Hope

Sometimes it just feels good to go to bed with your favorite blanket and hope you wake up feeling better.

Saturday in Buenos Aires

It is Saturday, much like any Saturday in the World.. or at least those parts of the world that I have been in.

You stay up later on Friday night because you know you don't have to get up early.

No appointments, nowhere you have to be.. then you wake up earlier than you need to.

Pup slept like a baby , it was a good nights sleep for all.

The sun is shining after a nights rain, which was good, it was a bit too dry here and dusty.

The fall flowers are watered now, the parks are shining again.

The skies here are amazing, all the time... either solid pure blue or with interesting clouds scudding by .. or the huge clouds that build and look solid and make me wish I could walk up there just to see how it would be ~

The noise in the streets is just a tiny bit less, some of those people are relaxing at home, shopping, enjoying themselves and not sitting at the light honking.

And some of them are out in the countryside, at a campo, relaxing, from all that honking they had to do to get out of town.

We walked with Pup to the vet and got his pain medicine and his vitamins.

Monday he will go for a echocardiogram.

After many kisses from the vet, we walked home, slowly, allowing for any and all sniffing and looking around.

He is now napping .. not far from the new toy and chewy that someone might decide to steal from him .. who would touch that soggy, gooey rawhide chewy is beyond me ! No one in this house, that is for sure !

While he naps, I am thinking a walk around the neighborhood , picking up gardening items and doing some dinner planning might be good ..

And of course, looking in the shop windows. Can't forget dessert !

And then there is the long distance birthday shopping that we are doing for loved ones in the US.
A busy day is shaping up !

Good and Bad

So, someone will ask, how was your day ?
And the answer has to be ... well, it was Good .... and Bad.

Yesterday we took a walk with Pup.

Pup got too tired, it is my fault, I could kick myself every time I think of it .
We were walking home and went up a huge staircase, I should have gone around, it was my fault, I knew better.
Halfway up, his legs buckled , he coughed, he fell down.

He had trouble getting back up. It was my fault.

We walked home, slowly, he wobbled but he made it.

But he was panting hard and ill and I kept hoping he would rest and recover. He didn't.

He did not sleep all night, he lay on his little bed, panting hard and trying to get comfortable.

I stayed up with him. We both might have slept sometime around 4 am to 7 am ..

We got to watch the Royal Wedding.
I sent an email last night to the vet.
She called this morning and said she would be here at 12:30. She was.
She sat on the floor with him, kissing him, calling him Mi Amor and feeling all his sore bones and kissing him.
He got a shot of pain killer and went to take a nap.
I had to go to the hospital to get the final verdict from the surgeon about my leg.

After showing my leg to about half a dozen handsome young doctors and interns,.. kissing me, kissing each other, looking at my leg .. the surgeon came in and said that it was Clear, go home, the scar will disappear by next summer.

This time I kissed the doctor.

Pup was perky when we got home ! He was waiting at the door !

We walked ... slowly to the park and back.

He ate dinner ... mostly because someone was hand feeding him but he ate and now he is on his bed in the living room watching International Househunters.. he loves that show.

Tomorrow we are getting him some medicines for In Case This Happens Again.
His walks will all be short and no stairs.

So we watched the Wedding .. I loved it.

I loved everything about it.

I like to think she will grow to be this beautiful woman with that great face and beautiful smile with at least 3 or 4 children and that he will be King and they will live happily ever after..

and so will Pup..

Tired

We took a long walk today. Rather longer than I meant it to be.
The stop in the cafe might have helped but the big flight of stairs in the park did him in.
Hopefully with rest, tomorrow he will be his frisky self... I will settle for his old smiley self.

Maybe watching the Royal Wedding will make him feel better.
More tomorrow ~

Some days are more fun than others ....

So, somebody had a good time today. Around and around and around .. Then time to walk home and have dinner and rest from all the fun.

Another busy day in Buenos Aires.

The two humans did enjoy a walk through the parks, to the cafe, enjoying a snack while people watching... then walking back through the parks with Pup .. (just to the right of Pup, there was a movie being filmed .. I think he was a bit miffed no one asked him to be in it.. )

Walkin' the Dog

First let me say, I am my own dog walker. Or my husband is. No one else.

