Author: Marcia Blondin

It rained for about a minute this morning around 6:15; I hope that’s not a preview for the rest of the day. Do you have your tickets for Blooming Together, the annual Vallarta Garden Club Gala? It’s three weeks tomorrow, January 23rd, at Oscar’s, and after our last board meeting on Monday, it is shaping…

My multi-talented dear friend Deborah Darr, painter, ex-Broadway dancer, singer, and snowbird for three months every year, is also a certified N.I.A. teacher. Her classes are held at the International Friendship Club across from the Municipal Market every Sunday at noon. The fee, 120 pesos, is a donation to the IFC. The workout is gentle,…

Does everybody have a nice big chunk of Rosca, Three Kings bread, with coffee this Epiphany morning? (Don’t break a tooth on baby Jesus.) I read that Mexico City residents will spend 4 billion pesos on gifts for their kids today; Christmas just keeps on giving. The Palm Cabaret has premiered a new show called…

I had the best time at Casa Cupula last night at Out & About Puerto Vallarta Magazine’s Gay Mixer. I was met at the door by owner/publisher Jerry Jones and his whole crew there to greet everyone, photograph the absolutely gorgeous surroundings overlooking the city, Bay of Banderas and every now and again, a naked…

Yesterday, I wandered over to Nacho Daddy to play bingo for the Colina Spay and Neuter Clinic because I thought it would be quiet, and I needed to see if my voice would still function after not seeing humans again for a couple of days. Did I ONCE get a chance to yell “Bingo!”? Of…

How was your night? Intimate and warm? Raucous, noisy and fueled by alcohol? However you decided to greet the New Year, I hope you are home safely reading this. Welcome to 2025! I think it’s going to be wonderful start to finish with new projects, a whole passel of new people who are bright and…

The last day of the year and I have two key things on my agenda – buy broccoli and see my doctor at IMSS. Just to order annual blood work; I am a few months overdue. I have said this before – if you want to fill every seat in your venue, bring in Effie…

I heard yesterday that Peter Oudman sadly passed away in Calgary on Saturday. If you ever attended any Pasitos de Luz Riverfest celebrations over a dozen years at El Rio BBQ Bar, you would have met him at some point. He and his wife Teena, were responsible for building Casa Connor, the castle-like rehab facility…

Ten days ago or so, I had the real privilege of auditing an improv class at the Arte Vallarta Theater. The class was led by two very funny Canadians, Karen Parker and Diana Frances, fresh off their sold-out run – Leave it to Cleavage – at the same theater. Eleven students took part in the…

Day Three of Solitude and work, and except for the water delivery guy, I have not been face to face with another human since Monday. I have gotten so much done. Lots of editing and scheduling articles for Vallarta Mirror. Lots of food. I am overflowing with abundance and gratitude for all of it. I…

I can hear wrapping paper being torn apart from here! Not really, but Merry Christmas everyone! My neighborhood is blessedly quiet this morning after a monumental posada last night that went into the wee hours of the morning. I think that’s why Mexicans celebrate on the 24th so that they can sleep all of the…

So, one more week remains in this entire year. They do go by fast, don’t they? And, the older we get, the faster time flies because we are rapidly running out of it. That’s a reminder to do everything mindfully in case it’s the last time I get to put rum in Santa’s egg nog!…

Happy Winter, everybody! And while winter is not celebrated as ‘happily’ for the most part up north where they actually have to live in it, winter in Vallarta is a sheer, unadulterated joy because it means money pouring into the city with jam-packed planes dumping thousands of people (and their money) into Vallarta so they…

Happy Friday, everybody! Enjoy today – the last day of Fall and Winter starts tomorrow. It is another thing to celebrate here in Mexico in December and I am going to a private gathering to do just that. In Vallarta, we have the first 12 days of the month devoted to the Patron Saint of…

I was a few minutes late to Qulture for Scrabble, and one of our new members, Ronnie Lee, and I played for the first time. Look for Ronnie’s affectionate look at the final day of the Guadalupe processions, which will be published in Vallarta Mirror soon. Two more games ensued with nemesis Sharon Gerber, fresh…

My house is so quiet, not that she ever made a lot of noise, not at all, but my sister is gone. Patrice is back in Canada, and I am home alone with Bogie, who is also missing her presence in our lives. It’ll take a day or more to get used to walking everywhere…

Casa Yvonneka was resplendent with over a hundred people gathered on its multi-levels of luxury to raise money for Vallarta’s street dogs. Yvonne Kalman, dueña of the casa, in black sequins and Frida Kahlo-like hair accessory, held court, smiling and welcoming her guests to the 9th annual Frida Fiesta overlooking the city. Cocktails began the…

Last Friday, Le Bistro on the Isla Cuale took center stage once again for the annual Membership Drive and Welcome Back Party for the Vallarta Garden Club. The event sold out with so many snowbirds and semi-permanent residents here to escape the winter in more northerly climes. Heartfelt hugs were shared in every corner of…

Oh, the blessed quiet this morning; today, La Virgen de Guadalupe can sleep for the first time in 12 days, and so can the rest of us. The church bells ring again at the appropriate time of the day, and, with luck, the munitions master and his bombs have moved on. Thank you for this…

Yesterday was one of those cannot-do-anything-wrong sort of days starting at Qulture and winning three straight games of Scrabble. I then joined my sister and our friend Sharon (who leaves today for the frozen north) at PuRR Project Bingo at Nacho Daddy. I won one game AND the 50/50 drawing of cash. After a quick…