Quilting in Cuenca

Buenas dias!
This is a post about sewing some fun things and quilting in Cuenca.  Most of my fabric stash is fabric from the United States.  I will admit I'm a tiny bit of a fabric snob in that I really like well manufactured fabric with colors that don't run in the wash and edges that do not ravel easily.

I also love the variety of patterns, designs, textures that one can find in many fabric shops in the US.  Recently I was shopping in Cuenca for tela - espanol for fabric - and batting.  I have a couple of projects where I need the puffy polyester batting I have never used.  But it seems it is not sold in tela tiendas (fabric shops).

My friend and I visited 4 tela shops of fairly good size in the historic shopping district without finding any batting.  It was only the 4th store that had stuffing, like for pillows, and a roll of batting that was not for sale to individuals - it was about 20 feet long and the roll was about 3 feet high.  The word for pillow stuffing...hmmm..Cannot recall that word in either language.  Oh, like polyfill only I found some made out of ostrich down machined into layers. And also the polyester stuffing.

We found a lot of interfacing of all weights so if you need interfacing, it is here in Cuenca in abundance.

APRONS are back in style with a demand to match in the US. Will that fashion come to Cuenca soon?  I bought some fabric to make a few aprons - just a fun project to see how much work it is- and some oven mitts to match.  Here is the fabric I got here in Cuenca:

I especially like the watermelons.

And here are some fabrics from the US I'm putting together for a 3 tier ruffled apron with contrasting layers.

Quilts, Quilts, Quilts

I recently had the pleasure of hanging some of my quilts and complex quilt blocks at the private art gallery of Gary Myers and Arie Atlas in El Centro.

It was a celebration of the conclusion of the first drawing class Gary taught in Cuenca.

It was an incredible honor to have the quilts there to share the spotlight with the drawings. It was a wonderful evening. Classes are taught by Gary Myers    Contact  garymyersartist@gmail.com  Gary has taught all ages and all levels of art, as well as being a wonderful artist in his own right.

Have a fabulous new week!

A few tips and observations about Cuenca, Ecuador

Buenas dias!

The usual reminder applies here: I can only describe my experiences and observations. Other people have different thoughts and experiences.  Take the best and leave the rest.

Life in Cuenca, Ecuador is tranquilo, sometimes loud, often quiet, peopled by friendly, kind, handsome Cuencanos and by an ex-pat community that is welcoming and easy to connect with.  Life here is always interesting.  I have lived in Cuenca with my husband for 10 months.  I created this blog to chronicle the first year of joys, adjustments, challenges, surprises and experiences. That year is almost up.

                        On the road from Guayaquil to Cuenca, abandoned fruit shack

My thoughts today are about some of the adjustments I've experienced in moving here.  And always the joys, as there are many.

Whether it is a barber, a new friend, a taxi driver or a neighbor, everyone wants to know "How do you like it?".  For me that answer is very clear.  I LOVE it here.  Me gusta Cuenca!  There are challenges, as with living anywhere.  But every day has doses of joy and new experiences are just outside the door.

Some of my challenges stem from not speaking Espanol very well. I have lessons 3 times per week so I am making progress but it seems s-l-o-w to be learning a second language when I am 62.  How I wish I had taken Espanol in high school and college!  It is a fact that if a person knows any second language, learning a 3rd language is easier.  But I must not get discouraged. My conversation is improving and I am getting braver at speaking with strangers. Living here certainly gives opportunity for "almost immersion" experiences.  

At the same time, one could live here and associate mostly with English speaking ex-pats and decline the opportunity to learn Espanol, never study the culture, rarely communicate with local people from all social strata.  But each person who arrives on the shores of Ecuador will make his/her own decisions as the next stage of life unfolds.

Another challenge for me is that mucho patience is required to survive well and thrive in Cuenca.  Why?  Ecuador is not the US and South America is different from North America in many ways.  Part of the charm of the Ecuadorian culture is that they rush less.  They lust after material possessions less. They value family above everything else.  Many Cuencanos will go far out of their way to help a friendly ex-pat in need, especially if the ex-pat can speak even a tiny bit of Espanol. But...

                                          The road to Loja

But back to patience.  I was used to the American culture where you get an estimate of when something will be fixed or even if it can be fixed.  Here, Cuencanos do not want to deliver bad news (like "it can't be fixed" or "that will take a month") so they estimate something will be done long before it can possibly be completed. Like "sure, that engine will be rebuilt by tomorrow" kind of thing.  

