March 29, 2012
Today we were invited to breakfast by some people that David had originally met on the beach. They are a couple from Switzerland that has lived here in Costa Rica for a year and a half. David had met Claudio on the beach and then Elke and their daughter Mia later when they offered him a ride home from one of his many walks. At that time they said we should come over some time so they could practice their English.
Elke has her own catering business that she is trying to grow, so I thought that eating at their house would be a good idea. Not only does she cook meals, but she bakes breads and makes her own jams, chutneys, sauces and other delicious things.
Since they live in Panica and it is about 3km away, Claudio offered to pick us up. We had a very enjoyable time, eating and telling stories. Sometimes we would say something and then Elke would have to say it in German so that Claudio could understand. Other times I would use some Spanish to explain what was being said….I felt very international.
The highlight of the morning is when Mia found a baby gecko on one of her toys and then both men and Mia get out their cameras and start taking pictures of it sitting on a coffee cup. This went on for awhile until Mia knocked it into the coffee. It was then set free on a bush but I laughed to think of a caffeine crazed baby gecko running madly back and forth on the branches. Later I told David, isn’t it wonderful being in such a laid back place that the highlight of the day is an inch long lizard;-))
David has offered to help Elke with a brochure for her business, so we are planning on seeing them next week. On the way back to the house Claudio asked David if he were a priest or pastor. He said no, we are Christians.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
March 27, 2012
March 27, 2012
When going to the bathroom meets the Wild Kingdom!!!
I am not sure if I have gone into any detail about our bathroom situation. So here is more information than you probably want to know. As I told you before, the house we are staying in is two stories. The ground floor is unfinished…there are walls separating what would be 2 bedrooms and a bathroom from an open living kitchen floor plan. There is a stone sink in what would be the kitchen area and a sink, toilet and shower in the bathroom. It was absolutely disgusting when we first saw it, but my amazing husband has swept and re-swept and mopped the floors as well as he could without an actual mop. So it is now clear of debris and we can walk in without too much problem. You may wonder why we would even bother as the stairs are on the outside and we do not have to go through this space to get upstairs. The reason is, the upstairs bathroom is usable for #1 only (told you this was TMI) Anything more serious must be done in the downstairs bathroom, which means a daily trip downstairs.
Well this morning my husband comes back upstairs and makes the statement that I should be glad that he was the one to go downstairs to the bathroom first. I just look at him and wonder what else could he have found down there? So far we have about 8 bats that live down there that like to do fly bys when we enter, we have a small frog that has been living under the bathroom sink, of course there is a gecko of two. And a couple of days ago I had been totally freaked out by a huge tarantula sitting in the middle of the living area floor. I kept looking around the corner of the wall while I was busy in the bathroom to make sure it wasn’t coming for me. And finally ran upstairs to tell the husband. Like the good man he is, he went downstairs and killed it and found another smaller one in the bathroom and dispatched it as well. I wish he had not told me about the second one as it had been in the bathroom with me just moments before.
Anyway, back to this morning. David had his light with him and saw something roundish under the bathroom sink. At first he thought it might be a scrunchie but could not imagine where one would have come from. He got the broom and poked at it and it turned out to be a 2 foot long snake. Well not knowing the snakes in these parts, he felt snakecide the better option. So with what he had with him, a broom and dustpan and rake he manfully took on the snake and dispatched it. I am sure pictures will be on his facebook eventually.
We have had critters in the upstairs bathroom as well. There is a big hairy spider that runs like a crab and super fast that David killed, termites that run up and down the walls but not as many as when we first got there, and a big roach was found last night. Something had been eating on it…we are going with the option that one of our many gecko friends had been snacking…do not want to imagine anything else could take it on.
I want to end this section of the Wild Kingdom by thanking my husband for being so great through this whole time. He has killed for me and I have never loved him more.
PS Just found out from a guy who has lived here a couple of years that was not a tarantula. But a spider that can jump about 10 feet is very aggressive and its poison can kill a horse. It doesn’t usually kill people but you hurt like crazy and get very, very sick from its bite. Glad I did not know that then as I was about 10 feet away when I kept looking at it from around the corner and David said it had jumped straight up several feet when he went after it with the broom. This was information that both of us wish we had not learned until after we had left Costa Rica.
When going to the bathroom meets the Wild Kingdom!!!
I am not sure if I have gone into any detail about our bathroom situation. So here is more information than you probably want to know. As I told you before, the house we are staying in is two stories. The ground floor is unfinished…there are walls separating what would be 2 bedrooms and a bathroom from an open living kitchen floor plan. There is a stone sink in what would be the kitchen area and a sink, toilet and shower in the bathroom. It was absolutely disgusting when we first saw it, but my amazing husband has swept and re-swept and mopped the floors as well as he could without an actual mop. So it is now clear of debris and we can walk in without too much problem. You may wonder why we would even bother as the stairs are on the outside and we do not have to go through this space to get upstairs. The reason is, the upstairs bathroom is usable for #1 only (told you this was TMI) Anything more serious must be done in the downstairs bathroom, which means a daily trip downstairs.
Well this morning my husband comes back upstairs and makes the statement that I should be glad that he was the one to go downstairs to the bathroom first. I just look at him and wonder what else could he have found down there? So far we have about 8 bats that live down there that like to do fly bys when we enter, we have a small frog that has been living under the bathroom sink, of course there is a gecko of two. And a couple of days ago I had been totally freaked out by a huge tarantula sitting in the middle of the living area floor. I kept looking around the corner of the wall while I was busy in the bathroom to make sure it wasn’t coming for me. And finally ran upstairs to tell the husband. Like the good man he is, he went downstairs and killed it and found another smaller one in the bathroom and dispatched it as well. I wish he had not told me about the second one as it had been in the bathroom with me just moments before.
Anyway, back to this morning. David had his light with him and saw something roundish under the bathroom sink. At first he thought it might be a scrunchie but could not imagine where one would have come from. He got the broom and poked at it and it turned out to be a 2 foot long snake. Well not knowing the snakes in these parts, he felt snakecide the better option. So with what he had with him, a broom and dustpan and rake he manfully took on the snake and dispatched it. I am sure pictures will be on his facebook eventually.
We have had critters in the upstairs bathroom as well. There is a big hairy spider that runs like a crab and super fast that David killed, termites that run up and down the walls but not as many as when we first got there, and a big roach was found last night. Something had been eating on it…we are going with the option that one of our many gecko friends had been snacking…do not want to imagine anything else could take it on.
I want to end this section of the Wild Kingdom by thanking my husband for being so great through this whole time. He has killed for me and I have never loved him more.
PS Just found out from a guy who has lived here a couple of years that was not a tarantula. But a spider that can jump about 10 feet is very aggressive and its poison can kill a horse. It doesn’t usually kill people but you hurt like crazy and get very, very sick from its bite. Glad I did not know that then as I was about 10 feet away when I kept looking at it from around the corner and David said it had jumped straight up several feet when he went after it with the broom. This was information that both of us wish we had not learned until after we had left Costa Rica.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Weekend trip...4
Weekend trip ….4
We enjoyed the rest of our Sunday, watched one of the Dvd’s, in Spanish. You haven’t lived until you watched John Carter in Spanish. I told David we would have to watch it over and over until we understood what was being said. Still have not done that…maybe manana.
On Monday we enjoyed our breakfast again in the garden and then we walked over to the Coca Cola bus station to figure out where it was we would need to go. I am glad we did, as the place is very confusing and I would hate to wander around with baggage. It ended up being a row of buses across from an indoor Mercado. The Mercados are crazy, they are a maze of one vendor after another selling everything under the sun. But we noticed that there were several cooked food vendors, so we thought when we came back we could get some food for the road.
We walked back to the hotel, got packed up and then spent some time on the internet before we had to check out. And then we headed off down the road to pass some time before we had to be back at the bus. The first thing I wanted to do was go back to the Batido place and get something refreshing to drink. I opted for the mango, papaya, banana and David got one that was supposed to be good for the heart and included avocado. Both were very good.
We then walked down the promenade for a few blocks and when we came to a fountain we stopped and sat. We were in the sun and at first that was quite comfortable, but soon we felt like we might burn if we sat there too much longer so we moved to the shady side. I ended up sitting next to a fellow that was well dressed but soon became very apparent that he was also quite drunk. He decided he was going to talk to me even though I told him I did not speak Spanish…so instead he started singing to me. I told David it was time to move on.
We went to a McDonald’s and got some French fries to snack on…plus it gave us a place to sit. David asked me what time it was and I told him 12:27. We sat and chatted for quite a while and he asked again what time it was…12:27 I said ….then oh no, my watch has stopped. It was about 1 and our bus was leaving at 2. We decided it was time to move on.
If we thought the streets were busy on the weekend, there was no comparison to the traffic on Monday. It was crazy busy but fortunately most of our walk was down the Central Avenida which is only foot traffic, but there is cross-traffic at each calle, so a traffic light each block. But definitely much better sidewalks than most of the streets have. We finally got to the Mercado and buy a couple of apples and then look for some food we can take on the bus. We get a couple of empanadas, one cheese and one bean and a cheeseburger and a horchata. By now it is about 20-30 minutes before our bus leaves so we walk across the street and sit by our bus.
We had an accident with the horchata aat the bus stop. When I put the straw in, somehow I pierced the bottom and horchata got all over us. So we were sweet and sticky and gritty for our trip back to Tambor.
The bus, although not air-conditioned was fairly new, so the seats were more comfortable than most. We had a good ride to the ferry. This time we only had to get off the bus and walk on the ferry…no taxi…no luggage…it was quite pleasant. While we crossed we were able to watch the sunset. David has put up pics and some are simply gorgeous.
