This month we introduce Daniel Espinoza and Magaly Meza, better known to their friends and neighbors as Danny and Maggie. Danny and Maggie live on the west side of Ella Lee and have been our neighbors since May of 2019. Danny and Maggie are originally from Mexico City. Danny and Maggie were introduced by Maggie’s sister, who worked with Danny at PEMEX. Unfortunately, not long after they met Danny moved to Chicago after a visit with his mom. Shortly after moving to Chicago Danny enlisted in the Navy and was transferred to San Diego fortwo years. Danny’s enlistment resulted in a long-distance relationship for these two. Maggie tells us that when Danny got orders that he was being transferred to Japan (for two years) they knew that that distance would be extremely difficult for them both. Danny found a solution and proposed; they have been married for six years. Danny’s enlistment once again created a distance issue, because soon after arriving in Japan his orders were that he was to be stationed on a ship for the next nine months. Although Danny’s orders made the first year of marriage a bit difficult Maggie tells us it had its advantages as it gave her time to terminate employment, pack and say good-bye to friends and family. Maggie’s move to Nagasaki finally gave her and Danny the opportunity to be together and they lived in Japan for a year. They are every appreciative of the opportunity, that Danny’s deployment gave them, to get to know the country, customs and the incredible people of Japan.
They moved to Houston in January of 2017 and initially lived in Katy. It did not take long before they both found the commute to be “too much” and after a year they found an apartment in west Houston. After about a year of apartment living, they decided they wanted to find a place to call home but were concerned about flooding issues that so many experienced after Hurricane Harvey. They tell us they did their homework and focused on neighborhoods that did not experience flooding during Harvey. They worked with a realtor and eventually found a home in Village West that was perfect for them. They are still amazed how quiet our community is despite living just a short distance from Westheimer. They attended the recent Taco Truck Tuesday event, and it gave them the opportunity to meet some of their neighbors and establish new friendships.
Their new home certainly cut their commute time. Danny is a HR Specialist with a landscaping company and he recently obtained his bachelor’s degree in business. Congratulations Danny. Maggie is an accountant who works as an Accounts Payable Specialist with an IT firm. Like so many of us this past year, due to COVID Maggie was given the opportunity to work from home and enjoys not having to commute to work.
When not at work, most evenings, and weekends you will find Danny working in the garage. Danny has taken an interest in carpentry and building furniture. Maggie tells us that his second table was much better than the first and “not wabbly at all”. He has enlisted Maggie’s help onsome home projects in the kitchen and living room and the results are beautiful. Danny also loves sports, but especially “Footy” also known as AFL. In case you don’t know Footy is Australian football. There are differences between American and Australian football, mainly the rules. If you are interested in learning more about Footy (Houston is home to the Houston Lonestars AFC) visit www.houstonfooty.com for more information. Maggie loves to read and listen to music. She tells us that she easily gets lost in the world of reading. She reads on a variety of topics and when asked she mentioned Stephen King as one of the authors she enjoys reading. She also loves all types of music and admits that her favorite band is Depeche Mode. In line with her love of music is her collection of vinyl records and attending music concerts and festivals; something she misses not being able to do during the pandemic. They both love to travel, not only to see family and friends but to visit cities and states that have yet to be explored. Once again, the pandemic has curtailed traveling, but they hope and pray to be able to visit their families soon and start exploring new locations.
We cannot forget to mention the adorable and so well-behaved master of the house, Manolo. Manolo was adopted in August and has brought a lot of love and laughter into his new home. Maggie was told that Manolo is a Labrador, but she thinks he might be a mix given his size. Regardless, this is one well trained and loveable pup. He does have a fixation with laces and can chew on them for hours. Manolo has a funny rough side he displays when playing and roughhousing with Danny, but he also has a gentle side. Manolo expresses his soft side to Maggie by nudging her when he wants affection, a belly rub and of course when it is time to eat. Manolo has been a great addition to the family. Danny and Maggie jokingly state that they are open to anyone taking Manolo for a walk or run, we suspect he had a lot of energy to burn. Did we mention he is adorable?
Danny and Maggie are thrilled that the house they purchased is in such a great neighborhood and are grateful for the peacefulness and tranquility our community provides given how closely situated VW is to several major thoroughfares. They look forward to the opportunity and events that will allow them to get to know more of their neighbors and become active members of our community. Welcome Danny and Maggie!