This ... is the Bad Dog Walker.

He tied those dogs to the railing in front of that window, ( dogs began to bark) then proceeded down the street to a sandwich shop where he stood in line ( dogs barked) , he chatted with the people in line ( dogs barked), then the doctor whose window the dogs were tied to .. which is the window of a hospital, came out and went looking for the bad dog walker.

The dogs continued to bark.

The doctor said something, the bad dog walker came running.

Next time I have a problem with a workman that doesn't show up, I am telling the doctor, get him to call them. yeah.

Then we got to listen to the noise just a little longer because he couldn't get the tangled leashes untangled. The dogs finally quieted down, possibly because they were strangled by the tangled leashes at that point, but then he took off down the street to the park with them.

The only justice in this story is that he had to leave before he ordered his food. Serves him right. grumble grumble.

Today I saw a man with these amazing dreadlocks, way down his back .. with at least, probably more than a dozen dogs on leashes.

What was cool about this one was that every dog was quiet.. they seemed to appreciate the walker and each other.

They were also some very beautiful large dogs. A Black Turveren .. know them ? picture a pointy faced wolf, all black, long hair. Size of a German Shepherd..

I am considering getting one .. it will do the opposite of Pup, scare people away.

Pup and I walk down the street and the people come to us !

Then there is the man who walks a lot of dogs, but they all seem related and they follow him like lambs. Big lambs.

His own dog runs ahead of the pack, looking back all the time, making sure the team is following him ! He is the Good Dog Walker.

I sat on a bench,Pup was sitting by the bench , we were alone for approximately 3 seconds when a couple of tourists came along and asked if they could take a photo of him.

A few minutes later, a little old lady wanted to pet him. .

Then the rest of the dog loving world came along and talked to me, to him and we had to get up and walk some more.

I vanted to be alone !

Maybe I should be like the lady I see sometimes who walks only poodles.

I don't know if they are hers or if it is her job.

Whatever, she is the only one that makes me fall down laughing.

Walking down the street, with a pack of little white poodles at her feet.. priceless.

I don't know, some little dogs don't seem so eager to hang out with Pup.

Maybe we had better keep it the way things are now, Just the Three of Us.

Drifting into Autumn

We are drifting into Autumn, my favorite season. Having spent most of my life in New York, I am partial to that sort of Autumn, with trees turning color, taking drives to the mountains and enjoying apple picking, falling leaves and sitting by a fire at night.

Here we have leaves that dry up, get brown and fall. The nights are chilly and you can smell the smoke of a thousand parrillas ( barbecues) so it is similar, but not the same.

But I still feel invigorated by the cooler days and I sleep like a baby with comforters rather than the noise of an air conditioner.. although I do admit, I missed the sound for the first couple of nights. That hum that drowned out the sound of cars, horns and sirens, city noises that I grow tired of.

Pup is so much better. He is silly again. He plays with his toys and drags around his blanket.

He spends more time in the parks sniffing around , instead of just lying in the grass and watching.

He has his spark back... and I am at ease.

With the fall weather comes the need to buy new clothes for the season. Outings to shops in the neighborhood, plenty of window licking and then a trip or two to a mall .. all on the calendar.

This week I get to see the surgeon and get the All's Clear. So far, so good.

Our friends are here, they will be here for months but we have not seen them yet and I am looking forward to eating somewhere new, laughing and talking and getting social again.

Concert season is starting soon too, just a few blocks from my home, the National Orchestra will play fabulous classical music. We will sit in these comfortable, large , red velvet seats under soaring ceilings with a huge stage packed with musicians and be transported by Mozart and Berlioz and Tchaikovsky to name just a few. I can't wait !

Then walking back from the concert, hanging on to that residual magic of the music still floating through our heads, we will stop somewhere for dinner.

It is a good time of year, I am going to enjoy it.

