A New Life In Costa Rica

Oh my gosh...what a busy, busy day. At the hospital at 5:45AM for hubby's labwork, breakfast w/ hubby & friend in town before they headed off for golf. Bought my banana racks & veggies for the holidays. Brought them back to the house then back to town to pick up my friend so she could come see our house before she heads off to the beach for a couple of days and to the city to see more of her family. Then I went back to town to take her home & go to my sewing class. Back home now to finish prepping
dinner as Bill's golf buddy is coming for a last supper w/ us tonight before he heads back to the states. WHEW... I'm tired. Looking forward to eating, getting the dinner dishes done and hitting the sack.

Sunday gatherings

Family get togethers on Sunday are a part of Costa Rican culture. It's not uncommon for young families to spend part of the day with the husbands family and the other with the inlaws . Some live near one side of the family spending their time during the week near them and reserve the weekends for time with the in-laws. Whatever the case families are together in one way or another on Sundays. I'm sure there are families like this in other parts of the world but experiences like these were not a part of our former lives.

This past Sunday our blog reader friend from Northern California invited us to spend the afternoon with her extended family in a nearby pueblo. We were familiar with the area as it was near where we began our lives in Costa Rica. Being familiar with the area and visiting a farm in the area are two different things. Once you get off the road and onto one of these fincas a whole new world opens up and the story of a family unfolds.

I can't remember how many people we met that day over chicharrones, yucca, empanadas, guacamole and toasted marshmallows, thrity, forty? It's hard to say as people were coming and going all afternoon. Several we will never forget. Others we already new. Some remembered us for having visited their stores or places of employment. Still others had familiar faces we've seen around town. It was fascinating to now connect all these people to one family. The family of a wonderful woman who happened to find my blog on our lives in Costa Rica. Amazing, isn't it. God works in mysterious ways. Now we are all connected, some at a deeper level after our day together and with others for the first time. I'm getting all tingly. It feels so special to be welcomed into the homes and hearts of the people who have in a sense taught me to live.

We shared special moments with this family. Moments none of us will soon forget. Moments too special to share with the world as I want to keep them close to my heart, private, mine. Yes, perhaps it's a bit selfish but ask anyone who has experienced the real Costa Rica and you'll hear similar stories of families welcoming strangers with open arms and open hearts. The individual stories will vary but the openness is always the same.

Language is only a barrier if you allow it to be. The heart knows only one language. The language of love. Once you open yours to others you can communicate in any situation. Just ask my husband who had as hard a time leaving as Callista and I.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Big Brother....

I'm missing the hell outta you !!!!

I'm the baby of the family. The youngest of five children. My two brothers, then two sisters, then me...that's it, our family dynamic. My oldest brother, Mark * heavy sigh*, who turns 55 today means the world to me. He's 9 years older and moved out of the house while I was still little. He joined the army when I was in grade school and traveled the world. Okay maybe not the world, Germany. He lived in Germany, a far away, fantastic, mythological place to a young girl. He was saving the world for me. My big brother has always been my hero. Don't all little girls admire older brothers who move away while they're young. With them not in the picture we can create what we want them to be in our minds.

For the most part my oldest brother lived up to my expectations. He was there at different parts of my life when I needed him to rescue me. I didn't always want him to but he was there. Sometimes threatening to kick my tush. Sometimes literally kicking my tush.

Don't get me wrong, my brother is not a saint. He definitely has his flaws but in my eyes he will always be my hero, this larger than life giant who needs my love as much as I need his.

AND.... for my little brother, (not my younger brother mind you he's the younger of the two and smaller in stature) who also celebrated a birthday this month, please don't feel slighted by this birthday post for Mark. Remember, he's getting old and senile while you still have your faculties. Besides, you have to know how special you are as well, after all I named my first born after you.

I love both my brothers equally but differently. They are different people and our relationships have always been different. Happy B'lated Birthday to the one who prefers his anonymity. :) AND virtual hugs to you both.  

Day of relaxation

We deserved a break today, all three of us. Callista was looking for relief after a stressful couple of weeks of exams and I relief from the stress of being the mom of a teenage daughter. Bill was hoping to ease the pain in his back from several days of painting the roof. He's not done yet but a break half way through seemed like a good idea to him. Besides he needs to buy more paint. (more on the roof painting in future post)

 
How did we spell relief? A day at the hot springs of course. We debated trying out a different place we discovered on a recent expedition but in the end chose to return to our old favorite, Termales del Bosque in Aguas Zarcas.

 
   
As always, we had a wonderfully relaxing day. There were more people than usual with this being a holiday week but most of the others only stayed a little while. We spent the entire day, milking every minute of it.

We treated Callista to a mud mask and facial while Bill and I soaked in the healing waters sipping virgin strawberry daiquiri's while watching the blue morphos flitter about.

Later, Bill stayed in one of the warmer pools for a bit while Callista and I had some quality mother daughter time in a cooler pool. Somehow in the healing waters we can discuss things calmly that would cause frustration at home.

Callista and Bill spent daddy daughter time together while I photographed the scenery.

Although we spend a great deal of time together in our every day lives somehow the moments at the hot springs are special. 

 

The place is absolutely magical for us. 
 

No sloth sightings this time but as we drove away we spotted this sweet deer.

One never knows what the day will bring.
 
 

  

I did it, we did it, YOU did it!

Thanks to all the blog visitors from different countries who have helped me reach a milestone. Thanks to you I've reached 130 countries. I've got to admit another reason for my enthusiasm for the number of visitors from different counties...I had a competition going with another blog. She didn't know it though. My blog buddy Teri at "Yo-Yo" in Paradise gets hits from surfers all over the world. My goal was to get as many countries as she had. Thanks for playing "T" without knowing. :)

Bloggers are an odd sort in general. Expat bloggers, well they have many reasons for blogging. In the short time I've been blogging, I've seen them come and go. Costa Rica blogs that is. Many who move to CR start blogs as a way to keep in touch with friends and family in the states like I did. I'm not sure how many of our family members or old friends still keep up with the blog but it's got a life of it's own now. I've (we've) met some fantastic people through this blog. Some face to face and others virtually. It's hard to say what keeps others blogging but comments and spikes in hits sure motivate me.

Teri is one of my virtual friends. We've yet to meet face to face but I think the world of her and consider her a friend. I keep trying to take this post in another direction but it keeps coming back to her. So Teri, I guess what I'm saying is I'm missing you. I know you've been busy lately so you haven't been posting much but want you to know you're in my thoughts and I'm missing my regular fix of beach life.

Another oddity about bloggers, well this blogger. I'd rather post a message to my friend here than bother her. Maybe she'll see it, maybe she won't. At the very least she'll get a spike in hits from the link I posted and maybe that will inspire her to post again. Sometimes bloggers need a kick in the pants. :)