Starting Out The New Year 2011



Stopped in the town of
San Andres, Tuxtla
just to take this picture



2 1/2 hours out of Veracruz, we could
see we weren't going to make it home by
dark, so we spent the night in  Mesón de Santiago
in Santiago Tuxtla,Veracruz
http://lostuxtlashotel.com/en/index2.html



Santiago Tuxtla give claim to the largest Olmec Head in Mexico.
They are very proud of their "BIG HEAD"




Part of their New Year's Celebration is to decorate a bush.
Everyone who can walk and play a guitar meets outside
of the city square and they have a late night parade and
march this tree thru' the city and place it at someones
home or business. 




They do this each night from Christmas Eve til January 10th
This is to bring LUCK for the entire Year ahead
One night of this "fun" was enough for Mayrene and I.



After traveling the length and width of the Narrow Neck Of Land
We were all ready to return to our home and to our life in the Temple





















The Temple was closed for another week after our return, but we all had lots of work to do.  Rob being over the physical facilities had to oversee the refinishing of the font, cleaning of carpets, etc.    Hermana Bickmore and myself  had  records and reports to close out for 2010.

Temple was washed by hand from top
to bottom (no power washers here)

Parking lines painted on with a paint brush

Our Sparkling Clean Temple was reopened on January 18th and we were BUZY all week.  A funny story about Saturday.  Approximately 6 months ago a decision was made NOT to have Saturday evening sessions.  Cards for 2011 were made with the new schedule, all stake presidents and bishops were contacted.  It was announced at every stake conference, regional temple meetings, etc.  Our Saturday started at 6:30am, at 1:30pm the last session of the day was under way and some of the workers (obreros) left to go home.  At 2:00pm three buses rolled in with 113 youth for baptisms, plus many adults. Presidente Hilton and myself returned home from the temple at 9:30pm and returned at 11:00pm to continue the laundry.  We returned on Sunday to finish up.  SO MUCH FOR OUR FIRST SHORT SATURDAY..  a 15 hr shift, plus a return to finish up....



Remember the Watermelon?? from the post
"On the Road to Palenque"



It wasn't a watermelon at all, but a
Chilacayote from which a candy is made



After Rob chopped it open, I roasted the seeds,
(which were quite tasty),
cooked the meat
 (which tasted like stringy watered town bland potatoes),
threw the meat away,
 then fashioned a hat to go with Rob's new Machete



Mayrene felt sorry for us, so she made us
her famous strawberry pie (you are looking
at $14.00 worth of strawberries), but it was
delicious