Two countries, four cities, four months ... time to settle down

Isla Mujeres, December 2019

It's been an unsettled few months for Sparky and me, and my writing schedule has suffered greatly. 

My current work-in-progress, Twisted Isla, is two months behind on my self-imposed launch date. It's time to get back to my daily writing routine.

In December, the sale of our Isla Mujeres house was completed, then I packed up my three suitcases of possessions and Sparky and I flew away to a new adventure in San Miguel de Allende. It's a beautiful colonial city located in the heart of Mexico. 

Sparky and I, leaving our Isla house, 2019

Thankfully, my good friend Eileen Regn had room in her heart for Boo the Cat, a sweet semi-feral stray that wanted to live with us, but strictly on her own terms. I couldn't imagine trying to relocate her to a new city. 

San Miguel de Allende, December to March 

From mid-December to mid-March, Sparky and I enjoyed exploring the history, the colour, and the culture of San Miguel de Allende. 

I was beginning to find new friends and new interests. In early March, our Isla friends, Julie, Robin, and Anna, came for a visit. Life was good. The sun was shining and I was busy writing. 

And then the emails from the Canadian government started. Return to Canada, now. We are expecting a worldwide pandemic. 

Well, hell! 

So, I packed up my three suitcases of possessions and my pooch and flew back to the country of my birth. Thankfully, good friends that I have known since elementary school days had an extra bedroom where Sparky and I could hide out and do our two-week isolation after returning to Canada from Mexico.

Then, the whole world went into self-isolation, quarantine, and social distancing. Life became weird. 

Sparky in Surrey, BC - new raincoat

By the time five weeks had passed, I decided that even though my friends were encouraging me to continue living with them until the world sorted itself out, I just couldn't do it. I needed a place to rattle around on my own with my demanding, neurotic dog, and to concentrate on writing again. 

Sparky and I, plus my three well-traveled suitcases, took up residence in Summerland on April 28th. It's a new building with a view of the mountains. 

It's interesting trying to find furniture for an empty unit during a pandemic. The first four nights, I slept on a foam mattress on the floor. Now I have a bed, a sofa, two chairs, plus a tiny table. It's a start. I have discovered online shopping, and the FedEx delivery guy and I are on a first-name basis. 

My bed, some assembly required.

I feel guilty about spending a little money when so many people are struggling to put food on the table, but sleeping on the floor when I am 69 and a bit years old is too darn difficult. 

I am enjoying being back in Canada, but frequently, Lawrie's favourite complaint comes to mind. "Canada has so damn many rules," he would grouse when we returned to visit with friends and family. Every. Single. Time. 

He's right. It's a funny adjustment to be back to the Canadian way of thinking. 

As for my writing, today is a chilly and rainy day. It's a good day to get back to writing Book #6 of the Isla Mujeres Mystery series - Twisted Isla.

Stay healthy, my friends. Hopefully, we will soon see the end of this isolation. 

Cheers, Lynda and The Sparkinator

Sparky, checking out his new country.

Book #6 of the exciting Isla Mujeres Mystery series - coming soon! 

Out and about in our new 'hood, San Miquel de Allende

Calle Quebrada near my place 

I am Canadian. I was born, raised, married, and lived in Canada for fifty-seven years, until Lawrie and I moved to Mexico in 2008. 

I love my country, but I admit, I really love the European feel of Mexican towns and cities, where small businesses are conveniently located. Similar to Isla Mujeres, in our new 'hood, I can find a lot of items within a few blocks, interspersed between the houses. 

It's a bit chillier here in the mountains north of Mexico City, and I needed warmer clothing. Two blocks away, a small store had the quilted black vests, which are very popular in San Miguel, for $270.00 Mx pesos. (About $18.00 CDN). I stood on the sidewalk with Sparky at my feet while the young lady rooted around to find the size I needed. I tried it on and handed her the money. Done! 

No plastic bags as of Jan 1st.

Up the street is a veterinarian who also stocks doggie beds, bowls, harnesses, and food in his tiny space. Sparky has a second bed to snooze while I am writing, and new inexpensive water bowls on each level so that he doesn't have to walk too far for a drink. They also carry a brand of food that he can eat without bloating up with stinky gas. 

