Halloween
This is Astrid's costume she wanted made up after she found out her two friends were going to be the the "Two Musketeers." They were bent because she was going as a Harry Potter character like Talula. I thought it was a positive spin on an unfortunate event.
This is Tamra and Theo at dinner, they wear many hats.
Here is the awesome Luna Lovegood costume my Mom made Astrid. It is incredible. She even embroidered the Ravenclaw crest and made a wand with a "Veela" hair core. ( Mine, heheh thanks Mommy....) Unbelievable. Absolute perfection.
This is Nick going as teacher Steve-- insane no??? The kids lost their minds,"Two STEVES??!!??"I don't have a picture of myself, I was taking the pictures!!!
Such glorious faith as fills your limpid eyes,
Dear little friend of mine, I never knew.
All-innocent are you, and yet all-wise.
(For Heaven's sake, stop worrying that shoe!)
You look about, and all you see is fair;
This mighty globe was made for you alone.
Of all the thunderous ages, you're the heir.
(Get off the pillow with that dirty bone!)
A skeptic world you face with steady gaze;
High in young pride you hold your noble head,
Gayly you meet the rush of roaring days.
(Must you eat puppy biscuit on the bed?)
Lancelike your courage, gleaming swift and strong,
Yours the white rapture of a winged soul,
Yours is a spirit like a Mayday song.
(God help you, if you break the goldfish bowl!)
"Whatever is, is good" - your gracious creed.
You wear your joy of living like a crown.
Love lights your simplest act, your every deed.
(Drop it, I tell you- put that kitten down!)
You are God's kindliest gift of all - a friend.
Your shining loyalty unflecked by doubt,
You ask but leave to follow to the end.
(Couldn't you wait until I took you out?)
-- Verse For a Certain Dog, Dorothy Parker
The rainy season is over
It's funny. It seems like one day the town is a sleepy village with rivers of muddy water passing as roadways and the next-- Fiesta central! Good god I love it here.
pictures by donnaday.com
Busy art at the school
So here at CVIS it is non violent week. So, we are painting non violent slogans and pictures on the wall of the playground. Thursday we finish up so I'll post the mural in it's entirety. We also are working on designs for Tommy Bahama, the kids are doing cut paper art and perhaps they'll make a tee shirt out of their art! How cool is that--- here are the designs....
It has been a busy couple of weeks
Mom Dad Sassa and I
Yelapa
Yelapa
Its hard to believe one can be so occupied that blogging is too much added work, but oddly enough-- it has been! I'm mostly over the dengue fever, it was less than fun. So many people got it, I'm glad the rainy season is over soon.
My parents came and visited us for a week at that was great. We took a weekend trip to Yelapa and had a wonderful time. We visited our favorite beaches and fed them all our favorite foods. They leave tomorrow and Astrid will be inconsolable for awhile. That is the worst part of visits, when they end...
I seriously saw this mosser bite me and give me Dengue. I think we need to have sports teams made up of the teachers who got dengue--- not those who got it vs. those who didn't --but the time the teachers went down. Steve and Tamara are on my team!
My Friend Jane...
Wow! Look at the write- up about my BFF Jane's life-- pretty awesome chick she is....
NiftyLiving.com
what did I do today?
Not as much as I'd have hoped, I'll tell you.
I have so many projects to do; paint the art kart again, string plastic bottle bottoms for the chandelier - piece, sew, paint... but it is 99 degrees again and I don't want to move around. I can't wait for the season to change.Come on 70s.
Astrid decorated cupcakes to sell for Sayulita Animals and Nick planted trees with Sayulita-green this morning.
My new amp. blew at practice on Friday-- damn. One time. that will be fun to deal with returning-- spanglish!!!!!
Let us forget such words, and all they mean,
as Hatred, Bitterness and Rancor,
Greed, Intolerance, Bigotry.
Let us renew our faith and pledge to Man
his right to be Himself,
and free.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)
You know, it's (funny? odd? ironic?) that when you get old enough to not care what people think about you and your choices-- you have an emerging adolescent who really, really does care. After spending a couple of hours trying to condense 25 years of friendship lessons into palatable and clear advice, I just can't sleep.
I don't want to pass on my rage of the inequities that must be endured due to those apathetic individuals reacting mindlessly and parroting caricatures of humanity to my sweet unsullied child, so I'll mutter off before I try again.
Why does this discomfort need to go through the generations?
Why is it we need to learn to steel ourselves from the barbs of others, to find that ability to not care?
Wouldn't it just be great if I treated you with respect and you treated me the same?
I'd like it if we all were on the same page, if there could be absolutism, at least for this seemingly small thing.
Well written....
