This morning is our 3rd day straight of walking the malecon. We walked to the Fisherman's Monument which is about 1 1/2 miles from our condo and back. It's a beautiful, sunny, blue skies, not a cloud, perfect breeze, 74 degrees day here in Maz. In the link below, the first image is Fishermen's Monument and a little bit about it. Very interesting I think. Mazatlan has many, many monuments and this one is one of the best known. Some of you who have been to Mazatlan will recognize the monument. It feels so great be back to getting in some exercise.
http://www.pacificpearl.com/monuments.htm
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Let the New Year's Resolutions begin!
This week we've started getting back into an exercise regimen.
Started out yesterday, Monday, December 28th, with a 1 mile walk to our favorite palapa restaurant, Lupe Locos, on the beach. Then, after a great breakfast walked back another mile to our condo gym for some weight training. It felt soooooo good. Greg is adding running the stairs in our building to his program. We have 17 flights so that's quite a workout. Our gym consists of weight stacks. Very different from the equipment at "Curves for Women", where I have been working as a Circuit Coach, September - November. I'm going to try to get used to them and workout consistently. I think walking, weights, yoga and water aerobics will be my exercise regimen for the next 5 months. Please wish us luck on our exercise New Year's Resolutions.
Good luck to everyone on your New Year's Resolutions too!
Remember the Buddhist Proverb, "If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."
Started out yesterday, Monday, December 28th, with a 1 mile walk to our favorite palapa restaurant, Lupe Locos, on the beach. Then, after a great breakfast walked back another mile to our condo gym for some weight training. It felt soooooo good. Greg is adding running the stairs in our building to his program. We have 17 flights so that's quite a workout. Our gym consists of weight stacks. Very different from the equipment at "Curves for Women", where I have been working as a Circuit Coach, September - November. I'm going to try to get used to them and workout consistently. I think walking, weights, yoga and water aerobics will be my exercise regimen for the next 5 months. Please wish us luck on our exercise New Year's Resolutions.
Good luck to everyone on your New Year's Resolutions too!
Remember the Buddhist Proverb, "If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Day dinner
We enjoyed our Christmas Day dinner with Dick and Jan. Yes, you have seen lots of pictures of Dick and Jan this holiday season. They are very special friends of ours down here in Maz. They live in Gunnison, Colorado and spend 6 months in Maz too. They are like family to us.
We enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings at their condo on Christmas Day.
We enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings at their condo on Christmas Day.
Dick prepared a 15 pound turkey.
Jan was creative and made her own napkin holders. Aren't they festive!
She also created her own centerpiece. It's small Christmas balls with a lighted Christmas necklace coiled around a candle. Very very creative and beautiful.
Jan's beautiful Christmas dinner table is set!!
We had a great Christmas dinner with Dick and Jan.
My Christmas gift from Dick and Jan was a "Jelly Lens Kaleidoscope" for my camera lens. This is the effect I got when taking a picture of the centerpiece. What a beautiful effect! I think it would make a beautiful Christmas card.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Morning at Casa de Smith
Below are pictures of our Christmas morning together. December 25th here in Mazatlan started at midnight with the ringing of church bells in the distance, the popping of fireworks and then at 3:00 am the infamous Banda music playing in the distance too. It's such a contrast of sounds but they are the sounds of Christmas in Mexico.
We got up about 7:00 am to 65 degrees, slight overcast skies, and a slight breeze. The street was very quite this morning, not much traffic and the malecon had just a few walkers/joggers/bicycles, etc. Very pleasant Christmas morning here in Maz.
Greg started Christmas Day with a cup of coffee with Baileys Irish Cream.
I started my Christmas Day with International Delight French Vanilla in my coffee.
Then, we began to open our gifts to one another.
Greg was happy to get an LL Bean Fly Fishing book for Christmas.
Very happy with the pockets on each side.
How does my butt look??
We got up about 7:00 am to 65 degrees, slight overcast skies, and a slight breeze. The street was very quite this morning, not much traffic and the malecon had just a few walkers/joggers/bicycles, etc. Very pleasant Christmas morning here in Maz.
Greg started Christmas Day with a cup of coffee with Baileys Irish Cream.
I started my Christmas Day with International Delight French Vanilla in my coffee.
Then, we began to open our gifts to one another.
Greg was happy to get an LL Bean Fly Fishing book for Christmas.
He was sooooo excited to get a new swim suit from Santa.
Santa was a little worried if he would like the swim suit. It fit him perfectly and he loved it.
