We have had so little time to enjoy our patio, we decided on a Christmas dinner at home. Roast chicken with all the trimmings, champagne, fresh baked bread, roast veggies, all consumed in the candle lit atmosphere of our pool and patio.
Finally, the pool is finished, we bought a few plants on Christmas eve, 
and were finally able to set out our patio furniture. We are so enjoying being able to spend the day out there, having breakfast, taking dips in the pool, having margaritas in the afternoon, and then dinner by the pool in the evening.
Christmas eve we went out for a lovely dinner on the square at L'Oasis, one of our favourite places. A local businessman in town had collected new toys from all the businesses, including the bookstore, and then Santa was sent out to deliver them to all the needy children in town - that's Santa on the back of the pickup!!!
On the day before Christmas eve, we heard all this music and horn blowing coming down our street, and ran out in time to see 2 trucks, all decorated and staffed with local police, driving down the road, waving cheer to all.
Sunday, Dec. 21 was a special treat. We went out to the Jungle Market and watched the first dance of the season, ably performed by the wonderful craftswoman and massage therapists who form a collective of women. The dancing was lovely, the food delicious, and the market was varied and unique. I will take pics of the market next time we go - it is on every Sunday. 
December 19. One of the joys of spending time at the bookstore is that you get to meet every one who comes to Puerto Morelos, and that means people from all over the world. One day we met Omar and Yasemin from Santa Barbara, Calif., both of Turkish descent, and have enjoyed getting to know them. On Dec. 19 they invited us to their resort on the beach, where we sat in the sun drinking wonderful tequila, pineapple and coconut juice drinks, followed by a fabulous spread of Turkish and Mexican food - grilled eggplant, potatoe and onion patties, homemade bread, Turkish olives, chilie rellenos, tsatsiki
, guacamole - a feast overlooking the pool and ocean. Wonderful fun, lots of wine and laughter and we know we will see them again - perhaps as early as January when they will come back on their way to Panama.
Wedesday and the pool guys are still working at the house. We are so tired of concrete dust, that as soon as they finished we went to the beach, went for a long walk, had a lovely long swim in the ocean and had lunch at one of our fav beachside haunts, Ojo de Agua.
When we were in Cancun at the mall watching Yoli's presentation, the event included 2 dance numbers, both performed by Mayan young people. the first was 8 dancers performing a dance to celebrate harvest and sacrificing a virgin, all danced with grace and beauty. (no virgins were sacrificed....!!!) The second was a native dance performed by 6 little girls, from the ages of about 4 up to 12. They were just delightful, and even the littlest one knew all her steps!!!!!!
Our friend Yoli, who sculpted the magnificent nativity and town scene, was asked to bring it to the Flamino Plaza on the Hotel Zone in Cancun to display it. We went into the Zone early, had a margarita at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (what else????), had dinner at an Outback restaurant in the mall, and then attended the display and ceremony for the nativity displays.
Hoping for a swim soon.........! The final connection has been made to the pump and filter, and the round stairs for entering the pool are now complete - it is really too small for a ladder, so we have designed it to have round steps up to and inside the pool
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Dec. 13. In Canada, Santa comes to malls, but in Puerto Morelos, he comes to the town square, listens to little ones' wishes and hands out candy.
