Driving, windows down, wind blowing in your hair, music playing what could be more relaxing. I used to enjoy driving. A long drive alone was often just what the doctor ordered when life got to be too much. Driving was therapy. Having lived in Florida for a few years when younger, I traveled many miles up and down the treasure coast. Near Boca Raton there was a place where you drove thru a tunnel carved in trees and exited with views of the ocean unobstructed by the mansions dotting the shore. There was nothing more relaxing for me than driving along [View Full Entry]

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We’re often asked about the cost of living in Costa Rica. It’s a difficult question to answer. There are so many variables to consider, location, lifestyle, etc. In a nutshell, you can live as cheaply or as extravagantly as you choose. Here’s what we paid yesterday: Rent: $300; Electricity: $49.57; Water $13.01; Telephone & internet: $29.37; Cell (2 months) $ 7.27 Monthly Total $399.24 I almost forgot, add another $25 for Direct TV (We have that paid automatically so it’s easy to forget about) Our cell phone is billed every two months. It isn’t that [View Full Entry]

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Symphonies, concerts, ballets and plays have never been a part of our lives. It isn’t that we don’t like them, it’s a choice. Bill is a sports fan. He likes any and all sports so those are the events we chose to attend while in the states. Some would say we lacked culture. Bill’s mother was one. Before she passed she’d encourage him to take me to see plays at Grady Gammage Auditorium in Tempe. At her insistence, we saw both Cats and Les Miserables and enjoyed them both. After each show, several years apart mind you, we’d vow to attend [View Full Entry]

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The past couple of days something has been in the air... When Bill asked if I wanted to take a drive with a gleam in his eye I quickly packed up some lunch and was ready to go. Drives like this start with a general idea of where Bill would like to go then we drive and see where we end up. There is no plan. We do keep maps in the car in case they’re needed to find our way back from wherever we end up but more often than not we don’t need them. Bill is an expert navigator. [View Full Entry]

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Friday is our errand day. It's the day we prefer go to the feria, the fruit and veggie market although we can go Saturday mornings too. We usually run errands, have lunch in town then hit the feria on the way home. Bill also needed to fill up on propane since we'd been to Naranjo, Alajuela and San Jose the past week. Bill hadn't realized it was 12:00 when we left the house. As suspected UGASA (propane gas station) wasn't opened during lunch. Lesson learned. You never know who is opened from 12 to 1pm. It's trial and error. We decided [View Full Entry]

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We dropped our car off at Energas in La Uruca to be serviced then caught the “green bus” in front of the building into down town San Jose. There are so many things to see in central San Jose within walking distance of each other that we figured it was as good a place as any to waste the three hours it would take to work on the car. We got off the bus 100 meters from Parque Central. We walked the pedestrian only streets lined with stores selling clothing, shoes and stuff shops (stuff no one needs or really wants) [View Full Entry]

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It's the little things that make your life full and complete. Realizing this can change your life. It isn't how much money you have, the car you drive, the career you choose or even the love of your life that completes you. It’s finding joy, real pleasure in the simple things in life that make you whole. For family fun in the past our favorite activity was camping, when ever and wherever we could. We camped in Prescott, Payson, the rim of the Grand Canyon and Rocky Point, Mexico. Our family loves the outdoors. Costa Rica was a natural fit for [View Full Entry]

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"I don't like spiders and snakes but that ain't what it takes to love me....like I want to be loved by you." From the song, Spiders and Snakes by Jim Stafford Yes, we live near the jungle so creepy crawlies are to be expected. I get it but that doesn't mean I have to like them. After our visit to Mundo de Serpientes earlier in the year (see previous blog)I have a healthy respect for snakes. I'm no longer afraid of them. Spiders, tarantulas and the like are a different story. I've yet to find a book about these creatures so [View Full Entry]

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Friday, September 15th was Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua. All of the cantons celebrated with parades of local school children. We chose to watch the parade in Naranjo, a nearby town instead of our home town of San Ramon as our friend is a director of a school there. We were excited to see our friends marching in our first Independence Day Parade. It was something none of us will soon forget. We arrived at the central park at 7:30a.m. not knowing what to expect. What we found was a celebration taking place at the [View Full Entry]

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For the past month or so I’ve not been feeling well. As the pain in my kidneys began to be unbearable, (Bill thought I was getting unbearable) it was time to realize a trip to the doctor was in my immediate future. I have or my body has a history of creating kidney stones that are unfortunately too large to pass. I’ve undergone no less than twelve surgeries for removal of said stones. Bill was tempted to make standing appointments at the local hospital in AZ every two years for lithotripsy. After the last surgery with Dr. Sunshine, yep that’s his [View Full Entry]

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