Greetings!

 

Greetings!

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Sondra, otherwise known as my mom, has decided to take a break from writing this week because she is busy entertaining my son and me.  Two months ago, I decided if mom wouldn’t come to me, I had better go to her. 

I am not known for vacationing.  It has been 6-7 years since we have seen each other except over Zoom.  We talk daily, but it truly isn’t the same. 

In case come for a visit, I will give you an idea of what it was like for me.  I got the passport and tickets, then let mom know the dates.  The trip here is rather easy until you get to the connection in Salt Lake.  Many nationalities were seen in the waiting area to go to Mexico.  The messages were only in Spanish.  Luckily Tyler has a language translator on his phone.  We caught about ¼ of the messages.  We got on the plane.  

The view over Guadalajara was so beautiful.  The mountains and trees and green grasses were lovely.  When we landed, we followed the crowd to get our passports scanned at security, declared at customs, showed our passports a few times. They will either check your luggage or shoot you through to the outdoors.  We got sent on our way.

Mom’s friend Leo picked us up at Starbucks.  We went to the car and prepared for a 1.5-4-hour trip, depending on traffic.   Leo is a wonderful tour guide.  He showed us all the new construction to sponsor the next Olympics.   The sights and sounds of the flowers, birds, trees mingled with the buildings and shanties.  We stopped at a little overhang where a family sold ice cream.  Flavors nothing like I’d had before.  I got vanilla and it reminded me of snow ice cream.  Leo got elote (corn) and it truly tasted like corn.  I decided it was best to skip the tequila ice cream.

I had asked mom not to schedule any major site seeing because I just wanted to rest and be.  My first view of mom’s home is exactly as the pictures and descriptions she has given before.  Her brick home is small and full of color and personality.  Her outdoor areas are covered in fruit trees and plants that people back home pay a lot for to have a tiny bit in a pot.  Here they grow wild.  She has a pathos on the garden wall with leaves twelve inches across and 18 inches long!  The patio is covered and has a seating area that is so relaxing.  I can look from the patio through mom’s whole house because the windows are so large and watch the butterflies flitting around from flower to flower in her backyard.   

We have done a little shopping in town, and the sights and sounds have been so fun.  I am not sure I am brave enough to drive here yet.  The roads are frequently made of cobblestones or red dirt with many sharp rocks. In towns, the streets are close together and there is little room for one car to get through.  If there is asphalt, there have been speed bumps very close together. 

We went to a cathedral, Templo de la Purisima Conconcepcion. In English, The Temple of the Immaculate Conception, which is over 500 years old!  Everything was beautiful. 

The stores are not like the stores at home.   They may be 10 feet wide at the most.  On one street there was a brick maker, drinks maker, fruit stand, tortilla maker, and used clothes and shoes for sale.  Little tables are set to eat on the sidewalks. 

At a stand we went to for breakfast, I had the best refried beans I have ever had in my life.  While we ate, we watched as a man across the way whacked the tops off coconuts and prepared the milk and fruit for sale.  Dogs, cats, and birds roam freely.  I haven’t seen any bad animal and/or children behavior.

My son Tyler is more adventurous and has gone sightseeing with friends or walking to the stores for something to eat or drink. 

I lounged under the trees and chatted and read to my heart’s content.

I am writing this with the sound of birds, geckos, and wind chimes in the background.   It is time for siesta here.  I love this time of day.  I may have to bring the institution of siesta back home. 

Deborah Robart for Sondra Ashton

HWC: Looking out my back door

December 4, 2025

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