Very happy with the pockets on each side.
How does my butt look??
Here's what Greg received for Christmas:
BBQ Tool set
Screw Driver set,
LL Bean Fly Fishing Book
Hand and band exercise tools
Banana-grams (word challenge book)
Sudoku To Go book
"Your Heart Belongs to Me" by Dean Koontz
Jar of his favorite mixed nuts
Swim Suit
Oven Mitt
Here's what I received:
4th in the series of Twilight books, "Breaking Dawn"
"Twilight" the movie
New Nicholas Sparks book, "The Last Song
3 pound hand weights
2 candles - Vanilla Bean and Pumpkin Spice
Santa Apron
Electrical plug for the Ipod
and Greg got us both new Santa hats.
And, last but not least, we're so happy to have each other this Christmas.
We do miss our families but will be with them next Christmas for sure.
We hope all your Christmas wishes came true and you had a wonderful Christmas together. Remember, "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." Merry Christmas to all!!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve
We had a wonderful tamale dinner at our condo on Christmas Eve. Our good friends, Dick and Jan from Gunnison, Colorado joined us for the evening. They live in Mazatlan 6 months of the year too and are our neighbors here at Las Gavias Club Residencial.
After we see what Santa brings us tomorrow morning, we will be going to Dick and Jan's condo for Christmas dinner tomorrow evening. They are fixing Turkey with all the trimmings. Yummmmmmm.
After we see what Santa brings us tomorrow morning, we will be going to Dick and Jan's condo for Christmas dinner tomorrow evening. They are fixing Turkey with all the trimmings. Yummmmmmm.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Orfanatorio de Mazatlan visit
Today we went to the Orfanatorio de Mazatlan to visit the children and bring them Christmas gifts.
Greg, concentrating on his drive through the streets of Mazatlan on our way to the orphanage.
The children were excited to see us and very curious about the big bag we brought in.
Diana, the orphanage mother, opens the Christmas present we brought for all the children. They seemed to be happy with the 4 DVDs "Mundo Animales" (World Animals).
I passed out the Christmas candy treat bags to each of the children. Diana allowed them only 1 piece. Good luck making sure that happens.
In the entry of the orphange is a beautiful tree, nativity scene, and stockings hanging for each of the children with their names.
Notice baby Jesus is not in the manager. He is not placed in the crib until Christmas Day, when he we born.
Diana explained to us that a "senora" had made these stockings for the children. Not sure who that was though.
They were beautiful stockings.
Greg, concentrating on his drive through the streets of Mazatlan on our way to the orphanage.
The children were excited to see us and very curious about the big bag we brought in.
Diana, the orphanage mother, opens the Christmas present we brought for all the children. They seemed to be happy with the 4 DVDs "Mundo Animales" (World Animals).
I passed out the Christmas candy treat bags to each of the children. Diana allowed them only 1 piece. Good luck making sure that happens.
In the entry of the orphange is a beautiful tree, nativity scene, and stockings hanging for each of the children with their names.
Notice baby Jesus is not in the manager. He is not placed in the crib until Christmas Day, when he we born.
Diana explained to us that a "senora" had made these stockings for the children. Not sure who that was though.
They were beautiful stockings.
Tamales for Christmas Eve dinner
Greg is picking up tamales at "Maz Tamales" in old Mazatlan. He picked up chicken, pork, and pineapple tamales. We've had them before and they are sooooo delicious!!
As is the tradition in many Mexican familes, we'll be having them for Christmas Eve dinner at our home with our good friends, Dick and Jan.
The ladies at "Maz Tamales" preparing the tamales.
As is the tradition in many Mexican familes, we'll be having them for Christmas Eve dinner at our home with our good friends, Dick and Jan.
The ladies at "Maz Tamales" preparing the tamales.
FloreSer (Bloom to be)
The girls shown in the picture below are currently living at FloreSer here in Mazatlan. This is a girl's home that was opened last February, 2009 as a place for troubled teens to take refuge. They now have 9 girls but 3 of them had gone back to their families for the holidays.
Pictured below are 6 of the girls with their home mothers, left, Brenda and, right, Alicia. The girls are from left, Azucena, Lupita, Jenifer, Karen, Alexa and front/floor Rosario. They range in age from 13-17. The home was very clean and comfortable and the girls seemed very happy. They understood more English than they could speak and when we asked what they might need in their home, they were able to get across they needed 2 more lamps. Our good friends, Dick and Jan are taking them the lamps this afternoon. We left them each a small Christmas present.