We made it back to Tambor a little after 7. The bus driver did not stop until we were on the far side of Tambor, so we had to walk about 10 minutes or so to get back to the house.
All in all, San Jose was a much needed break. We have come back with a much better attitude than when we left. We cannot believe that now we only have 3 weeks until we go home. The first couple of days we thought we would never last and now it seems so short until we leave.
End of trip
We enjoyed the rest of our Sunday, watched one of the Dvd’s, in Spanish. You haven’t lived until you watched John Carter in Spanish. I told David we would have to watch it over and over until we understood what was being said. Still have not done that…maybe manana.
On Monday we enjoyed our breakfast again in the garden and then we walked over to the Coca Cola bus station to figure out where it was we would need to go. I am glad we did, as the place is very confusing and I would hate to wander around with baggage. It ended up being a row of buses across from an indoor Mercado. The Mercados are crazy, they are a maze of one vendor after another selling everything under the sun. But we noticed that there were several cooked food vendors, so we thought when we came back we could get some food for the road.
We walked back to the hotel, got packed up and then spent some time on the internet before we had to check out. And then we headed off down the road to pass some time before we had to be back at the bus. The first thing I wanted to do was go back to the Batido place and get something refreshing to drink. I opted for the mango, papaya, banana and David got one that was supposed to be good for the heart and included avocado. Both were very good.
We then walked down the promenade for a few blocks and when we came to a fountain we stopped and sat. We were in the sun and at first that was quite comfortable, but soon we felt like we might burn if we sat there too much longer so we moved to the shady side. I ended up sitting next to a fellow that was well dressed but soon became very apparent that he was also quite drunk. He decided he was going to talk to me even though I told him I did not speak Spanish…so instead he started singing to me. I told David it was time to move on.
We went to a McDonald’s and got some French fries to snack on…plus it gave us a place to sit. David asked me what time it was and I told him 12:27. We sat and chatted for quite a while and he asked again what time it was…12:27 I said ….then oh no, my watch has stopped. It was about 1 and our bus was leaving at 2. We decided it was time to move on.
If we thought the streets were busy on the weekend, there was no comparison to the traffic on Monday. It was crazy busy but fortunately most of our walk was down the Central Avenida which is only foot traffic, but there is cross-traffic at each calle, so a traffic light each block. But definitely much better sidewalks than most of the streets have. We finally got to the Mercado and buy a couple of apples and then look for some food we can take on the bus. We get a couple of empanadas, one cheese and one bean and a cheeseburger and a horchata. By now it is about 20-30 minutes before our bus leaves so we walk across the street and sit by our bus.
We had an accident with the horchata aat the bus stop. When I put the straw in, somehow I pierced the bottom and horchata got all over us. So we were sweet and sticky and gritty for our trip back to Tambor.
The bus, although not air-conditioned was fairly new, so the seats were more comfortable than most. We had a good ride to the ferry. This time we only had to get off the bus and walk on the ferry…no taxi…no luggage…it was quite pleasant. While we crossed we were able to watch the sunset. David has put up pics and some are simply gorgeous.
We made it back to Tambor a little after 7. The bus driver did not stop until we were on the far side of Tambor, so we had to walk about 10 minutes or so to get back to the house.
All in all, San Jose was a much needed break. We have come back with a much better attitude than when we left. We cannot believe that now we only have 3 weeks until we go home. The first couple of days we thought we would never last and now it seems so short until we leave.
End of trip
Weekend trip...3
Weekend trip…3
Well we go back to the Cannon store just before they close and find out that it was not the battery but the charger that was not working. So we now have an extra battery and a charger that works.
We do a little walking around and enjoy some of the sights of downtown San Jose. There is a park nearby where they have some vendors set up and I check out the jewelry and find some things for a couple of my girls. Not going to tell you what here because then it won’t be a surprise when we get home. David also takes some pics of a couple of young men practicing their tricks. There are also skateboarders and bicycle tricks being done on a street that has been cordoned off. Just like being back home.
That evening we ask for a place to eat that is within walking distance and are directed to the Don Carlos hotel down the street. We enjoy some dinner and wander around the various garden areas of the hotel before heading back to our room. We then watch Godfather 2 with Spanish subtitles…what a hoot. It’s been years since we had seen this movie and it was funny when they would speak in Italian and then the Spanish subtitle would come up.
We had asked Guillermo if he knew of a church nearby as it was Sunday in the morning. He said he would do some research and let us know in the morning. After a warm shower we went downstairs for our breakfast. The lady that had let us in the day before comes out to us in the garden and strikes up a conversation. She said she had heard we were Christians and that she is also. She speaks slower than most so I am able to actually have a conversation with her. She was very sweet and told me that she would pray for us when we were out walking around that we would be safe.
Guillermo then tells us of a church that is about half a mile away and ends by telling us it is next to the McDonald’s so we won’t miss it. Cracks us up…no address…just what it is near. We do find the church and truly enjoy our visit there. It is an Episcopal church and their first service is in English and then the next one is in Spanish. We did not know what time they would start so we are about an half an hour late, but that did not seem to bother anyone.
We stayed afterwards and enjoyed speaking with several of the parishioners. Reminded me of all the times I had gone to church with my sister over the years. She would have loved this church. The priest was a crack up and had some very interesting facial expressions when some ladies were up giving some of the upcoming events and sharing a letter about sisters.
We then went and walked around the shopping district and got some lunch. We ended up eating at Taco Bell because David thought that would be fun to do. But we also did have a batido while we walked around, so we didn’t completely succumb to American food. Bought some more souvenirs and had fun looking in store windows and people watching. My husband even bought a couple of dvds on the sidewalk.
End of part 3
Well we go back to the Cannon store just before they close and find out that it was not the battery but the charger that was not working. So we now have an extra battery and a charger that works.
We do a little walking around and enjoy some of the sights of downtown San Jose. There is a park nearby where they have some vendors set up and I check out the jewelry and find some things for a couple of my girls. Not going to tell you what here because then it won’t be a surprise when we get home. David also takes some pics of a couple of young men practicing their tricks. There are also skateboarders and bicycle tricks being done on a street that has been cordoned off. Just like being back home.
That evening we ask for a place to eat that is within walking distance and are directed to the Don Carlos hotel down the street. We enjoy some dinner and wander around the various garden areas of the hotel before heading back to our room. We then watch Godfather 2 with Spanish subtitles…what a hoot. It’s been years since we had seen this movie and it was funny when they would speak in Italian and then the Spanish subtitle would come up.
We had asked Guillermo if he knew of a church nearby as it was Sunday in the morning. He said he would do some research and let us know in the morning. After a warm shower we went downstairs for our breakfast. The lady that had let us in the day before comes out to us in the garden and strikes up a conversation. She said she had heard we were Christians and that she is also. She speaks slower than most so I am able to actually have a conversation with her. She was very sweet and told me that she would pray for us when we were out walking around that we would be safe.
Guillermo then tells us of a church that is about half a mile away and ends by telling us it is next to the McDonald’s so we won’t miss it. Cracks us up…no address…just what it is near. We do find the church and truly enjoy our visit there. It is an Episcopal church and their first service is in English and then the next one is in Spanish. We did not know what time they would start so we are about an half an hour late, but that did not seem to bother anyone.
We stayed afterwards and enjoyed speaking with several of the parishioners. Reminded me of all the times I had gone to church with my sister over the years. She would have loved this church. The priest was a crack up and had some very interesting facial expressions when some ladies were up giving some of the upcoming events and sharing a letter about sisters.
We then went and walked around the shopping district and got some lunch. We ended up eating at Taco Bell because David thought that would be fun to do. But we also did have a batido while we walked around, so we didn’t completely succumb to American food. Bought some more souvenirs and had fun looking in store windows and people watching. My husband even bought a couple of dvds on the sidewalk.
End of part 3
Thursday, March 22, 2012
March 20, 2012
March 20, 2012
A very interesting question was posed to me a couple of days ago. We were being told a story about a young lady that had come to Costa Rica with a potential boyfriend. He was serious, but she was not about the relationship. He had brought her down to meet some family and enjoy some time at the beach. During her stay she became enamored with a local Tico beach bum. Eventually she and the young man break up during the stay. After they go back to the states, she drops out of college, gets on a plane and come back to Costa Rica. After a few weeks or months she is back in the U.S. and pregnant. The question was: What makes girls so swept off their feet by the young Tico men? Why would they throw their life away for one?
It made me think of Hosea. Gomer was not too much different from this young lady. She had a man that was serious about her and willing to devote his life to her, but instead she chose to go looking for the party guy that would sweep her off her feet. Unfortunately, he would also leave her in the dust when he was ready to move on. We say we want security and love and a good home but when faced with the temptation to be exciting and excited for a time we will throw it all away. Then we are left with the guilt and shame of what we have done. Now we need the excitement so we will not feel those negative emotions. It becomes such a vicious cycle and we see no way out….at least no way out for us. Others, yes, but never for us. After all, our sin is special…no one can be as bad as we are…on one hand but on the other hand we always justify ourselves by saying…at least we are not as bad as…. We are very schizo at how we look at our sin.
The problem: Our eyes are on ourselves
The solution: Get our eyes on Jesus!!!
Sounds simple, well it is. But living it out daily is the challenge.
A very interesting question was posed to me a couple of days ago. We were being told a story about a young lady that had come to Costa Rica with a potential boyfriend. He was serious, but she was not about the relationship. He had brought her down to meet some family and enjoy some time at the beach. During her stay she became enamored with a local Tico beach bum. Eventually she and the young man break up during the stay. After they go back to the states, she drops out of college, gets on a plane and come back to Costa Rica. After a few weeks or months she is back in the U.S. and pregnant. The question was: What makes girls so swept off their feet by the young Tico men? Why would they throw their life away for one?
