50th High School Reunion!

After writing about my trips to Florida and North Carolina, I look forward to sharing with you this story and a few pictures from the third great state we visited this summer: West Virginia---the state where I was born!

High school reunion #50?? Can it be true? I graduated from Huntington East High School in 1958 and we have had class reunions every five years. A wonderful committee headed by my friend, Carolene, organizes the reunions and everyone who attends has a great time renewing old friendships from years gone by. Our class, although large (numbering somewhere between 300-350), delights in remembering the people we knew, the places we went and the things we did in our high school days, as well as catching up on kids, grandkids, and now, even great-grandkids!

One thing that everyone remembers from the "old days" is Stewart's hot dogs! And it is probably the first place that folks from Huntington visit---even before going home to see their families! The little orange hot dog stand on 5th Avenue next to the BASF plant (formerly the Standard Ultramarine) hasn't changed since it was started in 1932.




It was always a drive-in, long before drive-ins became popular in the 1950s. Through the years it has added some items to its menu, but the standard hot dog, with Mrs. Mandt's secret chili sauce, and a frosty mug of Stewart's root beer, served on a tray hanging on the driver's side window, is the unrivaled king of hot dog eating!



Another landmark in Huntington is the Keith Albee theater.

Through the years, many a hand was held, and even a kiss stolen, by high schoolers while watching a movie at this historical theater.

Trinity Episcopal Church is the church I attended and we were married here.

Several high school friends attended the youth group with me at this church.

The face of Huntington has changed and a new multi-use center right downtown is a very attractive addition to Third Avenue.

Pullman Square is home to restaurants, shops, and a movie theater. The old B&O railroad station and the Ohio River provide a lovely backdrop for this area.

And now to the reunion...

Friday night, classmate Jim and his wife, Verna, hosted a lovely gathering in their large yard. The Marshall University Jazz band played while everyone chatted, took pictures, looked at old yearbooks, and nibbled on delicious hors d'oeuvres. We even had two of our former teachers attend. How nice to reminisce with them.

Saturday morning, some of "us girls" met at Bob Evans for breakfast---a meal which lasted four hours! Just can't get those ladies to stop talking! What fun!

All of us not only graduated from high school together, but we also attended Junior High together. We are friends from age 12 in the 7th grade.

After breakfast finally ended, some of us got together with another junior high/high school friend and chatted over lunch!

The day passed quickly and finally it was time for the dinner and dance at the local country club.

Mr. Neat and I enjoyed a delicious dinner, visited with friends, and even danced a few to the 50s music provided by a (very loud!) band.

The night ended too quickly---there was much more to be said to friends. I guess we will just have to get together again in five years and pick up where we left off!

Hasta luego

Highlands, North Carolina

Hello again to my faithful readers! I apologize for being so lazy this summer and not writing about my travels. Although while I am not in Mexico, I did visit three great states right here in the USA! I already wrote about my trip to Florida in June (see the blog dated June 15 "Fun in Florida" ) and now I will share some of the fun and pictures from a week that we spent in the Highlands, North Carolina in July.

Highlands is a small town nestled in the mountains in the southwestern part of North Carolina. It is a two hour drive from our home in northern Georgia, through the curving hills of NC. How beautiful the scenery was, driving through the mountains, and the village of Highlands had its own charm!


This is Main Street where interesting shops, boutiques, and restaurants line the street.



In front of this store is a pretty waterfall, some greenery and a bench to sit and enjoy "people watching" after a day of browsing in the shops.




There are several churches on Main Street but everyone seems to designate the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation as the landmark from which to give directions. "It is across the street from the Episcopal church." "Walk a block down from the Episcopal church." And here is the Episcopal church!






This is the Highlands Community Theater where Mr. Neat and I spent a lovely evening. Celebrating their 40th anniversary, the musical play highlighted several of the numbers from shows which the theater has performed in the past and also some numbers from plays which they would like to put up on the boards in the future. Such talent from the writers, musicians, and the actors! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!


This is the lovely condo we stayed in. Owned by friends of Gainesville State College, they shared their elegant home with us for the week.




