* 5:00 AM and a Cup of Tea

Early morning.  Dark.  The air wafting gently through the windows is cool and light.  Early morning is a delicate time of day.  Nothing is quite awake yet, and yet consciousness is just around the corner. Habibi is stretched out at the foot of my bed, and a cup of strong tea with milk and sugar sits beside me.  I sip.  It's very satisfying.   I'm comfortably propped up and sunken into the six down pillows I brought with me.  The entire scene is quite delicious.  A couple of blocks away, the first rooster is crowing.

The jardin is nearing completion.  Soon I will be able to go to the nursery and purchase my Valencia orange tree.  I'm excited about that.  I've been looking at them.  For about $50.00 I can get a tree approximately 6 feet tall already bearing fruit.  The rest of the Jardin will have to wait, however, I want to get my morning orange juice under way immediately.

Both conches are very beautifully executed.  I'm thrilled.

The stairs await their railing.  A shelf on the right hand side will hold a plant.

The bodega doors are installed.  They await black shiny paint.

This week I think they will be doing the mosaics on the floor.  El Sol, la Luna and una poco estrella.  I'm excited about that.  They will be done in pebbles.  If they would let me get my hands on them, I'd love to do they myself.  

On the news front, I have made the decision to build a studio on the second floor.  It was money I had put aside before I was robbed, so now it will come from savings.  A difficult decision to make, however, I think I will get so much joy out of having a place to work and spread out, every penny will be well worth it.  As soon as the jardin is complete, the men will begin upstairs.  A couple months of pounding, and living 'under construction' literally and mi casa will be achabado (finished).

Fountains indicate and signal well-being to all.  Not only that, they
share their Karmic energy with all who see, hear, smell, taste and
touch them.  They are, and always have been, necessary for
permanent settlements.  We use them when ever we turn on a tap.
Fountains have come to symbolize the generosity of a god, an
institution or a person.  They indicate abundance and ingenuity.
In every culture they play a part in the mythology of life.
-  Bryan R. Hirst,