I know, TMI. Too much information.

My jazzy new red hose!

The best find so far is a tiny hardware store that is about five feet wide, and who-knows-how-deep. It disappears into the dark, dimly lit depths, beyond where I can easily see. 

The family is helpful to this Spanglish-speaking Gringa. Sparky and I step about two feet inside the doorway and wait at the counter while they find what I need. 

A few days ago, I wanted another garden hose so that I didn't have to lug the only hose from the second level to the rooftop to water the pots. Their son custom-made me a new one. 

"How long?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Ten meters, I guess."

"What colour? Red? Green?"

"Red!"

"Do you also want the male and female connections?"

"Sí, por favor."

And for about $10.00 CDN, I got my custom-made garden hose.

Fresh juice stand

The chicken store, drugstore, bakery, pharmacy, hair salon, barber, shoe store, and street vendors are all within a two-block radius of our house. On the main streets are dozens of restaurant options and cafes. 

I enjoy this small-store shopping, and I am resisting the big Costco shop that we typically did once a month when we lived on Isla Mujeres. 

I buy fresh, eat fresh, and do not stockpile supplies. How much food does one person really need?

Cheers from San Miguel de Allende

Lynda and The Sparkinator

~

Come join the adventure!

Grab your copy today - online book stores

My view of San Miguel de Allende - by Sparky

Early morning San Miquel de Allende

Hi, this is Sparky. My hooman, whom I call Servant, said it is my turn to write the blog. 

We recently moved from Isla Mujeres on the eastern coast of Mexico to San Miguel de Allende, located in the mountainous region north of Mexico City. We left the hot sunny beaches for a cooler climate. I was born with an enlarged heart, and the heat bothers me. Here I can walk for an hour and not get tired. 

Rooftop terraza at our hotel 

After a week in a funny hotel with lots of skinny spiral stairs to climb, we are now in our own little place. It has a sunny rooftop deck and an enclosed garden - they are my favourite places to hang out. My only complaint with our new place is that the windows aren't designed for doggies to look out at the street. Everything is people's height. Even the patio wall upstairs is too high for me to see over. 

Different horses, police troop

Last night, three big brown horses carrying police officers came by our house. I had to get Servant to pick me up so that I could see them. Because she was holding me in her arms Servant couldn't take a photo of the horses, so you will just have to take my word for it.

Yesterday I saw a super-fast little bird in the garden. It was a bright green colour and had a long, skinny beak that looked dangerously sharp. I'm going to stay a long way away from that guy. Servant said he was a hummingbird. Funny, I didn't hear him humming, but he did chirp at me a few times.

Reading the local pee-mail

When we walk the streets in San Miguel, Servant thinks I am on the trail of suspects, criminals, and murderers, but really I am reading the pee-mail left by other doggies. 

I like it here, but I am still getting accustomed to walking on busy sidewalks. At times, my hooman gets a bit testy with me, yelling, "Sparky, watch where you are going!" 

It's not my fault that the sidewalks are crowded with hundreds of pairs of feet. Those people should watch where they are going! I'm a busy detective dog.

My favourite Ojo de Agua, 2 blocks from home

In our neighbourhood, we have discovered four restaurants that allow well-behaved doggies to come inside. 

It's a nice treat for me to lie on a sunny patio while Servant has her morning coffee, or sometimes we stop in for a glass of wine in the evening. Well, she has a glass of wine, and I have a drink of water.

Well, that's all for this time. Woof! Woof! Sparky.

Protein bowl and a latte at the Ojo de Agua

~

Read all about me in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series, 

available in online book stores

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.

Get your copy today!

Why San Miguel de Allende?

San Miguel de Allende at sunrise 

Why did you choose San Miguel de Allende? 

