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Published: January 2nd 2022
Necktie Headboard
Thanks so much Zahra for helping me with so many creative sewing projects! Making my home my own has been an ongoing labor of love (interwoven with periods of frustration and many lessons to learn). Many thanks to Zahra, seamstress extraordinaire, for helping me to re-cover my headboard with the remainder of the neckties. It completes the ensemble with the recycled tire ottomans (ottomen?) that we previously created together.
It turns out that I loved my new duvet cover sooo much that I went out and bought another one and Zahra turned it into drapes. My new best friend Chris had just found some skinny bamboo pieces, exactly what I needed to hang the drapes from the top of my sliding glass entry doors. My fabulous carpenter, Leonidas sanded the bamboo and made small wooden supports to create just the look I had in mind. Two very bright street lamps were reflecting off the dining room glass doors and shining right into my bedroom. Now with the drapes that match my bedcover, I sleep more soundly and I now realize that I won't really need a bathroom door either.
In my front garden I wanted to
Duvet Cover Drapes
I love my new 'falling magnolias' comforter so much, I bought another duvet cover just like it to make curtains for the sliding glass door! create a small patio so my rental suite would have its own outdoor sitting area. A couple of years ago I made a 'pond' of small stones on a heavy plastic backing but it was starting to look ragged. It still kept the weeds from growing up in that area, but the stones were getting dirty and mossy and all pushed around-- so the stones became drainage layers when I repotted my plants. I put out the word that I was looking for used, tattered bricks. I didn't want shiny new ones with sharp edges - I prefer them rounded, mossy, smooth, worn.
The Baños Trueque y Reciclaje (Trade and Recycle) Facebook page once again came to my rescue. Loyal blog readers may recall that I had previously traded boxes of bottles for wooden frames that I turned into mirrors. This time I had some closet organizers on offer and Malu had a big pile of old bricks to trade for them. Since my new closet has a nifty wooden cubbyhole system, I no longer needed the hanging shoe rack. My ample wooden bathroom cabinet holds all my sheets and towels
New Brick Patio
A neighbor gifted me some old bricks, and I traded for others (closet organizers that I no longer need) to create a lovely outdoor space for the rental unit. so I traded the collapsible cloth shelf unit as well. Now, to see if I could fit all of her bricks into the back of my new little Suzuki.
I laid the back seats flat and put down an old bedsheet. Amazing how much I could fit into that space, stacking them carefully. I put the car into All Wheel Drive (AWD) mode to make it up the muddy grass hill with all that weight in the back. Success!! Then, two houses down from mine I spied a pile of old bricks along the edge of the driveway. I asked the owner if he'd be willing to sell them to me and he not only said he'd give them to me for free, he enlisted two of his buddies to help load them up. Such a nice neighborly gesture! Fabian and his brother-in-law came after their day job for three days in a row and after distributing a layer of sand, laid the bricks to my specifications. So pleased with the result!
Even as I was enjoying living in my new master
Cracking Walls
Construction woes -- ongoing repairs -- exercises in patience and good faith! suite, I became more and more aware of imperfections in the walls. Here in Ecuador it seems that they prefer to first build the wall (brick or cement block), then break into it to install the electric. From each outlet and light switch, cracks were beginning to spider out in a weblike pattern. And the fault lines continued to worsen. The workers claimed that this was happening because they had used sand from along the nearby riverbed to mix with the cement. I think it might be due to the fact that it was raining (hard) most of the days that they were constructing these brick walls.
How to fix the spider webs? For some inexplicable reason the architect thought it was a good idea to widen the cracks and paste them over with a kind of slick, shiny silicone. As soon as I saw it, I asked "Will paint even stick to that?" No worries, he assured me. They'd plaster and sand it would look perfect. HA! After three more days of workers and tons of dust and dirt it looked way worse than it had before, each repaired spot
Looking Out My Corner Window
December was an excellent month for volcano viewing. Mama Tungurahua was often snow-capped, bright and clear...and visible from my bedroom! humped up and uneven. I was told that they would come back the following week to sand each area down and re-repair it, but then they sent someone to just patch and paint again. It still looked "repaired".
