Second Semester – Here we Come!

It seems a little weird to just now be sending the boys back to school; after all it is the middle of January. Christmas Vacation just now ending on January 19th? A long month off, but lots of family time and fun adventures with friends. I can finally answer the boys when asked, “Is it a school day today?”, with a resounding, “YES”.

Our second to last day of vacation was full of sun, water and sand…yes, a beach! My good friend, Veronica and I were pondering what to do to keep our boys active and busy the last few days of vacation when we ran into an MFS teacher who had just returned from a day trip to Playa Blanca. Hearing the words, “less than two hours away”, our plans were set, we quickly threw together fixins for a picnic lunch, packed swim suits, hunted for the sunscreen and off we went, waving goodbye to Mike as we piled into her car and he headed to school for his first day of meetings with faculty...clearly, we got the better end of the deal. The beach is small with calm seas, however no toilet or potable water, so packing your own H2O and TP is a must! The sun’s rays warming my back rejuvenated me and I delighted in watching the boys hunt for crabs and fish in a small lagoon among the mangroves. Happy to say we didn’t encounter any snakes! I’ll add this to my list of “to-dos” when my family comes to visit in two weeks. So, Auntie Beth, pack your suit and be prepared to bronze up that white Chicago winter skin. Upon our return, we quickly showered and headed off to bid farewell to our good friend Elizabeth and her kids who were, after 18 months here, heading back to the States. I will miss her, as she was a talented, bright light in the community. The packed house was certainly a testament to how much she touched everyone here.













Sunday, we spent the afternoon hiking in San Luis with a friend. I wore my running shoes (big mistake), thinking, “it is the dry season after all”. We traversed a riverbed and found ourselves shin deep in mud in some places…”Slippery When Wet”! You seem to discover muscles you never knew you had as you try to carefully balance yourself over the slimy rocks.







I am aggressively searching for a job and am hopeful I can find something I can do remotely using the internet. I am working my way through a list of 100 US Corporations who have a presence here in Costa Rica. I’m on the “H’s”, so many more hours to go. I remember my days at Harris and JP Morgan, especially the latter, where I spent 12 hours on the phone in overlapping conference calls with NY, Asia and London (meeting in person was a thing of the past), so perhaps working from Monteverde is not so far-fetched, after all, we do have internet, Skype and telephone service ☺. I am very aware that I may be sticking my foot back into the ‘corporate waters” and that does concern me but I would hope I am wiser from this experience and unwilling to jump back into a high-stress/passionless position. Finding the balance is a constant struggle, whether you’re in Chicago or in the tiny community of Monteverde. If we are to stay another year, I need to work, that is a fact, so I press on, using my mornings to surf the net, post for jobs and network. As they say here….”Vamos a Ver”.

The school’s new building project is ‘on-hold’ as the Meeting stops to consider the big picture and how this project fits within their master plan. Holding now is the smart and prudent thing to do, as “pushing” in a community such as this, would be fatal. There is a four-hour workshop planned for this Saturday at the school to work on their long-term vision. I’ve been personally invited to attend by a few, so Mike will enjoy a day at the beach with Veronica and friends as I stay back this time to participate in this visionary meeting.

I am stretching my thighs and hips as I set out on my daily walk, down the Trocha to San Luis in attempt to prepare my legs and lungs to start running again, It is hard to run when you can’t breathe due to allergies. Anyone who knows the Trocha, knows this is no cakewalk – it kicks my butt, and I thought I was in decent shape. It is straight down about 3 KM and then back up. I know longer have to stop three or four times on the way up, so I must be getting stronger. I don’t look forward to turning around when I reach the bottom (in all honesty), but uphill is certainly more forgiving on the ole knees! I still can’t believe Raul (Gaudy’s husband) can run up in 16 minutes…are you kidding me? Maybe someday, but for now, I am a proud 46 year old just knowing I make it down and back in one piece each day. The vistas are divine, especially now that the weather has just (within the last five days or so) turned calm, hot, bright and sunny. Walking down into the valley of San Luis, there is a sharp contrast of the blue sky, the gleaming waters of the Gulf of Nicoya against the many shades of green in the surrounding forests, pastures and valleys that ARE San Luis.

Mike enjoyed a day with the kids and other families last weekend as they caravanned to a river ½ way down the mountain to frolic in kid-size waterfalls and enjoy the outdoors. This is truly what I love about this place – the “play” is pure, natural and quite often, spontaneous! No plastic toys, buzzers, bells, whistles, cables for video games or TV needed.