Behind the condo was this pretty creek. Isn't the setting beautiful?

And where there is a creek, there will be little boys! Our two grandsons visited for a couple days with their parents and M and M loved wading there.

One day when AE, C, M and M were visiting, we climbed aboard their van and took off to visit a state park a few miles from the Highlands. This Looking Glass Waterfall was so pretty. Tumbling down from the huge rock formation and forming a quiet pool of water below, it attracted lots of folks, some of whom only looked and took photos (me!) and some actually went down and waded in the pool of water. Maybe you can see some of the people in the water at the bottom of the photo.

Travelling a little further down the road, we stopped at Sliding Rock. It is an enormous rock formation with a waterfall on which people could sit down at the top and actually slide down on the rock into the water below. C, M and M went down the rock into the water and declared it was great fun! I took some pictures but I couldn't get far enough away for you to see the whole area. Too bad because it was a fun thing to watch.

On our way home we stopped for ice cream at Dolly's, whose reputation had been touted by many. "You must stop at Dolly's!" Flanked by the two bears, M and M, Mr. Neat and I enjoy the treat.

Our son and his family also joined us for a couple of days and we had breakfast at the pharmacy on Main street. They served up some fine vittles at this drug store!

Being able to visit the beautiful mountains, to become acquainted with the delightful town, and to share a few days with our kids and their families---as well as having a couple of days by ourselves to relax---was a great pleasure for us.

If you are ever in western North Carolina, a side trip to the Highlands would be a treat! Just drop down south of Asheville and you will find the town just waiting for you.

Hasta luego.

Breakfast in Tlaquepaque

In May I was able to spend a few days with my friend Rosario and her family in Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara. They are very special to me and treat me as one of their family.

On Saturday morning, after taking the kids to the dentist, we went to breakfast at "the Senora's house". That is the only way this little restaurant was identified! In the parking area of her home, "the Senora" sells gorditos on Saturdays. There was a line and the wait was about 20 minutes---but it was well worth the waiting! Some folks bought gorditos for carry-out and others chose to eat there at the 4 little tables.



Here is the hand-written menu, advertising the different types of gorditos, aguas frescas, and coffee.

Butterflies decorate the wall of the cooking area as the ladies work. A large jar of jamaica aguas frescas is on the left, next to the carry-out bowls.

The fillings for the gorditos are made in the kitchen of the house but the tortillas are made outside where everyone can watch. The tortillas used for gorditos are thicker than the usual tortilla. Can you see the raised edges as she puts it on the grill?

After the tortilla is cooked, she makes a slit in it and stuffs it with your chosen filling. In the pot is mole, which I chose.

Here is my breakfast: on the left is rajas with melted cheese (strips of roasted poblano peppers) and on the right is the mole. Chopped onions and tomatoes are in the bowl and my jamaica aguas frecas is on the right. Good eating!!

This is typical of the Mexican food that I enjoy when I am there. Many people ask me if the Mexican food is spicy hot. Some of it is but most is not. Hot salsa is always available on the table for you to add if you want to add some heat to your meal, but I notice that most of my friends do not eat their food very spicy.

If I ever get back to Tlaquepaque and "the Senora" is still selling those delicious gorditos, I will be first in line!

Hasta luego.

San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco

Even though I am no longer in Mexico, I have some pictures and memories that I would like to share with you. I didn't have time to write about everything on my blog while I was there!

San Sebastián del Oeste is a quaint little town, in the state of Jalisco, nestled in the Sierra Madre mountains about 40 miles from Puerto Vallarta. It is a weekend escape for Vallartans who appreciate the altitude of 4500 feet and the cool evenings! Pine trees, cattle and coffee plantations, and splendid mountain views, together with the relaxed atmosphere provide a special treat for all visitors.

The town was settled in the early 1600s as a gold and silver mining town. The precious metals were mined there, sent to Guadalajara and on to Veracruz where they were transported to Spain. At one time the population was about 40,000 people; however, the Mexican Revolution in 1910 and the depletion of the mines caused the prosperity of the town to decline. Now there are about 600 people living there.