We went back today and took them some games. They have 2 weeks off from school and the home mother's explained they did not have any games and that would be nice to keep them busy. There were only 3 girls available for this picture and Alexa is holding the game Scattergories with Jenifer and home mother Alisha to her left and Azucena to her right. They seemed to be very excited about this game. The young girl to the right of me was visiting from Canada and was 17 years old. Quite an experience for her.
Below, is a link to information on the grand opening of the home in February 2009.
http://mazatlandreams.blogspot.com/2009/02/floreser-bloom-to-be-open-house.html
Pictured below are 6 of the girls with their home mothers, left, Brenda and, right, Alicia. The girls are from left, Azucena, Lupita, Jenifer, Karen, Alexa and front/floor Rosario. They range in age from 13-17. The home was very clean and comfortable and the girls seemed very happy. They understood more English than they could speak and when we asked what they might need in their home, they were able to get across they needed 2 more lamps. Our good friends, Dick and Jan are taking them the lamps this afternoon. We left them each a small Christmas present.
We went back today and took them some games. They have 2 weeks off from school and the home mother's explained they did not have any games and that would be nice to keep them busy. There were only 3 girls available for this picture and Alexa is holding the game Scattergories with Jenifer and home mother Alisha to her left and Azucena to her right. They seemed to be very excited about this game. The young girl to the right of me was visiting from Canada and was 17 years old. Quite an experience for her.
Below, is a link to information on the grand opening of the home in February 2009.
http://mazatlandreams.blogspot.com/2009/02/floreser-bloom-to-be-open-house.html
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Coro de Camara Guillermo Zarabia at Las Gavias Club Residencial
The choral group, singing in the video clip below is from the Municipal Center of the Arts here in Mazatlan. They performed in a free holiday concert for us at Las Gavias Club Residencial where we live. The group, Coro de Camara Guillermo Zarabia, are instructed at the school by Maestra Marta Felix who also makes her home at Las Gavias. Maestro Enrique Patron de Rueda, who is a very well known Orchestra/Conductor in Mexico and lives here in Mazatlan at Las Gavias, helped sponsor this concert. Below is a link to his website.
http://enriquepatron.com/enriquepatron/patron.swf
The group was just fabulous and such a treat for all of us during this Christmas season.
Enjoy this short video clip of one of the Christmas carols they sang for us.
Sorry but I'm having trouble with uploading the video clip. Check back later.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Gala de Broadway
I went to a great Broadway performance at the Angela Peralta Theater here in Maz last evening. It was put on by "Dance, Inc." of Mazatlan. The group is instructed by the "Professional School of Contemporary Dance of Mazatlan."
They performed dance/song clips of great Broadway performances such as: Chicago,
Hair Spray, A Chorus Line, Cabaret and Big Spender/Sweet Charity. It was very entertaining, amazing dancing and so professionally done.
I really enjoyed the evening with my friend Jan. Before the performance, we had dinner at the La Tramoya Restaurant in the Plazuela Machado where the theater is located.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Decorating our Maz condo for Christmas
We still have a few Christmas decorations here at our condo in Mazatlan. Most of them we took back to our Yakima condo. So we thought we'd put up what we had. It was fun to help get us in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!
We're so happy to have a few of our grandchildren's sweet faces to look at during Christmas this year. We miss all of them so much. This is Christmas gift given to us by our children just before we left for Mazatlan.
Just couldn't get the lighting right on this photo. But this is our terrace all lite up with Santa.
Greg enjoys making Santa Claus wave at all the children on the malecon and they always wave back.
There are poinsettias for sale everywhere in Maz. You know it is the flower of Mexico.
Aren't they sooooo beautiful!
Each and every snowflake is different. Just like these my sister Deannie and her husband Scott gave to us as a Christmas gift just before we left Yakima. They are so beautiful and it helps to have a little of home down here with us at Christmastime.
This is how they are displayed on our shelf. Much prettier than this photo shows.
This is the Christmas tree at the Gran Plaza Mall here in Mazatlan. Muy bonita!!
We're so happy to have a few of our grandchildren's sweet faces to look at during Christmas this year. We miss all of them so much. This is Christmas gift given to us by our children just before we left for Mazatlan.
Just couldn't get the lighting right on this photo. But this is our terrace all lite up with Santa.
Greg enjoys making Santa Claus wave at all the children on the malecon and they always wave back.
There are poinsettias for sale everywhere in Maz. You know it is the flower of Mexico.
