Monday, February 14, 2011 — Much Valentine celebration in El Tuito plaza

The center of town is filled with special balloons dedicated to Valentine's Day. Seems to be a really big thing here. Today Chayo gave each of us a bracelet with our name embroidered on a background band. They were made by her son, Ramses, a handsome fifteen year old who evidently is the best student in his class. They are so sweet and all done in different colors. My band is black with pink stylized embroidery. What a clever one he is growing up to be. And no wonder. His parents are both very smart and extremely creative. When I first taught some of the locals to weave on the harness loom, Primo, (Ramses' father and Chayo's husband) was the first to grasp every aspect all through the process. Now Chayo weaves marvelous shawls and scarves and sells them quite regularly. We did this at the gallery across from the plaza that Jean Pierre and others organized and manned some years ago. The rent eventually became prohibitive and the gallery no longer exists. But Chayo keeps weaving and Primo continues to do a dozen different things requiring a multitude of skills.

Work here continues to be wrapped up and order is slowly appearing on a few desk tops. An envelope of gratitude pesos will be given to Chayo and Conchita this evening because the earliest pickup for a student to the airport will take place at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. The rest will leave at various times during the morning. Elaine will leave with the morning group even though she is doing the Mexico City trip with us. She will sleep in her new, freshly built casita in Lo de Marcos for one night and then she and her partner, Don, will meet us at the Central Bus Station Wednesday afternoon. The pictures we've been seeing of the interior of the new Mexican quarters look so warm and inviting. The shutters are made of the same wood as the Larochette dining table and chairs.

We will leave Puerto Vallarta Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and arrive in Mexico City about the same time the next morning. I haven't seen the interior of one of these buses but they are supposed to be quite nice. I'll let you know in a couple of days. I have a two way ticket so at least I don't have to set foot in a Walmart again.

Chayo is charring some beautiful Poblano type peppers on the stove top down stairs and you can smell the aroma over the whole house. Heaven. This can mean one thing only. To celebrate the last evening all together, we'll be having chile rellenos. Who could possibly complain.