Happy Thanksgiving!

We are still enjoying our week in SM de Allende. We've been through markets, ruins, fun movies, and eaten lots of good food. Tuesday drove up to Guanajuato for the afternoon which is the capital of this state. Last night we celebrated Chanukah with latkes and applesauce. We are roasting a chicken for today with a flan for dessert. Off to Mexico City on Saturday. Hope you have a great T-day.

Lee, Noah, Richard, and Sim after lighting the Chanukah candles

Kissing alley in Guantajuato

Thursday afternoon we spent walking around the botanical gardens which is a multiacre desert with many fascinating cacti.

Table ready for Thanksgiving dinner of roast chicken, stuffing, and cauliflower

Art in the botanical garden

San Miguel de Allende

It wasn't easy to get here but SMA is beautiful! We flew to Mexico City via Houston then took a 3-hour bus ride and a 60 minute taxi ride. I did not realize how little Spanish I speak until I arrived. Lee and Richard's house it exceedingly beautiful. It feels a lot like the medinas of Morocco. High walls on the sidewalks are no indication of the beauty behind the front door. Lee's house opens to a courtyard with pool and fountain, then all the rooms are off the surrounding colonnade.

Courtyard of our house

our guest room

Ceiling

Sim, Lee, and Richard

On Monday, we went to La Gruta which had several pools with higher levels of heat, the last was in a cave with a large powerful waterwall and very hot water.  They are spring fed with naturally hot water.

Finished Kitchen

I am very happy with my new kitchen. See pics-- I also went ahead and put up my holiday tree of lights for maximum enjoyment since I will be in and out over next 6 weeks. There's only one thing more fun than having a pretty new kitchen and that is having a beautiful grandchild! ML & R are expecting a Taurus baby so it is very happy at my house this November in great anticipation.

I sang through the Soccerer which is the Durham Savoyards' Spring production and I think I will pass on it this year; so I will not be auditioning in December. That will leave my Sunday afternoons in Jan, Feb, and Mar free but Sim says he has lots of fun things for us to do.

Sunday before last, Sim and I went to Duke Chapel for All Saint's Day service. The former Dean gave a wonderful sermon on the difference between power and glory. I highly recommend your checking it out at this link.

Kitchen Remodel III

The grouting is all finished and the plumbing is connected.  Still has work to do on the hood system and more tiles were ordered for the backsplash in the butler's pantry.  The Kitchenaide mixer no longer fits on the counter so it will move into the pantry where the bar sink used to be. There's plenty of height there.  I would like to paint that back wall (where the sink is) a darker color like maybe a rust or coffee brown. Any suggestions?

 

This weekend was our annual tennis club dinner so here's a pic of Sim and me there.

October Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend with fun events both days. Saturday I went to a quilt show in Sanford that had some fabulous quilts and vendors. That night we had our Durham Savoyards 50th anniversary concert in which I sang. It was an hour long medley of Gilbert and Sullivan songs. We followed a very cute ballet, "Pineapple Poll" performed by a Durham ballet group. It also was all G&S music.  Sim helped serve the wine and soft drinks at the concert. I lost 8 pounds and 2 inches in the last 2 weeks so I could fit in my concert skirt -yeah!  With no kitchen, I didn't make carb-laden stuff like bread and pasta.

On Sunday our tennis club had 24 folks sign up for a Round Robin all afternoon. It was so much fun! We played one-half hour then the winners went to another court on the left and the losers went to another court on the right. Then they spilt up across the net and got two other folks from the adjacent court. Sounds complicated but it was fun and you got to play with lots of folks. The weather was perfect! I had to leave a bit early to attend a board meeting for my chorus, the I joined Sim and other tennis friends for a Chinese dinner in Chapel Hill. I did not eat the rice!

John Sparks is here putting up the tile backsplash and then grouting tomorrow. Then he'll hook the plumbing back up- can't wait.

Kitchen Remodel II

The hood box and granite are in. More hood work to go (electric, paint, etc) as well as hooking all up and plumbing. Backsplash and hardware to go so I would say two more weeks. I really like the granite!  Check out my cubbies.  Need to find some fancier counter stools.....

btw:  I updated my concert post from last June, Big Night,  to include some better pics and a link to some of the music.

Kitchen remodel

I have been in the throws of remodeling the kitchen for the last several weeks. Almost all decisions have been made. This week the granite folks made a template of the countertops and will return Friday a week to install said granite. I made so many changes to the order over the last few weeks that I was embarrassed to finally meet the three men who came. I don't think I could have faced the woman I dealt with. No changes now, because they are cutting the stone as I write.  That afternoon I decided not to use their granite back splash but to put in a glass and slate tile backsplash from the counter to the cabinets.  This will replace my beadboard which I put up when we moved in.

I have no water, counter, or cooktop for this week or next.  My contractor is home working on the island hood vent and will return next week to install it (I hope). The last decisions relate to kind and color of grout for the tile backsplash. I picked out new hardware which will match the beaten cooper farm sink, but am awaiting a price on that. Actually the hardware will match the Venitian bronze faucet.

Since I can't cook I am taking this opportunity to go on a low-carb diet for the next month so I can better enjoy the holidays.  I have to loose about five pounds by next weekend so I can fit in my concert skirt. Our 50th anniversary of the Durham Savoyards is Oct 19 and I am singing in a smallish chorus in a concert of a medley of Gilbert & Sullivan songs.

Today is my Aunt Liddy's birthday. I miss her very much.