That one question keeps coming up on my social media posts, over and over again. After skimming the last few blog posts, I realized I hadn't fully explained my reasons. So, here's the Cole's Notes version:

#1, my fascination with history 
When Lawrie and I, plus his sister and brother-in-law, drove from BC, Canada, to Isla Mujeres in 2008, one of our stops was San Miguel. We arrived on October 31st and stayed until November 2nd. We were in the city during the Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, celebrations. I was hooked, and I always wanted to return to fully explore the city.

That beautiful Caribbean Sea

#2, change is good
Lawrie and I were restless people, always looking for the next adventure. We had several discussions, while enjoying our evening glass of wine, about where we would like to live if we ever tired of looking at the Caribbean Sea. He was reluctant to leave the warm temperatures and our view of turquoise water. He insisted he never wanted to be cold again, so we stayed and enjoyed our lives on Isla Mujeres.

San Miguel de Allende in December 

#3, a temperate climate
We loved the warmth of the Caribbean area of Mexico, but neither one of us was a worshipper. We rarely ventured to the beach, preferring instead to hang out in the shade of our palapa, or refresh ourselves in our own pool. One of our cheeky friends suggested that we didn't even know how to find Playa Norte. I flapped a hand in the general direction of the north end of the island and replied, "It's over there, somewhere."

Summers on Isla Mujeres can be very hot and humid. Not as hot as some parts of Mexico or the southern USA, but occasionally uncomfortable. We rarely used our air conditioning except to sleep at night during July, August, and September. We had adjusted quite well to the climate until recently. As I get older, the heat affects me more. Showering and changing my clothes three times a day became a nuisance. 

Image from San Miguel Writers' Conference

#4, a flourishing community of writers and artists
I started writing and self-publishing books in 2014. The first was a bilingual book for children, The Adventures of Thomas the Cat - Las Aventuras de Tomás el Gato, in partnership with islander Diego Medina. Then in 2016, I self-published my first novel, Treasure Isla. I have published four more novels in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series, and Diego and I are working on completing the second bilingual children's book. I am hopeful that my new community will help improve my writing skills.


#5, San Miguel has only a few memories associated with Lawrie and me as a couple.
I was being crushed by the powerful memories of a romantic and joyful life. He was on every street corner and in every restaurant of Isla Mujeres. He shared my morning coffee, my afternoon meal, and my evening glass of wine. 

He is still with me and always will be, but I can walk the streets of San Miguel without living in the past, our past. 

I am looking forward to this next chapter of my life.

Cheers from San Miguel de Allende
Lynda, and my furry sidekick, Sparky

~

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.

Grab your copy today in online book stores

A surprise gift - Sparky's story

Christmas Eve in San Miguel de Allende

   Police at the Parroquia San Miguel Arcángel 

It is a different type of Christmas Eve, but a fascinating one. I probably won't get much sleep tonight, but that's okay. It's another adventure.

By sunset, the house parties and accompanying fireworks started, church bells rang at regular intervals throughout the day, and in the evening, the music began flowing from restaurants, bars, and hotels. The majority of the restaurants are fully booked with a special Christmas Eve menu being offered.

The day started early with my four-legged alarm clock, and we wandered the empty streets while he read the local pee-news and left his responses.

Being the only human in this duo, I can't get a cup of coffee for our strolls because my walking partner is not allowed in most of the restaurants. I did see one this afternoon that said 'pet friendly.'  They may become my new best friends.

Sparky and I are enjoying cocktail time

Later in the afternoon, Sparky and I discovered a rooftop terraza at our hotel and we enjoyed the warmth of the setting sun, while I sipped on a glass of my favourite Malbec. As I returned to my room to get a second glass of wine, the front desk attendant knocked on my door to inform me that I was being moved to the suite upstairs, where the rooftop deck was located.

"Uh, at 5:30 in the afternoon, you want me to move rooms?" I asked.

"Yes, you booked a kitchenette, and we have to move you because your current room is booked for new arrivals this evening."

The first 19 stairs - and then there are more.

She was right. I had booked a kitchenette but had decided that the listing was probably out of date, and I really didn't care as long as we had a place to sleep.

I repacked our suitcases and we moved upstairs to the Penthouse...and I say that very tongue-in-cheek. The suite is roomy, has a kitchenette, and a great view.

