Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Feb 9, 2012, 6:58 am
I was watering the yard late yesterday afternoon when my daughter yelled out the window for me to look up. This is what I saw when I did. Knowing there had been rain off and on all day in the mountains in front of our house I suspected there'd be...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Feb 7, 2012, 6:09 pm
For those who may be wondering Zoo Ave is not short for Zoo Avenue. It is the name of a zoo, a bird zoo to be more specific about 45 minutes from our house. We first visted this aviary zoo back in 2006, shortly after arriving in the country. It's...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Feb 6, 2012, 8:46 am
Here are two examples of natures shell mandalas. And... my interpretation of a turtle shell mandala.
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Feb 5, 2012, 11:02 am
Just after the new year a friend of mine in Oregon posted a create and pay it forward craft notice on her Facebook wall. Create & pay it forward 2012: I promise to send something handmade to the first five people who leave a comment here. They must in turn...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Feb 2, 2012, 1:45 pm
Had a little problem with drug interactions yesterday (more on it in a future post). Still recovering today so I hope you enjoy these flowers photographed last week around the yard. No need to worry I'm just waiting for the stuff to work it's way out of my system.
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 31, 2012, 5:59 pm
The new year brought a new tradition. Well, I guess you could call it a new twist on an old tradition. Since our first Christmas in Costa Rica we've been buying the roadside reindeer. The problem with these guys is they can mold during the rainy season. In our home...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 30, 2012, 8:17 am
My daughter is really getting into Mandala Monday with me. She is pointing them out constantly. Last week at yoga she noticed our instructor had one on her t-shirt. The other day she spied this necklace in town and wanted to buy it. That is until she found out it's...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 29, 2012, 10:12 am
The birds are not loving the wind gusts the past couple of days. The winds seem to have battered this poor parakeet. We watched a brown jay get slammed into a branch when he came in for a landing just as a wind gust came through the yard.
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 28, 2012, 6:58 pm
We drove into the city today to attend The Women's Club of Costa Rica's used book sale at the Pan-American School. Each of us had things we were hoping to find. Both Bill and Callista had specific author's and titles they were looking for while I wanted a specific exercise...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 27, 2012, 6:11 pm
Passion flower
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 26, 2012, 4:48 pm
A bird party... The birds are thrilled we've stocked all the trees with bananas! Hubby came home with a couple of huge racks this morning. We were able to cut one up and get five nice sized bunches to hang around the yard. A friend who had lunch with us...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 24, 2012, 5:37 pm
Usually I'm the one people accuse of being nuts. This time it was my husband! Yes, we're nuts for nuts. When we heard about this nut distributor near the town of Atenas we had to check in out. You can tell by the look on Bill's face he enjoyed looking...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 23, 2012, 8:07 am
While hubby was watching football Sunday afternoon, Callista and I went outside to make mandalas. The wind kept blowing our pieces parts around but we had fun playing with the flowers. Callista even decorated me. And below, her one of a kind creation. No, we wouldn't waste "real" Cheetos like...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 22, 2012, 9:45 am
That's what we've been doing, creating new habits and getting rid of old ones that no longer serve. One of the most beneficial habits we're creating as a family is a regular yoga practice. We did somewhat of a trial last year and saw the benefits. Our yoga instructor took...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 20, 2012, 3:57 pm
Three toucans have been hanging out nearby but we've not had enough bananas to entice them to come into the yard. Seems I never remember that we go through a period in January where there is a shortage. Both the birds and I are thrilled our favorite fruit stand has...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 19, 2012, 9:01 am
It's not often we take on the steep hairpin turns and blind curves to visit the town of Atenas. It's been awhile. A recent post on the Gringo Central San Ramon blog about an upcoming trip to the nearby town got us thinking about it. It had been years since...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 17, 2012, 4:01 pm
It's party time in the nearby town of Palmares. We'd been to several topes, horse parades in the past with thousands of other people but hadn't been to check out the other areas during the nearly two week festival. While debating what to have for dinner yesterday we came up...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 16, 2012, 6:56 am
I've been attracted to mandalas of all types for quite some time now. At this time in my life the attraction or pull is incredibly strong. As I explore them and incorporate them into my daily life I thought I'd share some of my creations. Here's the first Mandala Monday...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 15, 2012, 7:18 pm
This may look like an ordinary tortilla press to you but for us it's life changing. Life changing, yes! You see, my daughter and I are have always been flour tortilla girls. We haven't ever been fans of the corn variety for anything other the tacos, chips or tostadas. After...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 13, 2012, 6:54 am
Summer is in full bloom. Driving into the city the other day we saw all the beautiful poro trees in all their glory. Our last trip into the city the predominate color was yellow. While we didn't see as many yellow wild flowers this trip, I did manage to capture...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Jan 12, 2012, 10:02 am
The chaos that is the Fiestas Civica de Palmares was in the beginning stages as we drove through the town yesterday on the way to a friends house. Signs were being hung down the main road into town while those hoping to make a profit on the fringes of the...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Nov 2, 2011, 7:42 am
These treats not only look delicious, they ARE delicious judging by the way my dogs acted after being given just one pupcake. We had the pleasure of meeting owner/chef Tzu-Tzi, her husband and her inspiration at the Newcomers Club Show and Sell on Sunday. They told us this new business...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Nov 1, 2011, 8:51 am
The Feeding Tree is in full bloom on one side of the yard. We've got another on the opposite side of the house that hasn't bloomed yet. The delicious yellow pompoms only last a day or two. The birds flock to the tree and gorge themselves.