It made me think of Hosea. Gomer was not too much different from this young lady. She had a man that was serious about her and willing to devote his life to her, but instead she chose to go looking for the party guy that would sweep her off her feet. Unfortunately, he would also leave her in the dust when he was ready to move on. We say we want security and love and a good home but when faced with the temptation to be exciting and excited for a time we will throw it all away. Then we are left with the guilt and shame of what we have done. Now we need the excitement so we will not feel those negative emotions. It becomes such a vicious cycle and we see no way out….at least no way out for us. Others, yes, but never for us. After all, our sin is special…no one can be as bad as we are…on one hand but on the other hand we always justify ourselves by saying…at least we are not as bad as…. We are very schizo at how we look at our sin.
The problem: Our eyes are on ourselves
The solution: Get our eyes on Jesus!!!
Sounds simple, well it is. But living it out daily is the challenge.
Weekend trip...2
March 22, 2012
Part 2
Well we got to San Jose and spent an hour or so finding our hotel and the Cannon store. San Jose is a very interesting city, it has no addresses, or at least no one uses the addresses they do have. They have a grid system that could make finding places fairly easy, if only they used it. Avenidas run east/west and calles run north/south. And then the evens are on one side of Central and the odds on the other side for both Avenidas and Calles. This means there are 4 zones just like those wonderful quadrants we learned in Algebra oh so many years ago. So our hotel was on Avenida 9 Calle 5y7, which means it is on Ave 9 somewhere between 5 and 7 in the northeast quadrant. The only problem is that there are no street signs. Once in a while a corner may have the name of the street up on a building, but that is very hit and miss. The traffic is crazy and most of the downtown streets are one way, so driving around looking for an address is almost impossible.
We parked in a lot and asked the attendant where we were and how to get to where we wanted to go. He did not even know the names of the corner where he was working. He knew the calle was 2 but was unsure as to the avenida on the other side of the lot. In fact another attendant came over and the two of them proceeded to argue about the number of the avenida. It was hilarious.
We went east out of the lot down the unknown avenida knowing that we at least needed to head in that direction. We finally saw a building with a sign on the corner but it only had the calle sign. We kept walking because we still knew we had not reached 5 yet. Then we came to a couple of policemen and Mike asked for our address from them. They actually knew where we were and gave us directions. We had 2 blocks to go north and 2 east. We got to Avenida 9 and Calle 5 and proceeded down the street to find the hotel. Now this was not what we would consider a hotel. It melted in with the other buildings, in fact I passed the building and then looked back before I was able to see the sign. There was a small gate on the street and then you went up some steps that ran parallel to the street. At the top there was a gate on an open door. We rang the bell and someone came and let us in.
The lady informed us that we were in the right place but the manager had stepped out and would be back in a few minutes. We looked around the downstairs and at the garden area where they served breakfast. The place was very quaint. It looked like it maybe had been a large house at one time and then chopped up into rooms. It had 2 stories and something on street level that we never saw. When Denis came back he got us registered and showed us our room upstairs. The room was small but it had a bed and private bathroom, so I was happy.
We then asked Denis for help to find the Cannon Store. He actually was able to print out a map and showed us how many streets we would have to walk south and west. We then left saying we would be back in awhile with our luggage, but we needed to get to the store before they closed at 1:00.
We only missed the store by one block but were able to remedy that rather quickly. We got to the right street but could not see a sign for the store. But when the traffic and buses moved we realized we were across the street from it. It is funny, from the outside it is very hard to tell one store from another, but once we stepped up and walked through the door it was obvious we were in a camera store.
We got David the new battery and headed back to the parking lot to get our luggage. We now felt like we had the layout of the city figured out and were able to find the truck with very little difficulty. Since Mike had to go in the general direction of the hotel to leave he said he would drive us over and drop us off nearby. We only had taken a rolling backpack and rolling computer bag, so that was no problem.
We go into the hotel and up to our room. David plugs in his new battery to charge and I unpack. David wanted to see if the battery would charge. It was a little before noon by this time. When we went downstairs, Denis offered us some coffee or tea. We both opt for tea and go and sit in the garden area and relax. We both loved the garden, it is on a hill with 3 or 4 tables scattered around. It is walled and has some beautiful plants and flowers and feels a hundred miles away from the big city.
Around 12:30 we go and check the battery and find out that what the recharger says and what the camera says when the battery is in it are two different things. We know that we have to hurry back to the store before it closes. So off we go again to the Cannon store.
End part 2
Part 2
Well we got to San Jose and spent an hour or so finding our hotel and the Cannon store. San Jose is a very interesting city, it has no addresses, or at least no one uses the addresses they do have. They have a grid system that could make finding places fairly easy, if only they used it. Avenidas run east/west and calles run north/south. And then the evens are on one side of Central and the odds on the other side for both Avenidas and Calles. This means there are 4 zones just like those wonderful quadrants we learned in Algebra oh so many years ago. So our hotel was on Avenida 9 Calle 5y7, which means it is on Ave 9 somewhere between 5 and 7 in the northeast quadrant. The only problem is that there are no street signs. Once in a while a corner may have the name of the street up on a building, but that is very hit and miss. The traffic is crazy and most of the downtown streets are one way, so driving around looking for an address is almost impossible.
We parked in a lot and asked the attendant where we were and how to get to where we wanted to go. He did not even know the names of the corner where he was working. He knew the calle was 2 but was unsure as to the avenida on the other side of the lot. In fact another attendant came over and the two of them proceeded to argue about the number of the avenida. It was hilarious.
We went east out of the lot down the unknown avenida knowing that we at least needed to head in that direction. We finally saw a building with a sign on the corner but it only had the calle sign. We kept walking because we still knew we had not reached 5 yet. Then we came to a couple of policemen and Mike asked for our address from them. They actually knew where we were and gave us directions. We had 2 blocks to go north and 2 east. We got to Avenida 9 and Calle 5 and proceeded down the street to find the hotel. Now this was not what we would consider a hotel. It melted in with the other buildings, in fact I passed the building and then looked back before I was able to see the sign. There was a small gate on the street and then you went up some steps that ran parallel to the street. At the top there was a gate on an open door. We rang the bell and someone came and let us in.
The lady informed us that we were in the right place but the manager had stepped out and would be back in a few minutes. We looked around the downstairs and at the garden area where they served breakfast. The place was very quaint. It looked like it maybe had been a large house at one time and then chopped up into rooms. It had 2 stories and something on street level that we never saw. When Denis came back he got us registered and showed us our room upstairs. The room was small but it had a bed and private bathroom, so I was happy.
We then asked Denis for help to find the Cannon Store. He actually was able to print out a map and showed us how many streets we would have to walk south and west. We then left saying we would be back in awhile with our luggage, but we needed to get to the store before they closed at 1:00.
We only missed the store by one block but were able to remedy that rather quickly. We got to the right street but could not see a sign for the store. But when the traffic and buses moved we realized we were across the street from it. It is funny, from the outside it is very hard to tell one store from another, but once we stepped up and walked through the door it was obvious we were in a camera store.
We got David the new battery and headed back to the parking lot to get our luggage. We now felt like we had the layout of the city figured out and were able to find the truck with very little difficulty. Since Mike had to go in the general direction of the hotel to leave he said he would drive us over and drop us off nearby. We only had taken a rolling backpack and rolling computer bag, so that was no problem.
We go into the hotel and up to our room. David plugs in his new battery to charge and I unpack. David wanted to see if the battery would charge. It was a little before noon by this time. When we went downstairs, Denis offered us some coffee or tea. We both opt for tea and go and sit in the garden area and relax. We both loved the garden, it is on a hill with 3 or 4 tables scattered around. It is walled and has some beautiful plants and flowers and feels a hundred miles away from the big city.
Around 12:30 we go and check the battery and find out that what the recharger says and what the camera says when the battery is in it are two different things. We know that we have to hurry back to the store before it closes. So off we go again to the Cannon store.
End part 2
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Weekend trip...1
We just had an amazing weekend for our halfway point in our trip to Costa Rica. We were hanging out at a little restaurant that has Wifi. We had gone for café con leche for me and a batido for David. While there Mike, who we had gone to Tango Mar with came down for breakfast. We get talking and David had told him previously that his camera battery seemed to be no good and the only place he might find a new one was in San Jose. Well he tells us that he is going to San Jose in the morning, do we want to go with?
Our immediate response is YES that would be fantastic. We then spend the next hour or so looking for a store in San Jose that sells Cannon products. We call and they have the battery. We then find a reasonably priced hotel that is nearby. Finally after the arrangements are made we go home so I can do my laundry.
The next morning we are picked up at 6:30 and are on our way. After we have gone for about an hour, we learn that Mike’s license plates are a number that cannot go into the city on Friday. He then says he can stop on the outskirts of town and then we can take the bus the rest of the way or we can go to Tamarindo, the opposite direction for the night and stay in his penthouse condo overlooking the beach for the night. We tell him we are flexible and will do whatever is best for him, but inside I am yelling…Beach Condo!!!
Well, he had business he wanted to take care of in Tamarindo, so we call our hotel and they graciously change our reservations for a day later arrival. We got to see a lot more of the Nicoya Peninsula and hear some of Mike’s story. The condo’s view was outrageous. He gave us the Master, which was upstairs as he usually stays in one of the bedrooms on the main floor. We were probably one of the highest vantage points in the whole city. We could see for miles. David did try and take a couple of pics but the camera was not responding…hence our trip in the first place.
