Work Day

The Fourth of July holiday interrupted my self-imposed get-caught-up-on-yard-work schedule, so I'll be back at that today. I used the push mower to do about half of the yard on Monday and will use it again today to do about half of what's left. I'll finish mowing the yard and get to the weed eating /trim work tomorrow. Any way you look at it there is plenty of work to last for days. The heat index is already in the mid 90s (35C) and is expected to be around 106F (41C) in the early afternoon. I should probably get started soon so I can get today's part finished before it is too hot.

Working outside does a number of things for me --
* it gets me outside in the sunshine
* it gives me something physical to do that isn't too strenuous
* it keeps me grounded (in touch with planet earth)
* it keeps me away from people

I have to admit that I am really enjoying just sitting on the deck this morning and getting reconnected to the rural sounds and natural vibe of home. There is a very calming energy from the earth and all of its beauty. I think it is medicine for both body and spirit. It's almost enough to keep me sitting here soaking it in rather than getting up and getting to work. 
I'll just have to look forward to being back here after the work is finished.

Be well, my friends.
Be at peace with others.
Be at peace with yourselves.

John

July 4th

I'm a bit sad and ambivalent about celebrating today. As much as I do enjoy the freedoms I have living in the United States, I am distressed at last week's SCOTUS rulings that reverse affirmative action policies and make it okay to discriminate against people for having a different set of beliefs than you do.
Literally, WTF?

There is so much "us vs them" now that there isn't room for WE the people anymore. Even though there isn't an armed conflict between factions, we are engaged in a type of cold civil war that is increasingly becoming more volatile. Perhaps the thing that saddens me most is that evangelical Christians have such a large role in the divisiveness, choosing to judge and hate rather than following the love your neighbor teaching of Jesus.

I'd be happy to sit at home and watch the Cardinals lose another baseball game vs going out and celebrating. Truthfully, I wouldn't waste my time with the Cardinals tonight, but I would prefer to be quietly smoking a cigar on the deck and listening to my new friend Dan Schaefer on Spotify. 
Check him out and give him a listen when you can. (I'm working on upping his US listening algorithm.) 

Anyway, I'll be out with friends and enjoying some good food and the company of others. I'll likely refrain from the whole celebrating an America that I'm not too proud of at the moment. 
It's nice to have that freedom, too.

John

Home

It is good to be home!

After a good night's sleep in my own bed, I am sitting on my deck, sipping my morning coffee, and listening to the familiar birds of the back yard.
There are flowers now where they hadn't yet blossomed when I left in the back flowerbeds. I am looking forward to checking the status of the vegetables in the small garden boxes and other flowers. I'll mow the yard portion of the lot today and work on the rest of it later in the week. 

I am going to have to be a little more appreciative of the life that I've taken for granted. Simple common things like air conditioning and potable water from the tap are not always common things in other countries. Smooth roads, wide lanes, and interchanges that accommodate high volumes of traffic will again be the norm, as well as actually needing to drive to get anywhere. 
Although I am certain that I could adapt to the city life of Puerto Vallarta, I am definitely a fan of the quiet and peaceful rural setting where we live. 

I'm going to keep this short today. Just reflecting without needing to come up with words is what I'm feeling this morning. I am really looking forward to an afternoon or evening cigar later. 
Be thankful.
If you interact with others, be kind.

John

¡Adios, Puerto Vallarta!

It is time to return home after being here in Puerto Vallarta for the past four weeks. Travel days are never fun, but at least we'll get to stress over the tight connection we have in Atlanta this evening. The time between arrival and departure is an hour and forty minutes, but we'll need to go through US Customs and recheck Chris's one checked bag, so it should be tight. It would be nice if our flight out of PV could arrive a little early. The ATL to SGF flight is the last one of the day.
I looked into an earlier flight out of PV, but there wasn't one available. No worries. It's not like we have jobs to go to tomorrow. We may just be spending the night in Atlanta.

I have a book to read, my phone to scroll through, and a couple of movies downloaded in case there isn't anything on the flight that I want to watch. I should be just fine for the day.
It will be nice to be back home tonight (hopefully).

I don't know when we'll be back to PV. I'd like to be in Mazatlan next April for the total eclipse. That would be a great way to end the Midwest cold weather season. It would be cool if the kids could join us for that.
Since the path of totality cuts through the middle of the US, we could also just travel across the state to witness it, but that wouldn't be as much fun as getting together with the kids for a beach vacation. Anyone else making plans to witness it?

