A Dream Becomes a Project–Tasha Now

Years ago, I had read that once a dream is given a deadline it becomes a project. Which is to say that it’s okay to buy lottery tickets but to bank on hitting the jackpot is a pipedream, not a project.

When I decided a little under two years ago to move to Mexico, I had only a vague idea of what awaited me. First, I was travelling in a 28 feet long motorhome on roads that were at times quite narrow. The trip itself was, at times, harrowing. I was heading towards the central part of the country, not at all sure that it would be my final destination. I did not know the language. I did, however, have a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish. Find a small lot on which I could boondock while I paid for it, then build my own small house. At the time, I had given a very serious thought to Oaxaca, particularly Teotitlan del Valle, a few clicks from the city of Oaxaca. It struck me as an art centre where the indigenous artisans were still creating pottery, tapestry, etc. as had their ancestors for centuries. I had a contact there. But nothing else.

In some ways, it might have been construed of as a pipedream, seeing that I had exhausted almost all of my savings and was living on little more than social security. Preposterous, you might say. However, thanks to Peter whose page on Tequisquiapan had looked quite alluring, I had high hopes starting out in Tequisquiapan. For those who have followed my blog, you’re already aware that I was in for a rude awakening. After that rough beginning, I was thinking of settling in Oaxaca where I’d hoped to find my small lot, when I met with some compatriots who invited me to spend what I had decided was my last night in Tequisquiapan. The rest is history.

After a little over a year boondocking on my lot in Santillan while I paid for the lot,a deadline is finally set. While Santillan is technically part of the municipal district of Tequisquiapan, it is a small pueblo a few miles from the city proper. Almost a mirror image of what I was hoping for in Oaxaca. The week from May 30th to June 3rd, the maestro and his helper will be here to prepare the lot for the excavation. They were here for a couple of days building the ramp over which trucks delivering materials will pass. The thickness is graduated from about 6 inches to almost a foot right under the gate. It is reinforced with a double layer of metal grating. The 2 weeks or more of curing time will then be over. I’ve ordered a large load of sand and one full load of gravel to be followed by stones for the foundation.

Sand and gravel ready for the cement mix. They had to be dumped in the front to leave enough room on the lot.

Here, no large cement truck is called in to fill in the basement foundation of the house. Everything is done by HAND! As the construction progresses, even it it’s at a snail pace, I’ll post both photos and comments. Since I’d had my little adventures finding masons who, one after the other, had to be dismissed, I’ll share Pete’s masons a week per month. The excavation will take place on June 20th followed with building of the foundation.

In a recent post, I had mentioned how I was astounded by the veterinarian’s declaration that Tasha had to be at least 5 months old since her adult teeth were almost all in. I figure that at this time, she’s probably about 6 months old. Here are photos taken when she arrived so tiny that she looked to be about 6 weeks old…

… and now as she is 11 weeks later. Hard to believe how much growth she’s done in such a short time!

 

 

 

 

 

LiveJournal Tags: Building my house in Mexico,Tasha 11 weeks later