Mike went and had lunch with his attorney and did business. We played on the internet and watched the ocean and snuck in a little nap. When Mike came back he asked if we wanted to go see some of the beaches farther north and off the beaten path. Of course we did. All I can say is we were on “roads” that only my son Josh would have driven on. My main concern was keeping my head far enough from the side of the truck so I did not bash out my brains. But we saw some absolutely gorgeous beaches. We went to about 5 or 6 and then returned to Tamarindo via a more civilized route.
We watched the sun set over the ocean from our balcony and were able to sleep in an air-conditioned room on a king sized bed. We laughed at the difference between where we had been just the day before. I thought of Paul saying I have learned to be content in whatever state I am in. I sure was content in this state but knew I would be just as happy when we returned to Tambor.
The next morning we left early and made our way to San Jose.
End of part 1
Our immediate response is YES that would be fantastic. We then spend the next hour or so looking for a store in San Jose that sells Cannon products. We call and they have the battery. We then find a reasonably priced hotel that is nearby. Finally after the arrangements are made we go home so I can do my laundry.
The next morning we are picked up at 6:30 and are on our way. After we have gone for about an hour, we learn that Mike’s license plates are a number that cannot go into the city on Friday. He then says he can stop on the outskirts of town and then we can take the bus the rest of the way or we can go to Tamarindo, the opposite direction for the night and stay in his penthouse condo overlooking the beach for the night. We tell him we are flexible and will do whatever is best for him, but inside I am yelling…Beach Condo!!!
Well, he had business he wanted to take care of in Tamarindo, so we call our hotel and they graciously change our reservations for a day later arrival. We got to see a lot more of the Nicoya Peninsula and hear some of Mike’s story. The condo’s view was outrageous. He gave us the Master, which was upstairs as he usually stays in one of the bedrooms on the main floor. We were probably one of the highest vantage points in the whole city. We could see for miles. David did try and take a couple of pics but the camera was not responding…hence our trip in the first place.
Mike went and had lunch with his attorney and did business. We played on the internet and watched the ocean and snuck in a little nap. When Mike came back he asked if we wanted to go see some of the beaches farther north and off the beaten path. Of course we did. All I can say is we were on “roads” that only my son Josh would have driven on. My main concern was keeping my head far enough from the side of the truck so I did not bash out my brains. But we saw some absolutely gorgeous beaches. We went to about 5 or 6 and then returned to Tamarindo via a more civilized route.
We watched the sun set over the ocean from our balcony and were able to sleep in an air-conditioned room on a king sized bed. We laughed at the difference between where we had been just the day before. I thought of Paul saying I have learned to be content in whatever state I am in. I sure was content in this state but knew I would be just as happy when we returned to Tambor.
The next morning we left early and made our way to San Jose.
End of part 1
March 15, 2012
March 15, 2012
In 32 days we leave, we have been here for 30 days. So tomorrow is the official halfway point.
What have I/we learned during our time here?
• I can get used to my environment
• I still have a hard time with prayer...my ADD really shows up when I try and have a conversation with God
• Do not go to bed sweaty…take a shower in the evening
• We can survive in a greatly reduced capacity of amenities and at time enjoy it, like with a really good piece of pineapple or yummy batido
• Manana has become part of our vocabulary
• Do not accompany my husband out in the midday sun
• Big tides come after a full moon
• I am so unaware of what I am wearing that I will be halfway down the street before I realize I have on my thongs, this revelation usually comes when I step on a sharp rock
• Horns on cars are a means of communication…a beep can mean hello, a short burst of beeps can either mean I am passing you or going around a blind curve, a honk means you’ve irritated me and watch out (rare to hear) and a couple of honks means I am not running on Tico time (even rarer) but in the city of San Jose there is just constant beeping..no honking
• Fewer people speak English than we were led to believe…of course we have not exactly been hanging out at the resorts
• There is a reason it takes so long for something to get done…it’s just too hot
• The people are friendly
• The tires on all the bicycles are not properly inflated
• People get up really early here for obvious reasons, but that does not mean stores open early
• David enjoys life more without a phone
• I miss being able to talk to family and friends easily
• Skype does not always work
• The monkeys will respond to David’s imitation of their call as will the geckos
• Parking in the middle of the street is OK….for whatever reason….to visit with a friend…to drop off or pick up something
• Sweeping is full time occupation
• Can live with bats…wish they would eat more
• Construction here is marginal at best…3 year old sidewalk looks 100 years old
• They have the world’s best pineapple
• Their food is ok...not great and not bad either
• I miss snacks or just being able to get a quick bite to eat
• That there are amazing sights to be seen, such as 5 Scarlet Macaws
• You can leave your car running and to into a bank or store or just visit
• Dogs here that run loose are indifferent to passersby…and they do not seem to ever get hit
• You take your life in your own hands anytime you cross a street as cars seem to have the right of way
• A whole family can fit on one scooter
• Very few heavy people here unless they are foreigners
• Getting on a water taxi can be dangerous
• Always show up to the bus stop early but expect you may have to wait for a very long time….the buses are so unpredictable that they can be half an hour early or over an hour late
• You must be careful walking around as things just fall out of trees…coconuts, fruits, limbs, leaves, dirt, critters, fronds
• We get many little blessings from the Lord…buses running late so we do not miss them, getting a ride from someone, no problems from drinking the water, no food poisoning, cuts healed properly
In 32 days we leave, we have been here for 30 days. So tomorrow is the official halfway point.
What have I/we learned during our time here?
• I can get used to my environment
• I still have a hard time with prayer...my ADD really shows up when I try and have a conversation with God
• Do not go to bed sweaty…take a shower in the evening
• We can survive in a greatly reduced capacity of amenities and at time enjoy it, like with a really good piece of pineapple or yummy batido
• Manana has become part of our vocabulary
• Do not accompany my husband out in the midday sun
• Big tides come after a full moon
• I am so unaware of what I am wearing that I will be halfway down the street before I realize I have on my thongs, this revelation usually comes when I step on a sharp rock
• Horns on cars are a means of communication…a beep can mean hello, a short burst of beeps can either mean I am passing you or going around a blind curve, a honk means you’ve irritated me and watch out (rare to hear) and a couple of honks means I am not running on Tico time (even rarer) but in the city of San Jose there is just constant beeping..no honking
• Fewer people speak English than we were led to believe…of course we have not exactly been hanging out at the resorts
• There is a reason it takes so long for something to get done…it’s just too hot
• The people are friendly
• The tires on all the bicycles are not properly inflated
• People get up really early here for obvious reasons, but that does not mean stores open early
• David enjoys life more without a phone
• I miss being able to talk to family and friends easily
• Skype does not always work
• The monkeys will respond to David’s imitation of their call as will the geckos
• Parking in the middle of the street is OK….for whatever reason….to visit with a friend…to drop off or pick up something
• Sweeping is full time occupation
• Can live with bats…wish they would eat more
• Construction here is marginal at best…3 year old sidewalk looks 100 years old
• They have the world’s best pineapple
• Their food is ok...not great and not bad either
• I miss snacks or just being able to get a quick bite to eat
• That there are amazing sights to be seen, such as 5 Scarlet Macaws
• You can leave your car running and to into a bank or store or just visit
• Dogs here that run loose are indifferent to passersby…and they do not seem to ever get hit
• You take your life in your own hands anytime you cross a street as cars seem to have the right of way
• A whole family can fit on one scooter
• Very few heavy people here unless they are foreigners
• Getting on a water taxi can be dangerous
• Always show up to the bus stop early but expect you may have to wait for a very long time….the buses are so unpredictable that they can be half an hour early or over an hour late
• You must be careful walking around as things just fall out of trees…coconuts, fruits, limbs, leaves, dirt, critters, fronds
• We get many little blessings from the Lord…buses running late so we do not miss them, getting a ride from someone, no problems from drinking the water, no food poisoning, cuts healed properly
Thursday, March 15, 2012
March 13, 2012
March 13, 2012
Tell stories!?!
That was my word when I asked what it was I was to do in Costa Rica. So for the next 5 weeks that is what I will be working on. Since my Spanish is so poor, it looks like the pages of my Word docs will be the place that these stories will be told. We will see after that where they will end up.
Since I came here and finished my study on Hosea, I feel it only right that he will be the first story I tell. What an incredible, strong and loving man of God he was. I only hope that I can catch even a glimmer of his personality in my storytelling. What a difficult time and place he lived in, but then that could be said for any of us. We each face our own set of problems and opportunities each and every day.
Now for the latest in the ongoing Marlowe saga. Last night we kept hearing rustling in the leaves along the tree line next to our driveway. Finally I got David’s headlight and tried to see if I could see what was moving around down there. We could see movement but could not see what it was. So we go downstairs and over to the trees to see what it is. Really smart…huh? Anyway, I got to see my first armadillo since we’ve been here. It was the second one for David.
Funny how my attitude has changed in the few weeks we’ve been here. A couple of weeks ago there would have been no way I would have gone down looking to see what was rustling in the bushes. And now here we are out looking for the wildlife. I even do not mind the bats that live downstairs; my only problem with them is they do not eat enough mosquitoes.
The only thing I really want to happen now is to get a really good rainstorm. I would love to see the trees with green leaves instead of dust covered ones. Well we have 5 more weeks so I am pretty sure we should have at least one rain storm before we go…hopefully it won’t be the day we go!
Tell stories!?!
That was my word when I asked what it was I was to do in Costa Rica. So for the next 5 weeks that is what I will be working on. Since my Spanish is so poor, it looks like the pages of my Word docs will be the place that these stories will be told. We will see after that where they will end up.