I told the architect, "Even if you put make-up on a pig, it's still a pig!" SO, as of this writing I am anticipating yet another week of workers undoing the horrors in order to redo plastering and painting, taking it right down to the bricks. I also have an ongoing moisture problem where the new structure connects with the existing house. It appears that rain collects in the metal H-Beam, causing it to seep into the soffit just below the ceiling. Argh!! It's been over six months since they started my remodel project!!! I've already paid the architect, but he knows me and I know him and I've never felt any doubt that he'll make it all right eventually.
It's a good thing that all of this construction repair is not costing me anything because I had another big expense to deal with. When I
My Heart Nearly Stopped
Took SuzyQ (my little Suzuki) in to be painted. Of course she wasn't ready when promised but THIS is the sight I walked in on (GULP!) Came out great, by the way. bought my little white car the paint on the roof was severely damaged - down to the metal - so I knew I'd have to have the whole car repainted sooner rather than later. I asked around and got recommendations for a guy who promised to get it painted in five days. Well, imagine my surprise (& horror) when I arrived to collect my vehicle and it was completely taken apart, looking like it had been in a fatal crash. In the end it took him over a week but he did do an excellent job. Someday I will learn not believe it when they say something will be ready!
I am definitely learning not to get so worked up about stuff -- the ongoing construction, the delayed auto painting and most recently the theft of my laptop. While I was in Ambato on a shopping expedition (I bought a ladder so we can more easily keep the upper windows clean!) someone climbed into my bedroom window (which apparently was not locked properly) and took only my computer. All of the drawers were open, but nothing else was missing. I made
Succulents Galore
Me, I'm not much of a gardener -- but it's impossible to kill succulents and tending them in a clay pot seems more manageable than weeding a whole garden! a conscious decision to see the break-in as a lesson to me about security and not as a reason to panic and get all bent out of shape. Of course it's a violation, of course I feel vulnerable but I refuse to live in fear in my own home. The good news is that the laptop that was stolen was my, "in case my old compu stops working" laptop. Several times I've loaned it out to young people studying online, to visitors who want to watch movies. It has a 19" screen (huge for a laptop). so I mostly used it to watch movies. As a result, it had no passwords stored and nothing of a sensitive nature to worry about.
It happened and even though I feel like I've done everything I can at this point, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever see that laptop again. I've informed my neighbors up and down the street about the break-in and they all tell me that I should install security cameras. No thanks. I don't want to live under surveillance. My computer guru repair guy, Ivan, is always online looking for secondhand
laptops to fix and sell and he said he'd keep an eye open; that he'd easily recognize that machine as he's never seen another one like it in Ecuador. I called the police the night I discovered the theft and they wanted to send an officer out right away. I was already in Pjs and just wanted to go to sleep, so I declined. They told me to come by the station the next morning. When I did they said there was nothing they could do since I'd waited to report it and they sent me to the prosecutor's office (La Fiscalía).
The secretary at Fiscalía informed me that I needed to go get a police report and when I told her that none of the 10 officers sitting around doing nothing was willing to help me, she agreed to file the report. At first she told me that since the window was apparently unlocked, it was considered a theft rather than a robbery (semantics that would affect the severity of the charge if the thief were to be apprehended). When I commented that all of the drawers were left open she said,
Visit with Cousins
My cousin Mitch and his wife Judy capped off a Machu Picchu + Galapagos trip spending a couple of days in Baños followed by a day tour of Quito's Old Town. "Oh, then that's robbery!" Whatever!
In November I had a visit from my cousin Mitch and his wife Judy. We had been corresponding for 6 months or so on facebook, but I had never met Judy in person. And I had really only spent time with Mitch once as an adult. I was excited to share my new home with them, as they would be spending three nights with me in Baños before flying back home. They started their adventure in Perú, visited Machu Picchu, and then went on a Galapagos tour. I arranged for a driver to bring them from Guayaquil airport directly to my house. Since they had just come from the cramped quarters of their yacht, I decided to offer them my newly renovated, very spacious master suite. I stayed in my rental unit up front and enjoyed communing with that space which I'd created.