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

Living Tastefully

I just discovered a new blog. Or a set of new blogs. I am now in serious danger of not coming up for air or food and drink for at least a day. When I am not furiously copying recipes, I am looking into being stylish .. and of course, near and dear to our hearts, being an ex-pat...

Go look, tell me how you like it .. tell her how you like it !

Enjoy ~

Fall is in the Air

Fall is in the air. The leaves don't look like this but they are drying up and falling off of the trees. The evenings are chilly, warm comforters are coming out of the cupboards.

The greenness in the parks is coming to an end.

The leaves are dry and withered, there are more on the ground.

I was able to take a photo of the full moon from the bedroom window.
I amazed myself !
We are taking a little break .. no blog for the holidays.
More time to be devoted to friends newly arrived, Pup newly well, a new season..
See you next week .. besos !

Lazy Friday

Drink too much coffee.

Take Pup for a walk in the park.

Wander through the neighborhood.

Drink more coffee.

Wander through the Feria.

Home.

Happy Anniversary to Us !

Today is the Fourth year Anniversary of our arrival in Buenos Aires!

I remember it all quite clearly.

We left Portland, Oregon in the morning of the 20th of April, Pup and my husband and I all packed and ready for our new life in Argentina.

Goodbye Portland, it was nice !
Pup knew which toys he wanted to bring...

I was mostly concerned about the flight for Pup, the apartment being good and were we really insane doing this ?

The taxi to the airport was great, the flight from Oregon to Texas was great.

The flight from Texas to Buenos Aires was good for the humans, the Pup might have a different story to tell.

We won't even think about it now .. I am thankful he lived, I promised him I would never do it to him again.

He forgave me right away.

He's like that, you know.

We arrived at an apartment in the neighborhood that we thought would be good , with two bedrooms, a big kitchen and serious need of cleaning and new furniture but it was cozy and had good views.

We were glad to be in the neighborhood and we made it our home for two months.

While we ran here and there with the paperwork one needs when immigrating to another country.

While we were fingerprinted and photographed and ran to various agencies countless times and got papers, books, passports etc, stamped.

Many stamps. They like to stamp things here.

And in the moments when we were not taking a paper to be stamped somewhere, we were looking for a home.

The manager of the apartment dropped the news on us one day that they had rented the apartment out to someone else for two weeks.

We would have to move then move back.

Needless to say, we found another apartment and moved.

And then we found our home.

Which took about two months to be renovated, which went on after we had moved in.

But eventually, they all left and it was the three of us again, in our new home, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

We still speak a very mangled Castellano, we still have not been to so many places.

But we do feel at home, we have made friends, we manage.

My husband manages much better than I do at many more things but that is what a marriage is, right ? one of you is just better at some things than others.

Pup is good at being Pup. And that is sufficient for us.

(I also think he understands more Spanish than he admits to )

Hey ! I like it here !

So here we are.. Four years later ...

Happy Anniversary to Us !!

What I Love About Living in Buenos Aires

(With thanks to Amy at God I Love Paris for the idea of this post today)

I love the people. They are kind and caring and mostly polite.

I love the way they treat dogs. Even the lost and homeless dogs and cats are gently petted, fed scraps and while there are still way too many homeless dogs in this city, there are many kind people who adopt them and some take them out to their campos in the countryside to live.

I love the parks in my neighborhood.

I love the way they make safe children's playgrounds and fence them in.

I love the way people watch out for children, their own and others.

I love the Gardens.

Secret gardens, great huge public gardens, private gardens that you can see through the fence or over the wall .

I love the trees ! Great huge ancient trees.

I don't know their names, some are shaped strangely and some are like alien life-forms but they are all fascinating wonderful huge trees.

I love coming around a corner and finding something beautiful, unique or comical. A tiny Pink Fiat will do it , a cat snoozing on a wall where a large dog naps on the grass, the mounted police sitting on a bench in the shade at the park while their horses nap ..

I love the little cookie or sweet that they always give you when you order a cup of coffee.

I love the way the people reply when thanked, De nada ...

I love the way they always ask how you are, todo bien ?

I love the way our neighbors greet us on the street as if we were long lost relatives.