Another shot of our 8 foot Santa Claus.
These are the only snowflakes we'll be seeing this Christmas.
Aren't they sooooo beautiful!
Each and every snowflake is different. Just like these my sister Deannie and her husband Scott gave to us as a Christmas gift just before we left Yakima. They are so beautiful and it helps to have a little of home down here with us at Christmastime.
This is how they are displayed on our shelf. Much prettier than this photo shows.
This is the Christmas tree at the Gran Plaza Mall here in Mazatlan. Muy bonita!!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Christmas Chicken Dinner Fundraiser for the poor in Mazatlan
This Christmas fundraiser breakfast for the poor was held on Saturday, December 12th in the arts and crafts building at the cruise ship docks here in Maz. It helped raise money to provide Christmas chicken dinners for 2,000 families. The dinners will be delivered to them on Christmas Eve morning.
The building was decorated with festive pinatas and Christmas music, some we even recognized.
Our good friends, Dick and Jan from Colorado, went with us. Dick and Greg are served breakfast.
The breakfast consisted of beef machaca, chilaquilles, soupy refried beans served with tortillas. We also enjoyed some yummy pastries.
A nice Mexican family sat at our table and the mother had a 4 month old baby boy named Joseph.
Mother and Joseph
Group photo.
Jan enjoying baby Joseph.
Rough translation of the message on the back of the shirts the wait staff were wearing was, "Share your Christmas with someone".
Front of shirts. Again, a rough translation is "learn to give back when one gives to you".
The lady in red is Yolanda. She and her family are the ones responsible for this event. Many years ago when her daughter was dying in the hospital and she spent many days/hours there, a generous family who cared enough to help out brought a chickend dinner to Yolanda's family. So she and her family, in memory of their daughter, have taken chicken dinners to families at Christmas time for 15 years now.
After breakfast there was a raffle held.
Our table wasn't showing to be very lucky so Dick had the idea of burning the tickets.
Then, suddenly, Jan's number was called. But, alas, they took her prize to another table. :( Oh well, it was a 6 pack of Tonical (Tonic Water). So she wasn't too disappointed.
Dick won a prize. It was a platter of a few interesting prizes.
The building was decorated with festive pinatas and Christmas music, some we even recognized.
Our good friends, Dick and Jan from Colorado, went with us. Dick and Greg are served breakfast.
The breakfast consisted of beef machaca, chilaquilles, soupy refried beans served with tortillas. We also enjoyed some yummy pastries.
A nice Mexican family sat at our table and the mother had a 4 month old baby boy named Joseph.
Mother and Joseph
Group photo.
Jan enjoying baby Joseph.
Rough translation of the message on the back of the shirts the wait staff were wearing was, "Share your Christmas with someone".
Front of shirts. Again, a rough translation is "learn to give back when one gives to you".
The lady in red is Yolanda. She and her family are the ones responsible for this event. Many years ago when her daughter was dying in the hospital and she spent many days/hours there, a generous family who cared enough to help out brought a chickend dinner to Yolanda's family. So she and her family, in memory of their daughter, have taken chicken dinners to families at Christmas time for 15 years now.
After breakfast there was a raffle held.
Our table wasn't showing to be very lucky so Dick had the idea of burning the tickets.
Then, suddenly, Jan's number was called. But, alas, they took her prize to another table. :( Oh well, it was a 6 pack of Tonical (Tonic Water). So she wasn't too disappointed.
Dick won a prize. It was a platter of a few interesting prizes.
Besides a plastic appetizer platter, a Christmas manger scene decoration, a leather wallet and Modelo Beer tee shirt.
This is baby Joseph's older brother, Antonio. Dick put the ribbon on him and told him in Spanish he was the gift. He was proud of that.
Our table got even luckier. Right at the end Greg's number was called.
He won a beautiful coffee table book of a famous artist here in Mazatlan. Armando Nava. Here's a link to his work. Really wonderful work. http://www.saii.com.mx/janava/en/inicio.asp
This is baby Joseph's older brother, Antonio. Dick put the ribbon on him and told him in Spanish he was the gift. He was proud of that.
Our table got even luckier. Right at the end Greg's number was called.
He won a beautiful coffee table book of a famous artist here in Mazatlan. Armando Nava. Here's a link to his work. Really wonderful work. http://www.saii.com.mx/janava/en/inicio.asp
We really enjoyed this event and it was for such a worthy cause. So wonderful to be part of something like this at Christmastime - giving back to those less fortunate.
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