Pietro and Valencia, Part one

Pietro has played the pan flute all evening for the patrons of the restaurant in Ajijic, Mexico.  Many customers have given him tips, for his music stirs their souls, but Pietro is playing for Valencia, the girl dancing dressed in a bright low cut top and full skirt.  She hears his music deep inside her and it makes her dancing suggestive and seductive.  When the restaurant closes, Pietro takes Valencia's hand and pulls her to his old Ford pickup truck.  It is rusty and old, and some of the fabric in the seats is torn, but Pietro is lucky, trucks are valuable in this small village.  Pietro has covered the seat with a good thick mexican blanket.  He has another, just in case it is chilly.  "I will drive you home."  Pietro says to Valenica.  She looks up at him, her blood hot with wanting.  "Yes,"  she says. "take me....... home."  They climb into the cab of the truck and Pietro kisses her face, her neck, his hand straying to the bodice of her gown, lowering it enough that he can touch her soft full breast and the dark nipple, hard with excitement.   Valencia stirs beneath him.  "Pietro..."  She moans.   "Pietro...".
Pietro's hand slides up under Valencia's skirt.   "Yes, yes".  Nothing more is heard from the truck.  No one sees what happens under the thick Mexican blanket.  After a last kiss, Pietro drives the battered truck to the corner nearest her home.  He dare not go any closer.  He watches as she walks to her casa.  As she opens the large gate, she turns once and stares at the truck and the young man inside.  Her body still feels his heat.  Then she disappears.   Pietro sits in his truck letting his mind float.  He hopes she has no trouble at home.  Valencia's Father does not like Pietro, for he believes that music is for parties and fun, but not for a living.  Pietro finally starts his truck and slowly drives back to the tiny casa that he calls his home.  It is one room and a bathroom.  The bathroom is why he rented the small place.  The shower alone a luxury that he had never had growing up.  The room has a bed with lots of pillows, so it can be used like a couch.  in one corner there is a tiny fridge, a small sink and a two burner hot plate.  He can cook whatever he needs.  He quickly undresses and removing the pillows, climbs into the bed.  It is a long time before he sleeps.
Valencia goes thru the gate and into the home of her parents.  Her Father waits in the brightly lit living room, his eyes bore deep into her, looking for evidence of her misbehavior, "Oh Papa,"  she says, reaching deep into her bodice and pulling out many dollars and pesos.  "Look how much money I made dancing at the restaurant tonight!"  Valencia pushes the money into her Fathers hands, knowing that the greedy man will forget everything else but the money.
Her Father looks at the money, then at Valencia.  "You are a good girl"  he says and walks away, counting.
Valencia walks the few steps into the kitchen, her Mother is standing at the sink.
"Hello, Mama."  She says, but she does not look into her Mothers eyes.  Slowly without turning from the sink her Mother nods and smiles.  "Valencia." She says quietly.  "Is he good to you?  Does he stir your heart?"
Valencia blushes.  How can her Mother know what is in her soul?  "Yes, Mama.  He is my heart."
"Go to bed."  Her Mother says.  "Before your father forgets the money and sees what is written in your eyes.  I am happy you are so blessed my daughter.  Few are."  Valencia's Mother turns and reaches out and strokes the cheek of her only daughter.  "Someday, you will have to face your Father with your young man, but not tonight.  Tonight you may just wrap your arms around yourself and feel again his touches.  Don't look so shocked.  I too was young once.  I know what you feel.  It is something we never forget.  Now go, quickly to your bed."
Valencia shivers and hurries to the tiny room that is hers.  She undresses and climbs into her bed pulling the covers up to her chin.  She too has trouble sleeping.  Pietro has given her much to think about.  She looks out her window and sees stars, thousands of them in the dark sky.  She knows that her love can see these same stars.  It makes her feel close to him again.  Finally, she sleeps, her last thoughts those of his hands and his lips, the wonderful soft lips......

