Weather this week was a mixture of warm, chilly, rain, sun,
clouds—you name it. Even though temperatures were in the high 50s to low 60s in
the early mornings, the days generally warmed to the high 60s to mid-70s.
Because we’re closer to the sun here than most other places in the country even
60° temperatures with sun are quite warm.
Monday brought rain, rain, rain, and temperatures in the
60s. By Tuesday the rain had abated but the temperatures were still in the 60s,
with clouds and a breeze out of the north that was chilly at times. That did
not deter us gals from meeting for our weekly “Stitch and B…” and even though
many “Winter Texans” have left for points closer to home, there were close to a
dozen ladies attending.
Quilters, knitters, crocheters, jewelry makers…we were
all quite busy for the hour or so we met.
Temps didn’t vary much on Wednesday, and the park was
getting pretty quiet. New hires, Jim and Kate, arrived to start their job as park
monitors. Both Jim and Kate are from Ohio, and Jim spent 31 years on the Ohio
State University campus as a campus cop, so we’re glad to welcome them.
That evening was another wonderful dinner at the club house,
preceded by happy hour. Chef Betty manages to satisfy our appetites every week
with her culinary expertise. This night was no different. She served about 60
for dinner: pork roast with apricot stuffing, roasted potatoes, onions and
carrots. For dessert she made a wonderful raisin cream pie. (I’m not fan of
raisin pie, but this was wonderful!) YUM-YUM!
The sun came out Thursday, and although the temp was only
56° that morning, the sun came out and warmed up to the high 60s. No clouds and
no wind. Beautiful! That morning Dick and I had breakfast at Whataburger before
we headed to the laundromat and a quick stop a Walmart to pick up a few items.
That afternoon we entertained Bob and Sharon, and Karen and Steve, for an
impromptu happy hour. Time with them is
winding down, as they’ll be heading out of Rockport by the end of the month.
Already we’re all looking forward to meeting here again in the fall.
 |
| Our 1st shipment of Isagneix |
Dick and I decided last week to get in shape and lose
weight, so we placed our order for Isagenix products through our daughter
Hollee, to help us do just that. Isagenix offers health and wellness product
solutions for weight loss, energy and performance, and healthy aging. We’re
pretty energetic, and we are aging, so now on to prolonging our lives and
weight loss. Stay tuned! (Hollee lost inches and pounds in just 1 month of their 30-day cleansing and fat burning system, so we thought we'd give it a try!)
That evening we met Jamie and Ann, and Bill and Carole at
the club house for another rousing game of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers. Outcome: gals = 3,
guys = 1. Woot-woot!
We hadn’t gotten to Mexico yet this year, and wanted to do
so before we left. Friends Steve and Marty joined Bob and Sharon and Dick and
me to trek the 3½ hours to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, across the border from
Harlingen, Texas. We left shortly after 8:00 a.m., stopping for coffee in
Rockport and breakfast in Kingsville, Texas, arriving in Progreso about noon.
Parking is available state-side for $2.00 for the day. We walked across the
border, crossing the Rio Grande, to being our day of shopping.
 |
| At the border leaving the U.S. and entering Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. The group photo, left to right: Steve and Marty, Bob and Sharon, me and Dick |
As soon as you cross the border and enter the actual town of
Progreso, you’re met with dozens of folks hawking the services of dentists and
pharmacies—both are found one right after the other as you walk through town.
Meds are much cheaper (up to 50%)
than in the states, so lots of folks come just for that. And, folks come for
the dentistry, which is also much less
expensive than in the states. (For example, a crown might cost you $1,200
in the states, and around $200 in Progreso.)
Nuevo Progreso has a population of a bit over 10,000 people,
and I think we saw most of them as we walked through town! Vendor booths are
set up and down the sidewalks, selling everything from jewelry to clothing,
purses and other accessories to hats and food, black market movies to wigs.
Crazy. And, it’s not just the grownups selling their wares. Little kids are
also involved. Plus, you’ll come across panhandlers occasionally, too. On to
shopping… Stores sell pottery, clothing, liquor, foodstuffs, leather goods,
Mexican glassware, etc. And, they all accept U.S. currency.
 |
| Street scenes in Progreso. |
From the shop-progreso.com website, you’ll read:
Great weather during most of winter
makes it a must do for the 130,000+ Winter Texans who visit each year.
There's shopping for all kinds of things: boots, booze, furniture, curios,
cheap cigarettes, leather, pottery, clothes, and whatever your heart desires
and you simply must have.
Drug stores offer pharmaceuticals at
great prices. Many dentists offer their expertise for keeping the teeth and
dentures in great shape.
