In Search of the Perfect Virgen: There's No Place Like Home!

Of course, I don't have to travel very far, to find examples of the Queen of the Americas.  This one is sitting in the niche, in the Inner Patio of Casita Laberinto one of the two "GREEN" houses that we built and are selling.  This Virgen is carved from Cantara, a stone used for statuary and decoration around buildings.  We had been searching for a statue of the Virgen to put in this niche and found her in Dolores Hidalgo (along with numerous of her sisters).  Simply carved out of the pink cantara, we bought her, brought her home and added just a touch of color.  She, along with the plants and our fountain, make the Inner Patio seem like a mini-sanctuary.


Watch the Fountain @ Casita Laberinto

In Search of the Perfect Virgen: The Search Continues!

Not all of the Goddesses in Mexico are post Spanish Conquest.  This pre-Columbian one was sitting on shelf with numerous other artifacts.  Modern versions of this are seen in a modified, less stark state, in artisan stores around Oaxaca.  And the search continues...................

How To Care For A Simple Green Home.

    When we first came to Mexico to build, we had in mind a house with land around it that reflect our respect and love for nature and its beauty, the full ecological picture, and simplicity.  We built our house with many of the features that we had researched and envisioned.  Among those that we implemented in the house were, adobe construction, passive solar orientation and elements, photovoltaic solar energy, water catchment, gray-water plumbing, a compost toilet (to avoid extra water usage and black-water), and composting of both kitchen and garden by-products (i.e., peeling, etc., from the kitchen; weeds and clippings from the garden).
     We also let the garden evolve around the house, as we were building and first living out on the property.  Once walls and terraces were in place, we designated areas which sheltered the garden or exposed it to the elements.  And then we planted like an artist dabs color onto a painting, a flourish here, a few dots there, a splash in the foreground, a foundation in the back.  And once that had settled, we looked and "Painted" some more.
      One of the most important things to remember when building and living sustainably is that the house a surrounding garden require your participation.  The most important payment that you can make is to Pay Attention.  So, doing something everyday, we Pay Attention to our house and garden, so that it gets full and complete maintenance throughout the year.  By doing a little each day, nothing is too hard and nothing is neglected.
Things to Pay Attention to When Caring for a Simple, Green Home:

1.  Every day feed the Compost Bins.  Our Worm Bin gets the Kitchen by-products and our Green Compost Bin gets the garden by-products and orange peels (because our worms don't like a lot of citrus).
2. Every day, channel the gray-water to a part of the garden (trees, bushes, etc.) that needs a drink.  Some of our gray-water is stationary, permanently directed to a specific location.  Some is directed by hose, to various parts of the garden, as needed.
3. Everyday, water something.  Until the rains come, that is.
4. Everyday, walk through your garden and see what it needs, a branch clipped here, a tree well weeded there.  By walking and maintaining the garden daily, you are stuck with a chore that keeps getting put off.
5. Once a week, flood the gray-water drains with a bucket (approx 5 gallons) of water.  The pipes are simple and direct and the flooding keeps them running freely.
6. Every week, rake the the dry compost toilet, to turn the "soil" and promote the composting process.
7. Every week, turn the Worm and Green Compost Bins.
8. If you are a serious gardener then, you are already planning the next phase of your garden, as the present one comes to fruition.  Every week, keep the garden up-to-date in terms of planting, maintaining, harvesting, digging.
9. Every 3 Months, check and refill the water in the Solar Batteries.  They get thirsty, too.  We check and fill ours on the Solstices and Equinoxes.
10. Every 6 Months, raise or lower the Solar Panels.  We do this at the Equinoxes, right after checking the Batteries.
11. Every day of every year, take time to enjoy the combined efforts of nature and your nurturing.

     For more information on Green Stuff and to See a bunch more pictures about the place we live, the homes we built [Which we are offering for Sale] visit our Website: Las Casitas: Dos Arbolitos; and Laberinto
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     Think Green.  Think Peace!

On Flowers and Food.