SO.  This is my thanksgiving.  I sat with my husband Howard at a picnic table in the park at Borrego Springs.  The desert air is very dry and everyone here it seems is gathering outside at large tables, laden with turkey and all the things that go with it.  This is the first time we have ever had a Holiday meal alone, (no family or friends) in the desert, but it was good.  Lots of wine, good food, candles on the table, a slight breeze blowing, making the hairs on my arms stand up.  And, of course, the music.  At first the traditional classics, then christmas music, traditional then the oh so funny 'grandma got run over by a reindeer'.  Such silliness.  By this time the wine is almost gone.  The music changes to the pan flute, a CD we bought in Ajijic, Mexico when a young man played his pan flute at a restaurant.  I want to sing and dance and move my body with the feelings that are building inside me.  FInally we go into the privacy of our small RV and I shut the curtains and let myself move, dancing, swaying to the magical beat.
I begin to miss my family.  One by one I think of them..  My children.  My grandchildren.  My dead parents.  My Brothers.  My mind lingers on my oldest Brother.  I can imagine him here in the desert sitting at the table drinking wine with me, my husband and Judy, his wife.  He would laugh and dance and let himself feel the music.  He would not be embarrassed to dance.  He would only enjoy.  I miss him so.  Now I will write and then turn off the music.  Will the nights magic end with the last song?  I wonder.  No,  there are roasted chestnuts and coffee with Baileys and.....the stars....we will sit or walk this night and gaze up into the darkest night and try to find familiar constellations....It is one of the best Thanksgivings I can remember.  I am in great debt to the God above who created the stars, and the music that so stirs my soul.  I can only wish that everyone I love could feel this blessed.  Goodnight.
Click to go to part two.

Busy as bees.....

It's the 16th of Nov.  about 8:30 in the evening.  Howard and I went to see son Rob's new home today.  It was great.   They are going to love having a home of their own.  We are very, very happy for them.  Kristi will have her hands full trying to get things organized and they will be pooped until the new year, but I am sure it will all be worth it.  Imagine, each kid has their own room!  And a swimming pool!
But we are tired now.
The yard sale was Sunday and we prepared all day Saturday.  It was a success, but Golly gosh what a lot of work.
We are going to go to Borrego Springs for Thanksgiving.  It is one of only two designated international
dark' spots in the world.  We will take the jeep and do some off roading, 500 miles of dirt roads.  And fill our little camper van with turkey and all the trimmings, eat until we are stuffed, talking about how thankful we are for so much in our life.  Then sit, quietly side by side and stargaze until we fall asleep.  It's not the traditional family gathering, but we are very much looking forward to it.  We have wanted to go for a long time and there are really good moon and weather conditions at that time. Well, to all I love, I love you.

Bored STIFF

Okay, so the doctors say I must lay flat on my back with a pillow under my knees or on my right side, a pillow between my legs, heat in the morning, ice at night.  I am allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and eat my meals.  Yeah, like this is going to happen.  The physical therapist says until I do it I won't heal so I am trying.  But it is sooooo boring.  I have been able to put myself in sort of a semi awake dream state and think about a lot of stuff from a different view point.  I think this may be related to the pain meds I am on.  It is interesting until I really do fall asleep.  I shall get better soon.  Today I walked to a neighbors house and laid on her chaise lounge and watched her go through boxes of stuff to price things for a yard sale.  That was fun.  Meals are interesting because I am hungry, but don't feel like cooking.  We haven't starved yet so I guess I must be cooking okay.  Think it's time for a rest now.

Happy Halloween

Just saying hi!  Happy Halloween.  We are going to have hot apple cider an donuts, a family tradition.  But, alas, in an old folks park no trick or treaters.  Gosh, how sad, we will have to eat all the candy ourselves.  Smile. Dr. Nash. (Our Dentist).    Except for the pain in my thigh and lower back, which is still bothering me, I am doing well.  Howard too.  Can't believe tomorrow it will be November!

monday, monday.....

So on Thursday the 22nd we went to Urgent Care, got an x-ray of my back, some meds.  Saturday the pain was worse and I couldn't pee.  That was scary.  Back to Urgent Care.  The Dr. said, I am going to send you to the ER for an MRI.  He didn't like that I couldn't pee either.  The ER doc was a jerk we were there in a room for over six hours.  When he came in he hadn't even read the chart and said he didn't know why the urgent care dr sent me for an unneeded mri.  I said it was that I wasn't peeing.  He said what?  Then he looked at the chart.  He said the nurses should have told him.  I said he should have looked at the chart.  He said the MRI would be uncomfortable because I had to lay still so he would give me a pain killer.  He gave me a low dose of hydrocodone and sent me to the MRI machine.  What?  Does he not know that the hydrocodone takes at least a half hour to work.  Oh well.  Grin and bear it right?  But the MRI shows nothing.  no pinched nerve, no bulging disks.  No reason why I can't pee.  So he says go home, ice and heat, rest.  Come back if it continues.  What a dweeb.  So Monday morning we go to our regular dr.  By this time my left thigh is completely numb. no feeling at all.  But I am peeing!  My dr. puts me on prednizone, more pain meds, says come back in a week, sooner if the numbness doesn't go away.  He says it may be a damaged nerve.  Crap.  So on our way home we stop at a store and some dumb thing falls off a shelf and hits me on the foot.  Breaks a blood vessel, it swells up, and big bruise.  And it hurts.   So I have pain in too many places.  And the pain meds take the edge off, but the edge is not enough!  What is next.
On the good side, Howard is feeling much better
I hope everyone is having a good day.  You must be, cause somebody got mine! Love ya'all

