LuLu's Back in Town

Fats Waller. Great stride piano and someone I'd love to invite to dinner. Friends gathered around the piano, adult cocktail in hand. Interesting folks having light and gay conversation. It would be swell.

After eighteen months away from Merida, I'm heading back soon. This will be my last trip before the big move . I'll spend time getting the basics set up in the house and will speak to a few Brokers to see who's willing to take me on.

I'll have to hit the ground running.  First priority will be purchasing a bed and charcoal grill. Still no propane or repairs done to mi Nido but over the course of a few visits, I've muled down enough household items to set up shop.

There are a few pieces of furniture that I picked up on Yucatan Online Garage Sale. A great Facebook page where you can get what you need if you're diligent.  A good friend has been nice enough to pick up said purchases and put them in the house for me. Buying things sight unseen and wiring money to strangers may seem foolish to some, but not to me.

I'm going to check out the funky junkyard and see if I can find an old, narrow door. Grab a few cinder blocks and make a temporary bench. I've got a large wash tub that I'm going to fill with ice and good beer in the event that the leaf cutter ants have completely finished off the electric and I have no refrigeration.

Of course there will be dry London gin and lime...

I will visit the Mercado in Santiago for the first time and find something good to grill.

And on my first weekend in mi Nido,  I'm going to have a house full of new friends and old. With an adult cocktail in hand, I'm going to warm my house. Even if it's 95º.

Well look who's here
Lulu's back in town
My, my, my, yes, yes, yes .

Fats Waller

Losing Track

When I first started this blog it was more for myself than anything else. Not having done the required research as to what constitutes a good blog, it's meandered here, there and everywhere.  Sometimes striking a cord with readers and other times not satisfying anyone needs at all.  A blog should meet the needs of some and if your lucky, many and this one doesn't.



This blog was supposed to be about my journey to Merida but unfortunately that journey has been waylaid, delayed, sidetracked and unfocused.  I'm moving to Merida. My goal is to be there by year's end. I've got a home there that I love and it's time to get crackin'. 



I've played with the idea of scratching the whole blog thing and realized that that won't serve any purpose...so I've decided to simply put in on hold.  I'll start up again when there actually are two dogs in Merida.


In the meantime, be well and enjoy whatever comes your way.

Dia de los Muertos y Santa Clara

My mother was born on November 1st 1929.

We jokingly called her Saint Claire.  Not that she was saintly, but she seemed so compared to the rest of us.

She had a great sense of humor.

She had a bulls@#t meter that was spot on.

She could make a meal out of anything in the fridge.

She was an amazing speller.

She could do crossword puzzles in her head.

She never used the word hate.

In honor of Dia de los Muertos, take time to think of loved ones who've passed on.

Laugh, smile, shed a tear...whatever works.   But remember.

Hurry Up and Wait

I know that things move more slowly in Mexico.  A more leisurely lifestyle is something I look forward to. People seem to enjoy conversation and life doesn't seem like something you have to "get on with."

A few weeks ago we contacted the architect we'd like to design and construct the addition we're planning. He was nearing the end of a project and we're now waiting for him to measure the house and present some ideas. In my New York mind it's taking forever.

A little over a year ago, I went off to Merida to start my search and within six months, I had the keys to a two bedroom, two bath home in Santiago.  Quite livable and with a courtyard to die for,  I couldn't be happier. While some folks think I might have rushed into things, I think I made the perfect choice then...and I still feel that way now.

I have friends who continue to peruse the various real estates sights long after they've made a purchase. Initially I avoided that temptation. Was I afraid that there might be something better that would come up for sale? Did I pay too much? Should I have waited a bit longer to pull the trigger?

I think not.

My Broker showed my over thirty homes during my September and February visits in god awful heat. She was a saint looking back on it now. As a Realtor myself, I know that sometimes your client has to be assured that there isn't something "better" out there.

Over the past months I've checked out the various real estate offerings in Merida and I still think that my house was a good deal for under $55,000. Occasionally,  some gem comes on the market for under $75,000 but that wasn't my budget. I've yet to see a home in the $50's or less quite as nice as mi nido.

Now that mi hermano y cunada are hoping to build a second floor over my place,  renovations will put things on hold. Plumbing and drainage have to be reconfigured downstairs to accommodate upstairs. Privacy issues have to be addressed. Changes will be made to the courtyard to accommodate two households. My sister in law would like a washing machine and they'd both like a pool. These are two adjustments I can definitely live with.  I'll suffer through it, somehow.

Someone is coming in weekly to tend to all things green. It not really as extravagant as it seems.  By paying six months in advance, it comes out to roughly $10 per week...the cost of two lattes in Manhattan.  Once construction starts, we'll put gardening aside for awhile.

I'm glad I bought when I did... I'm glad I held off on repairs and painting...and I'm glad that my family wants a space to call their own in Merida.

I'm just not happy about having to wait.

Are You Following Me?

In December it seemed as if my family was not happy about my decision to move forward with my house search in Merida. What a difference a few months can make.

My cunada has joked over the years that she and my brother seem to follow me wherever I go. Not really true, but there have been times when they have. Two years after I bought my house on the Hudson, they purchased a home two miles down the road...with the most spectacular view of the river I've ever seen. It's comforting to know that they're so close. Especially now that most of our family is gone.

