Learning to live in a frozen world has been quite an adjustment from the sunny, toes in the sand beaches of San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico.  We have been engulfed in an ice storm for the past several days.  It's interesting how preparing for a winter blast has similar characteristics for preparing for a tropical storm:  fuel in the car,  groceries in the house, flashlights armed with fresh batteries, cash just in case.  For several days preceding the impending storm, the grocery stores, banks and gas stations were packed with customers preparing for the worst.

It's interesting to be caught up confined to the house, often without electricity, much less internet.  It makes you wonder how we ever survived without either of them.  But it also makes up stop and take stock of the beauty that is just outside the window that we take for granted daily.  The photo above is several days after the ice storm.  The ice that coated the limbs, branches and leaves has slowly slid to the ground,  creating a beautiful coating of crystals that glimmer in the sun.  Photos just don't do justice to the beauty contained in that glimmering.   

The dogs have had to step gingerly amidst the patches of ice that cover the patios and weave their way through the crystals that envelope the yard.  We have all had to step carefully.  I, for one, have not ventured outside for 4 days.  

There was not a bird in sight for several days while the neighborhood was blanketed in ice.  Slowly, they have returned, but only because of the lure of the full feeder in the yard.   One wonders where they hide in such weather!  

There's only so much one can do when stuck inside for days.  At any other time, I would have been doing some deep cleaning or at least scourging through the cupboards and closets in search of things that could be donated somewhere.

But, unfortunately, we are in the beginnings of a remodel.  Who would have that that a remodel would begin in the dead of winter?  

A huge crater has been dug in the back yard to accommodate the 8' expansion of the master bedroom and bathroom.  In any time of the year, this would have been a problem, but with the rain and ice, it has been  much worse. I pity the poor workers as they wallow through the mud and clay, not to mention braving the cold.  The dogs, as well, are inconvenienced as they now have a limited space to "do their business" that isn't a slosh in the mud.  Needless to say, this mud is tracked into the house no matter what efforts are taken to clean dog feet as then enter the back of the house.  I've given up cleaning the muddy prints leading from the door to all parts of the house until the concrete as poured and the muddy heap disappears.  

I anticipate that this year will truly be a year of Spring cleaning! (assuming this project is completed by then.)

For now, as I gaze through the window above my laptop, the weather has become a bit less fierce and we are experiencing only wind and rain.  It definitely helps with being  not confined to the house, but certainly not the mud.  It looks like we're back to  "normal" Oregon coast weather.  Thankfully I have a trip to sunny Hawaii in my near future to offset not only the current weather nut also the mess.

 Wedding in the Bahia

February 26, 2023 is sure to go down in history as fantastic day! Roger had been here in San Carlos for the past month or so and we were busy planning my move to Netarts as well as a wedding here.  The day dawned bright and beautiful with a gorgeous Bahia blue sky (and just a little wind, which is normal.)  We celebrated a very understated wedding at San Carlos Community church.  The ceremony literally followed the regular church service with Pastor Chuck announcing at the conclusion of the service that "if you want to wait about 10 minutes, there will be a wedding here, followed by cake!"  We were very surprised how many people stayed (maybe it was the promise of cake 😏).

There must have been close to 150 people there.  Of course, I cried throughout the short ceremony, but Roger was handsome and stoic with his wonderful smile.  We exchanged our beautiful pearl rings from the Perlas del Mar in Guaymas.  What a wonderful memory those rings will have, especially given the fact that Roger bought his back in June when he came to visit for the first time and fell in love with the pearls here (and me).  Who knew that it would become his wedding ring?  We made several trips back to the Pearl Farm since last June, taking friends for a visit, and working with Fernando

 Guzman there to create this ring.  He is another fond memory as he is probably the most energetic person ever and went out of his way to make sure that this ring was not only perfect, but arrived in time for the wedding.   

The reception was held here in the Bahia, courtesy of Caroline Durand.  She made her beautiful backyard available to us and it was the absolute best setting with the blue waters of the Bahia shining off the back of the yard.  It was most unfortunate that Caroline was stuck in Tucson with medical appointments and was unable to make the reception.  She was sorely missed, especially since I was unable to say a proper good bye to her and thank her for not only her friendship, but also for being such an amazing landlady.  

The "Bahia Buddies" were largely responsible for the success of the reception.  Greg and Laurie were indispensable in helping prepare the house.  They house sat there for a month so knew right where everything was.  Connie was the "wedding planner" and made a beautiful cake for the reception.  The guests provided the appetizers and their own beverages and Roger and I provided the champagne for the toast.  The only thing I would have changed would be to pour the champagne earlier in the afternoon, as it definitely loosened everyone up to dance!

