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.

Amalia's Story

Amalia is my neighbor. For the last 20 years, after a mastectomy, she has been battling breast cancer. It's cells have cause tumors in her brain, liver, lungs and intestines. Each one has been irradicated. She was on chemotherapy, tamoxifen, for most of the last five years.
For the last four years, she has sold Fuller products door to door.
For two years, probably a bit longer, I have taken her carrot juice almost every day. Both she and her doctors believe it has made a difference.
Two years ago, while I was in Ohio, she fell. Screws were used to pin her hip together. She rallied and continued to sell Fuller.
I dedicated my Thanksgiving cooking to her. She had never had an American Thanksgiving meal. Yesterday, she sent a Mexican New Year's meal to the house. Well, I had to make corn muffins and take them over!
For the holiday, six of her seven children came to visit. When I showed up, she was picking the meat off the government-gifted turkey carcass to make relleno. She offered me carrot and broccoli salad and PRI-gifted sparkling cider.
We chatted, I met her "kids" and their kids. Our dogs played together. It was a good afternoon.
Today she is going to see the orthopedic surgeon in Cancun. The pain in her thigh and knee has kept her bed ridden for the past month. Her husband had tongue cancer removed last year. And then, a foot had to be amputated for diabetes. He too, is bedridden. But unlike Amalia, he wasn't able to rally for the New Year. She is one tough cookie. Happy New Year, Amalia! And at least a couple more!

We're on our way!

This morning, Eriso surprised me with a tamale. A few hours later, Carmen went home to check on the grand kids and came back with a bowl of white bean, vegetable and meat soup. Wow! I felt so special!
Carmen earlier agreed to stay on and be homemaker to the guests at Zina's Guest House. How wonderful! She lives nearby, has a son-in-law and daughter with interests in two downtown restaurants, and is a worker used to working without a real job since Karina rented her shop out rather than keep it in the family.
Carmen also brought word from the shop keeper running Karina's store that Amelia is failing fast and can't feed her kids. I had dropped her carrot juice off earlier this morning, but just stuck it inside the door.
So as she cleaned the fridge, I went through the "food for ten armies" aka Three Hurricane Wilmas and made a food basket for Amelia and the family. Her husband is failing too with some complications to his tongue cancer. So, it felt good.
My legs have been a bit weak during the last day or two, so Isabel, Eriso's daughter, took the foods over along with a navy blue sheet to dress up Amelia's hammock.
Isabel said Amelia was overcome. Good that I have food for a few more hurricanes like that. Pensions are a week away and I my just have to dress two chickens for Thanksgiving and take one over!
Carmen tasted my cookies and suggested they could have been baked more and might not be so crumblie. Hmmm. I'm thinking it's a sea level thing and just cheat and put an egg white in. We'll see.
After she finished washing personal clothing, Carmen dug in and washed all my shoes! Yes, all my shoes. Now that's a trooper and a clean freak. I like that in a head of housekeeping!