I took them on my signature tour of the gorgeous gorges, we descended the Ruta de las Cascadas (the waterfall route) all the way to Puyo, the gateway to the Amazon Basin. I fixed
Carving the Bird!
I enjoy cooking and entertaining so preparing to receive 20 guests for Thanksgiving was not stressful. Gracias Annie for coming down from Quito to help me before and after the gathering. them scrumptious meals at my house, and we enjoyed an elegant meal at Haycha, a new restaurant in Baños that has unique jungle fusion cuisine. We drove up the Avenue of the Volcanoes to arrive in Quito in time to leave the car at the new Airport Holiday Inn and take a taxi up to the Historic Center for an afternoon walking tour and a sunset dinner overlooking the Old Town as the lights switched on.
Since their flight wasn't scheduled to leave until after midnight, we'd booked a room so they could relax and freshen up before flying out and I could spend the night before heading home. Good thing we had since their flight kept getting delayed. They finally took the hotel shuttle to the airport at 5:30 am and I slept a few more hours before undertaking the 3 hour drive back to Baños. It was a gloriously clear day and all of the volcanoes were out, the Andes peaks glittering in the sunlight! On solo drives I listen to podcasts which helps me enjoy the journey. This American Life is one of my favorites and I became
A Feast!
I made turkey and stuffing and roasted root veggies (sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, potatoes) and everyone else brought salads, veggies, pies, brownies and other goodies! totally engrossed in a Podcast entitled, 'An Invitation to Tea' about a Guantanamo prisoner who was released after 16 years and then invited his captors / torturers to have tea with him. Three of them actually accepted his invitation and their stories and conversations were riveting.
We have a wonderful group of North American friends living in and near Baños and several of us decided it was high time for us all to get together again, so in honor of my home renovation project being (almost) complete, I hosted a Thanksgiving Housewarming Gathering. We set up tables on my rooftop terrace so it would be a COVID friendly eating environment. I really enjoy planning and prepping for parties; pulling out all of my serving dishes and tablecloths; making lists and fixing special dishes. I made the turkey and stuffing and my guests brought the side dishes and desserts.
Delery asked if she could invite her neighbor, an American gal whose husband was in the US on business so she would be alone with her young daughter. I began to correspond with her
My New Best Friend
Michelle, me, Flo and Aundrea yakking it up in the kitchen. Michelle and her husband Chris recently moved to Baños and loved meeting new folks! and she asked if there would be any other children in attendance, so I decided to invite Aundrea, her Baneño husband and their two kids ages 5 & 7. It ends up that the kids have been in online classes together for over a year, but had not yet met up in person. For me the most joyous part of the afternoon was watching six year-old Charlotte and seven year-old Rebecca hug and jump and play!! They were so so so happy to finally meet one another!
Vic brought his guitar and we sang some of the Spanish songs we'd learned in class. He and Del have studied Spanish conversation with me on and off for several years and most recently we've been using music as the basis for our lessons. I'd written up the lyrics of Gracias a La Vida and everyone sang along. I can almost hear my nephew Sam's little voice in my ear asking, "Auntie Jill, do you ever stop being a teacher?" Nope, I guess I don't! It was so wondeful to be all together, introducing old friends to new arrivals, sharing good food, fellowship and
Sing Along With Vic
Hanging out in my rooftop living room, singing in both Spanish and English, digesting the meal and enjoying the fellowship! laughter.
Not long after Thanksgiving I fell ill. It started as a mild cold and moved into a full fledged bronchial infection, complete with massive amounts of phlegm. How can one body create so much mucus for so long? Since I was sick while they were trying to repair the damage to the walls in my bedroom, I once again moved into the rental suite. How fortuitous that my friend Danielle, who's planning to come and rent from me, has not been able to arrive yet. Up in the front room I closed curtains and created a darkened, healing environment. I binge watched all three seasons on Virgin River. My neighbor Jon admitted to watching it too, saying that he thought it was like a Hallmark movie gone bad! A gentle love story that gets violent when illegal growers burst on the scene.
