Head of housekeeping returns

Carmen is back from escorting her mother to surgery in Merida, where she is now recovering at another daughter's house. Her case was not simple. Yes, there was a huge gall stone, as the Merida surgeon thought. And there was a mass of six inches along side - what the resident here thought was a tumor. It may be a polyp, the surgeon said and took a biopsy.
At any rate, her heart tolerated the anesthesia and she will either make a full recovery or be dealing with tumor consequences. We should know tomorrow.
"Girls Gone Wild" went to Villa Vera yesterday, then for mojitos at Miguels while exchanging money. BTW, the Villa Vera seafood enchiladas are just great!
Then, after a Polish Princess leftover feast, we opened a bottle of wine. At which point I asked the girls to speak up. I heave hearing loss. I need hearing aides, I told them.
"Is that why you've gotten so loud?" Deb demurely asked. Well, that's what best friends are for. I had no idea I turned up my volume!
Sissy works at a funeral home that regularly disposes of hearing aides at family request. So she said she'd keep her eyes peeled for me. Now isn't that something? A day at the beach may lead to something that will make my friends, including my Mexican friends, happy because I won't always be saying, "Como? No escucha. Mande?"
Carmen's Aunt Ignacia got her hearing aides in a similar deal and had a Merida audiologist adjust for her. Isn't life grand?
Today, work with Carmen, a conference call tgo California, and GGW head for Garrafon de Castilla to see the fishies!

Ready for friends

Chicken terriyaki is in the oven. All kinds of snacks have been made. The golf cart has been washed. The manicure fixed. Lora is a bit tardy at the dog spa next to the car wash. but she seems to be enjoying her stay!
Deb and Kate arrive from Sacramento tonight after a two year absence. You may recall from the old blog that Deb, in the biggest senior moment of her lifetime, forgot to check her passport and called me from the airport to cry.
I am chilling wine for tonight. My brother thinks we drink copious amounts. A bottle a day per middle aged women on vacation seems about right! For brunch, at the pool, happy hour and with dinner. It all adds up!
The weather has turned just gorgeous. There is something to be said for this latitude! So now, I go to the oven and may pass by the pool for another drip!
Jose came by earlier to move the washer back onto the patio and rearrange some furniture. He'll have his wife Marta come by to see what I need, too. And I just got word that Carmen's mom is doing fabulous after gall bladder removal and will be back on the scene tomorrow, in time for the month-long tenants coming on the first....and the quick change for a week after the girls leave, and still another quick change after that! whewww. I'm tired. I think I'll go upstairs to the pool and take another dip!

Merida without me...

Carmen is off to Merida today with her mother and without me. For the past month, she has been here instead of Halacho, where she liked to sit and watch the passers by.
She was diagnosed with a "gall bladder tumor" here on Isla, with a not too experienced ultrasound reader, and a decision was made to just let it go.
The films were sent to a specials in Merida and it's not a tumor after all, but a huge, life-threatening stone. One false move, or meal, and she would develope jaundice and die.
So Carmen is taking her to Merida today for a morning surgery, and presuming all goes well, leaving her to the care of another sister in Merida before she returns to Halacho, a village an hour away.
The weather here has broken wonderfully. It's all sun, still not HOT, but temperatures will climb over the next few days, when Deb and Kate arrive.
Carmen will be back in time to set up their aparment and the one upstairs for the February 1st arrival on monthp-long guests from Alberta. I guess we can blame the Alberta Clipper on them! But I suspect they just won't want to hear about it.
Me, I'm making rice water and chicken broth for Amelia, who asked for atole made of rice, leaving Carmen scratching her head. She want's no sugar or cinnamon or milk in it, so it's really not atole! But, I'm using jasmine rice, which I think she will like. Her husband is in grave condition in Cancun, and she is at death's door here. So sad.