It was not only an amazing reception, but also a beautiful send off as I moved to Oregon 3 days later. I will never forget the friends I made in San Carlos!  They have become, in a very short time, some of the most endearing friends ever.  It was a community, the Bahia Buddies, in the truest sense as we looked out for one another and they were definitely an encouragement to me through some of the most difficult times ever.

New Beginnings

 

And who would have thought?  A few months before my 30th birthday, Roger and I met.  It was actually a blind date, orchestrated by his cousin, Dan and my former sister in law, Margie.  I was living in San Francisco at the time, working as a service rep for an Insurance Company.  Rog was living in Portland.  Needless to say, we hit it off.  To make a long story short, I ended up moving to Portland and we lived together for a couple of years....until we didn't.  I wish I could tell you the reasons why we broke up, but I'm not fully sure.

Fast forward until 2018 and I have been married 23 years with 3 daughters, then divorced.  I am visiting Portland (from my home in Mexico) to see daughter, Michelle, and had posted pictures on Facebook of my trip.  Roger had "friended" me on Facebook some time before and I had accepted.  Of course, the first thing I checked was his marital status, only to learn he was married.  But he connected with me shortly after my trip to Portland to say that he wished that he had had the nerve to suggest we meet for lunch while I was in Portland.

Another fast forward to September 2021 when his wife of 32 years passed away quite suddenly.  I was stunned.  I had realized some time before that I still cared about him.  Did I still love him?  No way to answer that.  But I did care enough to worry about his welfare and how he was navigating the grief, so I decided to connect with him for every holiday that year.  Facebook messages dissolved into phone calls, which, in turn, dissolved into zoom calls.  At that point, I was planning a trip to Portland the following August and he asked if I'd be willing to get  together for lunch or something.  Of course!  

Sometime in April, I believe, Roger asked me if I would be willing for him to come to San Carlos for a visit. I believe I'd mentioned that he should check it out down here, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect that he would accept the offer.  June was the appointed month, and it threw me into a bit of a panic because I didn't know what to expect,  I had also committed myself to never entering into another relationship following the disaster of my last marriage.  As I would say to my friends "I've done my time".

But, needless to say, the visit dissolved into a relationship rather quickly.  After numerous soul searching conversations, the visit dissolved into a relationship that pretty much picked up where it left off some 38 years ago.  Who would have imagined?  I guess the point is to never say never.  

There are places that you live and there are places that are home.  I've been searching for home for nearly 70 years.  Now, mind you, I have lived in some pretty amazing places and befriended some absolutely wonderful people. I mean no disrespect to any of the places or the people, but sometimes when you happen upon a place ~ maybe even by chance ~ it becomes more of a home that anywhere else you have ever lived.  I choose it believe that it's a "God" thing.

My place is San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico ~ the Bahia to be specific.  

My journey began 3 years ago when I (along with my then husband) sold everything in Oregon and moved to Mexico.  I'd only been to San Carlos for a brief visit, but it just felt right.  We bought a house with a magnificent view of the Sea of Cortez and the Tetakawi  mountain.  It was a place to retire and relax.  Little did I know that 4 months later he would ask for a divorce and I would find myself on my own.  It felt like time to panic because I was the new kid in town and literally didn't know my way around.

Now, I don't know if you are a spiritual person or not, but I'm telling you that I was meant to be here.  Mostly I'm telling you that God brought me here and provided for all my needs.  When I needed to move out of the house, He provided a house sitting gig in a beautiful home on the golf course with a magnificent pool. Oh, and did I mention that it was rent free? The only requirement was to maintain the yard and that was absolutely what I needed to keep me occupied.  It was amazingly good therapy!

Then I needed a car because we had sold my car to purchase one that was Mexico plated to allow for freedom of movement out of the "free zone".  A new acquaintance from church had a  business here that had purchased a sub compact car (exactly what I wanted) and had decided to sell it and purchase a larger model.  So, I scored an almost new car,  even Mexico plated that was almost exactly the amount  I had withdrawn from the joint account I had held with my ex husband. 

When my house sitting gig ended and I needed a place to live, that same friend from church (who had lost her husband 3 years prior) decided that she was ready to take in a housemate, so I came to live in the Bahia, the neighborhood I had been vying to live in. The total irony to that move is that her house is right next door to the very first person I met in San Carlos (on Facebook when I was still living in the states.)  Who would have imagined?