Speaking of cables, the boys have been enjoying the zip line. We’ve since added another rule to the “Zip Line Guidelines” Poster that is taped to the inside of the main door of our house “No Doubles”….this we learned the hard way ☺



We had the pleasure of watching a little 2 ½ year old girl for four days as her parents had to leave town to take care of a medical situation. I sort of cringe when I say this….but….”What a difference a third child (of a different age) makes”. She completely changed the dynamics of the house (for the better). Mike saw my maternal instinct kick into high gear as I doted on this little one and enjoyed having another female to balance out the boy-ness in the home. I had a most difficult time relinquishing the little princess back into the arms of her parents. The boys immediately fell into the big-brother role and were so protective and gentle. Mike is glad to know that I was ‘tongue and cheek’ when I said, “perhaps we need to think about adopting a third child?”….for all you wondering out there….we are just fine being a foursome! SIGH, SIGH, SIGH!

The boys are signed up for Karate-Do at the local Bell Bird School. We are hoping the school can secure the 10 kids needed to have the teacher take this on. Mike attended the orientation a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with the teacher – of course, the boys are eager to practice their kicks, we, on the other hand, are all about the discipline and self-control that is so much a part of this art.

Wilford Guindon continues to struggle with his health and is back in the hospital in San Jose. The Guindon children take turns being with him and are very thankful for the prayers from near and far.

Last night, I got a call to be formally asked to support the newly formed Religious Education Committee under the Meeting. This would entail planning and coordinating the Sunday morning worship time for children – I am eager to learn more about the program and how I can contribute.

I also hear from one of the boy’s teachers that there is a church in Cartago (near San Jose) who has an interest in starting something here in the zone. I think the church is affiliated with the Baptist church, so I may be planning a trip down to Cartago with Miss Elieth to check it out.

Well – if I want to get this posted, I better close for now – the kids are off to the beach and my 4-hour workshop at the School starts in 45 minutes.

P.S. - Mike is in a baking mood (good for us) - lots of wheat bread with yummy seasame seeds and Irish Soda Bread! I married the right guy!





Peace
Signed: S

Water Logged!

Another full weekend, dodging the rain and puddles. Mike tells me we’ve received over 20 inches of rain since August 17th , the day we stuck our rain gage into the overly saturated ground out back. You can imagine how green and lush the foliage is here with all the wet stuff. The boys really enjoy checking the rain stats with dad each morning….usually in their skivies and mom and dad’s boots that go mid-thigh on them…quite a sight! Who needs a cup of coffee to wake up when you have this to look forward to :)

I survived my first meeting on the new building with the core team this morning. It is an exciting time as we assemble the team and review preliminary floor plans for the new space. I have just taken a break from documenting the meeting to finish this post…as many family members are having ‘blog withdrawal’ since I missed an update this past weekend. I spent a good chunk of last week finishing up the painting in the house and what a difference it makes. Much more cheerful and welcoming (at least I think so).

The school held an open house this past Thursday, which I attended. The first part of the evening was spent in a general parent/teacher meeting where all parents were encouraged to sign up for a committee, a weekend cleanup day and a volunteer spot to assist with a Thursday afternoon mini-course. I spent the remaining time in the kinder space with the boy’s teachers, perched on the kid-size chairs as they demonstrated some of the 'works' and methods used in the class. I was happy to see how they’ve used their additional space, they even have a cook top and real kitchen area where the kids can help prepare the Wednesday ‘shared snack’. I was smiling from ear to ear when Melody (their teacher) said that the parents don’t have to cut up fruit if they choose to bring that for shared snack…”just bring your watermelons, mangos, papayas, pinas in their entirety, and we’ll have the kids do the prep”…ah, music to my ears.

We spent another delightful day yesterday in San Luis visiting with Gaudy and her family, exploring and taking in the beauty of the town and the surrounding vistas. I even got my nerve up to hop on the back of Raul’s moto as he gave me a nice tour of San Luis (both upper and lower parts). It is quite something; we waited for the rain to let up and then ventured out with my arms gripped tightly around his waist. As we made our way through the mountains, I was in awe of the beauty that seemed to greet me at every turn. The mist was caught in between the mountain’s peaks and valleys and one could truly imagine what paradise must look like. We stopped at the town’s Cancha (soccer field) and walked the soggy rectangle flanked at either end by two weather-worn goals. He shared some of his fondest memories with me, watching his late father play soccer; hoisting him up on his shoulders after winning a tournament, racing around the field with him held up high. He was proud to show me the ‘sweet spot’ in the field where his dad scored many a goal…how, I don’t know, but he said it was quite something to watch the ball arc around from the back corner of the field and land in between the uprights…GOAL! I really could feel his loss and even though his dad has been gone for several years, it must have been a very special father/son relationship. We then ventured a little further past Gaudy’s grandmother’s house only to meet her on the bridge just beyond her house where the raging river rushed below. I kept saying “I hear thunder’, and they remarked “no, that’s the rocks crashing together in the water due to the heavy current’! Ah, no swimming for sure that day!