     There is a hurricane, Hurricane Bud, off the western coast of Mexico.  For those along the coast, there are warnings of things to come, as early as today, but probably by tomorrow.  While the weather is a threat to the beaches, it is a promise to the central part of Mexico.  The rainy season---or potential thereof---begins with the hurricane season.  Farmers here in the highlands are looking forward to hurricanes driving near enough to both coasts to push clouds and rains upward and inward.  These first rains are crucial to "cool" the earth, la tierra, after the heat of April and May, and before the final furrowing and then planting can begin.  The three important food crops, corn and beans and squash, which still sustain many of the countries people will be planted when the earth is sufficiently moist.  Then the hope for continued rains, throughout the growing season, begins.  The word for hope is esperanza, from the verb esperar, to hope or to wait, or both.
     At Casita Dos Arbolitos, we also are waiting/hoping for the rains.  Much of our own gardening plans, beyond the Shelter Garden areas that are filled with greens and herbs, count on the rain, as well.  While we are waiting, we are always busy with one aspect of the Garden or the other, planting, watering, digging, making compost.  The most pleasurable part of the garden, however, is the walking through, the looking at, the touching, enjoying the sights and scents and tastes (especially when our Fig Tree is producing).  This week, one of our succulents celebrated spring by producing what we call its 'Little Shop of Horrors' flower.  Part of the pleasure of walking through the Garden is making these discoveries.  The flower opened Tuesday and gave a magnificent display.  That day, it also had a scent that I didn't find that appealing, but attracted numerous bees to immerse themselves in its pollen.  Today, it has become a fading star, mostly limp, soon-to-be-gone.  But in its one day of full glory, it was spectacular:

     Besides celebrating our Garden, we Celebrate Mexican Cuisine in our Kitchen.  We have many cookbooks about Mexican Cuisine.  Two are by the author Diana Kennedy.  She has lived in Mexico much of the time, since 1957.  Because we spent some time in Oaxaca, we are enjoying making thins from her Oaxaca al Gusto cookbook.  We bought it before our trip, when she was here in San Miguel de Allende for a book-signing.  The recipe for today is Amarillo, which is to say Mole Amarillo, an "esotfado," a stew made with chiles and spices, potatoes and chayote, masa, chicken and pork.  The amarillo part means it's supposed to be yellow, but the chiles that we have aren't exactly like those from Oaxaca, so the stew is more orange than yellow, but still delicious.  Que Rico!  How Rich!

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If you are interested in more about Mexico or in buying a Sustainable "Green" Home outside San Miguel de Allende, Click Here!

Buen Provecho! Good Eating!

Chop Wood, Carry Water, Stop Wood Peckers!

     This is just a note about how living a Sustainable Lifestyle helps to create a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at things.  One of the concepts of Permaculture, one of the Sustainable Living Philosophies, is to use "Stacking," wherever possible.  Stacking is the only form of multitasking one should implement.
     Regular Multitasking, doing numerous things at once, like answering phones, cooking, Tweeting your latest recipe, and washing your dog, all at once, is distracting and doesn't allow you to........oops, I have to go check to see if the cookies are fully baked yet.  Just kidding!  Multitasking doesn't allow you to focus on each individual action, giving it the attention that it needs to be completed successfully.  Multitaskers will tell you that they CAN do five things at once, completing them all successfully.  However, when put to the test, multitasking individuals, if successful with their tasks, use as much or more time to complete them; it just seems that they are doing it all at once and, therefore, faster.  Usually, they just make mistakes along the way.
     Stacking is a form of multitasking only in that, when properly designed, a system does two or more jobs at the same time.  A classic example is a gray-water system.  If designed correctly, every time someone does the laundry or takes a shower, the water is then channeled to a plant well or green area.  This system creates a three-way multitask: washing; a reuse of water; and plant watering.  The system save, as mentioned in other posts, water and time.
     Today's multitasking event occurred as we were trying to stop the woodpeckers from destroying the wood poles that hold up our patio roof.  At the base of each pole, we have vines growing and have been stringing them up to encourage their vertical growth.  The woodpeckers are trying to make their homes further up the poles, above the vines, by testing various spots and making lots of holes.  On one pole that has fully grown to the top, the woodpeckers stay away.  To discourage their continued hammering and hole drilling, we looked around for something that might work.  To that end, we found some wire mesh that was leftover from the construction of the house.  By cutting strips of the mesh and wrapping them around the upper parts of the poles, we performed an act of Stacking.  We were able to accomplish three things: the close knit mesh keeps the birds from being able to peck the wood; the mesh will, when the vines reach it, give them a tentacle-hold; we were able to use most of the leftover mesh, thus not wasting it.
     So, there you have it.  Stacking.  The only form of multitasking you should be doing.  Now how are those cookies doing............?

