Keeping up Traditions on my 100th post

Guilt has reigned supreme in the past couple of weeks as I have neglected writing in favor of spending time with our good friends Lynn and Barry.   But based on our recommendations, they have taken a 3 day trip inland to two of our favorite places,Patzcuaro and Uruapan.   Gene and I find ourselves home alone and this gives me time to catch up on what the past couple of weeks have been like.  

On this my 100th blog entry since deciding to chronicle life in Mexico from my perspective, I am aware of the impact traditions have had on me.   Perhaps it is our current immersion in Downton Abbey, something that I would have never imagined myself doing here in the tropics, but it is the epitome of tradition as we observe life in the aristocracy of England in the 1920's.  

Gone is my need to be out every night in the town, and I cherish these quiet evening spent in our comfy living room watching a show about a lifestyle so remote from this place we call our winter home.   

So when I think of traditions,  I knew I couldn't pass up my annual visit to the Uruapan Michoacan Domingo de Ramos Artisan's Fair.  This annual pilgrimmage by myself and a group of women friends has become a pre-departure tradition for me.  I no longer go with a list of items needing purchase, but instead I go with the desire to re-connect with that feeling I had when I first saw this massive display of women's arts and a celebration of indigenous cultures in the modern world.   Sadly, this year, my good friend Iris couldn't make the journey - we are all waiting for more news from Iris who went back to her California home with health problems.    I want Iris to be strong and well and be my friend here for many more years of travel together.   So we connect daily hoping for good news.  

This year my travel buddies were Canadian friends Shelagh, a lover of Mexican people and Buffy, who was afforded the chance to travel with me and leave her husband in the care of his adult daughters visiting for Spring Break.   Driving up to Uruapan, through Tierra Caliente with outside temperatures soaring to 42C,  we were thankful our car with it's newly refurbished airconditioner didn't let us down.   We stayed at the lovely small hotel Mi Solar immediately adjacent to the zocalo, ground zero for Michoacan artists' displays for the next 2 weeks.  But by attending the fair on it's starting weekend, we were able to enjoy 3 special features, the Juried craft fair, the demonstration food fair featuring tradtional Purhepecha cooking and the parade.  After the let down of our local Carnavale parade, I was reluctant to inflate expectations of my friends who have never witnessed this event before.  But I shouldn't have feared, this parade has yet to disappoint me.  Each puebla has a distinct clothing and art and every artisan walks the route proudly showing off their clothing and art forms to their full advantage.   It is a photographers greatest opportunity and although without my own camera, I tried my best to capture some of the special images of the day.  

The weekend was magic and renewed my hope of someday having another house to decorate as the large decorative items spoke to me...but I am going home with inspiration for renewal of our backyard water feature with clay fish and shells from a tiny village on the coast of Michoacan.   

And coming home to Zihuatanejo I am now in the final weeks of sewing projects for Sol Sisters, Dawn and my Mexican oilcloth products made by Lety.    We have completed all the bags, make up bags and travel pouches for the year.   She has made me aprons and bags for my daughter Amy's new farm market in Ontario.  5 barbeque covers are packed in my take home luggage for friends in Victoria and all that's left is our latest item;  dragonboat paddle covers.  Yes, Gorgeous Gals dragonboat team is about to receive oilcloth paddle covers thanks to the guidance of our coach Corey Teramura who has provided me with measurements and designs that just might work.  So Lety who has never seen a dragonboat, nor held a paddle is about to embark on production of at least 20 beautiful and I hope durable and practical paddle bags.  In her words, Ojala!!  








And this weekend is Easter (the pinnacle of Semana Santa), the change over to Hora Verano (Mexican Daylight Savings Time) and 3 weeks till our departure date.   We miss our home in Canada, our friends and family but we are determined to see and do everything we want to experience before we head back to our other life.   Another tradition I wouldn't change for anything.