football and decor

OK, OK....what can i say? I'm out of excuses....still no photos for you. I actually got the camera out as we were getting ready to head into town and decided 'what do i take a picture of?" We were invited to a superbowl party and I knew the house would be fabulous so i almost brought it for that. " Hi, Im Jill and I've never been to your house, but would you mind if i just strolled around taking photos so that i can later post them on my blog?"..........see what i mean?
So I will try to paint you a picture with words......
First of all, visualize a city scene. The centro district is the old, colonial part of the city. The buildings remind me a bit of New Orleans or Europe with their high wooden doors and tall windows covered in beautiful ironwork.There is no seperation between homes, they are all connected. Entirely different stories are lived out on opposite sides of the same wall. Yellow, orange, various shades of blues and pinks color the fascades like participants in an Easter parade as you stroll down streets that thunder with the sound of hurtling busses and the clip clop of horse drawn wagons. Bougainvilla drape themselves seductively over walls and rooftops. I love to stroll at night when windows offer glimpses into the secret domains. If a door is ajar to catch a breeze on a hot evening, you can catch sight of the beautiful, antique tile floors or an enormous wooden bookshelf stretching itself from floor to ceiling, ornate chrystal chandeliers light foyers teasingly allowing only a glimpse. Often there are inner courtyards surrounded by high arches that house cooling water fountains or pools. When you are within these courtyards, the sounds of the city are silenced by the thick concrete walls and the gurgling of a fountain and the swishing of a great ceiling fan are all that can be heard beyond the cooing of doves. The tile floors that have supported generations of bare feet, are as cool as stone by a river.
Not every door reveals the same scene. After taking in one of these elaborate homes, the next window you look in could reveal a long, narrow, austere home with only a small wooden table and a hammock. A small kitchen with the bare essentials unseen but emanating the sounds of a meal being prepared.
We've been invited behind the doors of three of these homes. All have been amazing. Last night we were invited to a superbowl party. Now, I'm not a fan, but if i had to choose a team to watch it would be Green Bay because I found out years ago the team is actually owned by the city of Green Bay Wisconsin. In these days of stories of the super rich and corporations, I found the idea quaint. So after accepting the invitation, I was happy to find out that they would be playing. We approached the house with anticipation. Theirs was one door of many on the street. All seemingly the same. When our lovely hostess opened the 10 -12 foot door, a lovely entryway, beautifully tiled in a pink and green pattern, was revealed. The walls were lined with wonderful art-some paintings, some photographs. Lovely embroidered pillows were lounging on a loveseat. Faye, our hostess, took me on a tour. She told me she had brought her art with her, but once she actually settled in, she found it didn't fit. I told her i had experienced the same thing and knew exactly what she meant. It all seems so stuffy and cold here. This is a place of bright colors, simplistic paintings, folk art masks and statues. Its a wonderful mix of beauty and fun. A wooden mask of a jaguar, carved and brightly painted, hangs beneath a chrystal chandelier. A pillow made of crudely woven fabric and embroidered can be sewn onto a border made of plastic coated tablecloth material and placed on an ornately carved chair.
I don't even know how many bedrooms this house had. It seemed to go back forever. In the center was a courtyard surrounded by high arched walls and a large pool was held within. One wall of the pool was covered with a sculpture of palm trees. I couldn't help but wonder what was on the other side of the wall. We had a large , flatscreen Tv that was hooked up to Bose speakers that were mounted on thee wall. chairs were set up in rows so that everyone had a good view. It was like being in an out door theatre. The day had been hot and as the sun began to set, a cool breeze blew in. Snacks and beverages were laid out on long tables, introductions were made and kisses on checks were exchanged, than we all settled in.
Now, I have to tell you, this is the first superbowl I have ever seen the beginning of. Truthfully, its the only one ive ever seen from start to finish. As the preliminary chatter hooplah began, I was struck but the whole "god and country" hoohaw that was going on. It reminded me of back in the stone age when TV actually went off at night. Just before it signed off, you had a playing of the national anthem accompanied by the sight of a flag waving majestically.This was followed by a prayer and when that was over, a "test pattern" came on with a siren like noise and that was all you got until early morning when it came back on like the opening eye of a sleeping giant. I leaned forward to a guy in front of me and asked "do they always have this stuff at the start of the game?". He looked at me uncomprehendingly. 'All this patriotic stuff" i answered his look. "yeah" he answered like i ws a crackpot and turned around. Now, adding to this surreal experience, is the fact we are sitting in a colonial home deep in southern mexico. Here comes the girl from Glee to sing America the beautiful, later Christina Aguilera sings the anthem, the camera pans fans with hands over their hearts, a player is actually tearing up........let the games begin! The refrigerators with arms and legs enter the playing field, the injuries begin, the expensive commercials that make or brake advertising firms jockey for position, the halftime extravaganza plays out and the nail biting over the last quarter winds down as another champion is crowned... gladiators...the superbowl is evidently as american as mom and apple pie.....you know, I never had a fondness for either...........
We are americans but we live in mexico and love it. Our friends and family are in the states but we have new friends and newly developing lives and lifestyles here. Maybe thats why I have such an interest in and affinity for these old colonial houses-entirely different stories are being lived out on opposite sides of the same wall.