But the 38 spiral stairs from the bottom floor to our suite will either give Sparky and me great leg muscles or they will kill us. It's a 50/50 chance at this point.

Sunset from our 'penthouse' deck.

At 8:45 p.m., the church bells went wild. I am assuming a 9:00 p.m. mass is about to start. When it is over, the partying will begin in earnest.

I will end this and try to catch a bit of sleep. Sparky is already curled up in his bed.

Sleep well, and I hope Santa is good to you. Lynda and The Sparkinator

~

Available in online book stores! Grab your copy today.

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.

We're footloose in Mexico!

Sunrise December 23rd on Isla Mujeres

"How do you plan to get from Isla Mujeres to San Miguel de Allende?" My cousins asked.

"The same as any trip. First, a golf cart ride to the Ultramar, a boat ride to Puerto Juarez, then a shuttle van to the airport, then an airplane ride, then another shuttle to my hotel. It's a piece of cake!" I quipped.

Well, the gods got even with me for my cheeky response.

Our journey began with four close friends, Julie and Rob Goth, and Chuck and Marcy Watt, taking Sparky and me, plus my three heavy suitcases, to the passenger boat. It was Sparky's last golf cart ride for a while, but he doesn't know it yet. Boo the Cat didn't come with us. A couple of days ago, the Fairy Dogmother Eileen Regn and her hubby Doug said they would be happy to adopt her, leaving me with one less thing to stress over. I was so thankful not to have to deal with relocating a semi-feral kitty.

Hasta luego! 

At the Ultramar terminal, I started to walk to the boat, and there was Elmo! Waving goodbye. My crazy friend Freddy Medina was wearing the Elmo suit and holding a sign; Elmo loves Lynda. That was my undoing. I bawled like a baby, my face crumpled with emotion. Why is it that in real life, crying looks nothing like the tender tears leaking from the beautiful eyes of the leading lady? There's nothing pretty about the way I cry.

More friends hugged and wished me well as Sparky pulled me towards the boat. We climbed to the upper deck, where we could wave goodbye to everyone. Elmo was still dancing and waving.  Yadira Velázquez and Diego Medina videoed the event, and watching it made me cry all over again.

On the Cancun side, I pointed out my suitcases to the porter, and he said, "Si, don't worry, I will bring them for you." I wasn't concerned; this isn't the first time that I have traveled from the island and asked the porters to deal with luggage. Sparky and I headed up the ramp to meet the driver for CARM, our shuttle driver for the ride to the airport. I turned my head and checked for the porter who was loaded down with bags - and then I noticed - mine were still on the dock, about to be put back on the boat by a helpful deckhand.

I didn't know I could run that fast! I dashed past the security, the ticket agents, waving my arms. No! No! The guy finally realized I was yelling at him and stopped.

Bye-bye for now     

Once we got the bag thing sorted out, the shuttle to the airport was easy and smooth. At the airport, another porter took my bags and we zipped through the check-in. Without thinking, I bought two small bottles of water before heading to the security check.

Ten feet away from the little store was a huge sign: no liquids! Well, of course. Sparky and I drank as much as we could, then we added our two bottles to the overflowing bin of full, new bottles. That little tienda must make a fortune selling water to travelers.

At the security check, I asked the attendant if I had to take my computer out of my carry-on bag.

Oddly, she said no, it wasn't required. I stuffed my purse, jacket, and other items into a bin, added the carry-on bag to the conveyor belt, then asked the guard how he wanted me to handle Sparky. 

"Take off his harness, put it in another bin. Let him walk through, then you walk through." 

All done with the security stuff

Things were about to get interesting. The suitcase, with my camera, computer, and backup drive, had to go back to the beginning with the electronics in a separate bin. Unfortunately, Sparky's harness was still a little way back on the conveyor. The flight crew had arrived and deposited their things ahead of the plastic bin holding his harness. I held Sparky while I explained the problem, and someone eventually handed me his leash. I had visions of my sociable pooch visiting with everyone in the terminal. We started at the beginning with all my stuff, and tried the whole thing one more time.