The Referendum By Tim Kreider
The Referendum is a phenomenon typical of (but not limited to) midlife, whereby people, increasingly aware of the finiteness of their time in the world, the limitations placed on them by their choices so far, and the narrowing options remaining to them, start judging their peers’ differing choices with reactions ranging from envy to contempt.
Yes: the Referendum gets unattractively self-righteous and judgmental. Quite a lot of what passes itself off as a dialogue about our society consists of people trying to justify their own choices as the only right or natural ones by denouncing others’ as selfish or pathological or wrong. So it’s easy to overlook that hidden beneath all this smug certainty is a poignant insecurity, and the naked 3 A.M. terror of regret.
One of the hardest things to look at in this life is the lives we didn’t lead, the path not taken, potential left unfulfilled. In stories, those who look back — Lot’s wife, Orpheus and Eurydice — are lost. Looking to the side instead, to gauge how our companions are faring, is a way of glancing at a safer reflection of what we cannot directly bear, like Perseus seeing the Gorgon safely mirrored in his shield.
For full article see:
The Referendum
Happy Birthday my darling Nick
My dearest Nick is turning 42. We thought for most of the year that he was already 42, but in the last few weeks his family explained to us we were in error. I don't mind, it gives me another fantastic year of Nick at 42. I can't express the joy each day holds for me knowing that he is there to live my life along with me. The strength and stability his love gives me allows me to explore my world and create.
I know I am not alone in loving Nick. His wonderful friends and family bought him a new surfboard so he can do what he loves most. Thank you so much to all his friends; Trevor and Amy, Mitch and Lina, Ashley and Ben, Steve, Jon and Amen.
And to his wonderful family; Bruce and Ashley, Sandra and Jack, Shelia and Coleman, Phelps and Michael. You made him feel special on his day. Thank you, Love, treva
Nic pix
Nick's surf'n crew-- check out Gabi and Andrea's site he says such nice things about Nick...
Shoe Love
God I love this brand, irregular choice. Can't really see it on the unpaved streets of Sayulita however....hmmm
Is it possible to love a shoe? If so I'd commit bigotry for this pair.... sigh..... consumer lust for Magic Sparkle Torch
Vote for Astrid
Astrid's instructable is in a contest-- vote for her so she'll stop using my sewing machine....
She is in a video contest too she makes a sugar scrub-- check it out! here!
CVIS Surf for School fundraiser
It was a long day at the beach but someone had to do it!
Astrid calls out the winners for the raffle
Nick surveys the swell
Photo Op!
Sassa and I early on in the day ...
Donna and I at the CVIS fundraiser Sunday evening
Gabbi, Max and Me at fundraiser-- sunset, school tomorrow!
Sometimes time just gets away from you and you realize you haven't spent anytime reflecting online about whatever it is you are doing-- that has been the case with me! We've been busy, but I'm not sure doing what... Getting into the groove of this year
The second week of school is always so much less nutty than the first. This week is going great... the hurricane seems to be making no impact on our weather at all. We shut all the windows and unplugged everything in the house and nothing. Nada. I was kept awake by Banda music until 2am last night-- I was praying for rain. Anything to drown out the music. 
It was a great ride to school though, there were four horses that had wandered into town and were mowing the side of the road. The lack of rain meant we could drive our art kart without huge sweeps from one side to the other side of the road trying not avoid the huge mud-puddles. Dirt roads get pretty wild in rainy season. We got to the school to the sounds of .... Banda music!!! The party continues! From 8am -2 pm we were serenaded by the same band from across the street. That is some celebration!!! So my voice is hoarse from screaming over the music. This week's subject is the painting, "Festival de los Flores" 1925, Diego Rivera.
more photos of CVIS
Here are some pictures of the new classroom made from adobe, (that was a lot of mud) and concrete and bamboo. It is huge and stays very cool.
Evolution of a Mexican Classroom
Here are photos of my new classroom while being built. The bamboo was harvested in the full moon and swum out to sea to temper it. Tied with rope and roofed with palm fronds. It doesn't get any greener than this I think....
No walls or roof, just some posts left from the old trellis before the rains...
Rope and bamboo
Birthday!!
I had a great birthday yesterday! We went to see the Luchedoros in San Pancho after stuffing our selves on cake and cupcakes. My friend Donna Day took these fantastic pictures, I want to take her everywhere, she made me look so good.....
Tamara and Theo and Talula were there, Donna, Justin and Jade and Gabi, Andrea and Maximo. We ate ice cream out of the bag, tacos and raspados. It was 95 degrees so we drank a lot of sodas and got spaz-y. I'm hoarse from shouting...
Astrid recognized the headliner from a cereal box.--That is pretty famous if you ask me.
All in all, it was a great birthday....
http://donnaday.com
