Bringing Cori Home....the other half of a year in my life

So, it took 4 days, one in Vancouver visiting our 3 kids and saying goodbye while staying in a haunted house B&B that takes dogs Balfour Inn ( in case anyone is interested). Then a short flight to Calgary where Cori and I were made very welcome by our good friends who have a dog friendly house, some great walks with Uncle Alex and another direct flight with Westjet who make the whole issue of travelling with a dog seem quite casual, and we arrived.For Cori, it was like "no big deal"...I know where my food is, where the coolest spot on the cement floor is, and where the best beach to play ball is. He has said hello to his old canine amigos, and has found all the best corners to mark...he's back and he's perro feliz.
For me, it's not quite so easy. First of all, this has been one of the wettest summers on record in Zihua. With temperatures in the high 30'C and heavy rain, there is a lot of cleaning up to do. Every fabric that was left here smells mouldy to me, so at last count, we may have spent a record $200.00 on laundry. Now I shouldn't complain as the laundry is done by a wonderful man called Antonio who operates Lavanderia Especial and his handsome son brings back the laundry, clean, folded and smelling amazing all with the widest smile each day....
But laundry is just the beginning. This year we have decided to do a complete interior repainting of La Ceiba #9, our original one bedroom condo. that we purchased 6 years ago. Gene is the original do-it-yourselfer. So he is mainly working solo, after I wash and tape the walls....Roger, our friend and neighbour has been assisting, unless he's had too late of a night....we have the bedroom and bathroom done...living room and kitchen to go. and then we can relax knowing it's ready for our first guests who arrive mid-November. This is no longer a 'vacation"...it is our life, in a second home that, like all homes, requires maintenance.
So I wanted to share some of the special moments that have happened since I've been back...I feel like this, my 3rd winter in Zihua marks a turning point....I am no longer a "tourista"...I am now a "vecina"...an "amiga" and a local....so here goes the things that stand out in my mind as significant at the beginning of my 3rd winter spent in Zihua.
1. The street beggars say "hola, bienvenidos, como esta!" and look happy to see me back. They are all in their usual spots and I look forward to seeing them as I go on my daily excursions.
2. A taxi of gringa tourists asked me if I spoke English...and then asked me to tell their taxi driver where they wanted to go.
3. I recognize all the dogs on the streets - many are the same ones that hung out with Cori when he was abandoned, but they all look good and are surviving here in their same hangouts each year.
4. The group of Mexican women who regularly do their morning cardio workouts on the waterfront walkway and have never ever spoken to me before, all now say "hola and bienvenidos" and smile when they see Cori and I each morning.
5. I have now added the most amazing yoga class to my regular morning classes at Paty's. It is taught by Ana, the Mexican woman champion surfer, on the open air palapa covered top floor of a hotel near our casa. It was magic....sunset, breeze, star-filled sky, and the sounds of a seaside Mexican town coming to life in the cool of the evening.... This just could be my new best find for 2011 season.
6. Today, Gene and I were invited to my good friend Monica and Anibals', 25th wedding anniversary. It was an honor and a privilege to be included in the group of neighbors invited to the home of our friends in Colonia La Madera. I practised my increasing Spanish and met new friends who I can now include in the growing group of Mexican's we feel so fortunate to know....and I didn't even mention the mole de pollo, ceviche y tiritas y pastele con frutas tropicales that were so lovingily prepared and served by our friends.
7. Last but not least. I made a new friend when shopping today for a card, ribbon and paper to wrap the champagne I had purchased for the party. Adelina who owns a small floreria downtown has offered to accompany Gene and me on an excursion to some newly discovered archeological ruins near her home in one of the small pueblas south of Zihuatanejo. She's also offered to be my floral designer for any arrangements or gifts I would like to give this Xmas...at a "buen precio"...not the gringo price!!! A sure sign of success.