Chop Wood, Carry Water Part 107.35 Still waiting for the rains.

     Because we chose to make a conscious effort of live a sustainable lifestyle, we built our house to function simply.  Our water is "captured" when the rains hit the roof tops and are directed to our cisterns.  The water is pumped up to a tank on the roof.  From there, gravity does the work and sends the water back down to the faucets and shower head, and outdoor spigots.
     Because we have a compost toilet, we don't use water to flush out human waste products.  These compost into a dry material which we use as a safe material to supplement the green and kitchen composts that we spread under trees.  By using a composting system for human waste, the water saved can be directed elsewhere, as needed.
    Besides saving water, we also reuse water.  All shower, dish and laundry "gray-water'' is directed on to plants and trees and bushes.  This second usage, save water (by not having to rely solely on first water usage) and time (the gray-water and gravity do the work; the water flows directly onto the intended area).
     While we are waiting for the rains, we are careful with our water usage, to avoid, where possible, supplemental water purchases.  Still, May is a month that we want our plants to get through without stress, so we are giving them what we can.  According to one of our campesino (a person who lives in the countryside) neighbors, Genaro, the rainy season has started, even if the rains haven't appeared, yet.  At first I thought that this was some country wisdom that he was passing on, but he clarified it and told me that he had heard it on television.  So much for romanticizing country living.....

Waiting for the Rains!

     It's May in the Campo, the Countryside, here in San Jose de Gracia.  As you can see from my last post, I have been neglecting my "Corazon" of Mexico; this, having abandoned it for the quicker Social Medium of Twitter. [See my Twitter Feed on the Right Hand Side]  Still, as we wait to sell our houses (visit our Website Our Homes For Sale!), we are enjoying our time here and have declared a creative sabbatical.  To that end, we are following our own creative urges.  Each of us has different "art" forms that we like to pursue.  Two areas where we come together are cooking (and eating, of course) Mexican and Mexican Fusion Cuisine, and Gardening.
     In terms of cooking, for example, tonight we are having one of our favorites, Stuffed Chile Poblanos.  When the the Chile Poblanos are filled with cheese, dredge in an egg batter and fried, they are the well known, served in every restaurant, Chiles Rellenos.  But Poblanos and other chiles, both fresh and dried, can be stuffed with a variety of fillings and baked, or fried with or without a batter.  A few nights ago, we had Poblanos stuffed with shrimp and goat cheese and served with a Chipotle reduction sauce.  Tonight, the chiles are being stuffed with a mixture of fried potatoes, sauteed onions and garlic, goat cheese, and the ubiquitous and delicious sausage called chorizo.  To complete the plate, we are having slices of mango, black beans with feta cheese, and a roasted tomato/serrano chile marinara.
     Gardening at this time of year is mostly watering our trees and plants, and planting and growing a limited food garden in the sheltered areas that are shaded and have walls blocking the fierce winds.  Our fruit and olive trees are all trying to hold on to their fruit, until the rains; these are due anytime between now and the end of June.  Our prodigious Fig tree is in a holding pattern, with numerous figs ready to spring forth at the rains.  Even though it is getting regular water, it requires that extra measure to encourage it to make its final push.  Until the, we'll wait for the rains and dream of fresh figs and fig chutney and fig bars and..........

And Check out Spring in Our Garden: Spring 2012

Just a Quick Note!