Meg and I were soulmates in the sense that we were both healing from  tremendous losses, me from my pending divorce and her from her husband's death. She prayed with me and taught me to release some of my pent up stress, fears and frustration physically.  So, we kayaked the Bahia, hiked along the trail to the "fish village" and rode bikes to Pilates in the marina.  Whenever I felt down, she's tell me to literally take a hike!  After 2 years at her house, it was time to move on, but I was still fearful of living on my own given the costs, security, etc.  I really wanted to stay in the neighborhood because I knew people in the area and was very comfortable.  Remember that next door neighbor I said I'd met on Facebook?  She had a rental apartment across the street from Meg's house that was becoming available.  It was secured by a wall and a gate, just the right size, had a beautiful view of the Bahia and was just what I could afford!  

 My dog, Ollie, and I moved to the apartment in April with the help of friends.  The beauty of this is that my closest friends are within walking distance, and we frequent each others houses for dinners, brunches, beach bonfires and just basic gatherings.  Even better, we are constantly there for one another ~ the way it should be and rarely is.  One couple bounces around from their boat to various of our homes to pet sit.  It's a true blessing for all as several of us need reliable people to care for our pets, and Greg and Laurie often appreciate a taste of the other side of life on land. We share cars as need be and often accompany one another on trips up to the states for shopping or medical visits.  Now, mind you, I have always had good friends, but these friends, well, they're different.  Maybe it's because we're foreigners in a foreign land, but we all look out for one another, more so than anywhere else I've ever lived. 

Several months ago I adopted an amazing dog from a shelter on 100+ dogs.  Now, that's a whole story in itself.  

This is Diva.  I was told she's a dachshund, but I swear there's some Bassett hound mixed in because of her enormous paws and ears.  And sweet!  She's one of those dogs that you fall in love with instantly. Everyone who met her was captivated by her charm.  She came to live with Ollie and I and it wasn't long before she started having some medical issues.  After numerous trips to various vets, it became apparent that she couldn't manage the stairs at my apartment.  In swooped one of my amazing friends, Connie, who offered to foster her until we could hopefully resolve the problems.  What a blessing because Connie was a nurse by profession and knew all the "tricks" in helping to care for Diva.  

And Connie was a blessing in more ways than one because she went to the vet visits with me, not only for moral support, but also to brainstorm on what the issues might be.  There were theories, but no one could absolutely say what the problem was, and the problems manifested in several different ways.  One of the common practices here with veterinary care is a series of injections of antibiotics, pain killers, etc.  The regimen is generally for 5 continuous days.  The vet provided all 5 injections with instructions on how to administer them.  Connie was squeamish about doing it, but another friend, a former vet tech, was willing to do it.  Yet another Godly provision.

After a while, it became apparent that Diva was not experiencing a good quality of life.  Her breathing had become labored and she basically didn't get up off the couch.  I had to make the decision on what to do and believe me, I had a difficult time letting go.  Diva didn't make it easy as, in her sweet little way, she'd life her head and wag her tail profusely when she saw me and I was so hopeful that one day she would be well enough to come back to my home.  That, as they say, was not in the cards.  On her last day, Diva and I were surrounded by people who love us, Connie, Laurie and Beverly and Paula from next door.  We just quietly cried together and held my little girl.

We made an appointment with a local vet to put her down.  Again, I was never alone.  God provided my angels, Connie and Laurie to accompany me.  And Diva, wagged her tail weakly from her bed up until the end, and even administered kisses to our faces.  And then, once her spirit was gone, what do we do with her beautiful little body?   In the morning, Greg prepared her and, together with Laurie and I, we released her into the Sea of Cortez.  Diva will always be a glorious memory of the little dog who came from a multitude of dogs to grace my life, and the lives of all who knew her.  When I gaze out upon the Sea of Cortez, I cam fondly remember that little dog who was such  joy to all who met her.

And remember how this story began about home? I can say without a doubt that San Carlos is my home, not because of the shining sea and the glorious landscapes, but truly because of the people who inhabit this place who have forever found their places in my heart. I thank God for bringing me to this place.

Only in Mexico!

With all the clamor from the current US administration about the criminals, rapists, drug addicts seeking asylum in the States, it kinda makes you wonder about who exactly the people of Mexico are.  Yes, I realize that there are others seeking asylum from other Latin countries, but I want to speak specifically about Mexico.

I have wanted to live in this beautiful country since 1994 when I was a part of a missions trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca.  It took me until 2019 to accomplish this, but at present, my home is in the state of Sonora, Mexico.  Yes, there are challenges here. Re-learning the language would be the first one.  Acclimating to the culture of "manana" is definitely a challenge, as is the way "business" is conducted.  For example, as a homeowner, you are responsible to pay your utility bills whether or not you receive a written bill.  Given the fact that there is no mail service where I live, this can definitely be an issue.  The water bill is hand delivered to each residence and it may be a simple case of stuffing it in the fence, or in the door handle.  You may or may not find it where it was left.  It may, in fact, show up in the neighbor's yard along the fence line.  Nevertheless, no one is going to buy your excuse that you didn't receive it.