I was sick in bed for over two weeks. CiCi stayed right by my side, worriedly nuzzling me when I had violent coughing fits. Days and nights blended together as I awakened to do steam inhalations and napped shamelessly
Hanukah Lights
Hanukah came right on the heels of Thanksgiving this year. I found elegant slender birthday candles to grace the menorah. for whole afternoons. The antibiotics gave me vicious diarrhea so I dragged myself from the bed to the (blessedly nearby) bathroom several times an hour. I went through all of my handkerchief collection in just a few days -- washed them all and went through them again. It was not a very fun time and if felt like it would never end. I read an entire novel in 3 days, watched scores of movies (among my faves: Fathers and Daughters, The Unforgivable, Don't Look Up).
For over a month I'd been corresponding with Dave, and he would soon be arriving in Ecuador. He's a friend of a friend from Massachussetts. Dave met a gal online and they've been in contact for three years. Dave had visited Baños briefly years ago and had fond memories. Now he was making a return trip to Ecuador to meet his internet gal. Johanna lives in Machala, but Dave mistakenly looked up Machachi on google maps and thought she lived near Quito, just a couple of hours from Baños. Alas, Machala is at the opposite extreme of this small, mountainous country, over 8 hours from Baños.
Ladies' Lunch in Cuenca
I squeezed in a few days' visit with friends before taking on a paid driving gig. Read all about it! Dave and I agreed that I would meet Johanna in Cuenca (a relatively short bus ride from Machala) and would drive her the remaining 6 hours up to Baños. He was willing to pay me handsomely for this transfer. How could I refuse.
I justified making that long drive, right on the heels of feeling almost cured of the cold, with the fact that I'd go a few days early to spend time with dear friends in Cuenca. I also booked a doctor's appointment at the clinic in Cuenca for the morning after my arrival. I felt pretty OK on the drive down, hardly any coughing and minimal nose-blowing. I listened to my podcasts and concentrated intently on the road through hours-long foggy patches of narrow, twisty mountain passes with minimal visibility.
The clinic called me several times to confirm the appointment and I was truly impressed that the doctor who saw me had obviously reviewed my medical history. He knew which blood pressure medications I'd recently been prescribed and even confirmed the times that I was to take each med. He ordered a
Le Petit Jardin
An elegant French restaurant at Cuenca prices! My appetizer: thinly sliced cooked beets stuffed with goat cheese and served with quail eggs. Divine! COVID test, a complete blood panel and another round of antibiotics...a different one this time. I had only a few days in Cuenca with friends and we had plans for meals, concerts, and theatre. I did, however, stay down as much as possible...napping between activities.
Cuenca has a large expat population - in a city of 1 1/2 million it is estimated that there are over 10,000 North American and European residents. The 'gringo' community had even established aTheatre Company and we went to see a Radio Play of A Christmas Story...complete with sound effects and all that you would expect from Radio Theatre. It was so professional - clearly the performers were having a lot of fun. It felt incredibly bizarre to be sitting in Cuenca, Ecuador among 60 or so masked theatregoers, all of us foreigners. A thoroughly enjoyable evening!
My former voice teacher, Billy, moved from Baños to Cuenca and he is now singing and playing keyboards with several different bands. We went to watch Cuenca Soul present a holiday concert at the shopping mall. I loved hearing him
Billy and the Band
Billy was my voice teacher here in Baños before he moved to Cuenca. He is now playing in at least four different bands! Fun to see him perform. perform with a really great group of musicians, and it was fun to people watch as the mall was quite busy just before Christmas. In Ecuador you are now required to have your temperature taken and show a vaccination card to enter a shopping mall. Throughout the country everyone is always masked in public.
