I've been missing for a bit, this is where you will find us most evenings.

There are endless things to put together, buy, plant, futz with.

It's been cold, we are on front number 25 now. It rained for a couple of days and that is not usual in January. Today was warm again, blue skies and 80+ but it is cold tonight. I think the thermometer is lying to me, it says 74°f and I am freezing. I can't have adjusted this much, I have a hard time equating my 'feels like' to these numbers I see.

One big purchase out of the way! We have been dithering about a barbecue for months. Well, mainly Mimi has been dithering. Finally she decided on one from Home Depot and the Dodwell's came to the house with us one evening to help put it together.

Paula and I either watched and laughed or futzed with some plants. Stephen and Mimi put it together with lots of debates about what went where.

They were actually going to put 2 things together, we also bought a dining room table and it arrived in a half dozen boxes. But, T.I.M.* and the bag of instructions and bolts and do-dads did not arrive with it.

There were some clips missing from the BBQ box as well but when Mimi went back to Home Depot today and told them, they kindly pulled those parts from the next box and gave them to her. Passing along the fun.

When it came time to turn on the gas and try and light it, Stephen wisely stepped back away from the danger. Paula and I were quite far back as well, Mimi is brave and finally got it to light.

Today we bought the box springs and mattress for the guest bedroom (start making those reservations!) thus putting us at what I think is a minimum of furniture for the near future.

Well, we do need a TV. I'm now in charge of that as Mimi has abdicated all responsibility for TV decisions. The TV discussions began when I maintained that it was silly to buy a non HDTV. The really stupid part of it is that I don't watch much TV but I do love looking at electronics and reading about them. Mimi got disgusted with me and said I am now in charge of TV buying. Hmph! LCD HDTV it will be then, and no smaller than 40"! Ha!

Some pics from this week. The hall chandelier from my iPhone, a little fuzzy looking but I like it.



The kitchen chandelier, don't tell Henry but I imagine hanging herbs to dry from it.


The uplight on the banyon tree in the back. It's lost most of its leaves now which is a plus I think. It means that in the winter we get more sun and in the summer shade. It's not in our yard, I hope nothing happens to it. There is a sister tree as big as this one a few houses down and they cut it back to the main trunk last week, I think they are going to cut it down completely.



My new kitchen faucet which I am very enamored with...



We still do not have a garage door. This means that Rosendo is still sleeping at the house in his hammock and guarding. He's a nice guy and he tries to disappear when we come over to hang out, although if I need him to help carry anything he's available. I offered him a beer when we were all over there assembling the BBQ but he declined. Most of the time when I get there he is on the phone, the kid spends a LOT of time on the phone. I think he'll be happy to return to his village and whoever he spends all that time talking to and we will be happy to actually have this house to ourselves. We're still trying to adjust to the idea of actually living there, it's a stretch.

*T.I.M. stands for This Is Mexico and has become a common phrase. More about that tomorrow, we've hit a snag that probably should worry me more than it does.