(If you read my previous post, you will know that this July story is being written and posted in December.)

In early July, I got a great new haircut. I’ve been growing my grey hair out now for over a year, and there are still some straggly ends that are bleached and yellow. So I found a local salon in Downtown Bucerias and I asked the Stylist to cut all the ends off, no matter how short. And she did an amazing job on my hair. She layered it all over, as that was the only way to get rid of the yellowed ends and I was so happy with it.

July was a busy month. I taught my last English class at the Manos de Amor Children’s Shelter in Bucerias. The classes were always twice a week 2-3 hours each. The children were divided into 4 groups of 30 minutes each. We divided the kids by English proficiency, and a bit by age. I taught there for over a year and a half and I loved it. But living back in Puerto Vallarta now, and with some serious construction happening just outside the city, the traffic was horrible and impossible to drive twice a week. So I told the Shelter Director that I would be unable to continue teaching. It was heartbreaking for all of us. Here I am with the kids on my last day, which was a week before my birthday.

Shortly after this, my cousin from Los Angeles, Jessica, and friends were scheduled to arrive in Puerto Vallarta on a cruise ship. The cruisers arrive very near to where I am now living, and we made plans to meet up for the day. I picked them up and we headed straight to the Malecon. We walked the boardwalk along the ocean, did a little shopping (some souvenirs and a requisite stop at a Pharmacy) and had a great lunch. Jessica and her boyfriend were absolutely set on Parasailing. So we found a vendor on the beach and they both went up, though separately. They were in the air about 5 minutes each. But I was so mesmerized and impressed with their bravery, that I didn’t take any pictures. The one below is from the internet.

After my cousin, Jessica returned to the cruise ship, I headed home as I had some packing to do. I had scheduled a trip home to Los Angeles in a couple of days for 10 days. Lola was going to stay home, and my “nephew” Eduardo was going to cat and house sit.

Since my last trip to Los Angeles, my mother’s condition had improved somewhat. Enough so that she could be moved to a private home for seniors that my sister found for her. It was a lovely home in Torrance, actually not too far from my father’s nursing home. This was a 5 bedroom house with two bathrooms. One of the rooms was a private room for an elderly woman who never got out of bed. One room was for the young couple and their baby. They were the care givers. Another room was shared by two men, both use walkers. And the last room was shared by Mother and her roommate. Mother was the only person that used oxygen 24/7, she also used a walker to get around. Her roommate had Dementia and used a wheelchair.

This was a great option for Mother, rather than a nursing home. She needed care 24/7, so Assisted Living was not an option. But, I have to say, this home was perfect for her. She really liked it, although she did complain the food was very plain. So much so, that she asked that we bring her salsa frequently (which we did). Another thing that Mother was approved for by her Doctor and insurance company was hospice care. After speaking to Mother’s Doctor, we all decided that she needed this level of care. Although she was better, her heart was still ailing and her lung condition continued. So the nurses visited her 2-3 times a week. The visit included a bath and draining of the tube into her lung. Mother’s care at this home consisted of making sure she was comfortable and not in pain. She didn’t really suffer from any pain, but she did tire easily. Mother was included in the decision, along with her doctor, my sister and I that at this point in her life, she would not be returning to a hospital. She would get the care she needed at this home, and by the visiting hospice nurses.

Mother didn’t have as many visitors at this home, as it is a bit of a distance to Westchester, where most of Mother’s friends live. But nonetheless, she did get visitors. While I was in town this month, I did visit she and my dad daily. Mother had not been out since she had been hospitalized in February, then she went to the Rehabilitation Center in Santa Monica, and didn’t leave there either. By the time I arrived the second week in July, she was settled here at this lovely home for a couple of weeks. We convinced her to go out to lunch with my sister, cousin Oscar and I. She was hesitant, as we needed to bring her portable oxygen tank, but with Oscar’s help we got her in the car and drove to a BBQ restaurant not too far. She was very nervous and tired very quickly. She ate little, and we got her back to the house. At that point, she decided that she did not want to go out anymore. Sad, but we understood her hesitancy. Mother has always been a bit of a nervous and worrisome person. We respect her wishes. We are just happy that she had this outing with us and we spent the afternoon together.

In addition to visiting my parents, I was able to visit with a few good friends on this trip. One of my oldest friends is Steve who has been a member at the Magic Castle forever! He and his wife invited me to lunch and a magic show. It was wonderful. I also saw another oldest friend, Jonathan. We met at the Del Amo Mall in Torrance and had an amazing lunch at a fancy Chinese restaurant. It was very very good! And, yes, I had to get a quick picture at my favorite department store, Nordstrom!

As I mentioned, I visited with my parents every day. I also had the chance to see my dear friend Maureen. We had a lovely Italian dinner one evening. We’ve been friends since college. And, I stopped by the lovely Manhattan Village Mall in Manhattan Beach one afternoon. It was just window shopping, but it sure is a nice mall. It’s been renovated over the last few years. And it’s not far from my parents house. Where, by the way, is where I stayed this visit, since Mother’s room was available. I did rent a car, however, so I could easily get around town.

I feel that I need to update my readers on the status of my possible move abroad to Spain. I did mention it in a couple of previous posts that after my vacation tour of Spain and Portugal in July, 2024 and after spending a month in Andalucia, Spain in December 2024 I was ready to apply for a Visa and move to Spain. I just loved it there. Well, after speaking to my mother and sister earlier this year (on both my trips in January and May 2025), I decided to postpone that move another year or two. My mother is quite ill and I just can’t see moving so far away. So there’s my update. Yes, I am sad about it. But know it’s for the best.