through, adding a dimension to the massage and creating a stimulating multisensory experience I hope to be able to recapture in my imagination when I am back in Portland. Just to be sure, we are repeating the experience Sunday.
My love to all.
Pamela

I am in MEXICO! Can you believe it?
Our flights were uneventful. We arrived in the afternoon at Manzanillo. As we stepped off the plane, the hit of warm humid air was immediately healing. The taxi ride to the condo community of Vida del Mar took us over dry rural land, with no view yet of the ocean nearby. We stopped at a small market for a few food items to tie me over until we could go grocery shopping the next day. Along with ripe local fruit and a can of crema de coco for my morning cereal, we bought freshly made maize tortillas and candied yams - ymmm. As expected, Phyllis is amazed at how much food I eat. More on that later.

My first glimpse of the sea was as I stepped through the condo doorway. I looked through the dining and living rooms, over the deck and past the tops of coco palms to a small cove where the waves crashed against the rocks below. We stepped onto the deck for a better view and inhaled the fresh, warm, humid air cooled slightly by the sea breeze. Everywhere we go here, the air is gently moving, either from the wind or fans. It's almost like a massage. Phyllis keeps the windows and doors open so we can feel the breeze and hear the sound of the waves hitting the shore and rolling the pebbles along the beach. Many flowers are in bloom: bougenvillia (?), hibiscus, and others whose names I don't yet know. It's peaceful and quiet here now because most people have returned to their first homes. Most of the people we see even on the condo property are locals, working on maintenance projects. We are awakened each morning by their work, but not too early. I am getting plenty of sleep each night and resting during the day.


Our first afternoon, we settled into the condo then walked on the property locating pools and bathrooms that were open for use. The one we will use most is on what seems to be the highest point around here, surrounded by lawn and tile with flowering vines and trees gracing the patios. A restaurant, la Recif, is next to the pool with a wide patio that looks over the ocean far below. This is where Phyllis often leads others in yoga. Unfortunately the restaurants on the property are closed for the season. So that first night, we drove into the nearby village and ate at this little restaurant. We were the only patrons at the time, for a late dinner. We both ordered shrimp cocktails served in a chilled broth with fresh avocado, tomato, chiles, cilantro, and lime. That was enough for Phyllis, but I also ordered dinner of fresh snapper panfried in butter and garlic, served with buttery rice and vegetables.

Yesterday, Phyllis rose before me and went on a walk. After a leisurely breakfast of fruit and rice cereal, then a shower, we drove into the town of Santiago (I think) where Phyllis belongs to a beach club. It is a small graceful place right on the beach with a pool, patios with chaise lounges, a restaurant open for breakfast and lunch, and changing rooms. We left our things on the patio, took only our credit cards, camera, water, and sarongs, and strolled in our bathing suits along the water and sand to a lagoon. We crossed the inlet on a foot bridge and walked uphill a short way to a beautiful hotel and restaurant. The man who served us has known Phyllis now over these many years she has been coming to the area, and brought her the usual shrimp and avocado salad. I feasted on fried tortilla chips and mahi mahi with rice, cooked to perfection. After our return walk along the beach, I read and dozed on the beach club patio while Phyllis read and then went for a swim in the ocean. The water was warm but refreshing. We left the beach late afternoon and went grocery shopping in a supermercado for produce and chicken to make a few meals. I was distracted and entertained looking at the different foods available, trying to understand the Spanish I was reading and using to ask for things I couldn't find. In the bakery section, I couldn't resist a slice of tres leches cake and a sampling of the other baked goods. Back at the condo I made dinner, and then ate dinner, while Phyllis did an hour long meditation for the full moon. Of the desserts, my favorite was the cake! Tomorrow we will go to a proper bakery and seek out some good local coffee.


Without a watch and not using my phone, I really have no idea what time it is now, maybe almost noon. Phyllis is sunning at la Recif, the pool at the condos, and I am in the office. I better get back. Today we will have massages at 4:00 and plan to lounge at the condo after that and eat in, so I imagine we will want to get moving if we are going to go to the beach today, and fit in another meal for me. I will consider the massage my rest for the day, and maybe fall off to sleep for a bit after the massage.

More later. I hope it's not still raining in Portland, or wherever YOU are.
Take care. Pamela

This is how I spend a few hours each afternoon! By the end of Mother's Day I was particularly exhausted. We had a fun day, first breakfast and croquet with the 'boys,' then an early dinner with my mother, sisters, and partners, at our house. Jack had a ball.

Later in the week, Kathy and Milo came for a visit. Jack was very enthusiastic about Milo who was a perfect guest, despite Jack's persistent advances and puppiness.

Good medical news: The 2-3 pounds I seem to have gained appear to be staying. Yeah! I continue to enjoy eating what I want and more. Hopefully this won't become a habit I can't break when I reach my goal.

Enjoy the patches of sun, in the Pacific Northwest.

Pamela

Jack continues to grow and to entertain us and warm our hearts. Last week Ben finished fencing around the back yard so that Jack can now run freely there. He has been spending a little more time with me this past week. Some days Ben has been dropping Jack back home after my morning yoga and tea routine. Jack helps me dig outside and naps a bit in the afternoon. Ben is still the primary care giver, but I am getting more involved. We have done a couple walks with Leslie and Sophie. Jack loves to walk right with Sophie and she tolerates his puppiness. We have been to Crystal Springs again; may go there again tomorrow with the boys for Mother's Day, or someplace else where Jack would be welcome.


You may find it entertaining to know just how much I eat these days. As far as I can tell, I haven't gained any weight, but then I haven't lost any pounds in a long time either. Still holding around 101#. And when you hear how much I eat, you will be amazed. Take today: I started with my usual large bowl of cooked rice cereal, served up with 1/2 T. of butter and 1/3 cup of rich coconut milk. I needed that to hold me until I could eat breakfast at the church with my sisters. There I ate two servings of an egg and cheese dish, a small sausage baked in a biscuit, a bite-sized muffin with butter, a slice of chocolate chip zucchini bread, and a bowl of fresh fruit. When I got home, I pulled weeds and planted perennials for a couple hours until it was time to meet my friend Joanne for lunch. We shared two delicious Thai dishes at Cha Ba Thai on NE Alberta (great food). Being absolutely stuffed, we decided to walk, rather than drive, the mile to Petite Provence for a little something sweet. For me, that sweet thing was butter-packed almond bear claw, mmmmm. I got home late afternoon, with a couple hours to work in the garden again before we had to leave once more for a benefit dinner. The Indian meal began with humus and pita bread, so good that I ate about 5 pieces. Next was a tomato, ginger, coconut milk soup. Ben and I chose different main courses, which we shared: lamb kebabs with cauliflower and rice, and chicken curry with potatoes and rice. We were expected to bid for a dessert, but by then we were all tired and ready to be home. Back at home, I toasted two slices of cinnamon bread to which I added butter and cinnamon sugar. And now I am eating my last meal: another bowl of cooked rice cereal, with butter and coconut milk. That should hold me until morning when I get to start all over. As you can figure out, I spend a lot of time each day preparing food and eating. Hopefully some of it will begin to stick to my bones. In the meantime, I am enjoying eating as much as I want.

This is the kind of lilac, Lemoine, that we just planted after seeing it at the lilac gardens in Battleground, WA, a couple weeks ago. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers. Being a mother has been my greatest joy in life.