Bite into a steak or seafood or
fantastic Mexican food prepared by real Mexicans in fine restaurants.
Enjoy music and ballet folkloric dance while you eat and dance. Hear
street musicians entertain.
Get your shoes shined, hair cut, and
sun film on your windows. Stroll the streets while you sip an icy
margarita or Corona for prices you won't believe.
After a couple hours of shopping we agreed to meet at
Arturo’s for lunch. Arturo’s has been in business for almost 60 years, and we
can see why. Touted to have wonderful Mexican food, we scarfed down our share
of their fare. We were met with tuxedoed English-speaking wait staff and
ushered to a white cloth-covered table. They were proud to announce that they
serve only Culligan® water so we
would be assured of its purity and safety. The food was wonderful; wish we
would’ve had room for more of it! Oh, and with the purchase of a beverage and a
meal, the second beverage is free. (Their margaritas are wonderful!)
 |
| Lunch at Arturo's. L to R: me, Marty, Steve, Bob and Sharon |
Following lunch we made a few more stops, then headed back
across the border to the U.S. It costs 50¢
to get into Mexico and 30¢ to
return. Covered walkways are a real plus when the sun is beating down. The line
to get through U.S. Customs was long; the hallway where we waited was hot and
stuffy. We all were tired and ready to head home.
Saturday morning’s weather was 60° and partly sunny. Fresh
cinnamon rolls were available at 8:30 for $1.00 at the club house, so that’s
what we had for breakfast. The last craft fair of the season began in the club
house at 9:00 a.m., and again, I was playing the keyboard as background music.
There was a pretty poor turnout due mainly to so many folks heading home from
Texas.
 |
| Notice my tip jar: even with the poor turnout I netted $22! |
Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road while I slaved away at
the keyboard…and took the following photos of birds,
 |
| Clockwise from top left: Blue Heron, Pelican roosting, Red Head Ducks, Great White Egret |
That afternoon, while I made coconut cream bread pudding for
that evening’s pot luck, Dick took off on his motorcycle to take photos of the
Rockport cemetery where the Texas Bluebonnets (state flower of Texas) where in
bloom. He also went to Little Bay in downtown Rockport to photograph birds.
 |
| Texas Bluebonnets, Black-eyed Susans, and Rose Gentians |
 |
| Clockwise from top left: the "bird pier" on Little Bay in downtown Rockport with dozens of Cormorants, and White Pelicans, a Great Blue Heron, another Great Blue Heron, and a pair of Mottled Ducks |
 |
| White Pelicans and Snowy Egrets |
Dick liked this photo of a white pelican taking a bath. Ha!
The Rockport cemetery has been in existence for over a
century and a half. The oldest grave markers date back to 1874 (Andrew J.
Hogan, postmaster of Rockport and co-owner of “The Finish” saloon in Rockport)
and 1876 (Emma Fulton, whose grandfather was instrumental in the development of
the area and interred in the cemetery in 1893). There are dozens of grave
markers from 1918, the year of a devastating influenza epidemic. The cemetery also
contains graves of veterans of the Texas Revolution, Civil War, World War I and
II, Korea and Vietnam.
The 4:00 happy hour preceded the 5:00 potluck, where almost
60 folks ate to their hearts’ (um, stomachs!) content. This was the last
potluck of the season.
Rain showers threatened and the temps were in the 60s as we
attended First Baptist Church of Rockport on Sunday morning. Pastor Jones spoke
from various passages of scripture (Matthew 16: 13-28, 17:1-7, and Acts
10:9-48), all pertaining to Simon Peter and his “open mouth, insert foot”
syndrome, his faithfulness and obedience. The 3 points in the message were that:
1) God revealed to Simon Peter who Jesus was, 2) God revealed what Jesus’
mission was during his life on earth, and 3) God called Peter to respond by
trusting and being obedient to Jesus. The final questions to the congregation
were: 1) Is it possible that my desires, immaturity and lack of Christ-likeness
will work against God’s purpose in my life, 2) what limits have I place on God
in my life, and 3) do I want be challenged, stretched and compelled to change
and mature in deeper levels of faith and obedience? Here’s a link to the
message: www.sermon.net/fbcrockport
That afternoon we enjoyed the ice cream social, followed by
Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with Jamie and Ann, Bob and Sharon, and Bill and Carole. Again,
the women came out on top: gals = 2, guys = 1. Again, I say, “woot-woot!”
Well, that’s it for this week. Our time here in Rockport is
almost over—just another 3 weeks or so before we head north to Minnesota.
Thanks for your interest in our lives as we share them week to week.
Until next week,
No comments:
Post a Comment