Guadalupe.....

According to tradition, Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, saw a vision of a young woman on December 9, 1531, while he was on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City,Mexico. He told the local bishop, who asked for some proof. Three days later, the image of Mary appeared miraculously on his cloak when he was showing it to the bishop. Today the cloak is displayed in the Basilica of Guadalupe nearby, one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world.^[1] The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico's most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles "Queen of Mexico",^[2] "Empress of the Americas",^[3] and "Patroness of the Americas";^[4] both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flagsbearing the Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican presidentchanged his name in honor of the icon.

Dec. 12 is tomorrow, so the church is ready, there are Guadalupe statues all over town, and tonight a little group of dedicated followers came through town led by a wee girl with a flame. They got to the church, ready to go in, but alas, there was a wedding just ending, so they had to wait outside for the wedding party to move off. 

new kitten.....?

These 5 beauties were all at the front window together this afternoon - see if you can find them all.....!















And the newest arrival, a tiny all black kitten, too small to jump down to the food bowl, so it just yowled with the loud scream of a baby.






This afternoon, the men were back in the town square again, getting the stars ready for mounting. Why is it always the men.......?







JJ is the French Canadian gentleman who feeds all the street dogs near the bookstore and here he is with some of his menagerie......!

a fun evening......

Dinner last night at Casa del Pescador......always a lovely treat.













The whole hogfish is a fabulous meal (Miki and I shared one) complete with all the fixings!!
















Dessert at David Lau's was lime pie......yummy!!!!!






And tea, with the appropriate raised little fingers.....!

the sites.....

So we were in Cancun on Friday with Maggie and Ingrid, did a little shopping in the new Superama out on Bonampak and had lunch in a great little restaurant.











Back in town, we showed them the coatamundi sanctuary, and someone was tossing out tortillas, which brought out the whole clan.......! We often take fruit and veggie leftovers to them.







Aha - the tree is finally upright and decorated......


















and here it is in the daylight!