Whether we're back here for the eclipse or not, this trip has given me new motivation for learning Spanish. I did brush up on it a little bit last month (May, actually), but I think I'll continue to work on it. It would be nice to be functionally fluent when visiting here.

¡Hasta la proxima!
(Until next time!)

John

Welcome to July (Bienvenido a julio)

It's hard to believe that half of 2023 has already passed by and we are moving into the second half of the calendar year. While it might be more cultural (at least in the Western world) to want to get off to a running start, I think I'll take July 1st being a Saturday (sabado), the sabbath as a sign that I should rest and reflect before moving onward in the search for my life's purpose.
Actually, I'll probably take a couple of days to do that since tomorrow is a travel day as we make our way back to the Midwest furnace of Highlandville MO.

I do hope to hang on to the prevailing attitude of community that exists here in Puerto Vallarta. Life moves at a much slower pace here and people tend to see each other and take care of one another in a way that is very natural and organic. That also seems to be one of the main reasons that so many US expats are living here. The US and Canada (and some Europeans, too) folks that we have met here range from retired to much younger people that are still working. The working folks (like Aaron and Jenny) either work remotely and earn US or Canadian dollars, work for local companies, or have established businesses here. 
Income levels range from enough to get by and live in paradise to doing very well and living with a mix of more modern amenities while still managing a more simple and less demanding daily lifestyle.

I already have a simple, less demanding lifestyle than most. I may have to consider getting out more. I have enjoyed the experience of meeting people and sharing life with others during this past month. I am aware that doing that at home poses different challenges as it seems to be more of a challenge to find open minded people to converse with and share life and stories of life. When you can't go to freakin' Walmart without seeing someone that feels the need to open carry --  well, it does make me want to just enjoy my quiet little corner of the world on the screened in deck.
Also, traditional gathering places both here and at home tend to be bars, breweries, or restaurants with bars, and that really isn't our thing. Maybe we need to find more local music groups to follow since that is something we both enjoy.
Maybe I should just get a pool and have a few people over from time to time or enjoy it without other people. 
Hmmm...

In any case,
I have a pretty darn good life.
I have enjoyed being here in PV for the past month, but I will enjoy being back at home, as well.

Happy Canada Day to our northern neighbors.

Live well, my friends.
Be kind.

John

The last sunset of June

June 30: Thoughts on Pride Month

I've spent nearly all of this year's Pride Month in Puerto Vallarta which is a pretty gay friendly community and very different from the conservative area of Southwest Missouri where I live. Life here is very different for the LGBTQ+ community, but there are some things that don't change for so many people.

Being true to one's self can be difficult and often comes with a steep price -- especially if you've been taught that your true self is wrong, misguided, or an abomination before God. Some people are left with the choice of being unhappy as someone they're not or losing everything and everyone they know and love in order to be themselves. 
A third choice (and one that is taken far too often) is to decide that life just isn't worth living.

Whether it's here in Puerto Vallarta or back home in Missouri there are many heartbreaking stories of people being rejected and disowned by family, friends, and churches. Adding to the burden of rejection in the US, many states are pushing laws that undo many protections that have been gained and even going so far as to actively make it more difficult for many to get healthcare, housing, and other basic needs. Much of the rhetoric and vitriol even inspires and encourages violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

I'll be honest -- as an older, straight, cis gendered, mostly white male I don't know where I'm going with this. I know there are injustices that are hurting my friends and many innocent people and I am at a loss trying to figure out what I can do about it. I am convinced that loving them and supporting them is no longer enough. 

Yeah, I know I can vote. I know I can speak up. I know I can write this meaningless blog. 
But do any of these things really make a difference?

Simply overcoming ignorance is one thing, but challenging tradition and religion seems to be too great of an obstacle. Having walked that evangelical path for so long, I know so many people that are using religion to hurt people. They may call it tough love, but love doesn't really have any part in it.
I have to have grace because I was there -- where they are.
I have to have hope -- that will see they are not being Christ-like in the way they are treating others (their neighbors).
And somehow, I have to have love -- for both the oppressed and for the oppressors.
Damn, that's tough.

Be full of grace.
Be full of love.
Be at peace.