The drive from Cuenca back to Baños with Johanna was less foggy than on the way down. She is a lovely young woman and it was hearwarming to hear her story. When she first started her online relationship with Dave she was still living in Venezuela, but like so many she immigrated to Ecuador. Trained as a Special Ed teacher, she only worked four years in her field before having to leave her country. Her first year in Ecuador she worked in a Chinese shoe factory in Guayaquil. Gruelling work, mistreated employees. When her father and brothers got jobs working in the gold mines in Machala (dangerous underground work), she joined them and found a job as a waitress which she likes much better. I told her that I thought she was very courageous, following her heart and making
San Martin Gorge
From the bridge high above the water rushes through this narrow passage. Breathtaking and dramatic! this trip to see what could be.
When we arrived in Baños I asked if I should just drop her at the hotel to meet Dave or if she wanted me to come in with her. "Please come in with me - I'm so nervous!" Dave was waiting in the lobby with a big hug. He'd been carefully practicing his Spanish to tell her, "Te Quiero" (I love you). I was hoping he wouldn't scare her off with his intensity! A few days later Dave hired me to take them down the waterfall route and then up to Cafe del Cielo for lunch overlooking Baños. On their last day together they met me at the hot springs and came to my house for brunch afterwards. From what I observed and what they both remarked to me, the meet-up was a total success. Dave is seriously considering a move to Ecuador in the not-too-distant future. I kinda feel like their Fairy Godmother! I helped them find a trusted taxi driver to take Johanna back home; Dave was hoping I'd go, but driving over 8 hours each way seemed like just too much
Drone Photography
This pic of Baños from above was taken by Gary Stopa, an acquaintance who used to live nearby. See how the town fills the valley like whipped cream! for me to undertake, given the still somewhat fragile state of my health. I would have had to drive down one day and come back the very next day because I'd have to hurry back to keep an appointment for my driver's license renewal.
I drove to Puyo, an hour down towards the jungle, to take my exam. The license renewal process cost $68 plus I had to pay another $18 to take the 'psychosensometric' exam which tests vision, hearing, reaction time and coordination. The coordination part required manipulating a huge wishbone-like appartus with a needle in the middle, running the needle along a narrow white line. To give you an idea of how difficult it was, you were permitted to veer off the line 12 times and still pass the test. It took me FIVE tries to get it in under a minute. The gal was very patient with me. Whew. If you don't play video games, it was nearly impossible. Also it doesn't test any kind of coordination that one uses for driving!! My renewed license is good for five years so the next time I have
Elegant Christmas Eve
Dec 24th was also Maricarmen's 70th birthday. Mari, Shana and I splurged on a pricey buffet dinner at the Sangay Hotel. Food was mediocre but the choir was excellent. to renew it I will officially be a senior citizen (known here as 'tercera edad' or 'third age') and the costs will be cut in half!
Maricarmen's 70th birthday was on Christmas Eve so she and Shana and I went out for an elegant buffet dinner at one of the fanciest hotels in town. Our friend Karl was singing in the choir that was performing that night and I asked him to arrange for them to dedicate a song to her. She was very pleased with all of the special attention she received on her special day. She continues to live with Shana and help her out with daily tasks like dressing and bathing as well as things like: buying and administering medications, caring for the dogs, managing finances, and keeping up with maintenance of the house and garden. I am grateful for her presence because many of these stressful and time-consuming jobs fall to me when she's not around.
Recently moved to Baños a very cool couple named Chris and Michelle. I can't remember when I have been so taken by
At the Orchid Gardens
It was a Sunday, funday with Chris and Michelle - my new best friends! They invited me for lunch and since it was a beautiful afternoon we went touring. both members of a married couple. We all have so much fun together and I look forward to sharing many adventures with them in the coming months! On New Year's Eve I stayed home and did some reading and writing and reflecting on the year. May this new year 2022 be one of hope and joy and many good things for all who are reading this. I love to read your messages and comments, so bring 'em on!
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Julia Franks
non-member comment
You've been so busy!
Renovating ad decorating your home is one of the best activities I can think of right now. Also: safe small gatherings. This is the route Steve and I have gone too. We don't go "out" nearly as much to public spaces, but we do invite people over, and we do camp a lot. We're doing fine, all things considered. Glad to see you and Cici are surrounded with friendship and love. --Julia