3 things- new to Costa Rica

My family arrived in Costa Rica about 9 days ago, and little by little, poco a poco, we are feeling less overwhelmed and more at ease with life in a new place.  I didn't do much homework before coming to Costa Rica, so I didn't have a lot of expectations.  We live in a neighborhood, San Francisco de los Rios, close to the school, and we haven't ventured too far outside the 'hood yet.  But we will!  Three quick observations on living in Costa Rica-

1.  There are NO addresses.  No street names.  No house numbers.  Directions are given from local landmarks.  One friend lives 100 meters south of La Margarita Dry Cleaners, on the right, in the house with a red sidewalk and three palm trees.  We live between Parque Bosque and Parque Copa, 100 meters south of Parque Copa, turn left, 30 meters on the right, the yellow house.  (and yes, I can tell it in Spanish and the taxi driver took me to the correct house!)  Amazingly, this works.  Those are the directions we gave to the internet people, and they arrived.  However, it doesn't impress GPS systems so much...  

2.  It is not hot here.  Right now is the rainy season.  The 10 day forecast reads- 77/thunderstorms, 78/thunderstorms, 81/thunderstorms, 81/thunderstorms, 81/thunderstorms...  It has rained, POURED, every day we have been here except one.  The mornings have typically been sunny, but dark clouds roll in by noon, and eventually, the rain begins.  I am told it will get even increasingly rainy through October, and that it will change to mostly sunny by the end of  December.  That will be nice!  (we don't have a dryer, which is a bit problematic in the rainy season...)  Also, San Jose is at about 3700 ft. altitude, and that keeps the temperatures moderate, as well.

3. Pineapples.  Limes.  Coffee.   Fresh fresh fresh! 
On Saturday morning, there is a farmers market in our neighborhood.  Bananas everywhere!  Some fruits that I have never ever seen before and can't even make a guess on.  Stay tuned. 

And that doesn't include the crazy taxi drivers, drivers that could care less about pedestrians, green green plants and beautiful flowers, spiders, locks on locks, beans and rice, worship music...
Today, just
three things.

3ThingsThursday

Three things this Thursday:

1.  It's National Grammar Day!
As Grammar Girl tells us:
Language is something to be celebrated, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it.  It's not only a date, it's an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!

2. From an interview with John Owen, director of the City Rescue Mission of Lansing-
I believe God continues to provide for the ministry of rescue because we are so committed to the Gospel. Our true mission is to cause the dignity, majesty and worth of Jesus Christ to be manifest and acknowledged by all those that we come in contact with. Our mission field happens to be the poor and homeless. It does no good to “show the love of Jesus Christ” if you don’t tell them of it as well.
For the entire interview, go to DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed.  Good stuff.

3.   Piano lessons complete.  Meals delivered.  Basketball practice finished.  Sun shining.  Snow melting. Children playing outside.  Homemade chicken vegetable soup, salad and a loaf of honey whole wheat bread for dinner.  Chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  Laundry in progress...
ahhhhhh. 

three things thursday

1.  we discovered these on clearance on an endcap at Target.  Oh my!  Chocolate on clearance?  Bite-sized nuggets of extra creamy milk chocolate on top of special dark mildly sweet chocolate?  Could this be true?  I did not resist.  But, I am pleased to report, I have not hoarded this find (uh, well, as I usually do...) but shared it with my family.  SO tasty!   

2.  "Then a man from India appeared at her door, and when she opened it, he looked her in the eye and said, “What a privilege to meet a person whom God has entrusted with so much suffering.” That, finally, was helpful." 

I am only starting to consider suffering in such a way.  It challenges me.  You can find the entire commentary from Andree Seu here.

3.  Had a great evening with friends enjoying 88Improv.  I'm not sure anyone else could take ideas from the audience - "a lousy boss," "a foreign exchange student," and "cancer", and create a three act play that all came together at the end and was funny!  If you are here in O, they are at the Pizza Shoppe, right in my 'hood, twice a month.  Go! 

3 Things Thursday

There is a cardinal and his mate that frequently visit the pine tree that is near a window in our dining room.  One of my girls insists that they nest in the pine, but I am not so sure.  Nevertheless, catching that flash of red out of the corner of my eye never ceases to surpise and delight me.  Today we put out food, special songbird food especially for cardinals, to lure him more frequently.  We'll see.  My great hope is to take a photo of him.  Meanwhile, you'll get the idea with an oil from etsy. 