You can see by the Twitter Feed, that we have been to Oaxaca and back.  Now, we are preparing for Spring and taking what we've learned from previous years and applying it to this year's Garden.  In the meantime, we have had 4 inches of rain this year and the drought the devastated last year's nopal cactus crop has been mitigated.
 The early rains have refreshed the cactus and encouraged them to leaf out and bloom.  Both of these are important, as they are both food crops as well as high plateau forest greenery.  We have already had our first helping of fresh nopales, onions and tomatoes.  We'll be harvesting more throughout the month, while awaiting the ripening of the "tunas," the prickly pears.
For our Oaxacan Adventure Click Here
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Time to Cozy in for the Night.  There is the potential of some rain coming our way.  And, if not, the Thunder and Lightning show that is beginning will provide a nice evening's entertainment.

Celebrating Mexico, One Day At A Time!

We are selling Our Homes in Mexico, just outside San Miguel de Allende and moving back to the United States.  People ask us why we are moving away and they cite such things as cultural differences, possible violence, their own perceived unknowns.  We look at the move differently.  Partially, we are moving back because that's where our children are living and making their homes, at present.  There, also are our oldest and dearest friends.  Beyond these relationship reasons, however, is the feeling that we have had an interesting and stimulating adventure, here; and now it is time for the next adventure.
That doesn't mean the adventure here is quite finished.  The homes are on the market, but the right set of adventurers has not yet appeared.  Until they do, we are looking at our time here with slightly new eyes.
A Zen Story:

  A man walking along a path, encountered a tiger.  He started to run away, but the tiger ran after him, getting closer and closer.  The man came to the edge of a cliff, with nowhere to run.  Just as the tiger was about to spring, the man grabbed hold of bush whose roots were growing it the wall of the cliff and jumped over the edge.  there, he was suspended just below the tiger and above the ground far below.  As he looked down, he saw another tiger waiting for him, if he could get himself down without falling.  Then, two mice---one black, one white---started gnawing on the root of the bush.  Just then, the man looked over and saw a wild strawberry growing on a plant near him.  He plucked the strawberry and ate it.  It was so very sweet!!

 As we spend our last months of living full time at our home, out here in the beautiful Mexican countryside, each experience seems sweeter, richer.

More Sounds!

One of the delights of living out here is what I call taking care of "Bits and Pieces."  By that I mean that I will start on one project and end up doing something there, then a bit over here, then some other piece of a project in another place.  This especially is true in the Garden, when I'll start out weeding some patch underneath a tree in the orchard, and then, while I'm carrying the first load of green waste away, see that the compost heap needs turning, then I'll go over to rake the sand in the Bird Garden; and then, it's time for cleaning another tree well.  So it is with Blogging and working on The Website.  I start a thread of thinking regarding some aspect of living in SMA (like Sounds in the Campo, and then I'll work on a YouTube Video for awhile, then I'll tweak some ad like Craig's List.  And then it's another few days before I am, figuratively speaking, back under the tree in the orchard.
But, here I am.  To round out the week of sounds, from the village and beyond......  Sunday has more Veggie Vending.  And, maybe importantly, there is the absent sound, the Church Bell.  The small village doesn't have a priest living and working with the people, here.  Rather, there are priests that come from the larger areas, of which this village is a parish member.  Services are not usually "rung" in, so to speak, on Sundays.  The bells do ring, at different times:  When services are conducted by the priest of lay members; when there is a call to church-affiliated classes; when there is a holy celebration; and when someone dies.
There are other sounds throughout the week, from Monday on.  Occasional trucks rumbling up to the Bull Farm (just a bit past our area), faints sounds of traffic on the highway, occasional planes passing overhead.  Some mornings, on clear, mostly still mornings, a sound somewhat like a blast furnace can be heard.  It usually takes a minute for me to remember what it is and where it's coming from before I look up toward the southwestern sky.  There, one (or sometimes more) of the SMA Hot Air Balloons is rising up above SMA, for the grand view.  Often, the Balloons will travel overhead, making a tour of the lands north and east of the city.
Compared to the city noise, the sounds out here, because they are more transitory, do not pound deep into the unconscious, creating a stress layer.  Unlike the city, many of the sounds here are pastoral and resonate more naturally with the rhythms of the day.  And even the less "natural" sounds have their place in the daily life of all of us who live here.