Looks like I’ll be running my first race here in Costa Rica next month. Raul called me Saturday (I could hear his excitement in his voice) as he told me about the race in Heredia (think of it as a suburb of San Jose). I hesitated for a moment before I gave him my answer…”but Raul, I haven’t run in over a month”, he assured me it is a great experience, only 9 KM and all downhill. After running with him today (slowly and only a short distance), am I regretting my decision to run? Nope, I’ll ramp up my training and hope to finish the race and have fun – today I was glad to still be breathing after not running for six weeks…it’s the hills, the dreaded hills.

Between my meeting at the school and running with Raul, Michael and I visited the dentist for x-rays. All is well and he was delighted to view his x-rays and his permanent teeth that are sitting pretty waiting for their arrival (likely in another 2 years).

I am sad to report that the Pulperia (market) at the end of our road will be closing in 10 days. The family who owns will keep their other store in Cerro Plano in operation and will offer a “rapid service” delivery (think of it as Pea Pod)…just not the same tho. Half the fun of shopping was greeting others and seeing my boys try and finagle a ‘treat’ or a pack of gum out of me. I guess I’ll plan a weekly shopping day and hoof it into Super Compro to get my groceries. Times are a changing.

I am tired and will close for now. Oh, just in case you are wondering…the kids are doing wonderfully at school and I am out of there with just one kiss and hug…a far cry from last year when I would have two three year olds clinging to my legs….Thanks Guys!

Peace,
Signed: S

Land-Slides, Lagoons & Las Juntas

What a delightful week, full of good family time, lots of fun within the community and with good friends. Our week started with a four-hour bus ride into San Jose where, after a quick doctor's visit, we rented a car and headed toward Volcan Poas. The boys were great on the bus-ride and enjoyed their 'big-boy' status sitting alone in the back seat of the rental Jeep. They managed to keep their seat-belts fastened and loved the 'off-roading'! We spent about 90 minutes with Thrifty Car Rental in the city; but finally were on our way. The drive to Poas was beautiful, through rolling hills and spectacular views. We arrived late afternoon, after stopping at a road-side stand to purchase some fresh strawberries and plums...YUMMY! Our hotel "Jaulares' was about 15 KM outside of the Park in a town called Frijanes. We checked in and then headed to a local park so the boys could blow off some steam. The park offered hiking and lots of children's activities. Michael and John enjoyed the trampoline, but our time was cut short by a down-pour. The hotel was very simple, our cabin was very rustic but was just perfect for us. There was a little stream running right behind the cabin which lulled us to sleep.

Tuesday morning we headed out early to the volcano as it is recommended to arrive early before the cloud cover descends. We awoke to wind and cool temps and as we pulled into the parking lot, we were about the fourth car (as some folks were turning around at the entrance gate after hearing of the weather conditions). There was no sun to be seen, as the path up to the volcano was misty and cloud-filled. We arrived at the look-out and waited in anticipation for a glimpse of the crater. The crowd roared as the clouds parted and exposed the crater below. It was spectaular and one can only imagine it on a clear day. We hiked another mile on a "magical trail" tightly enveloped by impenetrable moss covered twisted trees to a lagoon which was also misty and covered by clouds, but got a few pics nonetheless. We chatted with a guide (TJ) and a teacher/kids from a Waldorf school in Portland. We then piled back into the Jeep in search of the Paz "Peace" Waterfall. The drive was breath-taking - we were met with a large sign "Road Closed" due to mud-slides and earth quakes and debated whether we should risk it. As we sat there debating, car in neutral, another truck passed us by, waving their hands "come-on...no worries". A little further down the road we were amazed by the debris and the destruction. Mike "the OSHA Guy", got out and surveyed the situation. After talking with a few folks, we decided to park the Jeep and walk down around the corner to view the Waterfall. It was spectacular! Shortly after, several Police arrived on motos, Mike asked about the road and whether it was safe to continue...their response "Well, it is 'technically' closed, but hey, you have a Suzuki, 4-wheel, you'll be just fine". So with that, we ventured on. Clearly, the roughest terrain we've ever been on; over rivers, through mud-slides; with condemned houses sitting right to the side; broken and rotting from recent devastation. The ride was awesome, but erie as we thought about the people who were affected by the landslides. The kids bounced around the backseat - who needs a roller-coaster? I thought to myself. Crossing over another bridge opened up a rocky river stream; we decided to park the Jeep and get cooled off. The kids stripped down and frolicked in the river-very relaxing and good for the boys to get out of the car and burn off some energy. We headed back to the hotel and decided to stop off at the local park again. This time we hiked a trail, and the kids enjoyed the playground. We would love to go back and camp there on another visit - they had great pavilions with places to pitch a tent.