The internet is a rather constant issue so it can be a huge irritation or you can adopt the Ecuadorian way of "just waiting and staying tranquilo".  

As I have said before in these pages, patience is a lifelong learning process for me. It's tied up with my karma.  God sends me opportunities. Buddha observes. Some days I learn better than others.  It is an opportunity to address an issue with a different mind set. You may bump into some issues of your own.

There are several internet companies here.  At first my mind set was to ask which is best and get us signed up with the best one.  Now I believe there is no "best service".  They all have times where they go down.  There are moments when you have good speed.  There are hours where you do not. Paying more for faster speed may be worth it or it may not. It is just another opportunity to practice patience.    ETAPA is one type of internet service that is DSL. Centronet is through the power line. Puntonet uses Wi MAX which is line of sight. TVCable has service varying from $20/mo to $100/mo.  Of course, the more you pay, the faster the speed is promised to be.

Cuenca gets a lot of brief thunder and lightning and many changes of weather - sometimes a service is down related to that.  Most of the time, if your service goes down, it is not for too long - minutes to hours rather than days.Usually you never know the cause of why the service went down. So patience is helpful and the mindset of "it's Ecuador - this is normal" with a shrug will help you live longer and stop gnashing of teeth.

Many little annoyances of getting used to a different way of life are trumped by the fantastic attitudes of Equitorianos, the incredible tropical fruits at very low prices, outstanding handmade crafts and views available only to those living high in the Andes Mountains in a UNESCO heritage city preserved for several hundred years. 

The phone numbers here take a bit of getting used to. Some need a 0 at the front and some don't. Getting used to the messages being in Espanol takes a bit. BTW, I recommend getting a phone, especially if you do not speak Espanol, so that you may communicate with other English speakers. An example follows later in this paragraph. Basic phones are more expensive for what you get than in the US but you will most likely need a cell phone.  Very few people buy a plan, most people just put minutes on the phone or rather you put dollars on the phone. For example, getting $10 on your phone gives you a good start in case you are somewhere and want to ask another expat you've met for a restaurant recommendation in a different part of the city.  You can call, get a quick recommendation and directions and walk there rather than wandering into an unknown restaurant. If you are out in the city at night, you can call a cab if no taxis seem to be are around.

My husband and I each bought a used phone at AirLink in Portland,  airlinkonline.com  3626 NE Sandy Blvd. Len's phone cost $35 used in the US and works great. But AirLink is only in Portland, Oregon.  If you are thinking of moving to Ecuador, your US or Canadian city probably has a similar phone store where you can buy an unlocked used phone. You will want an unlocked phone and it needs to be GSM (not CDMA) to work in South America.  Then, after you go through customs and get your bags in Quito or Guayaquil, if you have time, or here in Cuenca, you buy the chip to insert with the $10 or whatever amount you want.  The minutes do not expire. You can use the phone in the US if you want with a different chip. So I have my pretty little used raspberry-colored phone to use in Ecuador but when I go to see grandchildren/family/friends in the US, I simply buy a chip in the US with some minutes and I can use the same phone wherever I am. There are 2 companies in Cuenca that sell the chip you reload with minutes: MovieStar or Claro.  I've been told most expats use Claro.  Calls to another person with Claro cost less for the caller and the call quality seems better.

                                                     Bananas in Vilcabamba

Will you bring a computer? It is better to buy in the US if you want a new one.  Prices are 30-40% higher here for computer items, especially Apple products. If you do not bring a computer, there are internet cafes everywhere.  If you bring a laptop/IPad, the entire square of Parque Calderon by Nuevo Catedral has wifi, as does much of El Centro.

 And don't forget, there is an IPad Users Group to connect, learn, share about IPad, IPod, IPhone, etc.  Lenny Charnoff, my husband, started that group which meets once a month.  Contact graygeek@gmail.com for more information.

Which reminds me, I plan to start a Gluten Free User's Group in May, date and location to be announced. If you are sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease, it can be helpful to talk with others about resources.  What restaurants are aware of gluten issues?  Where can you buy gluten free bread that is not only edible but very good? How can we search the area for resources needed by people with gluten intolerance?  Please email me that you are interested and we'll see how this new idea unfolds.  nature93@gmail.com

Things are casual and somewhat spontaneous here.  Life is pretty laid back, especially since many of the ex-pats are newly retired and exploring what to do with their time now. The younger expats are busy with work, children, activities, like in the US. For those with some time and not too much cash, there are art classes, a fly fishing group, dance, chess, symphony, tennis, writers' group, meeting for coffee and everything in between those diverse topics. Bring your hobbies but also try some new things, find some things you love to do and enjoy your time in Ecuador!

