Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
reverse culture shock!
You know you are totally acclimated again to CR when you arrive at the airport in the USA and have a momentary meltdown in the bathroom when you do not see a trash can for tp...and then a wave of relief when you realize that it´s ok.
This morning I went to pick up a few necessary things and drove for the first time in 2 weeks. I must say that I thouroughly enjoyed taking the bus everywhere, and now I miss it.
IT IS COLD! After dressing in tank tops shorts and sandals for the last two weeks going back to winter weather and clothes stinks. I miss the sun.
bueno....pura vida.
Friday, November 9, 2012
eating granola bars in the hospital
Today begins my Mom's third day in recovery at the hospital. Her surgery was successful, but the cancer had spread to some other areas and even though he removed it all, the doc has ordered some more treatment to make sure that there are no cells left that can grow to be something sinister again...
I am so glad that right now I am able to be with my Mom. Having an active pair of eyes and ears in a hospital is no bad thing, especially when the nurses get busy and you need something but not urgently. The last few days I have been getting to the hospital around 8am, leaving around 9 or 10pm, going to bed at 11:30pm then getting up at 7am to do it all over again. I had to go buy more granola bars today, and I ate a whole bag of dried cranberries...! I was very pleased to find Costa Rican coffee in the coffee shop the other day. Really I am not too tired, but I am missing the gym and working and being....active. Being in Mom's position makes me so grateful for my health, and I keep saying little prayers to lift her up and asking for a full recovery.
Without a doubt, I will be returning to the USA after my visit in CR, and most likely my Mom will need me through February, especially if there are more treatments on the horizon.
Thankfully my grandma will be visiting starting tomorrow, and while I am away she will help care for Mom, who by this time next week will (hopefully) be home.
In the course of the next few days I have to pack my bag to it's 50 lb. limit and find someone to take me to the airport...and while I am not 100% at ease with leaving my family right now, I am certainly looking forward to seeing my husband and my extended family.
....Pura Vida...
I am so glad that right now I am able to be with my Mom. Having an active pair of eyes and ears in a hospital is no bad thing, especially when the nurses get busy and you need something but not urgently. The last few days I have been getting to the hospital around 8am, leaving around 9 or 10pm, going to bed at 11:30pm then getting up at 7am to do it all over again. I had to go buy more granola bars today, and I ate a whole bag of dried cranberries...! I was very pleased to find Costa Rican coffee in the coffee shop the other day. Really I am not too tired, but I am missing the gym and working and being....active. Being in Mom's position makes me so grateful for my health, and I keep saying little prayers to lift her up and asking for a full recovery.
Without a doubt, I will be returning to the USA after my visit in CR, and most likely my Mom will need me through February, especially if there are more treatments on the horizon.
Thankfully my grandma will be visiting starting tomorrow, and while I am away she will help care for Mom, who by this time next week will (hopefully) be home.
In the course of the next few days I have to pack my bag to it's 50 lb. limit and find someone to take me to the airport...and while I am not 100% at ease with leaving my family right now, I am certainly looking forward to seeing my husband and my extended family.
....Pura Vida...
Monday, November 5, 2012
a few more days
Today begins my Mom's stay in the hospital...she will be undergoing major surgery to complete her battle against cancer, finally done with chemotherapy and now removing the troublesome tumor and full of anticipation that she will be recovered by New Year's at the latest.
I will be accompanying her during these next few days before and after the surgery. We are all hopeful that things will go smoothly and my Mom retains her positive attitude and sense of peace, which gives me much more peace of mind and a strong sense of hopefulness. All the same, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
This time next week I will be making final preparations before my trip back to Costa Rica for a short while, visiting my hubby and extended family and some friends. Because I am only allowed to take 50 lbs in my bag, the rest of the week I anticipate packing and re-packing a couple times to make sure everything fits...! My goal is to take all of my summer clothing home, along with things my hubby left behind and some gifts for my family. The bottom line is that I will have more room coming than I do going... but I know I can make it work!