No, we were pulled aside again. Now the suitcase had to be carefully examined because I had two items that concerned them. One was a large piece of amethyst that had been in my family since before I was born. My dad found it in Ontario in 1940, and it has been in my possession since Dad died when I was seventeen. I am very attached to this one last memento of my family. Apparently, the concern was that it could be used as a weapon. I Spanglished my way through that situation and was able to keep it.

The other item was a square plastic container of ashes. Yes, my sweetie is with me. I knew from my trip to Canada in May, with some of his ashes, that I couldn't use the original wooden box. Clear plastic is the recommended means of transport. Again, I had to Spanglish my way through that. Thankfully, he was able to continue the journey with me. Lawrie would have been very unhappy if he had been confiscated by customs officials.

The Volaris flight was almost an hour late, but eventually Sparky and I and my small but heavy suitcase thumped our way out to the plane and up the stairway to our seat. I paid a premium to get 1F and priority boarding. I wanted the extra legroom so my travel companion would have space to sleep. Other than the incredibly uncomfortable seats, with little if any padding, the flight was uneventful.

When the flight attendant was about to close the doors, she warned everyone that this was their last chance to get off the plane if they were on the wrong flight. Seriously? Three separate people had checked our tickets, but Volaris had obviously had incidents where people were on the wrong flight; otherwise, why mention it? It gave me goose bumps. Was I headed to Guadalajara? Mexico City? Or Leon? Two weeks ago, I got on the wrong Ultramar boat and ended up at the farthest end of their route in the Cancun hotel zone. Yeah, that's another story.

Waiting for me at the airport was the San Miguel de Allende shuttle service operated by BajioGo. It's a 90-minute drive from the airport in Leon to my destination. Our driver, Jose, was professional and friendly. We had an interesting chat about living in San Miguel and about his family. According to Jose, San Miguel de Allende has about 370 fiestas a year that just naturally require fireworks. Oh boy, Sparky is going to love that.

By the time we reached the hotel at eleven at night, Sparky was asleep on my lap. The poor little dude was worn out, but before hitting the bed, we had to walk a few blocks to let him stretch his legs and deposit his pee-mail for the other dogs to read. The area where we are staying is clean and vibrant with restaurants, bars, and interesting stores.

The street where my hotel is located.

This morning Sparky woke me up at 5:00 a.m., again. It's one hour different here, so I actually got to sleep in until 6:00 a.m. Don't tell him that.

Right now, he is asleep, but hungry and chilly. Today's mission is to find some dog food that he can eat. He has tummy issues with a lot of the commercial food. It will mean leaving him in the hotel for a bit while I do a food run, but so far, he's been calm and okay with all the upheaval in his life. Fingers-crossed, he doesn't bark and upset the other guests.

"I is cold and hungry." 

Merry Christmas from San Miguel,
Lynda and Sparky

~

Isla Mujeres Mystery novels available online!

The beginning of a new adventure - Widowhood 101

We're going on an adventure.

It's time to say "Adios." Sparky, Boo, and I are leaving Isla Mujeres on Monday, December 23rd, for a different Mexican experience. We are moving to San Miguel de Allende.

Living for twelve years on a tropical island, just steps away from the beautiful Caribbean Sea, has been a life-changing opportunity. 

As of this week, our little ocean-front casa has been purchased by Tracy and Karl from Wisconsin.

The golf-cart-trap, north end of Medina Ave. 

Despite their recent and hilarious discovery that golf carts can't swim through rain-flooded streets, Tracy and Karl are looking forward to their new adventure. I hope you will give them a warm island welcome.

Our first experience with this little Caribbean paradise started seventeen years ago when Lawrie and I stayed at Villa Makax on the western side of Isla Mujeres. We later stayed on the Caribbean side in 2003 and again in 2005 before deciding to buy a lot and build our home. 

2007, builder and dear friend Patricio Yam

In the winter of 2008, we threw ourselves into retirement, island living, and just having fun. 

Lawrie was always the 'social butterfly' willing to chat up anyone, to tell them how much we loved living on a tropical island in Mexico. 