Found a couple of new blogs to visit.  One is simple, quiet, and sort of entrances me- Habit.  It updates daily but takes just a moment to check.  The other inspires- Urban Sketchers.  Folks from around the globe contribute posts from their sketchbooks.  I love the idea of a sketchbook, and I'm not just saying that because of my on-going love affair with these...  When I was in college and spent a summer in Mexico, we had to keep a journal and it is filled with sketches, mostly from various street corners in central Mexico.  We spent a lot of time waiting that summer...

We delivered meals today, for the first time in nearly a month.  One of our regular ladies is in the hospital.  One lady had people visiting, most likely relatives, that we had never ever seen before.  The toothless Chihuahua didn't try to attack us.  The sweet little old lady was still sweet, and little!  We delivered to a new man, very kind, who kept trying to talk to us even though he was supposed to be doing a breathing treatment for COPD.  He cuts out the menu from the newspaper every Wednesday and informed us that we were delivering sausage and onions.  That explains the bun and mustard...  And yes, someone asked my helper, "why aren't you in school?!" only to hear, "We homeschool and delivering this meal to you is part of our day today."  That softened the questioner considerably!

(art credit:  Winter Cardinal by edunklee @etsy.com)

Three Things Thursday

Three things that have absolutely nothing to do with snow!

1.  Wee Brie and Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits.  mmmmmm.  (and even better when the wee brie is on sale for less than half price at the local grocery...!)

2.  Snuggled, five girls on a bed last night, we watched two men, Man v. Food and Man v. Wild.  Both gross us out, in entirely different ways.  Humans are really a wacky folk, no?

3.  In the Craftiness department- two friends are offering their goods online.  My former neighbor Trish (oh how we adore & miss being neighbors of Trish and her men!) has opened Knits by Trish on Facebook.  So cute!  And my bloggy buddy, Megan at HalfPintHouse, is creating these nifty little zippy bags just in time for your Valentine's sweeties.  Check them out!

Three Things Thursday

Three random things on a Thursday...
1.  "I said, hey,you know, breakdowns come and breakdowns go. So what are you going to do about it, that's what I'd like to know..."  Paul Simon, Gumboots  (from Graceland), 1986.
Breakdowns.  Computers.  Dishwasher.  Car radio.  Ice maker.  I'm thankful for my husband and duct tape.

2.  Shots from the ESL (English as a Second Language) Thanksgiving dinner.  Oh what a sweet time!  The 100 or so folks that we expected, little by little as internationals are known to do, and a providential amount of food to feed them all.  Hero volunteers.  Gracious hospitality.  Cute kids.  A glimpse of Eternity today.

(photo credits to my personal photog, my k)

3. One of my all-time favorite candy, Zots, now available at the checkout line of a nearby grocery store.  Fizzy fruity goodness.  It's the little things, you know... 

Blessings!

3 Things Thursday

1. I was up and out Early this morning. I took a friend and her kids to the airport. Her dad died. It's no good to take the shuttle to the airport when you are traveling because your dad died. You need a hug before you step into the chaos of the airport when you are traveling because your dad died.

But oh my, it is a blustery morning! The rain comes down, rather sideways, almost horizontal at times, due to the wind. Leaves cover the streets, falling perilously from branches that cannot hold onto those little sheets of color one moment longer. Gutters run rapidly, and the constant dripping outside plays metronome on the roof. Reminds me of lyrics of songs from days past...

A Rather Blustery Day

lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Hum, dum, dum, dee, dee, dum

Hum, dum, dum

Oh the wind is lashing lusterly

And the trees are thrashing thrusterly

And the leaves are rustling gusterly

So it's rather safe to say

That it seems that it may turn out to be

It feels that it will undoubteadly

Looks like a rather blustery day today

It seems that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubteadly

Looks like a rather blustery day today

(art credit to A Very Blustery Day by Harrison Ellenshaw)

2. Truthfully "blustery" could be the Weather Word of the Month. Looking back at the calendar, the little bright sun icon has only appeared three times in these last 21 days. Yesterday was yet another overcast day, and even so, the bright colors of fall seemed to cast a filter of glow over the gloom. In the last week, the changing hues of the trees have appeared so very vivid, technicolor against an otherwise gray screen. The metallic brights, gold and bronze and pewter, cast a sheen. The intense primary hues, yellow and orange and blazing red, almost glow, seeming to provide extra light on the otherwise deary day. I don't particularly look forward to the starkness of winter, of the bare branches, of the many shades of gray.

3. I never cease to be amused by the surprises that appear on my camera when I download my photos. Here's a sample of those that I did not take yesterday...