and the drama goes on.....

At 4:30 am I dialed 911.  Howard is laying on the living room floor in his boxers and a t shirt.  His pupils are huge.  His skin is pale and clammy wet.  He has terrible chest pain and trouble breathing.  I hurriedly put on a pair of pants and a shirt and move furniture out of the way giving space for the paramedics to work.  The paramedics arrive take Howard's blood pressure and attach wires to his chest.
"I'm feeling better."  Howard says.  "The pain is going away."  All eyes watch the screen recording his heartbeats.
The medic says his pressure is up, but not exceedingly high.  His pulse is up too, but not alarmingly so.  The little green screen tells us that his heart is functioning okay.  This is probably not a heart attack.
Howard feels embarrassed.  I can feel the muscles in my body relaxing a little bit.
Howard is sitting up now.  The medics have decided it must have been indigestion.  Howard had taken multiple Tums when the pain began and it seems they finally have taken effect.  I gave him an aspirin, just in case.
The medic team of five pack up their equipment and depart.  I put my pajamas back on and we go back to bed.  It was a very scary hour.
I haven't slept tonight.  I hurt my back day before yesterday and there is no position that is comfortable.  Also, about four hours ago I had heartburn so bad it took ten Tums before it went away.  I felt like I was going to pass out.  Howard and I decide it must have been something we both ate and settle on the pumpkin pie he bought at Costco.  I said it tasted different, they must have a new baker or something.  We won't eat an;y more of it.
The pain in my lower back, left side, is excruciating.  I am now pacing the floor.  I sit.  I lay down.  I walk more.  Nothing helps.  It is now almost 9 am.  I brush my teeth and get dressed.  Howard will take me to the urgent care center.  Riding in the car is unbearable.
When we arrive the Dr. gives me a gown to put on and puts me in bed.  After many questions and me disolving into tears of pain, they give me a shot of dilaudin (?) and a muscle relaxer.  It takes about ten minutes before I start feeling the effects.  After twenty minutes I can sit.  The pain is bearable.  They xray my back and see no bulging disks.  The Dr. decides I have sprained my back and it is spasaming.  All I know is that the horrible pain is slowly sliding away.  The Dr. gives me instructions and prescriptions.  I am to go home, lay down, find a comfortable postion and stay there for a week taking muscle relaxers and pain meds, and alternating ice and heat each hour.  He allows me to use the bathroom and get up for meals.  After a week I will begin physical therapy.
We go home after getting the meds.  I get into the bed, get comfy and fall asleep.  Hours later I wake up. The pain is coming back.  I have a beer, it is after 5 pm.  Get some crackers and cheese.  After about an hour I take the  pills. I have iced and heated my lower back.  It hurts.  A lot.  I thought I would write a bit, but the medicine makes it hard to see.  Guess it is time to stop, go to bed, get comfy and wait.  I won't be able to read, the pills make my vision blurry.
I think this may be a long week.
Howard says, other than a headache, he feels good.
I feel like shit. I won't be doing an;y gardening for a while.  That is how I hurt my back.
I am going to close my eyes now and drift around.
Have a nice night.

End in sight.....

It's Sunday.  I fixed egg, bacon, tomato and cheese croissants for breakfast.  Oh, and lattes.  It is the first day in a week that Howard smiled.  His fever broke.  We are hoping this means tomorrow he will feel normal.  NORMAL?  Better anyway.  Bells are ringing!
I have decided not to get this bug.  The Swine Flu should be kept to the pigs.
Will my will work?  Or will my will fail?  Only time will tell.