He happily told everyone he met how much we enjoyed the culture, the people, the food, and the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea. We made many friends, from both the born-on-the-island local community and the recent arrivals from Canada, the USA, Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, and Japan.

Evan and Ethan, with their granddad, Elmo

Our two grandsons experienced Mexico, Elmo-style, with their fun-loving grandfather meeting them at the Ultramar in his authentic Elmo costume. That costume was repeatedly used to greet siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews, until it became the centerpiece for the Elmo's Christmas Caravan - La Caravana Navideña de Elmo.

We created great memories, showing our grandsons Xcaret, Xhel-Ha, Xplor, Garafon Park, Tulum, Zama Beach Club, and the sugar-white sands of Playa Norte. We also organized an island-wide pirate treasure hunt for the entire family. 

Custom-made bootie bags for the kids!

Son, John, really enjoyed floating in his Mexican office, our swimming pool. 

We also amused John and Maia by getting hopelessly lost in the backroads between Valladolid and Izamal, while the gas-gauge alarm pinged in increasingly shorter intervals....low on gas, really low on gas, Hey, wake up! You're running on fumes. 

John's GPS skills on his phone saved the four of us from certain death from a lack of cervesa. 

"Do they have any idea where we are?" "Nope!"

Our year-round entertainment consisted of the annual cultural events: New Year's Eve, Carnaval, Día de la Independencia, Día de Los Muertos, plus many other parades, processions, and fiestas. 

We danced on the sand, in the street, at beach bars, and under the moonlight on our ocean-side patio. 

There were many laughter-filled neighbourhood parties, family birthdays, and New Year's Eve celebrations at our house. Siblings, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, cousins, and many old friends visited the island. 

One Canadian friend remarked, "All you seem to do is party." Posting the celebration photos was far more interesting than uploading pictures of our day-to-day routine of cooking meals, making the bed, or sweeping the floors.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

And living in paradise didn't stop us from taking a vacation from our vacation. We traveled back to Canada every second year to visit with our families and as many friends as we could squeeze into the time available. 

We traveled with Lawrie's siblings to Desolation Sound, Canada in 2011,  Europe for his 70th birthday in 2012, and the Florida Keys in 2013. 

Recently, Lawrie and I celebrated his 75th and my 66th birthdays in Argentina. 

July 1st, 2017, at Javi's Cantina

As many of you know, Lawrie, my adventure partner, passed away on September 3rd, 2018. I was convinced that remaining on Isla Mujeres with my network of supportive friends was the best place for me. 

However, I finally realized I am being crushed by the powerful memories of a romantic and joyful life. He is on every street corner and in every restaurant. He shares my morning coffee, my afternoon meal, and my evening glass of wine. 

In June of this year, I listed our home with my friends at Mundaca Real Estate. Within three days, I had a good offer that I accepted. And then I waited, and waited, and waited.

It's a lengthy and frustrating process to sell real estate in Mexico, especially when the deal spans three countries: American buyers, a Canadian seller, and Mexican property. The folks at Mundaca patiently pushed the deal forward one document at a time. In the end, it all came together. 

I am ready to start writing the next chapter of my life.

2008 Our 1st time, San Miguel de Allende

The first chapter spanned from childhood to high-school graduation. The second chapter was my first marriage at age nineteen, when I mistook the discovery of sex for true love. The third and most exciting chapter was my almost forty-year love affair with Lawrie. 

So, now I am heading into a new adventure, to experience new places, and perhaps write a second mystery series. I am still working on Book #6 of the Isla Mujeres Mystery series, Twisted Isla, but due to the recent changes, my writing schedule has been erratic. Be patient. It will happen. 

Thank you all for being a part of our lives. I'm certain I will run into many of you again, either here on Isla Mujeres or in San Miguel de Allende.

Adios y grandes abrazos
Goodbye and big hugs, Lynda, Sparky, and Boo the Cat

The quote below was always one of our favourites. Thanks to Julie and Rob Goth for reminding me ...

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!”  ― Hunter S. Thompson,

Isla Mujeres Mystery novels - available on Amazon.com

and