                 This is Blake our grandson who was in the hospital last week but is fine now.

                 In the background, the little one with the red hair is Blake's cousin Andrew.

Have a terrific rest of the week!

Sharon

Gorgeous weather in Cuenca, Ice Cream and a new quilt project

The weather in Cuenca, EC today was as perfect as I could hope for.  Clear skies,  a few afternoon puffy clouds some of the day, just warm enough (around 75 F) followed by a long, mild evening. Beautiful bird song floated through my studio window all day long, underscoring what a wonderful place I have to work on my craft, whether I'm writing or quilting.  What a joy!

                         A handsome couple in Tarqui

Early this morning, a plain sooty gray bird perched in the tree near my studio.  I picked up the binoculars.  This bird was singing all of his joy in the day in tones that reminded me of mockingbird song in the US.  I strained my eyes to memorize the slight markings I could see. About the size of a robin. Mostly his gold legs/feet and beak stood out.  He chortled, he trilled, he tipped his head back and showed off most gloriously. Are there birds like this in New Zealand?

I picked up my enormous new book,"The Birds of Ecuador Field Guide" Vol II, and searched  the photos for a bird that resembled my morning companion. I now have an idea of what type of bird he is but wish I knew someone who could tell me for sure if I'm close in identifying him.  Maybe a male great thrush? I can hear a lot of finches in the trees behind our building but I can only see a little bit of a tree where they sometimes land briefly.

Here is my newest quilt project, the melon block quilt.  I am just beginning to sew the 20 completed blocks together. I love this stage where it seems magical that it pulls together to look like a quilt and not just a bunch of pieces.  Here is a photo of it before any blocks are sewn to rows or columns.

After spending a couple of hours arranging the blocks just as I thought looked best, I numbered the blocks in the order in which they are to be sewn.  That helps me keep the arrangement straight as I sew the quilt top together.  Here is a shot of that process.

Mamas, teach your children to sew.  I'm surely glad my mother insisted!  I had no patience for sewing at age 12 ... but I'm so glad now that I had the basic skills to pick up sewing again 3 years ago after I read a book about the history of quilting in the US and got interested.

For a lark, I'm also using up left-over fabric and fat quarters (quarter yard pieces) I have on hand in a side project - I signed up for a free online "block of the month" class. This is, in this case, where people get directions for 2 blocks per month, without ever seeing a photo of the finished quilt ahead of time (which drives some people nuts!) until the end of the year when one has a completed quilt.

Here are the fabrics I'm using:

 Soon I'll post a picture of January and February's blocks:

Here is where anyone can sign up for this free online class:
www.craftsy.com    The largest block of the month class in the world

In the afternoon, I made ice cream using an attachment for my KitchenAid mixer.  I'm experimenting with recipes for vanilla ice cream. The product today was yummy but not quite right yet.  I used no eggs, cut way down on whipping cream and used whole milk.  I also added 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.  I reduced the sugar but it was a bit too sweet. More experimentation is called for.

I said I'd post some recent thoughts about life in Cuenca so next that is what I will do.
Have a terrific new week, wherever this finds you!
Sharon

Something puffy in Cuenca, Ecuador

This post is about Baked Cheese Puffs. If you are trying to eat a wheat-free lifestyle, here is a recipe for a delicious gluten free bread that freezes well, is versatile to use as breakfast, appetizer, lunch, dinner, or snack.

I serve these to guests who are not gluten free and they never guess it is not made with wheat until they see me eat one!

Because this blog is about Cuenca, where I live at 8300 ft altitude in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, I am presenting this as a recipe for high altitude baking with a note at the bottom telling how to adapt the recipe to "normal altitudes" sea level to about 4000 feet alt. And for those who want a wheat recipe there are suggestions but not tested by me.

I'm not a nutritionist  - just a good practical cook.  This recipe has good protein, varied fiber, no sugar but is still kinda high in cholesterol and fat as so many gluten free recipes are.

This "puff" was a great success.

These are a bit of work and take a long time to bake but they are worth it. If you have teenagers, these will disappear at lightning speed. You can make them ahead and store in freezer for at least a couple of weeks.  They hold well in the refrigerator for a few days. Try them out!

