Mexico Musings

My first paid, published writing was for Threads a Taunton Press magazine devoted to sewing enthusiasts.I wrote about my addiction to sewing, fabric and anything related. It was for their back cover humor page. The letters to the editor ranged from applause, to self recognition “I could have written that.” to nutty remarks from the Christian right being oh so offended that their hobby was being likened to drug activity. The letters raged back and forth for six months!

So if you have the affliction, or if you have any passionate hobby, you know the feeling when a project takes hold. It consumes you, you think about it all day and all night, you talk about it to anyone that will listen, usually only the dog will stick around after the first telling.

So, back to the Summer Tote. My daughter the writer sent a two liner email, asking if I would make a tote for her laptop that would be easy to carry for her upcoming writing workshop. Over the years I have designed dozens of purses and totes. They were denim, lined with some wild fabric. I would choose the recipient’s theme, whether that was an iris, a fish, moons and stars, and embellish the outside. My totes are treasured gifts.

I live in Baja California Sur; we are long on palm trees and sand, short on good textiles and the supplies that go along.
I wanted something special for this special woman. I Googled online patterns for totes. I kept coming back to Lazy Girl Designs. Don’t you love that name? Joan Hawley’s designs are original, smart, sassy and easy, if you have the instructions. Which I did not have.
And to purchase the patterns is the easy part delivery by burro to my house on the beach is near impossible, and add to that the deadline, I was desperate.
I called the lead Lazy Girl herself. And offered to pay a premium if she would fax or email the pattern.
She tried, because of the special paper it is printed on, she could not. Joan was so concerned that I could not get her product, she asked me to call a particular online distributor, and see what they could do about shipping, and she would tell them to add some free gifts.
I called Quilter’s Warehouse, spoke to Heather, and made a new friend, but we could not figure away to expedite delivery for under $100. The pattern only costs $9.00!
So I ordered the pattern and a lot of other stuff for later delivery by my son when he comes to visit in July. But I still needed the Summer Tote construction and cutting guides.
Don’t you love the Internet? You can find so much.
Joan has videos of the construction of most of the Summer Tote on her website. I watched that video, closely repeatedly for hours. I watched her other videos, and read her blog and the back of the pattern envelopes (online). I followed links from people that posted on her blog, and I figured it out.
It was not easy, I ripped, and sewed and ripped again, and cried, and stomped away from the machine many times. But oh my goodness, the Summer Tote is gorgeous. I love it. When the patterns arrive, I am going to make several for myself and friends. And if you are on my Christmas List…
I wrote to Joan and described my painful journey. And I asked her not to expel me from the Lazy Girl Club, for working so hard to make the tote. Her entire approach to sewing is to find the easy, lazy way to do a job!
Take a look at the tote, and drool!

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Soar or sore. Neither are words I use often.
So let’s see what happens when I let my mind wander and my fingers flick the keys:
Soar, well I live right on the beach in Baja California Sur. Birds soar here . All kinds of birds. Snowy egrets. They are huge, white and elegant. I love when they take off , at first their necks are stretched out straight, then they fold them in an S and fly off. It is a beautiful movement. Smooth.
This evening as we were walking, and cleaning the beach, some huge gulls took flight and one soared over my head, but so close I could see his roving eye seeking leftover lunch scraps from today’s beach goers.
And osprey and hawks soar on the updrafts and swoop down, barely disturbing the water, yet soaring up again grasping a fish in their talons.
This winter we had high winds and were treated to aerial shows by many of the hawks, osprey , frigate birds and even the lowly buzzard.
The shape of our house, a shallow X creates it’s own micro climate of winds and drafts. For several hours during Christmas these huge birds with wing spans of 3-6 feet came in twos and threes. They would swoop in low, catch a vortex, spiral up over the house and come screaming in again to repeat the process. Watching these great birds of prey ( and one scavenger) swoop, and glide and swirl and soar for the sheer pleasure of flight makes us, rooted to earth, feel our limits, and appreciate flight.

I am jealous of their freedom, thrilled by their aerial dance.

See other Sunday Scribbles here: http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/

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A few minutes before the sun crests the mountains. Taken from the front deck of the Honeymoon Hut.

When my son and daughter -in-law came for a brief visit, we made the casita in our old house a romantic haven. Including chocolate on their pillows, some lovley, perfectly chilled white wine and miniature cookies in a gilded box.
I added my mother’s hand embroidered pillowcases that were in her trousseau.
We dubbed it the “Honey Moon Hut”.
The name stuck and carried over to our new home and guesthouse on the beach in La Paz. One sweet couple gifted us with the guestbook, and entitled it, “The Honey Moon Hut Diary” And they inscribed it: “To all that enter this casa, may your life and love be joyful and prosperous.”
And here are some excerpts from it’s pages:

Thank you for allowing me to share the honeymoon hut with my new love, Michael. We shared many wonderful moments, Casey
And from Michael
Your honeymoon casa is a very warm and loving spot in the desert where you can grow very close to someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Star crossed lovers re-united after 20 years said this:
As we move along the road of our lives we will remember the special times we spent in the warmth of the Baja sun with you. Memories will include starry nights, sea breezes, the color of the sunrises and our shared love. May we meet again.

Norm and Joyce:
Your hospitality has been warm like the Mexican sun.

Marina our Italian friend stayed and cared for our royal Chihuahua Abigail Maria Sanchez, she said : Your casita as I said, is wonderful and comfortable.Thank you for letting me stay( and she was dog-sitting).

Ad Joyce an Norm who are building a house nearby came again and said: It’s good to be home, well almost!

My sister-in-law Eileen came a few months after a radical mastectomy: My time here was relaxing, enjoyable, and definitely different, which leaves me with lasting memories, especially the beach combing. Your casita is great and your home and surroundings are great for R & R with lots of beauty.

Only three more comments.
The next one is from my daughter MissMeliss that inspired me to write a blog ( and she desgined it) and it was her idea to share the contents of the guestbook with the blogosphere.

I am touched by the lovely words of everyone.
So here are more words from our guests:
MissMeliss:
I am sorry it took us nearly an eternity to visit you in your dreamed of beachfront home.As always you have made your home as warm and loving as it would have been if I’d actually grown up here.

Louise the flight attendant and her new husband Bob the retired pilot:
We are honored to be your first guests of 2008. Thank you for offering your paradise to us, and what a paradise it is. La Casita was perfect we wish we could have stayed longer. But we’ll be back!

And Barabara and Boyd : Our 2 1/2 year anniversary was spent in your Honeymoon cottage on the beach. You are very gracious hosts and made us feel extremely welcome and at home.

So when will you come and have a chance to write words in the guest book of te Honeymoon Hut?

And thank you all for your kind comments and following this blog even though I have been remiss in writing.

It is the end of another gorgeous Baja Sunday.
My beloved is brewing some coffee and we will sip it on our private terrace as we watch the sky turn dark and the lights of La Paz come on across the bay.

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