Wednesday; we had to think about heading back toward San Jose to return the rental car and catch the 2:30 bus back up the mountain. We headed back via Volcan Barva; another volcano up in the Sacramento area within the Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo. The drive up was amazing (an hour up, through beautiful country, villas and estates on either side of the road). Clearly some money in this area; as each estate had a spectacular view of the San Jose valley. The road was another bumpy experience, so we were glad to reach the ranger house when we did. We only had an hour before we had to head back to the city, but we enjoyed a short hike through the forest, but did not reach the vista point to view the volcano...perhaps next time. A quick pit stop in the out-house for Mom and I was greeted by a Salamander hanging out in the corner of the women's bathroom. The boys quickly piled in to view the creature. As we weaved through the small towns, we were greeted by two happy jugglers in Heredia who entertained us at a red light - we tossed them some change and could not help but think of Sam & Jules (who could have put these guys to shame :)

We reached the bus station in San Jose with little time to spare; crowds everywhere, it was chaotic (I'd never seen the station so packed, perhaps due to the holiday week). I glanced up and saw our neighbors, Kelly and Lane who live just down the road in cabinas close to Bromelias. They were distraught as they needed to get on the bus but the driver had said it was standing room only and they had reached their capacity (10 people only standing in the aisle). The bus driver then looked at us and said that we could lap-sit both boys, thus freeing up two seats for our friends. It was a quick decision and Kelly and Lane were very grateful. The bus was two hours late getting into Santa Elena due to traffic, slow-going and another 15 people we picked up shortly after leaving the station. ...guess that kind of shoots the (10 person standing limitation???) but who am I to argue. Now the bus not only had ten folks standing, but also another 10 to 15 people sitting in the aisles (talk about too close for comfort). We were glad to arrive safely and welcomed the chance to sleep in our own beds that night, but what a great couple of days.

Thursday, another busy day, we headed to San Luis for some river fun. We have a friend Patrick (who is a NY transplant of many years) who has invited us several times to come down to his neck of the woods. We were on a roll, so we thought, "no time like the present". We enjoyed a day of sun and water. There were several folks down at the river, so it made for a relaxing time. The boys loved it and had fun painting themselves with the variety of clay-rock they found at the bottom of the river.

Friday, a bunch of families from school met in Las Juntas and shared a great day, again 'water' was the focus. There is a hotel about an 1 hour away which has several thermal pools - you can swim or relax pool side in the shade. Another fun-filled day - the boys were toast by the time we arrived back home around 8 p.m.

Saturday Mike enjoyed some time outdoors as he joined a fellow who examines trees for their flowering and fruiting to assist with a study on the three-wattled bell-bird! How many of you remember me writing about the 'stick-bird' sighting in Manuel Antonio in February? We were skeptical as to whether it was 'real' or not...Mike spotted the famous 'potoo' on his outing...check out the pic! I spent the morning constructing a balance beam in the front yard with the kids; putting some old stumps and boards from a long-gone tree house to good use. Daisy got a bath with the hose and I attended a meeting later in the day to continue organizing the first annual Pet Festival with friend Veronica. We hosted a campfire at our house that night and enjoyed getting to know another family from Philadelphia area better. Another late night, but oh so fun!

Today, after a brief Easter egg hunt out in the yard (yogurt and butter containers recycled into Easter baskets), we spent 8 hours again in San Luis, but this time we hiked up to the waterfall. We enjoyed our day with Veronica and Stuart; the boys lapped up water from the stream...probably cleaner than what we drink here in Monteverde. It was awesome, the sky was blue, not a cloud to be seen, the walk was stunning and the waterfall so impressive. We had fun swimming and examining the crabs in the water; although the pinchers got both Veronica and Stuart on the finger...OUCH! We arrived back at the reception area around 5 p.m. tonight only to meet a family from Livonia (near Avon, NY, where my mom grew up and I spent many a summer). I mentioned several names and they knew the Anderson Farm. We exchanged names, and come to find out I was talking with Tom Wahl (sp) the son of the owner of the Ice Cream joint on the main drag in Avon. His wife, Kathy, works now at the Avon School, I think as a librarian - small world!

We arrived home after 6 p.m. tonight and are eager to head back to school for some R & R. Vacationing is hard work :)

Did I mention the little bird that we rescued from inside the house this week as well? Never a dull moment.

Happy Easter to All.

Peace,
Signed: S