The road from Puerto Vallarta to San Sebastián reminds me of my home state of West Virginia! Mountains, dramatic views of the valleys, hairpin curves and narrow passages provide thrills as you drive along! They are still building parts of the highway and at times we had to stop and wait for the construction. But, in true Mexican form, where we were stopped for about 10 minutes waiting for the road grader, it was party-time! Some people pulled out a cooler and sold beer, soft drinks, and water and everyone got out of their cars and stood in the shade talking with each other, wondering how long we would be stopped.

Even though it is only 40 miles away, it took us about 2 hours to make the drive due to the condition of the roads. While the highway that they are building is almost complete, and is very good, at some point one must leave the highway and drive over cobblestone and dirt roads to get to the town. Also be sure you have a full tank of gasoline. The gas stations are few and far between!

As we drove through the fields, we passed many maguey (agave) farms. Jalisco is the state where the maguey plant is grown which is made into tequila.






This is a how the farmers grow the maguey plants. Like corn in Illinois and Iowa, the maguey is planted in straight rows--field after field. it takes 7 years for the plant to mature.

The mountains and valleys on the way to San Sebastián.

This new bridge, called El Progreso bridge, spans a river.

Here is the road we were just on! I took this picture from the area near the bridge where we had stopped for a photo op.

Upon arriving in any little town, one always asks: "Where is the church?" That will get you to the center of town. The Temple of San Sebastián was built in the 1600s but due to an earthquake, it had to be rebuilt in 1868.

Next door to the church is a small museum with interesting artifacts from the region.

The altar of the church.

This is the churchyard with beautiful bougainvillea blooming.

The town plaza with the church steeple in the background. The long, low building in the back is their version of a strip mall! Souvenirs, cold drinks, snacks and even some postcards were sold there. The kiosk in the plaza is used for music programs and fiestas.

We walked up the road to the tourism office! This young lady was very helpful and explained a lot about the area to us. She also gave me some brochures and then posed for the picture.

Walking down a street in town.

I love this picture---the satellite dish next to the house where a burro was tethered in the back yard! The lady from the tourism office lives here and her husband makes silver jewelry and sell it from their home.

Lety and I took turns photographing each other in front of the bougainvillea plant with the church in the background.

Sitting on the porch of the Posada del Sol restaurant drinking limonadas and people watching was great fun! The main activities of the town are: walking, enjoying the beauty of the region and resting! There are 2 museums in town, and we visited both, and if you are so inclined, you can rent an all-terrain vehicle and drive through the mountains. There are 7 hotels/bed and breakfasts in town but only one has a television and Internet connection. People come to San Sebastián to rest and rejuvenate---and what a perfect place to do so. I am ready to go back!

Hasta luego.

Fun In Florida

My friend, Sara, invited me to go with her to their condo on St. George Island, Florida for a few days. What a wonderful, relaxing time we had!

Does everyone know where St. George Island is? I didn't so I had to check out the map. Look at the panhandle of Florida that sticks out under Georgia and you will see the town of Apalachicola. Drive over a new 4 mile bridge with a very pretty view of the bay, and you will arrive on St. George Island.



Arriving on the island you are welcomed by this newly built lighthouse, a replica of the original one.

At one end of the island is a National Park where everyone can enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean, picnic or camp, launch a boat and fish for the day, or just walk and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the place. What a treasure.

And then there is the beach! The sand is almost white and the water is beautiful. There used to be large sand dunes here until the area was devastated by a hurricane a few years ago, but the dunes are slowly being rebuilt by the wind.

In the morning we watched the dolphins playing and jumping out of the water. In the afternoon people swam and fished, but the best time for us was in the evening. From about 5:00 until 8:00 or so, we sat on the beach when the sun was not so hot and there was a light breeze. Enjoying a glass of wine, visiting with each other and watching and listening to the ocean---what a great way to relax, unwind and cool off from the heat of the day. The moon came up over the horizon as the sun was setting. How beautiful!

