Fashion vs Function vs Fashion

Why is it that there are certain articles in our closets that attract us and that very attraction defies all logic or reason? I cannot give up nor am I willing to even consider life without these boots. This obsession happened a good two years before there was any obvious reason for it. Circumstances have changed since my days of being a 'real housewife of Orange County' to what I am today. My collection of fabulous high heels are merely on display now (in the basement, no less) as wearing them would only be ridiculous at best, and masochistic at worst. Walking is now the priority and not just from the vehicle to the building but sometimes into the bush, or along the creek or up the trail or down the laneway. This attachment to the land requires proper footwear and hence a more grounded feeling all around. I like the solid footing that a good boot gives and the security also. I also like the challenge of making a personal style statement so out of the (shoe)box.

No One Gets Out Alive

I have been feeling fragmented lately. Been feeling more a 'sum of my parts' rather than a complete person. Neither here, nor there. Restless, and letting that feeling that there is something more out there, to creep into my psyche. On the other hand, life is about as full as ever these days and health is optimal. Ahhhh. I think I just figured it out. It's those wacky near-death experiences that do it to you over the long run. Nearly dying changes one in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. For me, it has made life far less scary. Let me clarify a bit. Although, I still think and overthink things, jumping into the deep end is now fraught with anticipation, not dread. The problem being that there are just so many ways to go and so many things to do. Once again it comes down to making a decision and then just assuming it is the right one. My broken record of a mantra... live a life with no regrets.

Just a Moment...please

It was bound to happen and it did today. My job today was to switch out the winter clothes and switch in the summer warm-weather wear. Normally, a job I enjoy and for the most part, I did enjoy it. Then I found Cowgirl's winter bootie. It was the only one left of a set of four that she hadn't worn out. I guess that was why I had kept it and it made me so sad to see it. God, these moments still get me and get me bad. Writing about these brief downward spirals tends to somehow deflect their power and for that your indulgence is requested.

Back in a Week

Sometimes it is necessary to hit the road. A break in the routine for just a week to an area so unlike this green, wet, wooded place. So, off I go to a land of plenty where shopping malls meet shopping malls yet coyotes still howl in the hills.

BEWARE...

Yes, it's true. Travel to foreign places can be dangerous as these pictures clearly show. Injuries do occur, pedicures are ruined, strangers approach and want to know you, food is questionable, and sleeping habits are disrupted. One must be on alert for these dangers. One must be vigilant or the consequences can be bad...bad...bad. Be wary, be very wary of the spiraling down of clothing choices, especially, accessories, as this is a clear sign of trouble in paradise. Try not to let your guard down or you could find yourself adopting a stray dog and thinking it is a perfectly sane thing to do. If you find yourself speaking Spanish you most likely need an intervention and hopefully can be rescued and returned and deprogrammed before permanent damage is done.

Big Puppylove on Isla Mujeres

Big, big puppylove is what is going on at Alison's sanctuary on Isla Mujeres. On the days that we visited we were always greeted by happy, friendly, bouncing puppies and dogs of all kinds. The difference between the street dogs and Alison's rescued dogs was like night & day. The dogs living on the streets of Mexico tend to be wary and skittish and understandably not very trusting of people. They also tend to be busy searching for food and a safe place to rest a bit. They also tend to break your heart. In all our years of traveling around Mexico, it was always the dogs that got to me. Before you think that I am hard-hearted when it comes to people, you would be wrong. It is just that here I choose to write about the dogs. That being said, I want to tell you that owning a mexican dog for almost 14 years was a most wonder-full experience. I would recommend it to anyone. When I found Cowgirl on that beach in Mexico she was about 8 or 9 weeks old and she was running with a pack of older dogs. Her mother was not one of them. I fell in love with her upon sight and our first kiss sealed the deal. The cool mystery of owning a puppy of mixed blood is that slowly the adult dog is revealed over the next few months until 'voila' you have a dog unlike any other! Over the years we were always asked the question "What kind of dog is that?". To which we would reply "A pure-bred, Mexican street dog". Our little private joke, but always a good way to talk about how she came to be ours. "IslaAnimals.org"

***PUPPYLOVE***

Isla Mujeres Shelter It seems only fitting that I start out the Isla Mjujeres story with the real reason for going there in the first place. I was in search of some 'puppylove' and I needed a jumpstart to get moving out of the quicksand that I seemed mired in. When I first learned about Isla Mujeres and all that it had to offer (sun, surf, food etc.) of course it sounded good, but what really got to my heart was the island shelter run by a woman named Alison. She runs a haven (a heaven?), for Isla dogs, and sometimes cats. She does it out of her love and with lots of help from volunteers. http://www.islaanimals.org So I knew I had to go and meet her. I also wanted to open my heart up again because well, because, I had done it once before for a Mexican puppy and it had changed my life. I was at my lowest point in my spiral downwards (boo,hoo). I can see that now. Isla Mujeres was a place I had never been to before and neither had Cowgirl. She had traveled with us almost everywhere so I had to go somewhere where I wouldn't be reminded of her whenever I turned around. Isla fit the bill. I was fully prepared to go on my own but as a whim, I emailed a friend and asked if she wanted to take a trip with me. Fully expecting a "no"...I got a "yes". Yippee, yah,ky, yah! So we were off. This dear friend of mine, needless to say was totally on the same wavelength and there was never a doubt in my mind that amazing events were going to take place on mexican time, on an island, in another world. These pictures capture some of the big love that is on this small island at Alison's sanctuary.

It Was Easy!

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. In the beginning, it seemed impossible but it just goes to show you that a little bit of 'obsession' can indeed be a good thing. I ( Miss know- nothing- about- computers--me!) have managed to do something that will provide hours of playtime. I now have the Isla Mujeres pictures!!! So, get ready because we are going to the island to eat good stuff, to meet some puppies, to fall in love, to make some friends and maybe to laugh a little. Muchas gracias, Joey, for taking most of the Isla pictures.

The Theory of Evolution

Since starting this blog I have come to realize how much pictures put a perspective on things. How much they jog your memory and flesh out your life. How they capture a moment that otherwise would be lost and forgotten. How they bring out all kinds of reflections of who you were then and who you are now. Sometimes there is a significant change and sometimes not. I rememeber when these two photos were taken and who took them. I love the two subjects and so much has changed since the pictures were taken. I like imagining myself back at that moment and not knowing the future. It's fun to re-trace your footsteps and think what and where you would be if you had done something different. Once again...the possibilities are endless.