Since I came here and finished my study on Hosea, I feel it only right that he will be the first story I tell. What an incredible, strong and loving man of God he was. I only hope that I can catch even a glimmer of his personality in my storytelling. What a difficult time and place he lived in, but then that could be said for any of us. We each face our own set of problems and opportunities each and every day.
Now for the latest in the ongoing Marlowe saga. Last night we kept hearing rustling in the leaves along the tree line next to our driveway. Finally I got David’s headlight and tried to see if I could see what was moving around down there. We could see movement but could not see what it was. So we go downstairs and over to the trees to see what it is. Really smart…huh? Anyway, I got to see my first armadillo since we’ve been here. It was the second one for David.
Funny how my attitude has changed in the few weeks we’ve been here. A couple of weeks ago there would have been no way I would have gone down looking to see what was rustling in the bushes. And now here we are out looking for the wildlife. I even do not mind the bats that live downstairs; my only problem with them is they do not eat enough mosquitoes.
The only thing I really want to happen now is to get a really good rainstorm. I would love to see the trees with green leaves instead of dust covered ones. Well we have 5 more weeks so I am pretty sure we should have at least one rain storm before we go…hopefully it won’t be the day we go!
Monday, March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012
This morning we did have a very special surprise. We were both on the porch when we saw a Scarlet Macaw fly into the tree across the street. As we were looking in amazement at that, four others came and joined him. They then moved around a couple of trees before flying back the way they had come from. They are absolutely beautiful, remind me of flying rainbows. They are endangered and not seen in these parts very much and we had the honor to see five of them at once.
One month ago was the wedding in California. Happy monthversary Marianne and Joe. In some ways that feels a million years ago. It is amazing how fast you adapt to new environments. I asked David last night what we would do if we lived in a place like this. We could not come up with an answer. I had thought that I would be doing more writing and studying, but truthfully it is just too hot. We have no table so the laptop goes on my lap to write and with the heat it generates that doesn’t last too long. In fact I just took a couple minutes break to let the legs cool down a bit.
Today is extra especially hot. Even sitting in the shade with a slight breeze and a portable fan blowing right on me, I am HOT. We had thought about trying to go back to Montezuma today but I am glad we did not. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and we can enjoy finally getting to see Montezuma itself. We had gone there on Saturday but after David went hiking back to the waterfall the top way and I had sat in a lovely little restaurant that was beside the river with a view of some small falls and the ocean in the other direction sipping my café con leche. We ran into a fellow from Tambor that does tours and he offered us a ride to Playa Carmen where a surf competition was going on. Since he had already been hired to pick some people up there he said he would take us for free. Not to be ones to decline free we jumped in the van and were off to surfers’ paradise. I think David has already posted pictures of this.
Playa Carmen, Mal Pais and Sta.Teresa are three beaches that line up one right after the other. This is where surfing is at it’s finest in Costa Rica. Because of the crowd it attracts the prices are a little higher and the median age is a lot younger than Tambor. Also, there is supposed to be a lot of partying going on at night. It’s not as hippyish as Montezuma but still young. We enjoyed out time there but away from the beach itself, it was nothing special.
This morning we did have a very special surprise. We were both on the porch when we saw a Scarlet Macaw fly into the tree across the street. As we were looking in amazement at that, four others came and joined him. They then moved around a couple of trees before flying back the way they had come from. They are absolutely beautiful, remind me of flying rainbows. They are endangered and not seen in these parts very much and we had the honor to see five of them at once.
One month ago was the wedding in California. Happy monthversary Marianne and Joe. In some ways that feels a million years ago. It is amazing how fast you adapt to new environments. I asked David last night what we would do if we lived in a place like this. We could not come up with an answer. I had thought that I would be doing more writing and studying, but truthfully it is just too hot. We have no table so the laptop goes on my lap to write and with the heat it generates that doesn’t last too long. In fact I just took a couple minutes break to let the legs cool down a bit.
Today is extra especially hot. Even sitting in the shade with a slight breeze and a portable fan blowing right on me, I am HOT. We had thought about trying to go back to Montezuma today but I am glad we did not. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and we can enjoy finally getting to see Montezuma itself. We had gone there on Saturday but after David went hiking back to the waterfall the top way and I had sat in a lovely little restaurant that was beside the river with a view of some small falls and the ocean in the other direction sipping my café con leche. We ran into a fellow from Tambor that does tours and he offered us a ride to Playa Carmen where a surf competition was going on. Since he had already been hired to pick some people up there he said he would take us for free. Not to be ones to decline free we jumped in the van and were off to surfers’ paradise. I think David has already posted pictures of this.
Playa Carmen, Mal Pais and Sta.Teresa are three beaches that line up one right after the other. This is where surfing is at it’s finest in Costa Rica. Because of the crowd it attracts the prices are a little higher and the median age is a lot younger than Tambor. Also, there is supposed to be a lot of partying going on at night. It’s not as hippyish as Montezuma but still young. We enjoyed out time there but away from the beach itself, it was nothing special.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
March 9, 2012
March 9, 2012
Beware the little ants!
Now I know in Scripture the warning is to the little foxes that come by night and eat the grapes, well here in the tropics it is ants. They are so small that without my glasses on I cannot really see them except for their movement. But they love the kitchen and the deck
Outside on the deck, where we eat, we have to sweep a couple times a day because the ants will swarm over the tiniest crumb or drop of water. For the most part that is manageable.
But the kitchen is another matter. Before I start to prepare a meal, I must first check for these ants. Like I said they are tiny, so I don’t always see them at first. There is usually a couple. So I wash them off and proceed to make whatever it is I came to make.
I usually hand David his food and then wash whatever utensils were used in the prep before I take my food and join David on the deck. I have tried to eat first and then wash everything together but that means I will come back to hundreds of the little buggers.
Today I followed my normal routine but had not wiped off the counter completely. I returned to find about a 6 inch square of the counter just crammed full of the ants with a couple of trails of more coming to join the party.
By this time I don’t freak…I just grab the sponge and begin to exterminate and wash them into the sink and t=down the drain. I then finish the dishes.
But it got me to thinking about our “little” sins or bad habits. How we cannot let them fo for even one second. We need to stop whatever we are doing and take care of them right then. Now if I see one of those tiny ants I either hit it with something or just squarsh it with my hand. I refuse to let these little critters rule my life…I will deal with them as they come along.
Now to make the analogy:
When we are first saved we are surprised by the fact we still sin. We somehow think we should be suddenly perfect.
When David first discovered the ants on the deck He did not know what in the world was the little things crawling around. But here he was stomping and smacking and just dancing all over the place. It was so funny looking that I nearly fell out of the hammock laughing. But when I found out how persistent they were the laughter stopped and war began.
We cannot tolerate even a little sin…repentance needs to come right away.
One ant means hundreds are waiting ..must kill the kill the scout. Same with sin!
It is an ongoing war…can never say…this little one won’t matter.
Clean…kill…rinse and repeat!!
Do not indulge in any type of activity that will feed the ants or sin/
Beware the little ants!
Now I know in Scripture the warning is to the little foxes that come by night and eat the grapes, well here in the tropics it is ants. They are so small that without my glasses on I cannot really see them except for their movement. But they love the kitchen and the deck
Outside on the deck, where we eat, we have to sweep a couple times a day because the ants will swarm over the tiniest crumb or drop of water. For the most part that is manageable.
But the kitchen is another matter. Before I start to prepare a meal, I must first check for these ants. Like I said they are tiny, so I don’t always see them at first. There is usually a couple. So I wash them off and proceed to make whatever it is I came to make.
I usually hand David his food and then wash whatever utensils were used in the prep before I take my food and join David on the deck. I have tried to eat first and then wash everything together but that means I will come back to hundreds of the little buggers.
Today I followed my normal routine but had not wiped off the counter completely. I returned to find about a 6 inch square of the counter just crammed full of the ants with a couple of trails of more coming to join the party.
By this time I don’t freak…I just grab the sponge and begin to exterminate and wash them into the sink and t=down the drain. I then finish the dishes.
But it got me to thinking about our “little” sins or bad habits. How we cannot let them fo for even one second. We need to stop whatever we are doing and take care of them right then. Now if I see one of those tiny ants I either hit it with something or just squarsh it with my hand. I refuse to let these little critters rule my life…I will deal with them as they come along.
Now to make the analogy:
When we are first saved we are surprised by the fact we still sin. We somehow think we should be suddenly perfect.
When David first discovered the ants on the deck He did not know what in the world was the little things crawling around. But here he was stomping and smacking and just dancing all over the place. It was so funny looking that I nearly fell out of the hammock laughing. But when I found out how persistent they were the laughter stopped and war began.
We cannot tolerate even a little sin…repentance needs to come right away.
One ant means hundreds are waiting ..must kill the kill the scout. Same with sin!
It is an ongoing war…can never say…this little one won’t matter.
Clean…kill…rinse and repeat!!
Do not indulge in any type of activity that will feed the ants or sin/
March 7, 2012
March 7, 2012
I haven’t taken the time to talk about the people of Costa Rica that we have met so far. They seem to be a happy lot for the most part. Everyone will greet you as you walk by whether they have ever seen you before or not. Buenos dias, hola, or just plain buenas are the typical greeting along with a smile. This is all ages and both genders. How many people in the States will greet you as you walk down the street?
In this small town of Tambor, I have never felt uneasy walking down the street or being alone at the house. Even though according to the internet, petty thievery runs rampant in the country and people are told not to go to the beaches after dark. David and I were just at the beach looking at the full moon shine on the bay and there was no feeling of needing to be careful or wary. I think we are just away from the type of tourist spots that bring in the riff raff.
