Our luck is holding out because the temperature is remaining balmy although the leaves are turning colors and drying and the winds are beginning to blow. As a "feel" of fall begins to fill our senses, my thoughts are turning to my first-ever winter in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. You will be hearing more about my life and house in Ajijic when we get there and you can read earlier posts from my vacation there in 2009:
http://crochetqueen-royalramblings.blogspot.com/ajijic-jalisco-mexico-augsept-2009.html
As I begin to make lists about what to take to Mexico I began to also think about what a different life it is there. I feel like my soul has one foot in Mexico and one in Chicago. I am, afterall, a Gemini, and I do have two personalities. I have clothes for Mexico and clothes for Chicago. The same goes for jewelry. There is some overlap but somehow certain pieces of apparel just work better there than here in the Midwest!
Now, don't get me wrong...I have friends here in Chicago who are Gringas that speak Spanish. We call ourselfves, "Las Chicas" and we get together about every month to taste the tastes in the abundant number of Mexican restaurants in our area.
Las Chicas at Mariscos del Mar
We also have a couples dinner group, "Amigos de Mexico," that explores Latino restaurants of all kinds.
Amigos de Mexico at our house
Hopefully, they will visit us in Ajijic, and try out their Spanish, for real!
This time of year I create a shrine in the living room for Day of the Dead, a tradtional Mexican Holiday to remember our relatives and pets who have passed on.
Someday, my goal is to have all the treasured latino artifacts in the Mexico house and all the rest here in Chicago. Dual inspiration in dual houses!
I have plans to do latino-inspired crochet designs while in my little casa in our village of 10,000. I could do that here,and have been thinking about it for month or years. I have done some of that kind of designing before but I want to do more. When I was on the blog radio show, Getting Loopy, a few weeks ago, I was gratified that one of the callers commented about my ethnic inspired works. So it shows, huh? My goal is to have that be a stronger identity for my latino-self.
"Fiesta Ole" Bracelets from Kooky Crochet published by Lark
"Famous Faces Series: Frida I" Bead-Crochet Brooch
"Mexico Motif" Flat-work Bead Crochet Brooch published in Beadwork magazine
I think the warm atmophere and slow pace of living in Ajijic will be more conducive to me getting busy and really setting my focus toward this type of designing. The sights, the sounds, the smells-they are different! I have crochet and artist friends there and I will experience exthic craftworkers. Oooh, the creative juices are starting to flow already, but wait! I have two months to wait yet and I have ideas leaking out of the Chicago-side of my brain that must come to fruition now. The fingers can't loop quick enough, but every stitch is shear joy!!
http://crochetqueen-royalramblings.blogspot.com/ajijic-jalisco-mexico-augsept-2009.html
As I begin to make lists about what to take to Mexico I began to also think about what a different life it is there. I feel like my soul has one foot in Mexico and one in Chicago. I am, afterall, a Gemini, and I do have two personalities. I have clothes for Mexico and clothes for Chicago. The same goes for jewelry. There is some overlap but somehow certain pieces of apparel just work better there than here in the Midwest!
Now, don't get me wrong...I have friends here in Chicago who are Gringas that speak Spanish. We call ourselfves, "Las Chicas" and we get together about every month to taste the tastes in the abundant number of Mexican restaurants in our area.
Las Chicas at Mariscos del Mar
We also have a couples dinner group, "Amigos de Mexico," that explores Latino restaurants of all kinds.
Amigos de Mexico at our house
Hopefully, they will visit us in Ajijic, and try out their Spanish, for real!
This time of year I create a shrine in the living room for Day of the Dead, a tradtional Mexican Holiday to remember our relatives and pets who have passed on.
Someday, my goal is to have all the treasured latino artifacts in the Mexico house and all the rest here in Chicago. Dual inspiration in dual houses!
I have plans to do latino-inspired crochet designs while in my little casa in our village of 10,000. I could do that here,and have been thinking about it for month or years. I have done some of that kind of designing before but I want to do more. When I was on the blog radio show, Getting Loopy, a few weeks ago, I was gratified that one of the callers commented about my ethnic inspired works. So it shows, huh? My goal is to have that be a stronger identity for my latino-self.
"Fiesta Ole" Bracelets from Kooky Crochet published by Lark
"Famous Faces Series: Frida I" Bead-Crochet Brooch
"Mexico Motif" Flat-work Bead Crochet Brooch published in Beadwork magazine
I think the warm atmophere and slow pace of living in Ajijic will be more conducive to me getting busy and really setting my focus toward this type of designing. The sights, the sounds, the smells-they are different! I have crochet and artist friends there and I will experience exthic craftworkers. Oooh, the creative juices are starting to flow already, but wait! I have two months to wait yet and I have ideas leaking out of the Chicago-side of my brain that must come to fruition now. The fingers can't loop quick enough, but every stitch is shear joy!!
Comments
Hasta luego,
Sheila