Cuenca GF Baked Cheese Puffs
Ingredients                                T=Tablespoon, tsp=teaspoon
                                                   c= cup     1/2 c=1/2 cup
4 Tablespoons butter
4 T shortening (I used grape seed oil instead)
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup Pamela's gluten free baking mix  
  or  1/2 cup  brown rice flour, 1/4 c potato starch, 1/4 c tapioca starch
1/2 cup almond flour (I do not use blanched almonds but you may - either is fine)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp guar gum (you  may use all xantham gum but guar gum will make the texture better)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper or 1 tsp your favorite seasoning such as Italian seasoning, smoked paprika or chili powder or your choice

4 eggs at room temp
1 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese grated Today in Cuenca, I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup grated cheddar, 1 cup "taco cheese" from Super Maxi, 1 cup cubed queso fresca=3 cups cheese for the doubled recipe. It made 4 cookie sheets of puffs so I packaged small batches in small zip lock bags and put them in the freezer. When I can think of nothing  gf for lunch, I can pull one or two out and have with whatever I have on-hand: tuna, a fried egg, steamed veggies, etc.

Instructions
1.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Boil butter and water in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, reduce to low.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flours, gums and pepper.
4.  Reduce the water and butter mixture to low heat.
6. Now add the entire flour mixture and VERY quickly stir with  a wooden spoon until a dough ball forms (or all is well stirred together to make a gooey dough).
7.  Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. Scrape the dough into your mixer bowl.  Allow the dough to cool somewhat - this step may take 10 min or more. Test dough temp before continuing.  If you do not allow the dough to cool, when you mix in the eggs, they will cook into little rubbery bits.
9. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix with flat paddle tool or dough hook in electric mixer. If you have a KitchenAid, mix on 4. On other mixers, use medium speed and mix until creamy or the texture of very thick soup.
10. Add cheese, mixing in the same fashion.
11. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
12. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Lower heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for another 40-50 min until puffy and a medium golden brown.  Test one puff by cutting into it to be sure it is baked all the way through. There should be no raw dough in the middle.

Lower Altitude cooking? If you live at a lower altitude, try these changes:
reduce flour by 1/4 cup
reduce water by 1/4 cup
reduce total baking time to 30-40 minutes.

NOTE: ovens vary greatly in temperature. Using an oven thermometer is a great way to assure you are baking at the desired temp. You can alter the baking time if your oven temp is off.

To make this with wheat flour, eliminate the gums and reduce liquid by 1/3 cup. Use all wheat flour.  NOT gluten free!

In Cuenca, today I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup light cheddar, 1 cup "taco cheese" from Super Maxi, 1 cup queso fresco (a cheese common in South America) because that is what was in the refrig.  The puffs came out golden brown, delicate and delicious. I believe the grape seed oil lends a wonderful lightness to the result.

***Please write a comment if you know where I can buy grapeseed oil in Cuenca. I have not found it anywhere.***

Tonight I made a light turkey salad-avocado mix to put in the baked puffs for a light dinner. (like small sandwiches)
Oh, the green figs are just for show.  Ripe figs later this year.
Enjoy!
Hey readers: I want to mention a bright new blog Cuenca Tech Life covering up to the minute technology topics. It is generated right here in Cuenca by Lenny Charnoff who is my husband and my entire IT department.

For readers interested in Cuenca as a destination, next week I will write about some of thecommon  little issues that come up when living here.  I LOVE Cuenca but it is not an ideal paradise of perfection.  More later...

Shorter post

A quick answer to Geri who commented on my last post: yes, my fibro was worse in the US when I visited.  It came on slowly but built to a crescendo by the second week.  still I was able to keep up a fast pace, seeing lots of people and doing lots of things.  I was happy about that.  After getting back to Cuenca, it is taking awhile to return to the "70% less pain" level. Right now I'd say I'm feeling 50% less pain than one year ago when I was living in raindrop-ish Portland.

 I talked to  another Cuenca person with fibro who did not find the high altitude and low humidity, lack of severe cold or hot weather, lower stress environment changed her experience. I've also spoken with one person who had nearly total relief of symptoms.  So it is probably too individualized (like the disease of fibromyalgia) to know how it will impact you.  The whole tranquilo attitude in this city helps most people in general feel better day to day. But expect a little time to "settle in" to see how it all impacts you.  Hey I want to meet you when you arrive so let me know. Happy "end of crush" to get moved and safe travel.

