A long busy Texas & Mexico Summer!

Between travel & our trip home for some much needed home repairs & painting we ended our Summer on a very busy note. At one point in during the full scale painting & sheetrock work our crew was threatening to quit...my rudimentary Espanol came in handy then. Yes, I have picked up a few things living here in Mexico. (It's called Tex-mex for a reason!) I could see the handwriting on the wall & made nice with the painters each morning giving them encouragement & breakfast. We did have time with our 2 favorite girls but it was work, work & more work while we were in Texas. The "honey do" chores continue but once again we are back in Mexico~






The "Home" project has made us do some weeding out & going through 27 years of things somewhere between family "stuff" & junk. The up side to painting is that everything feels fresh & new once it is all put back in place. We are still getting there...

















Since returning to Mexico I am once again keeping busy creating, cooking & doing what we do here South of the Border. This Chutney is excellent with Chicken, Lamb or Pork. It has a little more bite than a Major Grey's Chutney. Enjoy~
Spiced Mango Chutney
2 lbs chopped ripe mango
2 cups tart green apple, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small fresh jalapeno, diced & seeded
2 cups mascabedo sugar (raw sugar)
1 cup dried cranberries, soaked in boiling H2O
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced
1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Place all ingredients except Ginger & Cranberries in large dutch oven. Bring to low boil & lower heat to simmer. Cook Mango mixture for 30-45 minutes until the fruit is bubbly & rich golden color. Add the diced Ginger & drained Cranberries into the mixture. Immediately ladle Chutney into sterile pint or half pint jars, seal & close immediately. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath. Remove, cool jars & store.

Thinking of home! Happy 4th, Wherever you are:)

Leaving Texas is always bittersweet. After a recent trip home I am still thinking of family, friends & home. I'm happy to be there & while the time is precious, it ends all too fast. We enjoy every single moment we spend with our family. The only thing that makes returning to Mexico a little easier are the friendships we have established South of the Border. Life in the Ex Patriot community is fraught with moves & goodbyes but when we do establish friendships they have a certain resilience & strength. It's truly the Carpe Diem thought of seizing the moment & living in the present which helps me along.










What's not to miss? We always miss our girls mucho!

















I can't imagine life here without friends to share the joys & those little daily aggravations! There are plenty of those but what is life without those grains of sand rubbing us the wrong way now & again? This 4th of July, I'll miss those fireworks & BBQ ~ living somewhere else on Independence day makes me wax poetic & think of home. So, keep those sparklers lit, the beer cold & the BBQ pits stoked! We're thinking of you! Happy 4th of July & God bless Old Glory & long may it wave!












Laughter & Friends!
... I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~Woody Allen

Flat Stanley's return to Mexico~

Flat Stanley donned a sombrero on his journey South of the Border with the "Familia Kincke"!

After a one year absence from Mexico Stanley returned ready for adventures yet again South of the Rio Grande. Good Luck with Flat Stanley as he returns to Texas, Alexa! Your Flat Stanley artistic talents were enjoyed by many here in Mexico.


Flat Stanley returned to Mexico this Spring. Not dark of night, hail, rain or lack of Internet could keep this little Super Paper Guy from visiting here South of the Border. Flat Stanley was emailed to Mexico (yep, high speed travel for Stan) by Alexa Spelbring. She sent Flat Stanley to Mexico as part of her English project from Forest Creek Elementary in Round Rock Texas. Alexa hasn't traveled to Mexico but her big sis Jessica traveled here for a visit a couple of Spring Breaks ago. Not the first time I've blogged about a Spelbring family member.


















Of course some everyday things here in Mexico include "having coffee & talking about our daughters"...Starbucks Barristas are wonderful the world over! **In this unbearable heat the java better be cold of course~


















Flat Stanley even took a dip in the pool here in Las Misiones. A procedure like that could've be risky had Ziploc not stepped in & saved the day.


















