Introduction

My 90th Birthday Party was in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico on March 8, 2020 at Teri's Bistro. It turned out to be an amazing day in so many ways. I saw more friends than I knew I had, ended up with gifts of more beautiful scarves then I had ever imagined having, was presented with a beautifully decorated cake, and was surprised with the gift of a lovely oil portrait of myself by Robyn Tinus. Life was perfect, until it suddenly was not. COVID 19 had arrived worldwide.

Americans who could, scattered, and I was alone (with Patricia for a short time) in the middle of a paradise with more than enough scarves for anyone and not nearly enough underpants, let alone masks. I wasn't complaining; I knew I was lucky. I found myself comparing my situation to Anne Frank, besieged by war, fearing death or even being seen. No, I didn't really have a problem. I lived in an Eden. I would write about it and take lots of pictures. I even for a time hoped it would last a year; it would make a better story.

I wanted people to know what the seasons are like in Àlamos. What the trees and tropical flowering vines are like. What fruit grows and when it becomes ripe. There was an abundance of all that within my walls. I worked hard researching the proper names for all the flowers I made into bouquets, knowing there would be women and men more knowledgeable than I reading my words. The bouquets, though, were for me to see what I could create with flowers every day.

This book is the result of almost one year of chronicling what I saw and did and thought about. My cats helped me keep the ball rolling along with whoever I could safely entice within earshot. I sent Rafaela and Carlitos home with pay so I could feel safe. After 6 months, though, I begged them to come back. I think they liked not working.

My daughter Megan came along with her graphic arts experience and volunteered just in time. Yes, we could do it all virtually from her perch in Solebury, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Patricia Hamilton, from her perch in Pacific Grove, California, agreed to publish another book about her favorite Mexican town. So, I impulsively jumped into deep water again.

Profits for the sale of this book will go to Amigos de Educacion in Àlamos.