And to Bob who commented about my interest in birds, thanks for your thoughts.  I have a seed feeder and simply have not hung it.  Will do that today.  Also will get a hummingbird feeder up this week and see how long it takes to see some hungry hummers.

And some random thoughts, activities:
I am working on a new quilt I started while I was in the US called "the melon block" quilt.  It has lovely earthy sunset colors - should look kind of elegant.  I'll post pictures of its progress.

I attended my first ever drawing class with Gary Myers this week. garymyersartist@gmail.com
 It was an excellent experience - I've had two of six classes now.  Gary is teaching the small class basic drawing techniques and to be free of anxiety in the process.  He is very comfortable teaching, encouraging, patient, full of ideas, has his own beautiful art work around/near the class space. I started out very anxious and ended the week relaxed and pleased with what I'm doing. Gary has created a safe space where people can explore at their own level.

This is for my son and daughter-in-law who fear Ecuador is really under-developed and cannot picture the safety and beauty of Cuenca:

This is a photo of a typical little housing group.  Our friends rent a 1600 ft home for $550. Renter buys own appliances (and furniture, of course).

Cuenca was just so lovely this week!  The weather was great with sunny days and the usual late afternoon rain.  I spoke Espanol with taxi drivers, shop keepers, restaurant owners and friends.  I'm getting so I can put together tiny "cave man" sentences.  In one particularly touching scene, I had just completed almuerzo (lunch) at a tiny restaurant.  I left and then remembered I wanted to visit a shop but did not know exactly where it was.  I stepped back into the restaurant to ask for directions.

Using the store name, I asked the owner (who was at the cash register) where it was. He did not know it and we struggled in Espanol for a moment.  Suddenly a customer seated behind where I stood at the register offered in English to help.  I spelled the name of the shop and attempted to pronounce it "Pycca".  He did not know it but a woman seated at the end of the tiny eatery who spoke only Espanol offered both pronunciation and location.  "It takes a restaurant to guide a newbie!" All were smiling.  I was delighted and proceeded to visit the store where I bought some storage items and baskets to help organize drawers and shelves in my kitchen.

This just demonstrates what life is like in Cuenca.  People are very helpful, friendly and go out of their way to connect.  Me gusta Cuenca!
Me gusta Ecuador!



Have a terrific new week, everyone.

Cuenca, EC is home

I have not written for some time, over a month.  My esposo, Lenny, and I flew to the US recently to visit the grandchildren, extended family and friends in the US.  It was a wonderful visit.

We enjoyed going to the school open house of each grandchild: 3 yr old grandson in Oregon and, in San Diego our 9 yr old granddaughter and our grandson Andrew who turned 6 last week. We enjoyed soccer games and play time, playing games, reading together and talking about hex bugs and geodes.

This is a small wall hanging or doll quilt I made for my granddaughter.  The embroidery is a love message: on the left is my home in Ecuador, the 3 hearts represent her Grandpa Lenny, Emma and me - our hearts are joined even when we are not close by. Feisty is next - Emma likes Feisty.  The flowers represent the path to my darling Emma who lives far away in the house on the right.  It is very hard living so far away.

We visited my parents, my 3 brothers and their wives in Idaho, as well as 2 nieces. Wonderful times with friends in the Portland area were such a joy. I managed to go to 3 quilt sessions with Victoria who is  my fav teacher.  My bestie Cindy was right there with me.  She also demonstrated why she is the Packing QUEEN, organizing my gluten free products, grain mill, fabric, etc into the fewest suitcases.

We had a wonderful if short visit with my stepson Robb and his bride Connie. Connie is a lovely person with a really positive attitude- we were charmed and we are so happy for Robb.

As most people say, we were shocked by grocery and restaurant prices in the US.  The price of everything seemed crippling. The chasm between people with money and people who are staggering under the weight of the current economy continues to widen as the middle class disappears into debt.

We got an "up close" look at the attitudes of people we care about regarding our move to Ecuador.  The reviews were varied but that is to be expected.  Not everyone is up for "an excellent adventure" in retirement. Most people we know do not want to visit South America and have a distorted view of what Ecuador is like. Often people think it is in Central America. It is below Columbia and above Peru on the Pacific ocean. Frequently people think of Mexico and Ecuador being the same.  They are not.  There are some similarities but many strong differences.  Ecuador is over 2000 miles from Mexico with about 7 different countries in between. The food is not the same.  The currency is not the same. The folk history is not the same. The economies are not the same.