Stanley crisscrossed 3 states in Mexico and even traveled across the border at Reynosa braving the military check points throughout Northern Mexico. Flat Stanley may not have seen all of Mexico but he did briefly live "la vida loca" here & seemed to enjoy the Arts, Culture & people of Mexico.




Flat Stanley even had a brief meeting with Eliseo our gardener about the finer points of flora & fauna in Northern Mexico. It goes without saying that Stanley seems to have a greater grasp of Espanol than I & understood the entire exchange...


I have it on very good authority that Flat Stanley's also had a brief tour in Iraq. Stanley just keeps on spreading his cheer around the world. I'm so glad Stanley could visit our troops!
Flat Stanely has certainly put the miles on his little paper passport! Hope he's earning miles with these trips. He's certainly earned his wings! So long Flat Stanley! Adios & hasta la vista, Baby~
For more information on Flat Stanley check out this site: http://www.flatstanleyproject.net/

Springtime & heat have arrived~

While Springtime in Mexico is full of vibrant color, the heat leaves a little bit to be desired. We have had no substantial rainfall & early intensive heat already & it's only April. Traveling between Monterrey & Torreon in the middle of the desert we have already had temps in the 100's several times. To quote Charlie Brown..."Argh..." We finally had a small amount of rainfall night before last & are hoping for more in the days to come. I can't complain too much though as the flora & fauna are really incredible right now. I just hope this isn't a prelude to a long & very hot summer!























La primavera en el norte de Mexico.

Lucky me, I've had enough! I'll be smiling soon though:)

Okay, this isn't an entire post whining about me but I do want to update family & friends about a couple of items~


1) I've been out of sorts in recent months with the saga of endless tooth problems which all started over a innocent Spinach Salad. I had a small surgical procedure this week, pretty glad it's over & now my mouth is making a full recovery. The Mister will be a happy man if he doesn't have to sit in the dental surgical center holding my hand through anymore of those events!!! I have had relatively little pain, stitches are out as of today, so very soon chewing will be back to normal. That's why I am considering myself Lucky! The teeth in my mouth remain intact. Can I hear an Amen??

2) The last & very important issue is that I along with other bloggers have been hit with an evil Spammer lately. If you check or read the comments on my blog DO NOT, EVER click on some sort of link which tells you "here it is", "Look", "Check it out" or otherwise. It is a virus & you will have huge problems. I believe blogspot is aware of this issue & trying to resolve this. If you cannot read an entire comment, don't click anything though. Gracias & Buen dia! Your Texas to Mexico connection.

Longer lines than usual at the border!

Easter holiday or Semana Santa gives most people in Mexico a week holiday. The holiday also makes for some very long lines at the border. Seemingly everyone was making a run for the border the day we crossed at Nuevo Laredo. Our normal 5 hour trip turned into a 12 hour trip with the long, long wait. There were car searches on both sides & it seemed if street vendors could be selling "stuff" they were. The car lines on the Mexican side looked like a rolling market place. We observed anything & everything being sold car to car. It was a hot melange of food, exhaust fumes, sweaty bodies & beggars just outside of our car window. I'm glad people see more welcoming sites in Mexico; as Nuevo Laredo these days would be a real "turn off" for even the most seasoned Tourista! Welcome to Mexico is writen above the border entry but it certainly isn't the feeling one gets when the Army tanks sit just across the river from Laredo. For those of us who remember Laredo in it's finer moments there is hope for a brighter future. (1970's & 1980's it was fun & relatively safe...truly dating myself here!) Things can always change. For now the "Girl's trips" to the border for shopping at Marti's, Margaritas at the Cadillac Bar & fun are just a memory of the past. We seriously don't worry when we travel through Nuevo Laredo, it just makes me sad.



















Of note this little tank had an amphibious propeller at the back, the only water close was the Rio Grande. Hmmm!

Paella tiempo!

Last evening there was a whole lot of cooking going on here! The barefooted cooks were fabulous in the kitchen. We dined outside on the Paella, bread, wine all from the freshest ingredients possible to find in Mexico. Spectacular end to our day.






