The people will go out of their way to help you with any questions you might have. The only problem is trying to be understood with a limited amount of Spanish, as for the most part the people we have been meeting do not speak English; unless they are tourists from the US or Canada. The only time people are a little bit rude is getting on or off of public transportation. Queuing properly is not a lesson that they have learned. But one politeness they have learned is young men will get out of their seat and offer it to me on the bus, they may have just crowded in front of me to get on the bus, but hey…it’s the thought that counts. And I can tell you I gladly take a seat as the buses are very rickety and hanging on for dear life gets old after a few stops or hills.
We went to church last Sunday and everyone was just delightful. Being typical we got to church early and I don’t think they quite knew what to do with us. But we were welcomed in and offered a seat. Everyone that was already there praying one by one came by to welcome us, the men with a handshake and the women with a kiss on the cheek, at least for me. And of course the Dios le bendiga (God bless you) from all.
The service was supposed to start at 10 but true to Costa Rican style people started arriving at a few minutes after 10 and kept trickling in for the next 20 minutes or so. As they came in they would greet everyone, including us, and then go and join in the prayer up front.
From the moment we walked in the door I could feel that this was a Holy Spirit filled church. There was much prayer, with many people going and kneeling at the front and also many being slain in the Spirit. Then there was some rousing singing and we actually recognized 2 of the songs. Of course it is difficult to sing in English when you are hearing them sing the song in Spanish. And then there was more personal prayer time up front with more being slain in the Spirit.
And when I thought the Pastor was finally going to preach, he said that the Holy Spirit had worked that morning and there was no need for him to add anything to what had been done. So with David and I looking at each other asking, do you think it is over, we had everyone come by and bless us again with either a handshake or a kiss. Finally after someone else went out the door we decided that indeed the service was over. I was a little surprised that the Pastor did not go ahead and preach anyway but decided it was probably because of the bus schedule. Most people that did not live right in town came by the bus which left at 12:30 and the next one wasn’t until 3 hours later on Sunday.
The one thing that struck me while at the church was that people are the same no matter where you are and these lovely people need Jesus just as much as anyone. The only difference is they seem to be able to fall on their faces before God more easily than we do. The other thing I kept thinking over and over, as most of the ones crying out to God were the women, is I would love to bring our Tiara Ladies message to these women so that they could more fully know the freedom that only the Lord gives.
I haven’t taken the time to talk about the people of Costa Rica that we have met so far. They seem to be a happy lot for the most part. Everyone will greet you as you walk by whether they have ever seen you before or not. Buenos dias, hola, or just plain buenas are the typical greeting along with a smile. This is all ages and both genders. How many people in the States will greet you as you walk down the street?
In this small town of Tambor, I have never felt uneasy walking down the street or being alone at the house. Even though according to the internet, petty thievery runs rampant in the country and people are told not to go to the beaches after dark. David and I were just at the beach looking at the full moon shine on the bay and there was no feeling of needing to be careful or wary. I think we are just away from the type of tourist spots that bring in the riff raff.
The people will go out of their way to help you with any questions you might have. The only problem is trying to be understood with a limited amount of Spanish, as for the most part the people we have been meeting do not speak English; unless they are tourists from the US or Canada. The only time people are a little bit rude is getting on or off of public transportation. Queuing properly is not a lesson that they have learned. But one politeness they have learned is young men will get out of their seat and offer it to me on the bus, they may have just crowded in front of me to get on the bus, but hey…it’s the thought that counts. And I can tell you I gladly take a seat as the buses are very rickety and hanging on for dear life gets old after a few stops or hills.
We went to church last Sunday and everyone was just delightful. Being typical we got to church early and I don’t think they quite knew what to do with us. But we were welcomed in and offered a seat. Everyone that was already there praying one by one came by to welcome us, the men with a handshake and the women with a kiss on the cheek, at least for me. And of course the Dios le bendiga (God bless you) from all.
The service was supposed to start at 10 but true to Costa Rican style people started arriving at a few minutes after 10 and kept trickling in for the next 20 minutes or so. As they came in they would greet everyone, including us, and then go and join in the prayer up front.
From the moment we walked in the door I could feel that this was a Holy Spirit filled church. There was much prayer, with many people going and kneeling at the front and also many being slain in the Spirit. Then there was some rousing singing and we actually recognized 2 of the songs. Of course it is difficult to sing in English when you are hearing them sing the song in Spanish. And then there was more personal prayer time up front with more being slain in the Spirit.
And when I thought the Pastor was finally going to preach, he said that the Holy Spirit had worked that morning and there was no need for him to add anything to what had been done. So with David and I looking at each other asking, do you think it is over, we had everyone come by and bless us again with either a handshake or a kiss. Finally after someone else went out the door we decided that indeed the service was over. I was a little surprised that the Pastor did not go ahead and preach anyway but decided it was probably because of the bus schedule. Most people that did not live right in town came by the bus which left at 12:30 and the next one wasn’t until 3 hours later on Sunday.
The one thing that struck me while at the church was that people are the same no matter where you are and these lovely people need Jesus just as much as anyone. The only difference is they seem to be able to fall on their faces before God more easily than we do. The other thing I kept thinking over and over, as most of the ones crying out to God were the women, is I would love to bring our Tiara Ladies message to these women so that they could more fully know the freedom that only the Lord gives.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
March 5, 2012
March 5, 2012
I thought I would share with you today the iguana that lives on our roof. Or at least he seems to spend most of his time up there. I can tell you that the first few times I heard him scrambling about up there freaked me out. You have to remember we were without electricity the first couple of days, so it was black at night, plus we have a metal roof like everyone else around here. So early in the morning before the sun would be up we would hear, not the pitter patter of little feet, but thump, thump, thud, slide, scramble, scramble, thump.
The first time I heard it I thought the drainpipe was going to completely fall off the roof. And needless to say I would jump every time I heard the noises up there. Of course it didn’t help to have bats living in the downstairs back room.
Well I have finally gotten used to the noises on the roof and the other day it was particularly loud and kept going on and on. I had realized a day or two before that it was an iguana making all the noise. But this day it was just ridiculous how noisy he was. I had just stepped out onto the porch when WHUMP! The silly lizard had fallen off the roof onto his back in the palm tree next to where I was standing. I started laughing at how ridiculous he looked. I must have hurt his feelings, because he immediately tried to right himself and fell the rest of the way to the ground. Once there he scurried off into the bushes.
I decided then and there that we had the clumsiest lizard around. And when I would hear him up there I would just laugh. Well today we found out why he is so clumsy. It seems that our roof has not one but two iguanas that call it home. I guess they don’t like each other or maybe they like each other too much. And that is why there is so much scurrying going on up there.
They both landed in the tree that hangs over from the neighbor’s yard today. David got some pics of the second one and they will be posted later.
I thought I would share with you today the iguana that lives on our roof. Or at least he seems to spend most of his time up there. I can tell you that the first few times I heard him scrambling about up there freaked me out. You have to remember we were without electricity the first couple of days, so it was black at night, plus we have a metal roof like everyone else around here. So early in the morning before the sun would be up we would hear, not the pitter patter of little feet, but thump, thump, thud, slide, scramble, scramble, thump.
The first time I heard it I thought the drainpipe was going to completely fall off the roof. And needless to say I would jump every time I heard the noises up there. Of course it didn’t help to have bats living in the downstairs back room.
Well I have finally gotten used to the noises on the roof and the other day it was particularly loud and kept going on and on. I had realized a day or two before that it was an iguana making all the noise. But this day it was just ridiculous how noisy he was. I had just stepped out onto the porch when WHUMP! The silly lizard had fallen off the roof onto his back in the palm tree next to where I was standing. I started laughing at how ridiculous he looked. I must have hurt his feelings, because he immediately tried to right himself and fell the rest of the way to the ground. Once there he scurried off into the bushes.
I decided then and there that we had the clumsiest lizard around. And when I would hear him up there I would just laugh. Well today we found out why he is so clumsy. It seems that our roof has not one but two iguanas that call it home. I guess they don’t like each other or maybe they like each other too much. And that is why there is so much scurrying going on up there.
They both landed in the tree that hangs over from the neighbor’s yard today. David got some pics of the second one and they will be posted later.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
March 3, 2012
March 3, 2012
I am beginning to get an idea of why we are here. My friend Cindy had talked about needing some cabin time and I thought ‘we have cabin time!’. Well that is exactly where I am. I have been taken and set apart for a season and if I cannot get quiet here and learn how to talk to my Lord more effectively and without distractions. Then I cannot do it anywhere.
Like I said I have been listening to some of the Beth Moore Breaking Free videos. I do not have them all but I do have several saved to my desktop from when I had the Bible Study at my home. The one I just listened to for the second time (the first time was at night and I fell asleep) was about the necessity of prayer in our personal freedom from bondage. A truth I knew, but one I need to get better at doing for myself.
It isn’t until we become serious can we break free from whatever it is that holds us back. She made some good points about freedom. If we are comfortable enough with our bondage we will not seek freedom. It is not until we hate it and what it has done to us that we will be ready to accept the freedom that God has for us.
So for the next five weeks I will set out on a journey to discover a prayer life that no longer will be subject to distractions; but one that will help me to draw close to the very heart and mind of Jesus.
I am beginning to get an idea of why we are here. My friend Cindy had talked about needing some cabin time and I thought ‘we have cabin time!’. Well that is exactly where I am. I have been taken and set apart for a season and if I cannot get quiet here and learn how to talk to my Lord more effectively and without distractions. Then I cannot do it anywhere.