It would be excellent if more were known in the US about Ecuador besides the Galapagos Islands. It is a little gem of a country which embraces diverse habitats, from the dry Pacific coast to volcanoes of the Andes to great forests of the Amazon basin.  It is a small country, a little smaller than the state of Nevada.

Let's talk about birds for a moment.  Ecuador is home to about 1600 species, including many spectacular and unusual birds. I recently purchased "The Birds of Ecuador" Vol II field guide by Robert Ridgley and Paul Greenfield. It flew back with me from the US as it weighs over 5 pounds!  In this book, there are 55 pages describing different types of hummingbirds that migrate to or live permanently in Ecuador.

I am not a serious birder.  With fibromyalgia affecting my legs, I will not be tramping through the brush or crouching in a hide.  But I love that these birds are out there.  I love hearing birdsong when I'm sewing early in the morning. Someday, I may go on a birding trip for people who have some physical limitations - its a future dream.

 Ecuador is about diversity in all things.  The country has a large number of people who can trace their ancestry to Spain. There are many different groups of indigenous people with history leading back to the Inca and beyond. For thousands of years, people have created homes, raised families, worshiped, raised food and fought to keep their land.  The earth is steeped in history here. Ecuador ROCKS, folks.  It is a little secret but it ROCKS!

Life in Cuenca:  We had a marvelous visit in the US.  The love expressed to us is priceless and warms my heart.  And yet, it felt so good to return to Cuenca and know that this is our home.

Several people asked "what do you do there in Cuenca?".
Lenny and I feel our life in Cuenca is delightful.  We have been here for 9 months and feel very comfortable.  Our everyday life is varied and interesting. We study Espanol daily. Len walks miles each day exploring the city.  He speaks tentative Espanol to shop keepers, a baker nearby, two sisters at a fruit booth in our favorite mercado, the woman at the laundry, a clerk in a busy "US style" grocery store.

Sharon speaks VERY tentative Espanol  - I study Espanol daily.  I am newly retired  -  I love having time to quilt or read mysteries or explore subjects on the internet.  I have begun designing my own quilts and find it quite satisfying.  I'm also making some clothing that I like better than things I find in stores, whether in the US or here.

We feel secure and relaxed, we enjoy exploring new pathways, we love our apartment which is kind of "modestly elegant" and very comfortable. We miss our family and friends in the US but this is where we should be at this time. Lenny and I are each very energized by getting to know a new culture, learning a new language and experiencing day to day life in Ecuador. It enriches our life together.

I hope this finds you living the life you want or dreaming about how to take a couple of steps to make your life move toward what you want.  Life is short.  One never knows what lies ahead so we must live today with gusto.
Hasta pronto,
Sharon

A New Week, some comments

                       I never tire of the changing views in Cuenca

In response to some of the great comments I've received, thank you for reading my blog and your kind thoughts.   Carol noted that a comment I made about "why wait to retire when you could live on less now and be in a healthier environment?"

It really impacted Carol and I am very glad to hear you are in San Miguel - I know that lovely town through a friend.  Enjoy!

 and the ideas were great for la gata.  It was encouraging to me that you had a cat who did fine over 6 wks alone (with daily care). Gracias.

A reader asked what grain mill I got.  I bought the Wondermill Whispermill on Amazon.  It is sort of mid priced at $260 - I could not justify spending over $500 on this item.  I hope it works out and grinds brown rice finely enough for my baking needs.

 A friend let me use her powerful blender Vitamix that grinds grains also.  However, it was not fine enough when grinding brown rice.  Very crunchy cookies are ok but in cakes or pies etc, not so good.  I'll report later on how successful the Wondermill is.  The frustrating thing is that there are Vitamix devotees who are almost religiously passionate about it.  And there are plenty of people who have one sitting in the back of the cupboard or closet and never will use it.  But don't want to sell it for a reasonable used price. I talked with 3 people who sorta wanted theirs sell theirs for absolute full price, no discount for it being out of box, looking like it had been used. Arrrrgggghhhhhhh!

Readers please know that I read any comments and love to know that you are reading my blog.  This started out to be something for my family members and friends to read to relate to my new adventure.

However, I have had 10,000 viewers from all over the world.  What a grand compliment that is.  Thank you, readers.  It inspires me to think and write!
Sharon

PS: the funny thing is that very few of my family and friends read the blog.  So ironic!

HAVE A FANTASTIC NEW WEEK!!!