sourdough pinch-offs

Yes, I know, I have been remiss in keeping up this line of chatter. We have been home a week now and I have neglected to chart our daily progress in settling in and in healing. Let me just say we are settling in and continuing to heal.

The Patient decided yesterday he wanted some sourdough pinch-offs. These are scrumptious little biscuits made with sourdough starter. He bought some starter, set it up, aged it in the bulb-warmed lighted oven, and tonight I put it all together and baked these little golden beauties. Even though it takes days to prepare the dough they are well worth it. His idea is to take more starter down to the beach in November and bake up a storm. He's thinking waffles, pancakes, pinch-offs, bread. We don't make those things with regular dough. I don't know why he thinks we'll do it with sourdough.

My biggest surprise since returning has been "aisle shock" at the market. How can grocers live with themselves when charging such outrageous prices for their goods? I was astonished! It's one of the things I must remember when the folk in our village begin to get all romantic about "life in El Norte" as they imagine it. This is absolutely crazy. Even the gas prices are now higher in the US. Gas at Pemex, the government-owned gas company, comes out to $2.37 pesos per gallon for regular and $2.89 for high-test. The first time we went to Mexico, gas in the US was probably about $1.10 a gallon. But this year we paid $3.20 for regular in Arizona. That's why we tanked up in Nogales before crossing the border.

The Patient is very happy to be home. We have been working diligently in the garden trying to salvage what we can of the plants and shrubs that were so devastated by the freeze in January and February. New plants have been purchased and installed, some new lighting, some new cushions on the chairs. The pool is still a bit chilly; today it was 78º, too cold. But we are hoping that by the weekend we can jump in.

Medical appointments are coming up in the next two weeks. After the Patient has a couple of scans and sees his various doctors we will be able to make plans for the coming year. It all depends on what the tests show and the advice they give. I am very optimistic, based on his recovery. But who knows what lurks beneath.