Eagerly anticipating being home, enjoying the warmth of Costa Rica and of my beloved.
My grandma will also be coming to stay for a little while, to help care for my Mom while I am in Costa Rica. She will have free reign of my room: ) Her arrival, however, means that I will be in a cleaning frenzy for the next couple days! She has sharp eyes for picking out dust and messes, and I don't plan on her finding any, haha!
Taking a deep breath and plunging into the next few days....
Pura Vida.
I will be accompanying her during these next few days before and after the surgery. We are all hopeful that things will go smoothly and my Mom retains her positive attitude and sense of peace, which gives me much more peace of mind and a strong sense of hopefulness. All the same, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
This time next week I will be making final preparations before my trip back to Costa Rica for a short while, visiting my hubby and extended family and some friends. Because I am only allowed to take 50 lbs in my bag, the rest of the week I anticipate packing and re-packing a couple times to make sure everything fits...! My goal is to take all of my summer clothing home, along with things my hubby left behind and some gifts for my family. The bottom line is that I will have more room coming than I do going... but I know I can make it work!
Eagerly anticipating being home, enjoying the warmth of Costa Rica and of my beloved.
My grandma will also be coming to stay for a little while, to help care for my Mom while I am in Costa Rica. She will have free reign of my room: ) Her arrival, however, means that I will be in a cleaning frenzy for the next couple days! She has sharp eyes for picking out dust and messes, and I don't plan on her finding any, haha!
Taking a deep breath and plunging into the next few days....
Pura Vida.
Friday, October 26, 2012
blending
Something I really miss about home: me blender. This was E's Christmas gift to me last year, and on most days I make myself a smoothie in the morning and then again in the afternoon to wrap up lunch. Why are smoothies so good? It's the flavors and the....well, the smoothness! Sometimes I don't feel like sitting and eating a whole apple bite by bite, but put in in the blender and in moments you have an amazing drink.
I love making smoothies with fruit, juice and ice...nothing else, nothing too fancy. My favorite blend is papaya and orange juice over ice.
This morning however, I made a pretty yummy green smoothie that I thought I would share.
1 banana
1 apple, sliced
1 cup spinach
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
Blend away!
Pura Vida...
I love making smoothies with fruit, juice and ice...nothing else, nothing too fancy. My favorite blend is papaya and orange juice over ice.
This morning however, I made a pretty yummy green smoothie that I thought I would share.
1 banana
1 apple, sliced
1 cup spinach
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
Blend away!
Pura Vida...
Sunday, September 30, 2012
the changing of the seasons
My blogging has slowed down as of late....I think it can be attributed to some changes in my life that I cannot yet disclose in detail. But things are certainly brewing.
One very welcome change has been the arrival of fall weather.
Of all the seasons, fall is my favorite. It has a certain kind of sad beauty...you have to appreciate the color, the leaves in their magnificent fiery colors, just before the break from the tree and fall to the ground, in preparation for the white, blank slate of snow that winter (hopefully) brings. Things grow cold...people tend to shrink from the cold, to try and shoo it away with central heating and hot drinks and soup. And we also seek warmth in these things...in a fireplace and a cup of tea and a bowl of creamy tomato soup, and we seek it in the company we keep, in the embrace of a friend or loved one.
Fall is nature's way of erasing spring's work for the stark calm of winter, and a way of driving us to seek warmth in comforting things and people.
I also love fall because it marks one of my favorite holidays...Thanksgiving.
To some extent you can say that Thanksgiving rivals Christmas, at least in terms of being with family and friends. The emphasis on gratitude, appreciation, harvest and feasting really appeals to me (and my taste buds...!). Christmas may take the cake as the biggest holiday of the year, but Thanksgiving and all it embodies has a special place in my heart.
And of course, November is still fall...!
Bring on the leaves, tea, sweaters and chilly days.
Pura Vida
One very welcome change has been the arrival of fall weather.
