Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Are you celebrating a Mexican holiday today?  Well,… not really.  It is a Mexican-American holiday created in America.  It is not a national holiday of Mexico (although it is a state holiday in Puebla where the battle victory it celebrates occurred). 

But all that being said, who would be silly enough to turn down a bit of fiesta?!

I’ve been blessed to have visited several different areas of Mexico.  My hands-down favorite is the city of Guanajuato, NW of Mexico City.  It’s a United Nations World Heritage site.  

How’s this for a breath-taking view?  It is the city center; the Plaza de Paz (Plaza of Peace).  In the center of the photo is the basilica.

Inside the Basilica Colegiata de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato.

Looking a bit more to the right.

In full daylight.

Guanajuato means “Hilly place of frogs”.

And there are frog objects everywhere!  I brought home a cute little ceramic frog who now guards our vanity.

So many beautiful buildings.

A hummingbird.  He was a lot bigger than the ones we have here.

Guanajuato is a silver mining town.  This old mine cart makes a fabulous planter.  The mines here at one time produced about a third of the world’s silver.  They still produce but not so much.  However, it is still a really good place to buy silver jewelry.

And speaking of shopping… there are so many artist/venders here that it is almost mind numbing.

Inside a big Hidalgo Mercado.

Shopping overload!

This drawing came home with me and hangs in my foyer.  He finished working on it as I watched.

Outside the market are a lot of vendors too.  It was here I found more locally created arts and crafts.

The rug came back to Tennessee. 

As did a few of those cute dolls.

A lot of fantastic artists sell their work on the street.  Yep, brought home one of those too!

The street food was enticing.

The main street is underground!  There are several entrances to the tunnels.  I didn’t get to explore them as the big old bus we were in would not fit.

Just around this corner is the entrance to one of the city’s attractions…

… the funicular up to…

the El Pipila monument.  He is a hometown here in the Mexican War of Independence.

Here I am taking a break at one of the overlooks beneath the monument.

After a day of sight-seeing, we had supper in the Plaza, and then found a comfortable place to watch the ‘callejoneadas’ – roving musicians who parade along the streets.

However, it rained on our parade.  No… in monsooned on our parade!! 

Our group eventually made it back to the bus…soaked to the skin.  It was one of those situations where you had two choices… be angry & sullen or laugh until your sides hurt.

My face hurt from laughing so much.  (Our mission pastor didn’t appreciate my “first annual ‘whosawhatie’ church wet T shirt contest” comment.  This of course made us laugh even harder!)

This is the hotel we went back to (photo taken that morning before the skies opened up on us).

Nice looking bed.  Only problem it was as hard as a board. Seriously.  This princess and the pea felt like she’d been beaten the next morning.

At least I had this awesome ceiling to stare up at!  (Get a load of the TV!  I’ve never seen one hanging from the ceiling by a chain before!)

Loved the tile in the bathroom.

Did NOT love the microscopic shower head… and only half of the holes let water thru!  I got wet faster in the rain storm then I did in the shower.

However, I would definitely stay there again.  I’d just bring my air mattress along.  The staff was attentive and the restaurant was great.  And the views were fantastic.

Guanajuato is on my ‘come back’ list.  I think you see why!

What Goes Around, Comes Around!

This video made my day.  The perfect comeback!!  

Clean Up Your Own Backyard

Have you heard of the “Great America Clean-up”?  It’s part of the ‘Keep America Beautiful’ campaign.  And today is the date my county selected to organize the clean-up here.

However, I’m busy today!  (There will be several blogs coming out of today’s activities!)  So yesterday Himself and I went out to the along one of the last two roads (just 1.4 miles worth) leading to our house and picked up trash out of the ditches.  Himself regularly picks up along the 1 mile stretch that is our road. 

There was a lot to pick up.

Himself’s pick-up method was to flip them into his bucket with “the claw”.  I preferred to use a pick-up gripper/grabber (or whatever you call them!). 

These two weren’t sure they approved of our activity but we got big waves from most of those who passed us in their cars.

You know what?  It was kind of like taking an anonymous poll. 

Top two favorite sodas?  Mountain Dew and Coke.

Top two favorite beers?  Well… the northbound litterers favored Miller Light while the southbound litterers like Michelob Light.  (The good ol’ boys seem to be watching their waistlines!)

Favorite fast food for drinks?  Sonic.

In fact, 95% of the litter we picked up along our route had to do with beverages.

What else did we discover? 

There is a lot of ice being bought and the bags let fly into the ditches.  (Filling up coolers?)

Only two candy wrappers were along the road… a Snickers and an M&M.

And one car bumper!

Keep America Beautiful states that people are more likely to litter in a littered environment.  We hope since it now looks nice AND since a lot of people drove by us, that maybe there will be less trash thrown out. 

At least that is what we want to happen.

Because THIS is just disgusting…especially for only a mile and a half!

Compassion Sponsorship From the Other Side

Last weekend Himself and I had the opportunity to work another Compassion International concert.  It was a bit different this time as it was an outside venue. 

The pianist is Aaron Shust (“My Savior, My God”). 

And these were the other acts – the band is MikesChair with Jonny Diaz joining them.

But this is what it is all about for me… telling people about the kids.  Our co-worker Rachel loved showing the packets to this family.  That mama is raising those babies right – explaining to them as best she could about the program.

Look at all those precious faces.

Her packet says a whole lot.

But what made this event unique is another girl from Uganda.  One who had been like sweet little Pretty… a child in a sponsor packet.

This is Juliana.  At one time her future was bleak.  Her father died and her mother couldn’t afford the fees for her to go to school.  The little girl sold yams in the market.  Then someone told them about Compassion.  Juliana was enrolled in the program.

One day a family picked up a packet at some concert and fell in love with the sweet face they saw.

Juliana was sponsored.  Her sponsor family encouraged her and helped her to believe she could live her dreams if she worked hard.  She made it thru school with high grades and was accepted into the Compassion Leadership Program.  She made it thru college, earning a Bachelors.  

Then she was accepted into Baylor for her Masters in Social Work.  Juliana graduated last May and by now is heading home to Uganda where she will work for Compassion to make a difference in children’s lives.  She also has a woman’s self-help venture where ladies learn to make beads to support themselves. 

And she had closed the circle… Juliana is the sponsor of a little Ugandan girl.

It’s humbling to stand next to a true hero.

If you are interested in helping a child, go to www.compassion.com  

Dogwoods and Strawberry Wine

Did you know that May is National Photo Month?  Now you have a reason to spend some time with your camera!  

A few weeks ago I visited a friend who owns a beautiful Federal style post-antebellum home.  She invited us out to take some photos of the dogwood blooming in her yard. 

I jumped on that offer!

You get that “Welcome” feeling as you walk up to the back door.

I love the chippy paint.  This home wears her age well.

The front of the house has this lovely statue in what was the center of the drive.  

A perfect dogwood.

Looking up to a balcony.

You know it is spring when the dogwood bloom.

She has a few of these dark pink in the back yard.  

OK… so it isn’t dogwood.  But isn’t it pretty just the same?

BTW, my friend’s house was used in a country music video for Deana Carter’s song “Strawberry Wine”.  It was made shortly after they moved there… before the renovations were started.