Spanish Paella Serves 6-8

2 pinches of saffron threads
1 7/8 cup of short grain rice
16 live mussels (*instead, I generally throw more shrimp in South of the Border)
6 Tbsp. oil
6-8 unboned chicken thighs, excess fat removed, skin on
5 oz chorizo sausage, cut into 1 inch slices, as much casing removed as possible
2 med. onions, chopped
4 lg. garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. mild or hot Spanish paprika, to taste
3 1/2 oz. green beans chopped
7/8 cup of frozen peas
5 c. chicken or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
16 uncooked shrimp, shelled & deveined
2 sweet red peppers, sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped finely

1. Put the saffron threads in a small bowl & pour in 4 Tbsp. hot H2O, set aside. Scrub mussels, removing any beards, & discard any with cracked shells or open ones that do not close when tapped, set aside.

2. Heat 3 Tbsp. of oil in 12-16 in. Paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin sides down & cook for 5 min. until golden & crispy. Transfer to bowl.

3. Add the chorizo to the Paella pan & cook for 1 min. until it starts to crisp. Add to the chicken.

4. Heat another 3 Tbsp. oil in Paella pan. Add the onions and cook for 2 min. then add the garlic & paprika & cook for an additional 3 min. until the onions are soft, but not brown.

5. Add the rice, beans, and peas to the Paella pan and stir until coated in oil. Return the chicken thighs & chorizo & any accumulated juices to the casserole Stir in the stock, saffron liquid *or saffron Paella powder, salt & pepper & bring to a boil stirring.

6. Reduce the heat to low & let simmer, without stirring, for 15 min. or until the rice is almost tender & most liquid is absorbed.

7. Arrange the mussels, shrimp, & sweet pepper strips on top, cover the casserole/Paella pan & continue simmering, without stirring for about 5 min. until shrimp become pink & mussels open.

8. Discard any mussels that do not open. Taste & adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley. Cover pan with foil then cover that with a clean large towel. Let rest for about 4-5 min. Serve with lemon wedges & crusty bread.

H2O~~~~

We've got a full tank so hang on Baby! Spring Break is on. We have no explaination of what caused the crisis. There has been alot of construction on the mountain behind the houses here & construction here near the spring. Tank trucks with H2O came to the rescue over the weekend. We have water but are using our cistern wisely!

Things just aren't ever that simple!

Preparing for our Spring Breakers to arrive here South of the Border~

We received a phone call last night @ 11pm to let us know that the springs have run dry in our colonia & we will have no water for a few days!!! The last word we heard this afternoon is that water tanker trucks will bring in water sometime soon & we will have restricted water service on Monday! The how, when & where concerns us but we can only wait & see what happens on Monday. The old "manana, si, manana" can be a shoulder shrug & kind of indifferent put off at times. South of the Border timing isn't quite what it's cracked up to be....here's to hoping though! A toast with some bottled water~Salute! Right now that H2O may be as precious as fine wine:)

Watching the Oscars in Latin America

My once a year Oscar night watching was disrupted by the lack of English language stations carrying the awards show this evening here South of the Border! In our Hotel last night SKY cable programing offered the Oscar show live on TNT only with Spanish voice over. I can understand the reason however all of the English language stations weren't offering the show either. (not tragic, just a bother!) Of course, the actual voices could be heard but the Spanish voice-over did overwhelm the presentors vocal attributes & words. Whatever! Such are the Academy Awards Show when watching from somewhere other than the US. ***My personal spin on the Academy Awards for this year: ...Mexico is "No country for Old Men", Old dogs, Old women, Old cars...... Just think of me living you know where once you cozy up with Times Warner Cable or Direct TV & enjoy something as simple as television without the writer's strike or an awards show. It's the simple things that are a joy! By the way the gowns this year were fabulous, speeches not too long & yes, John Travolta can still dance!


















Fantastic fashions & wonderful red carpet interviews, 2 great reasons to watch the Oscars; even South of the Border!