There's are a myriad of other examples of challenges that can be addressed, but on the positive (very positive!) side would be the people here.  They have to be the most gracious people I have ever encountered!  

The first time I encountered this was when buying an oversize armoire  at a second hand store.  We thought that it would be a simple matter of loading it into the back of our pick up, but in spite of the fact that all the measurements had been taken to ensure it would fit, it didn't!  There was a group of men across the street at the local convenience store watching this fiasco.  When it became clear there was no way we were going to load that furniture, they came over and offered their truck.  Four men hoisted the piece into the open bed of the truck and drove it home for us!  No one would accept money for their time, but a couple of cans of beer was plenty.

A couple of days ago my car developed a leak of some sort and the smell of gas was horrific.  I got the name of a local repair shop, gave them a call, and the next thing I knew someone drove to my house to check it out.  He advised me not to drive it, and that he would bring someone by later that day to take it to his shop.  I was okay not having a car for a day (and his loaner car wasn't working), but DID need to stop by the local convenience store to reload the minutes on my phone before I ran out of time/minutes.  This sweet man stopped off at the store on his way back to his shop and reloaded my phone.  
He also offered to let me use his car the following day for a meeting I had in the case my car wasn't fixed yet.

Today when he brought the car back to me, I drove him back to the shop and we chatted about life in general.  His father had wanted him to go to medical school, and had paid his tuition and living expenses.  When my (new best) friend decided that wasn't the path he wanted to take, all the benefits were withdrawn.  Long story short, he didn't find anything wrong with the car and, in spite of the fact that he'd spent numerous hours trying to diagnose the problem, he charged me nothing.

Now, I ask you:  would either of these scenarios have happened in the U.S?  I think probably not.  All these people were basically strangers to me, yet they helped above and beyond.  And we're not supposed to want "these people" in the United States?  I think many Americans could take a lesson from the people of Mexico in hospitality, honesty and graciousness.  True, not all are that way, however, the ones I have encountered so far have been stellar!

Paydirt!

I must confess that the past several months have been a bit slow for this fashion consultant.  I depend on the availability of others for my income, meaning that women need to be available to sponsor a home show in order for me to showcase my clothing line and make a sale.  In Hermiston, well, May and June women are caught up in family time ~ baseball, soccer, graduation, vacation ~ all those wonderful things that the family thrives on.

So, I've been enjoying my time, watching the river flow by my window, sipping wine, catching up on a few good reads until this past weekend when I hit the skies and flew to SoCalifUSA for the CAbi scoop.  Oh my goodness ~ talk about a wake-up call!  There were 2,900 women there, so lots and lots of energy flowing through the Long Beach convention center.  Most of it was focused on Friday afternoon when the new Fall collection was unveiled. If you've never been to a fashion show with the runway and all, then you've missed a rare treat.  It was simply amazing and to use a much used phrase, "The crowd went wild!"  Every new grouping brought new rounds of shrieks of delight from the crowd and you can only begin to imagine what 2,900 shrieking women sound like.  There was confetti littering the air, balloons floating everywhere and being batted about and streamers draping themselves around heads and shoulders ~ all CAbi pink, of course.

We all tried to absorb as much as we could, went to our product training classes and buried ourselves in our MP3 players with the collection notes on our flights home in hopes of learning every minute detail, not to mention the names of the nearly 100 pieces.  Now today, I lie in wait of the UPS man, my new best friend.  He's due with my boxes of CAbi clothes.  YAY!  Then it becomes a mad scramble to unpack, tag, steam/iron every garment, organize the rack into groupings and memorize each piece ~ all in an attempt to be prepared to present it next week to an excited group of women, eagerly awaiting the new collection.

Two preview shows next week.  It's so exciting to see the enthusiasm of the women at the shows.  Such a great time with them as they play "dress up" and try things on.  (of course, the margaritas at the one show and wine at the other help to loosen things up :-) !)  And such a great way to begin a new season of encouraging women to gather, to get away from their every day routines and have some fun!  It's not necessarily about spending money on clothes.  It's just a fantastic way to get out of the house and meet new friends or spend time with old ones.  And CAbi is such an awesome company, not just in the way they treat their customers and consultants.  They are truly a company that gives back!  So far, that means donating 1.4 million garments to women in need in 40 countries, 15 U.S. communities and also making 400 microloans.  It has been a privilege to be a part of this great company!   christinahoell.cabionline.com

Adventures in Nashville

Late in the month of January, more than 2,700 CAbi women descended on the unsuspecting town of Nashville. CAbi?  you say.  The name represents Carol Anderson by Invitation, a clothing designer out of the Los Angeles area who sells her distinct collection through her independent consultants who host "trunk shows" in homes across America. 