Sounds Wafting From The Village Part Two: Friday and Saturday.

What???  It's Saturday already!?!  What happened to the Friday Post?  Weren't there any sounds??  Well, yes.  Mostly, however, the sounds were the everyday sounds.  The Tortilla Guys, the Domestic Animals, Pastorals and Pajaros (birds).  The one sound that wafted down to Casita Dos Arbolitos was the Train Sounding its way through the flatter parts of SMA, somewhat to the West of us, near the Presa, a lake that receives all (and I mean all) of the waters that flow through and from San Miguel.  The Train, especially in the early, pre-dawn hours, has that mixture of loneliness and on-the-road-again sound.
Saturday has all of the usual sounds AND, around 8:30 or 9AM, from where we are sitting in the house, there comes what sounds like a large Bee buzzing one of the window screens.  After a few seconds of hearing it, one of two things happens:  It finally comes to us that the sound is really the Saturday vegetable vendor, making his rounds; or we finally hears some words coming out of the buzz.  Words like zanhoria or manzana or platano; which is to say carrot, apple, banana.  The buzz is ts coming from the Vegetable Vendor's loudspeaker, sounding that way because he doesn't make a space between words.  Hence, the above named fruits and veggies would sound like zanhoriamanzanaplatano.......   And, of course, besides the run-on words, it's in Spanish, which takes our minds a moment or two for adjustment.
When I say "he" when talking about the Vegetable Vendor, I'm not being fully accurate.  He is driving the truck; and it's his voice we hear buzzing our eardrums.  But there are usually other family members as well.  Riding in the passenger's seat is usually the Veggie V's wife; and riding in the back of the canvas-tented, large-bed pick-up truck is the VV's daughter.  Mother and daughter seem to handle most of the transactions, while the VV rests up from his long-winded vegetable soliloquy.
Lots of great veggies and fruits, at farmer's market prices.  These, brought straight to the village, every Saturday.  There is also a Sunday delivery, by a different VV.  And, recently, on Fridays, a family has set up in front of one of the locals' houses, selling his garden foods and some household products.  These vegetable deliveries take the burden off of householders.  The alternative is to go to the farmer's markets Tuesday (the big one) or Sunday (somewhat smaller); or to go to the supermarket; or to go to the open markets in SMA.  All of these offer products of comparable quality.  And, they all offer a larger selection from which to choose (more on the Tuesday Market, soon).  Still, to get to any of these other venues---and because most people in the village don't have vehicles, and because even in small villages, life isn't idyllically communal (another topic)---means walking the 2 miles to the highway, taking a bus, walking around the markets, the "supers" or SMA itself, getting back on the bus, then walking back up the 2 miles to the village, with your purchases dangling from your arms.  Given the choice, that Saturday buzzing is music to many a villager's ears.

This isn't Kansas, anymore, Toto. Or how we got here.

The Short Version:  1977, my then future wife and her soon-to-be first husband are touristing around Mexico.  They stopped in San Miguel de Allende.  For my wife-to-be (after marrying and then leaving said first) it was a literal "love at first sight."  Over the years, she and he, then they (family and children), came for visits.  Then she bought some land in SMA with $$$ from and inheritance.  And then, in 1991, she met me.
And the me she met didn't seem like an SMA guy, so she sold the land.  And then we came to SMA.  It, high on the high plateau, the alto plano, seemed to me, a California coastal dweller, too far from seas, East and West; being, thusly, midway in-between the two.  But SMA has charm, to which millions attest.  And I became one.  And we found some land, just safely away from city noise, but close enough to go and play.
And we came and built and lived, and loved our home.  And love it still.  And still, California, beckons again.  And we put on the Red Slippers of Real Estate Sales.  And from our website, we click.
Click Here----->>>>   Ruby Red Slipper Heels  Once is enough (three times takes you to Kansas and Aunty Em).