Like I said I have been listening to some of the Beth Moore Breaking Free videos. I do not have them all but I do have several saved to my desktop from when I had the Bible Study at my home. The one I just listened to for the second time (the first time was at night and I fell asleep) was about the necessity of prayer in our personal freedom from bondage. A truth I knew, but one I need to get better at doing for myself.
It isn’t until we become serious can we break free from whatever it is that holds us back. She made some good points about freedom. If we are comfortable enough with our bondage we will not seek freedom. It is not until we hate it and what it has done to us that we will be ready to accept the freedom that God has for us.
So for the next five weeks I will set out on a journey to discover a prayer life that no longer will be subject to distractions; but one that will help me to draw close to the very heart and mind of Jesus.
March 2, 2012
March 2, 2012
Today was a very long day and it is only 4:30 in the afternoon. It started before sunrise with my husband informing me he was going to walk to Tango Mar, did I want to go. My answer summed up the mixed feelings I was having. I said “yes and no”…yes I want to go there but I don’t know that I really want to walk that far. We figure that it is about 2.5 miles but not much of it is flat; lots of up and down and once we were off the main road, very dusty. I decided I did not want to sit home alone so got up and got dressed. We were on our way at 5:45.
On the other side of Tambor there is a steep incline that seems to go on and on. But the morning was still cool enough and the views are very beautiful. We also got to see some mono chongos (howler monkeys) in one of the trees overhanging the road. David was even able to make their noise well enough that the male responded with a call. But he was even more vocal when a truck went by.
As we were walking I thought that our trek would make a good life illustration story. Let’s see how it sounds.
We have a destination in mind and we know that it is beautiful and peaceful and a place we want to go to. On the way, we calculate how long it may take us to get there and we know that we need to be prepared. We take an apple each and a bottle of water. But even with preparation, there are more hills than we remember and the grade is very, very steep at times. But there are distractions along the way that make the walk worthwhile. There are spectacular views, and interesting wild life and amazing flowers to brighten our day.
Finally after much hard walking we come to a sign that points in the direction we are wanting to go. But we must go off the main road and travel a dirt road that has much less traffic. As far as we can tell we are the only ones walking. Here we walk in the quiet, until a dirt bike or car passes us, kicking up so much dirt that sometimes we have to stop and turn our heads in order to breath. But even here there are beauties to discover. A quaint pastoral scene with cows and horses help us enjoy the peace and quiet. We come to a turn in the road; one way offers refreshments but the other our destination. We continue on and the road gets narrower. The walk is broken up by the discovery of a beautiful orchid. Finally we come to a gate and we pass through, knowing that we are welcome here and the gate is not meant to keep us out. Inside the gate the scene changes with well manicured greens for the golf course and some nicer homes along the way.
Once more we come to a fork in the road. We know our destination is straight ahead, but off to the right is a road that leads to a waterfall. For some reason I have a desire to see if we can get to this waterfall easier than the one in Montezuma. So we take the side road and I say if we don’t find the waterfall in 15 minutes we are coming back. Off we walk, again up and down hills until we come to a trail. At the trail I meet a dog out for a stroll and he generously feels it his duty to show me the way to the waterfall. So following my new friend I head up the path. I do finally make the waterfall…it had taken 20 minutes instead of 15, but was worth the view. Could not really see the fall as I was at the top of it. So I get on my hands and knees and look over the edge as it fell directly into the ocean and I could see the surf and the sand and the land as it curved around to the west. Also, I could see straight out to sea for miles and miles. So I sat on a boulder in the shade and the dog sat in the water and we enjoyed the peace and the noise of the water falling and the surf crashing. As we sat there a couple of water taxis went by but they were far enough out that I could not hear their noise and the people were just dots. I cannot imagine a more tranquil place to be.
Walking back from the waterfall to get back to our road I was thinking how sometimes God gives us time of refreshing along our way. But we need to be careful and learn the difference between a time of refreshing and when we have just gotten off track. Anyway, back on the road we make it to our destination. (End of illustration)
At the resort we take advantage of the restaurant and have a batido de sandia (watermelon drink). Afterwards I sat in a hammock while my husband traipsed all over taking pictures. Unfortunately, he was not happy when he came back as he had lost his little camera to the surf. It had fallen out of his pocket and was sweep away before he knew it.
It is now 11:00 and hot away from the ocean breezes. We struggle to get back to the road, taking lots of breaks whenever we would hit a shady spot. We make it back to the main road by 11:40 and Hallelujah as we turn to walk up the road we hear a bus coming. Actually, we were not sure if it was a bus or a truck as we could only hear it. It is a bus and it is going to Cobano, so we stop it and get on.
We go to a little fast food place we had eaten before and had some cold drinks and their version of nachos. The bus to Tambor passes while we are eating so we know that we have about 2 hours to shop. So we take our time at the restaurant and then head out to shop Costa Rican style.
We go to the panaderias and get something yummy for later. One is stuffed with caramel and the other with cream cheese. Then we go to the hardware store and get a key made. On our way make to the main intersection we notice a church. We stop by and a young woman informs us that it is evangelical and that they have services on Sunday at 10. We are thinking we may try it and see what it is like. Then we go to a little Market and I buy some tonic water…supposed to repel mosquitoes…we will see. Then we went to a produce market and got a couple of things. We then went to the carnecerias and bought two kilos of carne molido. Finally we stopped and bought a bag of oranges and 2 pineapples off the back of a truck for 2 mil colones ($4)
Then we went to the bus stop and waited and waited. We figured he was about a ½ hour late. We finally got back to Tambor. I have showered and put on clean clothes and am listening to some Tenth Avenue North while writing this. But my mind is on those pastries I just mentioned.
Today was a very long day and it is only 4:30 in the afternoon. It started before sunrise with my husband informing me he was going to walk to Tango Mar, did I want to go. My answer summed up the mixed feelings I was having. I said “yes and no”…yes I want to go there but I don’t know that I really want to walk that far. We figure that it is about 2.5 miles but not much of it is flat; lots of up and down and once we were off the main road, very dusty. I decided I did not want to sit home alone so got up and got dressed. We were on our way at 5:45.
On the other side of Tambor there is a steep incline that seems to go on and on. But the morning was still cool enough and the views are very beautiful. We also got to see some mono chongos (howler monkeys) in one of the trees overhanging the road. David was even able to make their noise well enough that the male responded with a call. But he was even more vocal when a truck went by.
As we were walking I thought that our trek would make a good life illustration story. Let’s see how it sounds.
We have a destination in mind and we know that it is beautiful and peaceful and a place we want to go to. On the way, we calculate how long it may take us to get there and we know that we need to be prepared. We take an apple each and a bottle of water. But even with preparation, there are more hills than we remember and the grade is very, very steep at times. But there are distractions along the way that make the walk worthwhile. There are spectacular views, and interesting wild life and amazing flowers to brighten our day.
Finally after much hard walking we come to a sign that points in the direction we are wanting to go. But we must go off the main road and travel a dirt road that has much less traffic. As far as we can tell we are the only ones walking. Here we walk in the quiet, until a dirt bike or car passes us, kicking up so much dirt that sometimes we have to stop and turn our heads in order to breath. But even here there are beauties to discover. A quaint pastoral scene with cows and horses help us enjoy the peace and quiet. We come to a turn in the road; one way offers refreshments but the other our destination. We continue on and the road gets narrower. The walk is broken up by the discovery of a beautiful orchid. Finally we come to a gate and we pass through, knowing that we are welcome here and the gate is not meant to keep us out. Inside the gate the scene changes with well manicured greens for the golf course and some nicer homes along the way.
Once more we come to a fork in the road. We know our destination is straight ahead, but off to the right is a road that leads to a waterfall. For some reason I have a desire to see if we can get to this waterfall easier than the one in Montezuma. So we take the side road and I say if we don’t find the waterfall in 15 minutes we are coming back. Off we walk, again up and down hills until we come to a trail. At the trail I meet a dog out for a stroll and he generously feels it his duty to show me the way to the waterfall. So following my new friend I head up the path. I do finally make the waterfall…it had taken 20 minutes instead of 15, but was worth the view. Could not really see the fall as I was at the top of it. So I get on my hands and knees and look over the edge as it fell directly into the ocean and I could see the surf and the sand and the land as it curved around to the west. Also, I could see straight out to sea for miles and miles. So I sat on a boulder in the shade and the dog sat in the water and we enjoyed the peace and the noise of the water falling and the surf crashing. As we sat there a couple of water taxis went by but they were far enough out that I could not hear their noise and the people were just dots. I cannot imagine a more tranquil place to be.
Walking back from the waterfall to get back to our road I was thinking how sometimes God gives us time of refreshing along our way. But we need to be careful and learn the difference between a time of refreshing and when we have just gotten off track. Anyway, back on the road we make it to our destination. (End of illustration)
At the resort we take advantage of the restaurant and have a batido de sandia (watermelon drink). Afterwards I sat in a hammock while my husband traipsed all over taking pictures. Unfortunately, he was not happy when he came back as he had lost his little camera to the surf. It had fallen out of his pocket and was sweep away before he knew it.
It is now 11:00 and hot away from the ocean breezes. We struggle to get back to the road, taking lots of breaks whenever we would hit a shady spot. We make it back to the main road by 11:40 and Hallelujah as we turn to walk up the road we hear a bus coming. Actually, we were not sure if it was a bus or a truck as we could only hear it. It is a bus and it is going to Cobano, so we stop it and get on.
We go to a little fast food place we had eaten before and had some cold drinks and their version of nachos. The bus to Tambor passes while we are eating so we know that we have about 2 hours to shop. So we take our time at the restaurant and then head out to shop Costa Rican style.