We just saw them yesterday, but they seem overjoyed to see us again !

Talk about feeling at home !

I love the skies. They are constantly changing, very dramatic and I can only think it is because I am now living at the Bottom of the World.

I love it that I can still go for a walk and discover a new area, a new street or even a new building. I have to live here a long time before I will feel like I have seen everything and then we know it will not be Everything.

I love the Produce markets.

I love the boys who work there, who always laugh when my husband pretends to throw something to them ... a tomato, a melon..

I love that people try to speak English to us, when they hear us (ME) stumbling along in my Spanish. I know it is just to avoid my completely mangling their beautiful Castellano.

I love the waiters.

They all act like your grandmother. Do you like it ? Do you want something else? Do you want more ? Dessert ? Muy bien !

They never write down an order, they remember who got what and how and they are fast.

They don't bother you until you ask for a check, they don't bother you until you let them know you want to order.

And if you go back to the same place twice, odds are, your waiter will remember you and what you ordered.

Shopping, window shopping, food shopping, dog toy shopping, shoe shopping, key chain shopping, scarf shopping, there are shops and places for individual things and then there are the malls and ferias where you can get it all in one spot.

I guess you could just say , Buenos Aires~ What is there not to love ?

This is the way to lie in the grass ....

We took Pup to the park and sat on a bench like every other old couple does. With our young whippersnapper Pup, who sat and stared at us until he got tired, so he lay down on the sidewalk.

I had to get up and show him the grass and explain how much nicer it is to lie in the grass.

He missed the mounted police who went by.

Good thing. He would have gone running, yodeling, making a scene.
It looks green but it is definitely getting more Autumnal.
More leaves are on the ground, birds, especially parrots are very busy .. nests being built, couples quibbling over where the kids will sleep.. it is the same, the world over.
We stopped at the produce market on the way home for salad makings.

I have to remember to start trying A Fruit a Day. I have not eaten some of these things and I am curious.

I have been enjoying fresh apples, Fall= Apple Time!

It is also Mango time. I think I will stick with the apples for pies though.

I feel better. Leg improving every day.

Pup feels better, pretty much his old self. The weather is good.

Everything stops on Thursday. Holidays .. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday.

I expect we will enjoy a beautiful, quiet , less crowded Buenos Aires.

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

Stop ! This is Getting Very Silly !

I just think you should take a look at this blog.

Every day but at least on Mondays. It will start your week out right... with a Smile.

Do the Closets Day

Today is Do The Closets Day.

It has gotten just a bit too chilly to rely on my summer clothes anymore.

So we spent the morning , with my husband climbing the ladder to the top of the vestidor to bring down winter clothes. I then scattered them all over the room then we took a walk.

Pup needed a walk, I needed fresh air and to be away from the sight of all those clothes piled on the bed ... all those clothes on the floor ... when what I really want to see is a closet neatly filled with new clothes.

On our walk, I took photos. Always something to look at and to photograph!

Just one of the neighborhood streets.. and a very good Bakery/Cafe.

Tonight will be lay around and rest your leg night.

Yes, I know, life can be almost too exciting when an ex-pat in Buenos Aires~

This is one of the most well-mannered pups I have seen here yet !

Definitely TGIF

I am so glad it is Friday!

I slept well and woke with no pain.

We took Pup for a walk and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day, sitting on a bench in the park, watching the Pup and having the whole park to ourselves. Pup stopped to say hello to a wee friend..then we walked home past some houses I love and ordered dinner to be delivered.
I don't know if I was ever a high energy person, lately I am definitely low energy. But with the Leg ordeal over and Pup back to his cheerful healthy self , I am looking forward to shopping for Fall clothes and going out and seeing friends and enjoying Buenos Aires again.

And Off We Go to the Hospital ~

Going to the hospital, even just a doctor visit , in a foreign country can be very stressful. Nothing is ever done "just like home " and as in our case, the language barrier can be worrisome. You are never quite sure you heard Everything correctly ....

Is he suggesting that he remove the spot or remove the leg ?? Would someone bring me a translator please~

Having been to plenty of doctors and dermatologists around the USA, I felt it only right that I get that little habit taken care of here too.