The closer I got to Nashville in my cross country trek from Oregon, the more obvious it became that I was "on the right track" towards my destination of the CAbi "Scoop" convention.  Airports became inundated with women fashionably dressed in CAbi designs.  In fact, it became common to see groups of women dressed in their CAbi finest gathered together exchanging names, sharing photos of children left at home and gleefully calling out not only the names of the fashions they were wearing, but also the season they were from!  Wow.  Nothing like being the new kid on the block!  It was my first season and they left me in the dust.

I arrived at the Gaylord Opryland Resort after midnight, exhausted after a full day of travel, ready to fall into bed. . . .if I could only find my room!  The resort was a maze of lazy rivers, cosy restaurants, winding paths and couples enjoying them. (Note to self:  Great place to come back to for a vacation!)  Even my map was of no use to me!  Thankfully the resort staff was still out and about and able to help me find my room.

Morning dawned (early!) and it was off to the show.  I was blessed with an awesome room mate who had been here before and knew her way around.  Registration, (check) breakfast, (check) class schedule (check, well, a moment of panic when I realized I'd have to find my way around to all of those places).  Remember I mentioned all of the women at the airport wearing the same Carol Anderson clothes?  Well, here were 2,700 women wearing them!  Obviously there were duplicate items but it wasn't as if anyone had a problem with it.  And every woman had a different way of wearing it.  The effect was amazing.

My hours were crammed full of details, information, helpful hints, you name it, along with meeting some pretty amazing women.  For being the "new kid", I was sure getting a lot of attention and the information! well, let's just say a week's worth of information  was crammed into 3 days. But, you know the old adage about all work and no play?  We had some fun as well.  One night we donned our jeans and a pink plaid cowboy-inspired shirt we were each given and kicked up our heels to some live music and line dancing.  And if that wasn't enough,  back by popular demand were the CAbi Cowboys!

The ladies went wild!!  I mean, we could have watched them all night but, alas, it was for a brief set and we had to console ourselves by learning a new line dance.

And what trip to Nashville would be complete without a trip into town for bar-b-que and some more live music? Four of us piled into a cab and headed into Nashville proper. And the food we had was nothing fancy.  Oh no, no fancy tourist place for this girl.  It was a locals-only order-at-the-counter place for pulled pork, mac and cheese, slaw, fries and of course, a great selection of sauces.  If I'd had my way, we'd have spent some time boot shopping at one of the places where you get two-for-one.   Then on to the music!  Lots of choices ~ and all but one of them no smoking!  The best one featured Willie Nelson's former stand up bass player.  I would have payed good money to see any of the bands, but there was no cover charge anywhere we went.  Sincerely, I enjoyed it so much I tried to share it with my girlfriends back home by calling them on my cell and holding it up so they could have a "listen".  Apparently, all they heard was garble.  Bummer!

It's difficult to choose what  was the highlight of the trip.  The music? the food? the resort? the people?  All things considered, I'd have to say it was the incredible things I learned about the company I now represent.  The final morning was spent learning not only about the minute details of the business from the CEO and President, but mostly about the very heart of the company, its Foundation.  Those people who know me know that I have a heart for missions.  I've participated in or co-lead more that 15 trips to Mexico and New Orleans.  I also participate in KIVA where I can provide micro-loans to people in 3rd World countries who are just trying to support themselves and their families.  CAbi has, in the 5 years since their Foundation has been in place, donated more than 25 million dollars through their partner organizations.  In addition, they have donated over one million (and counting) garments to women in poverty or effected by natural disasters.  And if that isn't enough, they also provide micro-loans to women in 3rd World to help them get set up in business for themselves and get a "leg up" on poverty.  Another one of my highlights?  I got to help assemble hygiene bags that were bound for AIDS victims in Africa.

 I'm proud to be a part of a company that's not just out to make a buck. CAbi has proved to me it has a conscience, a purpose to improve the plight of those in poverty, particularly women so often seem to be stricken the most.  I had an awesome time while in Nashville!  Someday I want to return when I can have the full experience of the music and the food in the summer time when it's not so stinkin' cold.  But the experiences of learning about the heart, the core of CAbi will do nothing but motivate me to work that much harder to provide the resources for those in need.