We go to the panaderias and get something yummy for later. One is stuffed with caramel and the other with cream cheese. Then we go to the hardware store and get a key made. On our way make to the main intersection we notice a church. We stop by and a young woman informs us that it is evangelical and that they have services on Sunday at 10. We are thinking we may try it and see what it is like. Then we go to a little Market and I buy some tonic water…supposed to repel mosquitoes…we will see. Then we went to a produce market and got a couple of things. We then went to the carnecerias and bought two kilos of carne molido. Finally we stopped and bought a bag of oranges and 2 pineapples off the back of a truck for 2 mil colones ($4)
Then we went to the bus stop and waited and waited. We figured he was about a ½ hour late. We finally got back to Tambor. I have showered and put on clean clothes and am listening to some Tenth Avenue North while writing this. But my mind is on those pastries I just mentioned.
March 1, 2012
March 1, 2012
I listened to the introductory video of Beth Moore’s Breaking Free this morning. It reminded me again why we had done the study as a precursor to teaching our first Tiara Ladies Retreat. She had a great definition for a stronghold and I may have to listen to the video again so that I can steal it. But basically what it boils down to: anything that preoccupies our mind in such a way that we cannot see God’s power to break through the situation has become a stronghold in our life. Isn’t it true that as Christians we can believe that God is capable of doing anything but He just won’t intervene in our particular lives; at least not in that area that we worry to death about. These are the things that either wake us up or keep us awake in the wee hours of the night. It can be fear, lack of control, oppression by others, insecurities, depression, financial insecurities, emotional, mental, inabilities in areas we feel we should be good at, addictions, and the list goes on and on.
We battle this thing day after day and we live lives of quiet desperation, afraid that someone will find out our truth and think less of us as Christians. We put on the face we want others to see and keep hidden this deep dark secret in hopes that someday it will be better. But as long as we keep it hidden or deny that it even exists it is slowly building stronger and stronger each and every day. Only the power of Christ can tear down these strongholds. Anything we do in our own strength will only put a coat of fresh paint on the façade; much like Jesus’ picture of the Pharisees being white-coated sepulchers.
Sitting here three years after the first retreat I am reminded of my journey since then. I had finished a season selling smoothies at the baseball stadium and we had been planning on opening 2 permanent locations. We no longer have the business, have settled all the debt with the banks, had our house foreclosed. David was part of a reduction in force at his school district, so he is no longer employed; we settled our personal debt with the bank. We have down-sized three times. We went from a house to an apartment with my husband getting a large storage facility for his art stuff. We then went from the apartment to 2 rooms at my daughter’s house. At this time I gave away to the kids most of the keepsakes and mementos that we had plus most of the artwork on the walls as well as most of the furniture. We have just down-sized even more with the expectation that God may be moving us to some kind of ministry. David completely emptied his 10 by 20 storage and now all we have fits in ¼ of a garage. And even so, my first thought when we got to Tambor, I have brought too much stuff. The next time out we will pack much lighter.
I sit here with a feeling of expectancy, wondering what the Lord has in store for us next. I believe we are here for a reason and so my prayer is Lord use me to show your glory.
I would laugh to myself when people would want to come with us to spend two months in Costa Rica. I would think, sure you can come; just get rid of almost everything you have, have no hope of financial success and you can come with us. It will be fun!
What a journey and the thing that is amazing me is this is just the preliminary stuff; we haven’t even begun to do what we are meant to be doing.
I listened to the introductory video of Beth Moore’s Breaking Free this morning. It reminded me again why we had done the study as a precursor to teaching our first Tiara Ladies Retreat. She had a great definition for a stronghold and I may have to listen to the video again so that I can steal it. But basically what it boils down to: anything that preoccupies our mind in such a way that we cannot see God’s power to break through the situation has become a stronghold in our life. Isn’t it true that as Christians we can believe that God is capable of doing anything but He just won’t intervene in our particular lives; at least not in that area that we worry to death about. These are the things that either wake us up or keep us awake in the wee hours of the night. It can be fear, lack of control, oppression by others, insecurities, depression, financial insecurities, emotional, mental, inabilities in areas we feel we should be good at, addictions, and the list goes on and on.
We battle this thing day after day and we live lives of quiet desperation, afraid that someone will find out our truth and think less of us as Christians. We put on the face we want others to see and keep hidden this deep dark secret in hopes that someday it will be better. But as long as we keep it hidden or deny that it even exists it is slowly building stronger and stronger each and every day. Only the power of Christ can tear down these strongholds. Anything we do in our own strength will only put a coat of fresh paint on the façade; much like Jesus’ picture of the Pharisees being white-coated sepulchers.
Sitting here three years after the first retreat I am reminded of my journey since then. I had finished a season selling smoothies at the baseball stadium and we had been planning on opening 2 permanent locations. We no longer have the business, have settled all the debt with the banks, had our house foreclosed. David was part of a reduction in force at his school district, so he is no longer employed; we settled our personal debt with the bank. We have down-sized three times. We went from a house to an apartment with my husband getting a large storage facility for his art stuff. We then went from the apartment to 2 rooms at my daughter’s house. At this time I gave away to the kids most of the keepsakes and mementos that we had plus most of the artwork on the walls as well as most of the furniture. We have just down-sized even more with the expectation that God may be moving us to some kind of ministry. David completely emptied his 10 by 20 storage and now all we have fits in ¼ of a garage. And even so, my first thought when we got to Tambor, I have brought too much stuff. The next time out we will pack much lighter.
I sit here with a feeling of expectancy, wondering what the Lord has in store for us next. I believe we are here for a reason and so my prayer is Lord use me to show your glory.
I would laugh to myself when people would want to come with us to spend two months in Costa Rica. I would think, sure you can come; just get rid of almost everything you have, have no hope of financial success and you can come with us. It will be fun!
What a journey and the thing that is amazing me is this is just the preliminary stuff; we haven’t even begun to do what we are meant to be doing.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
february 29, 2012 part 2
February 29, 2012 part 2
We went to breakfast this morning at H&B. It was actually early and cool enough that I had café con leche. For breakfast I had a gallo, which is rice and beans with fried eggs, it also came with a slice of cheese, toast and fried plantain; a typical breakfast for these parts and very good. I had wanted eggs and this filled the bill. David even took a picture of it after I placed the egg on top of the rice and beans and broke the yolk to share with our friend Craig. (He does not like your food to touch)
During breakfast we started chatting with a gentleman from the states that has lived down here for 10 years. He is building a house near the Tango Mar Resort and offered to show us his property and the beach nearby. He said it was one of the most beautiful beaches around. We gladly accepted the invitation. Even with our busy schedule we not deny a trip to a beautiful beach.
His property is lovely and backs to the golf course at the resort…I know my friend John would love it. And it is a short distance to the beach. We drove through the resort to get to the beach as it is a public road. The resort is beautiful and quite large but seems to be very quiet, at least on a Wednesday it is. He was right; the beach is absolutely gorgeous and pristine. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the beach. This is exactly what I had envisioned before we came here. I am sure my husband will post pictures soon and I will then put them on my fb page.
We went to breakfast this morning at H&B. It was actually early and cool enough that I had café con leche. For breakfast I had a gallo, which is rice and beans with fried eggs, it also came with a slice of cheese, toast and fried plantain; a typical breakfast for these parts and very good. I had wanted eggs and this filled the bill. David even took a picture of it after I placed the egg on top of the rice and beans and broke the yolk to share with our friend Craig. (He does not like your food to touch)
During breakfast we started chatting with a gentleman from the states that has lived down here for 10 years. He is building a house near the Tango Mar Resort and offered to show us his property and the beach nearby. He said it was one of the most beautiful beaches around. We gladly accepted the invitation. Even with our busy schedule we not deny a trip to a beautiful beach.
His property is lovely and backs to the golf course at the resort…I know my friend John would love it. And it is a short distance to the beach. We drove through the resort to get to the beach as it is a public road. The resort is beautiful and quite large but seems to be very quiet, at least on a Wednesday it is. He was right; the beach is absolutely gorgeous and pristine. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the beach. This is exactly what I had envisioned before we came here. I am sure my husband will post pictures soon and I will then put them on my fb page.
February 29, 2012
February 29, 2012
Some mysteries will remain mysteries!!!
I had always thought that I had the mismatched socks in the wash figured out. I thought that one of the pair would disintegrate into either the wash lint or the dryer lint. And then the socks would not match when it came time to fold and put away the laundry. They would live in that state for how ever long it took. But as soon as you go through your sock drawer and throw away the single socks, the missing matches would magically come together out of the lint and begin to appear in your next several loads of laundry to be folded and put away.
Easy Peasy….but no…here I am in Costa Rica doing my laundry by hand…no washer or dryer for the sock to turn itself into lint and yet I just hung 1 and ½ pairs of socks on the line downstairs.
I wonder if it will reappear in the dryer when I get back home? That would be a magic trick!!!
Some mysteries will remain mysteries!!!
I had always thought that I had the mismatched socks in the wash figured out. I thought that one of the pair would disintegrate into either the wash lint or the dryer lint. And then the socks would not match when it came time to fold and put away the laundry. They would live in that state for how ever long it took. But as soon as you go through your sock drawer and throw away the single socks, the missing matches would magically come together out of the lint and begin to appear in your next several loads of laundry to be folded and put away.
Easy Peasy….but no…here I am in Costa Rica doing my laundry by hand…no washer or dryer for the sock to turn itself into lint and yet I just hung 1 and ½ pairs of socks on the line downstairs.
I wonder if it will reappear in the dryer when I get back home? That would be a magic trick!!!
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