It took a couple of doctors for us to find the one we liked best.

We won't talk about the first one whose examining table was from 1902 and was in a corner of her office, with a bare light bulb dimly shining and old sheets that were rumpled ...

I could not get out of that place fast enough!

Then there was the woman that was apparently the head of some sort of Skin Department somewhere, at least she had an office with lights .. but again, her examining table was in the office, by the window, in case I wanted to be sure that the people on the terrace across the way got a good enough look at the little spot on my leg.

And then she did the one thing that would make me put her on my list of doctors I will not go to even if they are the last doctor on Earth .. she didn't wear gloves, and she had used sheets on her examining table... what the ?????

I had this little red spot on my leg for some while.

It was not going away and while it was not painful nor was it big, it was there.

Every day, no change, just there. I knew it was Bad.

So we went to the dermatologist at our hospital.

Here, you can see doctors in offices in the hospital.

With appointments and everything but it is in the hospital.. and what is great is that everything else is in the hospital too, so the lab work is done quickly, the verdict is given quickly and the surgery to remove the bad little red spot on my leg was done pretty fast.

Today I showed up with no idea what really to expect.

I had met the surgeon, he was charming and spoke English and is the Chief of Surgery with his Speciality in Skin Cancer, so I was pretty sure it was all going to be fine.

I was a little surprised that what was described to me as a quick, 15 minute procedure still required me to be in an operating theater full of nurses and another doctor and lights and drapes to hide the view from the patient.

I don't mind the drapes hiding the view of someone cutting my leg open but why are operating rooms so cold ?

I was wrapped in warm blankets and treated gently and sweetly and I have to admit that although there was a moment when things hurt.. this was so much easier than what so many people have to go through.

I felt very lucky in many ways.

When it was all over, the doctor said that the Margins are clear, that he is confident that it is all fine.

Then he kissed me goodbye. ( He kissed me hello too)...

When I was preparing to go into the surgery, the nurse asked me why we wanted to live in Buenos Aires.

I told her that we love the city but what keeps us here is the People.. the lovely warm , generous, always ready to laugh People.

So after I got my goodbye kiss from my doctor, I looked at her and said This is why we love Buenos Aires ...

I do not in any way want to promote the idea of coming here to have surgery or see a doctor.

I do want you to remember to wear your SunBlock this summer and don't let me hear any lame excuses about forgetting it.

Put it on when you get out of the shower .. make it a part of your routine before you go out the door.

I do want you to consider visiting Buenos Aires .. you have to meet the people here.. really.

And now I am going to go lie on the sofa with a book and a husband and a Pup and think about Dinner and where we are getting Take Away from.

What ? didn't you hear the doctor ?

I should take things easy, not go up steps and try not to cook ... he did say that .. I swear, he said it !

Pass the Scalpel ...

Today is another First for me in Buenos Aires.

I am having a bit of surgery. Nothing very serious, I have a spot of skin cancer that has to be removed.

I am seeing a surgeon who specializes in this sort of thing, he is also the Jefe so I expect everything to go quickly and well.

I will of course, remember every single thing and will be able to regale everyone with all of my Hospital stories ( perhaps for years !!)

I am not sure what the policies are for cameras in the operating room so we might have to just make do with imaginations !

So, Hasta luego, muchas besos and chau for now !!

(flowers, get well cards, gifts and such can be forwarded to Pup who will make sure I get them later)

The Life of A Housewife in Buenos Aires

Just in from a busy day, walking ... walking.. I am glad to say that Pup is almost completely back to his old self. He stayed home and rested some more, it is quite warm out and I know how wimpy I get after a long walk in the heat, there was no reason to do that to him too.

Besides, he is not a fan of the Tea Connection, where we had lunch.

Later we will go to the park and my husband and I will sit on benches like Argentine Old Timers and the Pup will sniff and explore and enjoy the fresh air.

Seeing him with energy and bright eyed again is like a gift.. one that I treasure.

I had a little shopping to do today. I need laundry soap.

