We did a little more shopping today and picked up a Talavera tile house number to adorn our condo when we get back. We were also introduced to "Joel's Pots", a pottery store where they have planters ranging in size from the small, 10 inch one that we bought to some that both Bob and I could fit in together. The colors were dazzling and except for the fact that Bob would have to throw Gail out of the car to bring home one of the larger ones, we would have done so. Shipping these things is out of the question!
As we were driving around we passed our second marijuana storefront, "Medical Marijuana Certification". Prior to this we did not know that marijuana was legal in Arizona for medical purposes, thinking this was only California. Much to my surprise, Massachusetts is way behind 16 other states and the District of Columbia in approving this initiative.
Seen on a storefront: "Se Habla Espanol". Well no kidding! We are only about 70 miles from the Mexican border and I would be very surprised if any storeowner did not speak Spanish. The words are coming back to me, and I suspect that if I were here for a month or two I would be very comfortable speaking with almost anyone. Even though I've had next to no dealings in Spanish, it's in the air almost everywhere you go. I believe that hearing it around you somehow stimulates those Spanish memories deep in the brain and brings them to the surface.
March Madness starts up again today. I was following it avidly last weekend, but last Sunday night my pick to win, Florida State, let me down. I have yet to see how I'm doing in the pool standings, but it can't be very well. With the exception of the two stunning first round 15-2 upsets, this appears to be the year of the favorites, Kentucky and North Carolina, so perhaps Pres. Obama will do well in his bracket; he picked North Carolina.
When we visited the Mission San Javier del Bac last week I saw a wall covered with "milagros", those tiny, silver colored metal representations of animals, flowers, and people so commonly seen in Mexican churches. Milagros are pinned up on the wall when one is asking for a prayer to be answered, as well as when the answer is received. Sometimes the wall is so completely covered in these tiny little decorations that the surface is almost totally hidden.
These small memories of Mexico that we have encountered all around Tucson, such as the milagros, resonate with unexpectedly strong emotions for me. In the case of the milagros, I decided I had to have one, and with only a little bit of searching in the old downtown area, we were able to find them. I have given one to Barbara and Maren. Everyone can use a small miracle!
Like most people on the East Coast, we have spent many vacations within view of the ocean. I have always found that just looking at the ocean is very relaxing and can be almost hypnotic, watching the waves change their patterns and listening to the soft sounds made as they reached the shore.
Now that we have spent a couple of weeks out of reach of any bodies of water, and have also spent many hours sitting in the sun enjoying the view of the mountains, I think I can say that the mountains hold an equal fascination. Despite that constant blue sky, there is the occasional cloud casting a shadow, and as the sun rises or sets on the mountains the shadows move languidly across the peaks and valleys, changing the landscape as they do. In the evening, if one is lucky, the colors on the mountains take on a faint pink glow, one that in an oil painting would look beautiful but perhaps a touch artificial. Here the beauty is very real.
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