They joined me on my trip in May.  It was not the most restful or comfortable one for sure.  We were working on the house with no fans or AC and the temps hovered around 98º. My brother spent a day in the hospital and his wife had to make a trip to the pharmacy.  I worried that they might be having a miserable time.

Well, a funny thing happened. While I was busy measuring square footage they fell in love with Merida.  Who knew?

They approached me a few weeks ago with the idea of building a second floor on the back of the house. They're nearing retirement and it would give them a place to stay while visiting without us getting into each other's hair. I purposely looked for a two bedroom house to accommodate guests but this idea seems like a good one.

Fish and company start to stink after three days...or so they say.  I live alone and enjoy my quiet time. I'm a very early riser and don't like the sound of a television mumbling in the background.  I have two dogs.  My brother and his wife, on the other hand, have been married for over 37 years and are very social people. They like to sleep late and the television is usually on (even though it's not being watched).  They like dogs...but not those with a combined weight of 160 pounds.

Their idea was starting to make sense.

It would be nice to have them stay for extended periods without having to "dance" around each other and the additional space would bring in more rental income when the house isn't being used. In exchange for "air rights" they offered to finance my renovations which would help speed things along.  As I mentioned before, my plans to make some repairs and changes to my Merida home are delayed due to repairs needed NOB.

Oh, and then there's the pool.  They would want a pool.  Who am I to complain?  They twisted my arm.

The writer of my favorite Merida blog wrote about the strange shapes of properties in Centro. He included what appeared to be a bar graph on LSD... when in fact it was an illustration of the inconsistencies that make up Merida real estate taken from Google maps. As with most homes in Centro, mine is not rectangular...it's more like a trapezoid.  I like the quirkiness of my house.  Walls slant and taper.  The footprint zigs and zags back and forth. The three of us have been talking about how we could configure the upstairs to make it functional and fit with the odd space provided. We're having fun with drawings and dreams but try as we may, it's been very difficult to see how this project is going to be achieved. Fortunately, the architect has more ability and experience than we do.  He's from Merida,  has worked on many homes in the neighborhood and we like his work so we have faith.

After a few weeks of mulling this over, I've decided it's a good idea.  Financial benefits aside, it's very comforting to know that my family loves me enough to want to keep following me.

Our mother would be thrilled to know that her children will be under the same roof again...and playing nice.

Renovation Costs in Merida - My Tiny Project - Part 2

I had planned to provide the costs involved with my tiny project but there's been a slight change of plans.

Looks like things are expanding.

More to come!

Renovation Costs in Merida ~ My Tiny Project ~ Part I

I've found over the past year that very few bloggers give specific costs of renovations to their Merida homes. I can understand their discretion.

I've decided that I'm going to post all the costs involved with mi nido. Maybe by doing so, someone will either find an answer to their question or learn from my mistakes.

I'll try to list all the repairs needed in my home in my next post, but for the time being I want to share the first project I tackled.

Because most houses in Centro are attached to neighboring homes, you don't have the benefit of an alley. Any work done in the interior courtyard has to be schlepped through the house. Best to start out back first.  This especially holds true if you're planning a pool or other major work. 

I come from a family known for several things...some good, some bad.  Some members are horticulturists.  If it's green they can handle it.  One cousin grows orchids, another is an amazing arborist and a third deals in carnivorous plants. They've got it covered.

My aunt and uncle are the oracles of all things rooted in the earth.  They would never forgive me if I let beautiful established trees and plants suffer from neglect, so the garden became my first priority. I'm still in the States and had to rely on the kindness of strangers and two good friends to make it all happen.  Friends who were heading to Merida to check on their own project made time to supply a key to the landscaper and take some photos of the house for me.

I first saw the house in February of this year, put in an offer and closed in March.  The house had only been vacant for two months and the garden looked good compared to many I'd seen. Great shade, a few aloe and a nice patio with pavers. 

I returned in May and was glad to see that even though the bougainvillea had spread out more than up, things seemed to be under control.  The coco palm needed a bit of attention but not a big project. I headed to Home Depot and bought some basic yard tools.



May 2013

The tall, beautiful tree that shades most of the yard is a Ceiba as best as I can tell. If it is, I'll be thrilled.  Hanging from the lowest branch was a swing that must have served some children well.  Unfortunately the vinyl rope from the swing was strangling the branch and it needed to come off.

I contacted a landscaper and forwarded photos to him.  Would he be able to attend to the bougainvillea and branch?   He was more than happy to and noticed from the photos that there was some debris under the tree that needed clearing out.  He would handle that also.  We agreed that he would start to train the bougie to climb on the wall, cut down the swing, clear out trash and assess the general health of the plants.  He also dispatched the termite throughway that had extended from the tree over the wall.

Price $1,700 Mex.


Well, a lot can happened between May and August which is evident from the before and after photos the landscaper sent.   He may be kicking himself in the pants for the quote he gave...but I hope not.

Morning of August 12, 2013
Before the Miracle

I couldn't be happier with the results and look forward to working with him in the future.  That is, if he'll have me!

Afternoon of August 12, 2013
After the Miracle