When we first arrived here, I did not recognize any products that were familiar in any way. Television commercials didn't really help, not understanding what they were saying, so I ended up shopping by nose.. I would shop by smell, whichever soap smells best .

Now I have my own favorites, one being a detergent we bought in Paris ( although this does not smell as good as that one) and my own Argentine brand of fabric softener.

Everything in Lavender scent.. because some of the floral scents reminds me of rotting fruit. Imagine having that little odor wafting off of your clothes !

I learned early on that if you are in doubt in the supermarket, your best bet for someone to give you some help is not one of the employees, not one of the stock boys, but a lady shopper.

If she is elderly, even better !

I remember standing in the store , looking clueless ( which might be a permanent look for all I know now) and noticed that she was watching me ( perhaps worried ? wary? curious?)

A lovely lady, perfectly groomed, hair done, wearing a pretty outfit.

I held up two different bags of laundry soap and said " Señora ?" ( picture the girl on The Price is Right)..

She then said to me, in perfect English, that she likes another brand.

Thus ensued a (long) discussion (mostly on her side- I nodded and said "Si" a lot) about the Pros and Cons of the laundry soaps available.

Needless to say, I bought the one she uses ..

Now have fine smelling laundry, that is very soft.. because of those "little blue dots that are in the soap"..

Pup is quite happy with the way things smell around here.

Last night I noticed he slept with his nose buried in his blanket. I think he is loving the scent !

Do I sound like a television commercial ?

Can you picture me standing with the bags in one hand and pointing at the dog with the other .. with his blanket draped across his back , smiling ? You would buy that soap, wouldn't you?

Looking back - Spanish Lessons

Looking back on our time here in Buenos Aires, I remember when we finally decided to get a teacher and learn some "proper" Spanish.

After a year of the total "immersion" method of learning to speak Spanish or Castellano ... we finally managed to get a teacher and we began our lessons !

I dreaded it a tiny bit. .. I was intimidated with the idea of being the clueless student with a teacher half my age ...feeling completely stupid... just a total dope.

At the end of our first class, we asked if we could take two classes a week... This was Fun!

Not only Fun but it all makes so much more sense!

I have a good vocabulary. ..I know a lot of Big Words... I use them when I can... I like them.

But they are all in English!

Now .. I am reduced to 3 word sentences .. a lot of mime and hand signals.

It is amazingly frustrating when you have so much to say .. most of it terribly witty ..but you don't know the words!

I loved having my new notebook , my new pencils and new pens.

I did my homework and studied with my husband who was a better student than I.

He studied every morning.

I studied the night before class.

He was the star student.

I got all excited when I knew the answers on the days papers and thought how pathetically excited I was when she said " Muy Bien " .. If only I had been this good a student when I was a kid.

I might even speak Spanish already. . but no .. not with that teacher, who took such delight in embarrassing me in front of the class... grabbing my face and shmushing my mouth up and telling me to say "Oooooh "..." Oooooh ', "without sounding Southern."..

Not sound Southern?

I lived in North Carolina!

I would sound British if I had a choice but so far, I could only manage Southern... and be embarrassed in front of the class.

Our teacher here made up for all of that. Muy Bien !

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

French Essence

This is such a lovely blog, I know you will love it as I do. Meet Vickie Archer, she has written some lovely books , My French Life and French Essence and if you go look at her blog ( like I do, every morning) ... you can be inspired and if you don't run away to live in France, you will at least get some ideas for making little French touches around your house. . or garden .. or closet .

Go take a look, tell her I said Bonjour ~

Here is a Little Forest

Where to go on a lazy Sunday when all that is required is a spot to sit and relax and some fresh air ? Perhaps some music ?
The birds will be happy to provide it.

Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
Emily Dickinson

Feliz Fin de Semana

Another tough day in Paradise ... er, Buenos Aires.

It is cooler and perfect for sitting on a bench, or lolling in the grass and enjoying the day while not having any worries other than What would you like for dinner tonight ..
Walking to the park, we noticed Barbie had parked her car on the street where our favorite cafe is located. I wondered if Pup would fit , if the 3 of us would fit in a car this size.
Pup feels much better and is enjoying walking and lolling in the park again.