In the small town of Apalachicola, there is a park on the waterfront where you can observe, close-up, the oyster and shrimp boats. The town's industry is fishing and fresh shrimp, oysters, and fish can be found everywhere.

This is an oyster skiff and I learned that the long wooden paddles which you can see on the boat are tongs that the fisherman uses to reach into the water and gather the oysters to bring up onto the boat. Oyster boats are flat-bottomed and have the small cabin in the back. On the front of the boat is a culling board and a culling rake. The fisherman uses the tongs to throw the oysters onto the culling board and then rakes across them. He keeps the large ones and throws back into the water the smaller ones, allowing them to grow larger.

Another very interesting spot we visited was the dwarf cypress forest. Driving 4.5 miles off the main road, we arrived at a place where cypress trees only grow a few feet tall.

The boardwalk allows us to walk into the midst of the trees. In the photo you can see the taller trees in the background and the dwarf cypress in front. The information board says they do not know why the trees only grow so tall in this area because when the seeds from the trees are planted elsewhere, the trees grow to their normal height.

The area was a marshland with swamp grasses and lily pads growing in the creek.

I love the lily pads. But there were no frogs sitting on them!!

One evening Sara and I indulged in a seafood dinner. When you go to Apalachicola, try the Boss Restaurant on the waterfront. Mmmm--good!

Our table was right on the waterfront and the seagulls hovered, hoping for a treat!

Can you see him sitting on top of the light pole?

While Sara had fried shrimp, I tried grilled oysters with 4 different sauces. And, yes, we shared a dessert too: Mud pie!!

Sara was a great "tour guide" as she showed me the Estuarine Center, the historical churches, and beautiful old houses with interesting architecture.

As usual, I took many, many pictures and I just had to share some of them with you. I will have the pictures to remember the lazy days we spent in Apalachicola and on St. George Island, Florida.

Hasta luego.

Goodbye But Not Adios

No one wanted to say "goodbye", including me! Everyone asked when I am coming back. I wonder that myself. We didn't say goodbye, but we did say "Hasta luego" several times during my last week in Puerto Vallarta.

My friend, Lety, with whom I lived and worked while there, invited me to breakfast at a very unique restaurant, El Set. Not recognizing the word "set" in Spanish, I asked her what it meant. She replied "It's an English word". It seems that when the movie, "The Night of the Iguana" was filmed in Puerto Vallarta years ago, this restaurant was used as a set for the movie---thus, the name "El Set"!




Lety and I enjoying our breakfast: eggs with mole sauce, frijoles, and fresh squeezed orange juice.




A replica of a movie camera adds to the authenticity of the restaurant.





And the view....oh, how beautiful!

On Wednesday morning, I returned to the preschool where I taught, to say goodbye, and the children put on a program for me. The principal, Maestro Rogelio, the English teacher, Maestra Erika (second from left) and I posed for a "faculty photo" before the program.









The three year old class sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".

These four-year olds, with Maestra Erika holding the mic, said a poem in English.

The girls did an Hawaiian dance!

At the end of the performances, the whole school sang the songs I had taught them to sing at the beginning and ending of the class period. They sang to me and I sang back to them!

Then everyone lined up for a big hug and said "goodbye" (in English!) to me. I hope they are able to continue learning English as they progress in school.

That evening, some of the principals and teachers, with whom I worked, gathered at the Restaurante Hector" for dinner. Located on the beach, we watched the sun go down and applauded when it fell below the horizon!

The sun joined us in the photo, sticking its bright head in between two of the teachers!

Another goodbye at the airport with three friends brought tears from us all but we parted with the standard farewell: "Nos vemos" ("We'll see each other").

Although I have returned from the trip, there is much more to be written about Mexico and I hope you will continue to read, as I write, about the schools, the people, and the country. And for those of you living close enough to see the photos, I have several hours worth of vacation pictures!!! I bet you can hardly wait!!

For now, I am very happy to see Mr. Neat, my kids and grandkids, and, especially Nellie, my faithful Gooldendoodle who missed me more than anyone!!

In the meantime, nos vemos and...

Hasta luego