What to Do...What to Do

So here it is almost mid-week, and next week's vacation is fast approaching - 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, I am at the computer; Mike sprawled out on the bed with several Guide Books open and dog-eared on various pages. We hope we are getting closer and narrowing down our vacation plans; I think to myself "why is this so difficult"?
Monday - I have to take a bus into San Jose to see a Specialist (will leave on the 6:30 a.m. bus out of Santa Elena, meet with the Dr. at noon, maybe squeeze in some shopping and then catch the 2:30 bus back up the mountain in hopes of seeing Monteverde again around 7 p.m. that same night.
Tuesday through Thursday - as of now, looking like we may head to one of the volcanoes in the Northwestern region of the country. Arenal seems a little pricey so we have gotten some good tips from locals -- check out Guayabo or Bijagua which are near Volcan Tenorio and Rio Celeste. Rio Celeste is a river in the canton of Guatuso that is dyed light blue by a chemical reaction of minerals from the Tenorio Volcano. The magnificent color of the river, along with the lush forest that surrounds it, should make for a wonderful hike through the Tenorio Volcano National Park. We will probably hire a driver instead of renting a car; we have a friend here, Katya, who can help us with the transportation. We are looking at several options for accommodations and would love something that offers activities for the boys, fishing, horseback riding, helping on the farm, etc.; perhaps the LaCarolina Lodge will be our choice (more research needed)
Friday - Spanish tutoring
The rest of the time we'll hang out in Monteverde and Santa Elena and check out the Bat Museum, Butterfly Garden, Serpenterium, Insectorio, etc. We've also been invited to share some time with another teacher and her family in San Luis which would be great fun.
So you can see, we are busy planning and hope that we leave some time for relaxing :)

I am on Shared Snack duty again for Kinder tomorrow and just pulled a banana bread out of the oven at 9:30 and also made a decent chicken soup for dinner tonight. Just a little plug for myself (everyone needs a pat on the back once in a while, and when it comes to cooking, the more positive reinforcement I get....the more meals the boys will receive !)

I collected the kids from school today and we headed home quickly as the sky was threatening. At the pasture gate, we were greeted by Nicolette and her crew, she rolled down the window of her truck and yelled "heading to Chimera (a tapas restaurant in Cerro Plano) for a Margarita - want to join me"? After a brief hesitation - I shot across the road with the boys in toe, shoved them into her truck (she already had a full car-load of kids inside) and said "let's go"!. The kids (about 7 of them played in the garden and patio area outside while we enjoyed a cocktail (Margarita - a refreshing change from the red wine I usually consume - those of you that know me well, know that is my beverage of choice :)
The kids sat at another table and ordered various tapas (a much better snack than what I could have thrown together at the 4 p.m. hour) I was delighted to see Michael and John interacting so nicely with the other kids - they did well - no spillage or broken water glasses, so a successful evening. Deb (the other mother that joined us) is the owner of Chun Ches (which is a bookstore/coffee shop in Santa Elena). It was a nice way to end the day as I have been feeling a little disconnected of late...perhaps we are settling in as we fast approach our third month here, the rains are starting to come and the reality is creeping in that I do miss my work and am realizing just how much of my identity was wrapped up in it. So what does that mean? I thoroughly enjoy my kids and love the curiosity and expressions - the way Michael can contort his face is amazing - I am really loving the time with the boys even though a lot of it is challenging beyond words. So, I will continue to ponder this and sit with this feeling of 'Just Who is Sally beyond her laptop, global conference calls and metra train pass? and what is she being called to do here in Costa Rica?
I enjoyed my time Sunday at the Evangelical Church (iglesia Dios) in Santa Elena. I walked into town and found myself sitting on a church bench 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I watched as Ticos filled the church, lots of children, old and young alike. By the time 10 a.m. came, the church was packed, standing room only - the first 35 minutes was filled with song, drums, bongos, guitar - very upbeat - lots of clapping and hand waving - a far cry from my rather traditional Presbyterian church in Clarendon Hills. Shirely (my friend), found me and moved in to take a seat beside me - she was a comfort to my eyes and made sure I was following along (best I could as the 2 hours was all in Spanish). I spent a lot of time gazing around at everyone's faces, the way they greet one another, the way they greeted me - with hugs and kisses, I felt like I was an old friend. Perhaps I was? I reached over and took Shirley's hand as we all sang together. The kids left the main building and attended their own service (Sunday school) while our service concluded. At the conclusion, we all went up to the front of the church, some of us knelt while others danced and began to weep. For me, it was quite an experience as I have never been so free with my expressions. I told Mike about the service and said if we wanted to get a feel for a Costa Rican Evangelical service, this is the place to go.

So, another week filled with diversity, thoughts, rain and anticipation for what is to come.
Stay tuned
Signed: S