A lovely way to start the weekend.

Feliz Fin de Semana ~

Fabulous Friday

Pup got all of his lab work back and his visit to the vet was short and oh so very sweet.

He is fine. Fine. FINE !!! ...

He has an infection, he is being treated for it already and we expect him to show improvements daily. Today he is already better than yesterday.

Needless to say, there is much joy and relief at our house.

We have made no plans for the weekend, not knowing what was happening with Pup and not wanting to leave him alone for long and especially, needing to pet him and whisper to him that he was going to be alright.

As you can see from his photo, he has been lolling about in his "nap blanket" and being spoiled rotten. Although I have no plans to stop spoiling him rotten, he can put the blanket away now..

Thanks to everyone who commented and emailed and sent us good wishes and helped me not be a weepy baby online every day.. muchas besos .. from Pup (and me !)

Home Away From Home

Today we went to the vet and got Pup all of his medicines. He will be taking pills for about 10 days. Happily, he is a good pill taker. Just hide it in a bit of peanut butter or wrap it in some chicken skin and it is gone in one gulp! And he smiles at me and asks for more, please.

He is still tired and lying around a lot but I have great hopes that day by day, he will perk up more.

I would like to mention this, because somewhere out there, there might be someone who will have this happen to them. ..

We ran into two ex-pats that we met here a couple of years ago. They were nice enough but we didn't really like them and did not do anything to further a friendship with them.

We hardly ever see them, if we do it is on the street.

So imagine our bad luck to run into them on the street with Pup as we left the vets this morning.

When we told them about Pup and his being ill, their response was sympathy ( nice) , asking who the vet was ( typical) and then telling us how bad our vet was ( rude and stupid)..

I immediately said we like her and we are happy with her and they offered to give us the name of their vet ! ( ignorant jerks) ...

We could not get rid of them fast enough and only hope that our good luck will hold out and we will not see them again ... ever.

So my advice to you, if you know someone like this, don't stop when you see them, keep walking, just smile and wave and say something like, Hi ! Gotta go ! and keep moving !

In other news .. the weather has turned into late Summer /early Fall and oh, so beautiful.

The days are sunny, dry and warm with a cool breeze.

Sweaters are being worn ! yay!

At night it is chilly, no air conditioning is needed and a light blanket on the bed is appreciated.

I intend to hover over Pup and nurse him and love him and when Monday comes along, my husband and I are going Shopping. Long overdue Shopping.

There are shoes out there, waiting for me. Boots and sweaters and probably a jacket.

And I really would not be surprised it a purse found it's way into my closet ..

Living in another country takes some getting used to. Language most of all.

Being a stranger in a strange land has its good and bad points.

I think for us, missing loved ones and old friends is the main bad point.

Language difficulties add to the feeling of isolation, even when you sort of speak the language.

But living at the Bottom of the World brings a whole new set of Strangeness to our lives that we never really considered.

You are getting over a long cold winter, you are thrilled to see buds on the trees, flowers peeking out of the ground, a slight warming to the afternoon sun.

We are seeing more dry leaves on the ground, the nights are cool and crisp and you can just feel and smell, Autumn in the air.

I am looking forward to winter .. but there is no Christmas.

That happens in the middle of the Summer.

So as some ex-pats might tend to do, we grow nostalgic for familiar things at this time of year.

I am not wishing it were Spring, in April but if it is Fall , I am wishing I were in New York State where we used to go apple picking and we would stay in an Inn in a charming little town and picnic on the grounds of a mansion overlooking the Hudson River.

Some people fly back and forth from here to "home" and back. We have not done this.

Pup cannot fly, no one is staying in our home, that is that.

We are fine with it but it does make a person feel much more Away from Home, no matter how At Home we are.

Thank goodness the people here are so nice, and warm and loving.

They ease the homesickness and comfort without knowing it, just with their smiles and kind words... even when I don't know the words, you can't miss the meaning.

I wish you a lovely Spring day, besos y abrazos ~ ( see, I habla Español )