This morning I had a planting lesson.

Gerardo took me over to the area I had dug up for pineapple. I am just waiting for dirt to finish the project. Gerardo demonstrated digging it up even more and making it bigger. He also said I should plant the pina and lechuga - lettuce - because pineapple grows big but is very slow and lettuce grows very fast and is little. The pineapple will help shade the lettuce. I do have more packets of lettuce seeds. The cucumbers look great, the beets are taller, the spinach and chives are up. No sign of the dill. I am going to try planting a little in my big pot and then I give up.

Not sure why but last night the electricity was off for 2 hours and for a half hour this morning. Guess I better get my laundry done while it is back on again. 

The morning glory are really climbing and growing. I love all the different colored flowers. I have it growing up the wall. I have more tomato flowers and various plants in my pots have buds. When I question something, Gerardo looks at it close and says si or no este and pulls it out. I have an herb growing in one of the pots that he breaks off a leaf and smells it and says limon and goes on to explain it makes a great iced tea. I love having herbs in with the flowers. Now if the lavender would only spread all over the soccer field. 

Yesterday I had a great time with Ziomara in the shop. I picked up 2 slices of cake and stopped at ABC Bazaar to get packaging for her gift. I picked a bag and tissue paper and gave up trying to explain I didn't need a bag. I took the receipt and everything out of the bag and went to a side counter where you check your bags and got her gifts out and packaged them. I gave her some yarn of mine she liked, a container of English toffee I made and a coupon that said it was for her massage on 5/12 when she comes here. I chose that spot in the store because there was an attendant there who could see I was only putting my things in the package.

At the yarn shop we talked and ate and I visited with customers if they knew any English. I had brought the bows so we took them apart to figure out how much ribbon it takes to make them. Ziomara decided she likes the ribbon with the gold edging the best and she likes a combination of plaid and one with birds. Now we just need to find them at a good price. I need to make 10 big ones for her tree and we will go from there.

After a few hours I left with a book to show the craft ladies. The great thing about the books from her shop is they are in Spanish. Everything I have brought has been in English so they can look at pictures and use the patterns but not read the instructions.

I had no schedule so I started popping in and out of shops. It was a little cumbersome because I had my big purse and the blue duffle which I had to check in each place. Didn't find anything I couldn't live without until I ended up at the shop where I have bought lots of string and ribbon. I did it again - bought lots of ribbon and string. It is all hanging on a rack over the clerks heads. I pointed to the string and this time she took the dowel down with all the spools and I picked what I wanted. She then put the spool back and had me hold the ends of the ribbons until she was ready to measure them. I went with 10 meters of each string and 5 meters of each ribbon. In my defense, I was down to almost nothing because I had used it all for the dreamcatchers and Christmas trees. I do have a new project also. On the balcony upstairs there is an old stand for hanging a birdcage. I think it would make a great frame for a dreamcatcher. I even have a starting idea. Gerardo said yesterday I can have it to make one.  He also quoted me a price if I pay my rent for the next year - see, I really like it here! He also may have some ideas to help with insurance and an attorney to help with residency. The lady from Denver's daughter, Evelyn, was here to do all the translating which worked great.

This is called a fairy ring and it says it doesn't need a web but mine would, along with ribbons. I just hope my artistic talent can be this whimsical and not turn out organized and structured - 3 here, 3 there.

I love these little flowers and have them in several places.

I have no idea what this is. I walk along and break off things and stick them in my pots. It looks like it will have these orange flowers all over it. I love it. I have also bought some from the nursery that are various herbs so it could be one of those and it wasn't in bloom when I bought it.