Friends, Mexico and Eating As Always

The days sure run together this time of year–no major projects, too windy to be outside very much–it is March. One of our friends had a health scare a few weeks ago and is still not up to driving herself to Tucson. On Tuesday I took her to Tucson where we chose new frames for her glasses at Costco. Geez that Costco on Grant Road is busy–we were there by opening time at 10am and our friend still waited at least an hour to be helped. I once again had my newer glasses and sunglasses adjusted without success–don’t know what the issue is with those two frames but it seems to be impossible to have them adjusted to the point they stay adjusted.

We enjoyed lunch at Eclectic and made a stop at Trader Joe’s where I purchased some beautiful tulips and a few other items the pantry needed. Back on the racetrack (I-10) we headed for home.

Wednesday our friends Jane and Paul stopped by for a one night visit–they had driven to Tucson from their Wyoming home to deal with some family business and are now on their way back to Wyoming. They had been staying in RV parks so their 2 year old golden-doodle was soooo happy to be “released.” She ran and and ran–that dog has way too much energy–Emmi avoided her! We enjoyed a fabulous dinner of beef stew, salad and a dessert from our past. When Jane’s first husband was alive we would drive from Montana, they would drive from Wyoming and we would meet at the Grizzly Bar in Roscoe, Montana. The Bar served the simplest dessert but it was so, so good. Ice cream balls rolled in mini chocolate chips and drizzled with raspberry sauce–very simple to make but so delicious! I just thaw raspberries, run them through the blender, add a tiny bit of water and sugar then press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

Thursday we made a run to Mexico. We have traveled into Mexico many times in our lives even renting a house for two months in the small mountain town of Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. Traveling to Mexico is something I suspect we won’t do again due to the cartel violence. And we hesitated to even cross the border but made the decision that perhaps the border at Bisbee/Naco would be safe enough and it was. Louanne has crossed the border at Naco several times and agreed to not only drive but to also be our guide.

One of the medications the Cowboy takes on an as needed basis is absurdly expensive in the US but half the cost in Mexico and on Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus website. A cream for cold sores which I use is $126 with GoodRx (down from a previous high of $500) in the US but in Mexico it is $8 a tube. If I purchased the cream through my Medicare drug plan–$500!!!! In Mexico no prescription is needed for medications. You present your list to in this case a very accommodating woman who spoke English and laughed with us. Louanne and I walked across the border, into the pharmacy and back across the border into the US in less than 15 minutes–done.

Does it worry us to take medications potentially manufactured in Mexico–no more so than it worries us to take any medication. Did you know that a huge percentage of medications prescribed in the US are made in foreign countries or contain ingredients made in foreign countries? “About 80% of generic drugs were finished in foreign countries, and an even greater percentage had their API made in foreign countries,” he added. “In contrast to brand-name drugs, which are largely made in Europe, generic products and their API are typically made in Asian countries such as India, China, Japan, Singapore, and others.” https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/report-details-where-top-100-brand-name-rx-drugs-are-made

Why didn’t we just go see our doctor–have you tried to get a same day appointment with a physician lately? Not happening at least in this neighborhood–we would wait at least two weeks. Emergency rooms are not the answer. So–we know what works and what has been prescribed for this issue–Mexico was the answer. And I have a happier Cowboy!

The Cowboy’s garden has been producing more lettuce than we can eat! The grass is greening, leaves are appearing on the trees and the Mexican poppies are blooming–not to the extent they bloomed in spring of 2020 but still very colorful! It is March and it’s still windy making the ears on one little ten pound dog stand straight up!

Saturday afternoon we joined the gang at Linda’s to play Rummikub–we had so much fun! The Cowboy and I won three games each making us the “tournament” winners. I seldom win more than one game when playing with this gang–Donnie and Mo are good, way good as is Linda!! But as with any game, it’s the luck of the draw!

Angela and Ralph came for Sunday lunch. We’ve know these folks since about 2004 so we always have plenty to discuss. And geez did I ever feel stupid–we enjoyed a fabulous lunch as always–burgers, roasted potatoes and Cesar salad with apple pie for dessert. In the back of my mind I kept thinking–“is this all I cooked??” As we are solving the problems of the world I remember–the chili rellenos! When we went out to the ranch belonging to friends Robbie and Pam she made the simplest but best chili rellenos and I watched carefully as Pam cooked. On Friday I roasted the Anaheim peppers to remove the skins, took the seeds out and stuffed the peppers with cheese. Today all I had to do was pan fry the peppers just before we were ready to eat–except I forgot–the peppers were still in the refrigerator! So, the Cowboy and I will enjoy chili rellenos for supper and have leftovers for tomorrow! Good grief!!

Here is my latest knitting project–a Stephen West shawl–yarn and pattern purchased from a small yarn shop in Malvern, Arkansas in 2020.

The weather in Montana has been awful the last few days, 30 inches of new snow at Lonn’s and he is calving–ugh!