Redesigning

Not sure why, but we just wanted a bench in the entrance sala.

Although the previous owners of our home tastefully decorated, after 

living in the house for a while, we wanted to make a few changes that will reflect our traditional tastes, but with a nod to Mexico. We were able to do this by shifting around some of the pieces of furniture that remained and adding a few new items that we found in Mérida. The design process is not complete by any means.  It has seemed, at least in our previous homes, that we never get to the point where we say "all done." There remains that one chair or table that we would like, or the 

room that needs painting, or a painting for a particular wall. Having collected English and European antiques for a period in our lives, and having operated an antiques business for a number of years, it would not be wrong to assume that we have some rather large pieces of furniture and other items that will be sold before our permanent move to Mérida. We will keep a few small accessories that we can pack in a suitcase or load in the car. The rest will go. Casa de Las Lechuzas will not be over-the-top or over done. There will not be a lot of clutter. We like the clean lines and streamlined furniture in contemporary homes, but when it comes down to it, we're simply more at home with our style. And, it's been fun looking for things that make us go "oh yeah." Given the predilection of Yucatán termites for yummy wooden furniture, we have  made sure the wood furniture we buy has been treated or is made of local woods that are resistant. We're also incorporating some iron pieces, as in the dining table, and in the beds which are yet to be made or found.

Moroccan-style mirror

...and the outdoor living room

We've Got It Bad. Is That Good?

Some of you may have seen this from the L.A. Times. Funny and true.

Do you sleep cradling the phone? Sneak peeks at twitter during meetings? Shudder at going without Internet? You're not alone. // Anecdotally, our Internet use seems to have spawned real addictions. And, according to several recently released surveys, we've got it bad. // More than half of Americans would rather give up alcohol, caffeine and chocolate for a week before parting temporarily with their cellphones, according to a survey by technology firm TeleNav Inc.


Sorry honey


One-third would give up sex; 22 percent would give up their toothbrushes (versus 40% of iPhone users, who evidently love their phone more than clean teeth); and 21 percent would rather go shoeless before separating from a mobile phone. Sixty-six percent sleep with their smartphones by their side.


Coming down fast


University students who faced a daylong Internet and media blackout began to display symptoms of withdrawal, a recent survey by the University of Maryland reported. One student said she was "itching like a crackhead" after going cold turkey for 24 hours. "I truly feel sorry for the Amish," another opined. "I cannot even express how bored and out of touch with society I felt."

Thanks for letting me share.

Is Mommie Dearest at work here?

Pepsi is NOT the national drink of Mexico. That distinction would go to Coca-Cola

Siempre!

A "colorful" evening in Mérida

On this evening in July, the sky was a gorgeous backdrop for sights around the Grand Plaza