Friday, January 1, 2016

CHRISTMAS thru NEW YEAR'S .....












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 December starts off with Ricardo's birthday on the 7th......and he manages to celebrate for several days.....
FIRST,   Jean treated us to lunch at Bertuchi's ......very delicious with brownie & ice cream for dessert...


That night Yolanda brought him a great cake from the bakery--filled with fruit and nuts.....

And the next day Bertha fixed a wonderful lunch at her house....
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Then on the 10th it's Yolanda's birthday....we asked her what restaurant she wanted to go to,  but she said what she really wanted was to do ribs on the grill and eat at home....made me feel good,  so that's what we did,,,,,



 It was a good meal with an awesome chocolate cake.....Her eyes got big when she saw this!!!

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SUSANA and I went out to the nurseries in
Chaluabamba....





We filled the car with flowering plants,  and then to the local bakery which was FANTASTIC!!!


 Lunch was next door at a American Western themed restaurant,  but the food was typical Ecuadorian...It was a lovely  "girls only" day....

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Mid December I got a call from Jerry Coronel who was with the Red Crab restaurant,  one of the best restaurants here....we had been there several months before...he remembered us and what we had told him about promotions and advertising and appealing to the Gringos......
He asked if we could get together because he needed help with a new restaurant he was opening......

He bought some antique pieces from me for decorating the restaurant,  and I went out to hunt for table centerpieces....

So here is TERRA LUNA,   Alfonso Cordero 359 y Manual J. Calle,   about a block from SuperMaxi El Vergel next door to DHL.....It's a lovely place with EXCELLENT FOOD.....the onion soup is to die for!!!
 It's a fabulous old house with a large outdoor area with a WORKING FOUNTAIN.....Kathy (Jerry's wife) next to the fountain.....

JERRY
JEAN ..LOVED the food!!!

 I made the centerpieces ...glass plates and small square bowls filled with glass rocks in different shades of blue to compliment the blue stained glass in the windows....  Candles can be used in place of flowers....
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Jean has joined our annual Christmas basket giving to the poor old ladies at the Cathedral.....of course we had to shop for things to fill the baskets which meant a trip to the San Francisco Market,  just about my favorite place in Cuenca....stopped in to see Guido and his latest projects.....got a bottle and 4 glasses for Geovanny which I filled with Rompope I made.....



Besides food stuffs we got a pair of very warm but pretty pajamas for Teresa,  and a lovely green Alpaca scarf for La Muda......


On the Sunday before Christmas,  the 20th, we met at the Cathedral and made two old ladies very happy.....Jean is very generous and besides helping with the goodies in the basket, she gave each of the ladies a Christmas card with $10 inside......

After Mass we went to lunch at El Cantaro..
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December 23rd was our 54th Wedding anniversary...we celebrated at TERRA LUNA...



I had the onion soup and then a whole lobster topped with shrimp, clams, & octopus  with sides of vegetables and potatoes....Rick had a very delicious filet....and I had a Margarita,  and a glass of wine, and then we had 2 desserts....all for under $50 including tax and tip!!!

It was a most enjoyable dinner -- Kathy came and sat with me after dinner and we had a good visit....

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The night before,  on the 22nd,  we went to FOGO MAR for a drink and snack.....when they found out it was our anniversary the next day,  they presented us with a great little cake....
 Deborah of course noticed that "Felicidades" was mispelled.....ha-ha---typical teacher...:)  All I cared about was the taste!!  DELICIOUS!!!


The service here is really excellent  -- they aim to please....
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Christmas eve was at Bertha's house this year.....a fantastic dinner of Pernil  (roast pork) with rice, 2 salads, tamales,  and other side dishes....I made baked sweet potatoes which were well received....


We opted out of the trip that Susana and Ruben take to give gifts to the poor children...it's a long arduous trip with no bathrooms,  so I gave Susana our contributions.....after they left we went to Mass at the Cathedral.....

LATER   on Christmas night Geovanny and Bertha took us on a tour of the lights and Nativity scenes....
AND the Nativity Village




At Otrongo Plaza the city erects this beautiful but huge NATIVITY.........




Yolanda put up our tree this year all by herself- she did a great job....

 Shopping at the Mercado San Francisco I was able to find some neat and useful gifts for Yolanda and Juan Gabriel          ..................
........I thought this little flowered jacket really cute and she did too!



Necklace from the Saraguro women....











 Warm but very soft pajamas for both of them.....



But far and away Juan Gabriels favorite was this casaca....hooded sweatshirt with zippered pockets...



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As soon as Christmas is over,  the preparations for New Years begins.......the streets on New Years eve are full of people getting ready to burn the viejos which contain all the bad things that happened.....and ring in the New Year with lots of fireworks.....

Yolanda had a big problem on New Years Eve.....she loaned her car to her brother and he was picked up by the police  (speeding or drunk,  I don't know) and immediately went to jail....when I talked to her she was in a lawyers office trying to get her car.....so our plans to go to Tacanijo for dinner had to be postponed....
AS A SIDE NOTE;    They are very strict here on driving infractions.....Geovanny was in jail a couple of weeks ago for speeding....cost him $350 fine plus community service....he showed us the curbs he painted........

I called some friends to wish them a HAPPY NEW YEAR, and when I spoke to Rene Calle he said he was planning on seeing his sister & family later,  so I suggested we all go to dinner....;LITTLE DID I KNOW ---  RESTAURANTS CLOSE ON NEW YEARS EVE!!!   We tried a half dozen before I remembered reading great things about DeSanty's --- we went there, and they were open!




 DeSanty's is on Juan Jaramillo 9-74 y Padre Aguirre,   07-284-5427......we really enjoyed excellent food and service....the three of us eating crab, filet mignon, and crab stuffed chicken with 2 Margaritas and wine & 2 desserts .... for $73 including tax and tip.....

After dinner we went to Rene's sister's house....


It was too boring for Rene,  so we went over to his cousin Patricio's house.......that was so much fun....Maria Angelica & Patricio and their son & daughter spent 9 years in the states...delightful people....and then another primo came -- they own Anubis Restaurant.....
 Patricio brought out hats and the "boys" play acted like real bad dudes...hilarious,  but the best actor of all,  ...RENE.....
 Patricio's wife is Maria Angelica ---- truly beautiful,  inside and out!!!


We had a great time drinking, snacking, joking, laughing and singing...and at midnight we all hugged while the kids did the burning of the "viejos"  outside.......

NEXT THING I KNEW it was almost 3am!!!

                              Rene brought us home, glowing from such a grand evening with old and new friends!!!!

                                  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!