John

Who am I?

What has happened to me?
I've been out pretty much every night this week with -- get this -- people!
And it hasn't been terrible. I'm not sure if I'd call it fun, but it has been enjoyable.

I will say that I am very happy that Aaron and Jenny have such a great community of friends. They are nice enough to invite us to hang out with them while the kids are away. We did karaoke at one bar on Tuesday night (my participation was to observe and encourage), trivia at a different bar last night (we won), trivia for older people tonight at a third bar, and we have a party invite to someone's house on Friday. I think I've spent more time with people this month than I'll probably spend in the entire second half of 2023!

We don't have plans (that I know of) for Saturday and I think I'll need a recharge day to prepare for the people in airports and airplanes on Sunday, our travel day home. Maybe I'll just hang out at the pool and get things ready for the trip home.

Home.
I'm going to miss the pool. I think I need one. It doesn't have to be big or fancy, just a place to enjoy on hot, summer days after a day of mowing or working in the flower beds and garden.
Speaking of mowing -- it's been a month and I'm sure that my neighbors will be happy to have me get everything cut next week. At least it will be hot and humid even if it is going to be a little cooler than this week at home. 
No worries. Summer heat is my jam. And after a month in the tropics I am well conditioned for the SWMO summer. One of Aaron and Jenny's friends said I'm as brown as shit (or maybe she said I'm full of shit, idk). I think that means I'm pretty dark. As a matter of fact, I changed the skin tone of my Facebook avatar to reflect that.

Have a great day.

John

Good Friday!

Tell me something good!
Please!

I've been scrolling through my social media feeds and reading the news, so I am in need of some good news. Part of my good news comes from simply making the choice to quit reading so much bullshit and moving on to something else.
Something else for me is going to be moving up to the pool and enjoying the pool and the sunshine before the day is too hot to enjoy. 

So, what do you have for me?
Something good you've done or are doing
Something good that has been done to you or for you
Something good that you've heard or read about

Let's share some good news!

John

Travel

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, and charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." --Mark Twain

I like it here.
We've been to a few other Mexican destinations and they are all a little different from one another. Even though Puerto Vallarta is a tourist destination, this isn't the tourist season and so it feels more like being in Mexico as a place to live rather than a place to vacation. Plus this is where the kids live so we meet with their friends and do the things they do as a part of everyday life.

We've been to watch Aaron play softball (his team is in the playoffs) and met some of the people on Jenny's softball team, as well. While most of the people we have met are expats from either the US or Canada, we have also met some of the kids' Mexican friends. Last night we spent some time talking to a woman that plays softball with Jenny and is also Aaron's dentist. She moved to Puerto Vallarta from Mexico City. She prefers the pace of life here (in PV) over living in Mexico City, although she still has a practice there and does travel back and forth quite a bit.
It makes me curious about life in Mexico City, although I don't think I'm curious enough to want to check it out personally. I suppose it has more of the stress associated with living in a large city, but I wonder how it compares to living in large cities in the US. I'm also a little curious about life in other cities that are not big tourist areas -- How would a gringo do in those communities?

The rooftop pool opens in a few minutes and I think I'll head up there for a little morning exercise and sun. I hope that you have a grand day and expose yourself to some life from another culture somewhere along the way -- even if it's just trying a dinner cuisine that you haven't experienced before or listening to music from another country.

Adios, amigos!
John

Writing...revisited

It's been a little over a month since I wrote about writing a daily meditation/devotional kind of book. It's here if you need/want a memory refresh. So it's now a few days past my 63rd birthday and it occurred to me that I had given myself that amount of time to think about it.

Well...
I don't think that's really for me. 
Although I do tend to have daily quiet times, I don't always utilize a devotion or meditation process. I could -- and it would definitely be beneficial, but now it's starting to sound like work or a project with deadlines and due dates.
Ugh!

I'm not saying a definite NO at this point.
Can you shelve a book that hasn't been written?
I think I'm going to (for now) shelve the idea of writing this type of book. (Sorry, Mom) I'm still trying to figure out just who I am and often find myself struggling through daily meditation or devotional time -- too much so to try to offer guiding thoughts to others.

In fact, I've been thinking about identity lately and will probably share some thoughts on that in the coming days. For now I think I'll just get back in the pool and try not to think of anything other than enjoying another tropical day.

John