Of all the seasons, fall is my favorite. It has a certain kind of sad beauty...you have to appreciate the color, the leaves in their magnificent fiery colors, just before the break from the tree and fall to the ground, in preparation for the white, blank slate of snow that winter (hopefully) brings. Things grow cold...people tend to shrink from the cold, to try and shoo it away with central heating and hot drinks and soup. And we also seek warmth in these things...in a fireplace and a cup of tea and a bowl of creamy tomato soup, and we seek it in the company we keep, in the embrace of a friend or loved one.
Fall is nature's way of erasing spring's work for the stark calm of winter, and a way of driving us to seek warmth in comforting things and people.
I also love fall because it marks one of my favorite holidays...Thanksgiving.
To some extent you can say that Thanksgiving rivals Christmas, at least in terms of being with family and friends. The emphasis on gratitude, appreciation, harvest and feasting really appeals to me (and my taste buds...!). Christmas may take the cake as the biggest holiday of the year, but Thanksgiving and all it embodies has a special place in my heart.
And of course, November is still fall...!
Bring on the leaves, tea, sweaters and chilly days.
Pura Vida
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
when we last posted...
Hard to believe I haven't posted in over a month! But I guess that shows how busy I've been.
I have started working part time in the evenings, back at Catering. It seems I just can't leave, but coming back is so easy...no training required, flexible hours, I know everything there backwards and forwards. And I am making some money.
E came back on our anniversary, and things have been going well. Our stay here in the USA is at the 3 month mark, and naturally we are both feeling the pull of our beautiful Costa Rica...he will be leaving soon to return to work and see family before going back on board the cruise ship. In November I plan to visit for at least a week before he goes, to spend some time with him and see some extended family and friends.
For now I plan to return to the USA and continue working here, making money and being there for my Mom as she (hopefully) wraps up a very difficult chapter with her illness. She is still positive and hopeful, and that is a very important element in her making a full recovery. At times I can be very negative, but the positive attitude I think I inherited from Mom.
Two of my three brothers have celebrated birthdays, and we have taken the boat out several times this season, waterskiing and just enjoying the sun and water. Now summer seems to be blinking sleepily and making way for autumn, as the weather here has cooled down significantly and the leaves are starting to turn just a tad.
I am overjoyed to experience the fall season again and find myself greedily drinking tea and dreaming about baking desserts...in addition to shaking out various blankets and sweaters that have been stored in my closet. Also looking forward to everything pumpkin flavored!
Heaviest on my heart is E's departure. The time we have spent together here has resulted in many positive changes for us, and I feel much closer to him than I did before. Having this adventure together has been a great experience...and I know there are more adventures to come.
Bring it on.
Pura Vida
I have started working part time in the evenings, back at Catering. It seems I just can't leave, but coming back is so easy...no training required, flexible hours, I know everything there backwards and forwards. And I am making some money.
E came back on our anniversary, and things have been going well. Our stay here in the USA is at the 3 month mark, and naturally we are both feeling the pull of our beautiful Costa Rica...he will be leaving soon to return to work and see family before going back on board the cruise ship. In November I plan to visit for at least a week before he goes, to spend some time with him and see some extended family and friends.
For now I plan to return to the USA and continue working here, making money and being there for my Mom as she (hopefully) wraps up a very difficult chapter with her illness. She is still positive and hopeful, and that is a very important element in her making a full recovery. At times I can be very negative, but the positive attitude I think I inherited from Mom.
Two of my three brothers have celebrated birthdays, and we have taken the boat out several times this season, waterskiing and just enjoying the sun and water. Now summer seems to be blinking sleepily and making way for autumn, as the weather here has cooled down significantly and the leaves are starting to turn just a tad.
I am overjoyed to experience the fall season again and find myself greedily drinking tea and dreaming about baking desserts...in addition to shaking out various blankets and sweaters that have been stored in my closet. Also looking forward to everything pumpkin flavored!
Heaviest on my heart is E's departure. The time we have spent together here has resulted in many positive changes for us, and I feel much closer to him than I did before. Having this adventure together has been a great experience...and I know there are more adventures to come.
Bring it on.
Pura Vida
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