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 31, 2011, 8:03 am
For me success isn't measured in dollars. It's measured in accomplishments. The things you do. The way you live your life. How you challenge yourself. Success is personal. Yesterday was a very successful day for me. I had the opportunity to cross something off my bucket list. I had a...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 29, 2011, 6:56 am
Not much time for blogging lately as I've been busy in the craftroom getting ready for the annual Newcomers Club Show and Sell. We've attended this sale in past years but this is the first year I'll be participating. I was able to convince a couple of friends of mine...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 27, 2011, 8:11 am
Her daddy came home the other day and now Violet has returned to her home. She'll always have a second home and family here. We knew it would happen, no way to stop it...we're all missing her! Even the dogs. Life is less exciting when you're not chasing a puppy....
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 25, 2011, 11:30 am
A gorgeous morning enjoyed by all!!!
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 24, 2011, 8:22 am
What a wonderful Sunday! Sunrise was beautiful. Bill and I sat with our coffee on the front porch enjoying the view while watching the dogs play. We all enjoyed a rain free early morning. Violet enjoyed a moss salad. She threw a fit when we took her away from her...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 22, 2011, 8:53 pm
We had our first day without rain in nearly two weeks yesterday. Callista and I took advantage of it by doing errands in town. I parked the car and we walked everywhere greeting friends and neighbors on the streets. We managed to get everything on our lists. That doesn't happen...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 20, 2011, 5:31 pm
Most people are used to seeing signs of Halloween around this time of year. Here in Costa Rica, we are not. Halloween is not a traditional holiday here. It's grown in popularity in the nearly six years we've lived here but it will never become a part of the culture....
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 19, 2011, 10:15 am
After a full two weeks little Violet has been accepted as part of the pack. She and Mara play inside several times a day. Don't let her size fool you. Or that sweet, docile look. Violet let's you know she's in charge. Those sharp little puppy fangs can inflict pain!
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 18, 2011, 8:37 am
The birds don't seem to mind the rain. They don't mind it as long as I have a constant supply of bananas. The blue crowned mot-mot actually seems to like the rain even if it does mess up his feathers. I'm out of bananas at the moment. Since the rain...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 17, 2011, 8:54 am
This is what it looks like when we drive anywhere lately. Saturday we left San Ramon headed to the airport but had to turn around a short way up the highway and take a different route due to a road closure. Mudslides are causing road closures all over the country....
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 14, 2011, 1:25 pm
It's been raining practically non-stop for the past week. I had to take the flower shots from under my sweatshirt today so as not to ruin the camera. While it may not be the best weather for photographing flowers it's perfect for hot cocoa and movies!
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 12, 2011, 8:38 am
Part of life in a foreign country is following the rules. We chose to live in Costa Rica so we have to follow the immigration laws. That means renewing our residency as it nears expiration. Always a source of stress for me. For whatever reason the three of us have...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 11, 2011, 1:11 pm
Raising a child in a foreign country makes you think with a different perspective. If we were living in the United States we'd never think of attending a meeting with recruiters from universities like Duke, Brown or Dartmouth. When the opportunity was presented to us recently we looked at eachother....
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 11, 2011, 1:59 am
The other day we said good-bye to a friend. In the short time we knew him he brought many blessings our way. One of his final blessings was bringing us to this church in Zarcero. We've visited the topiary gardens in front of the church many times but I had...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 10, 2011, 8:04 am
They're back, fiesty and mouthy as ever. Who can blame them really after such a long flight. In addition to the orioles we've also spotted several summer tanagers who've arrived in their pre-summer coats. I've not gotten a shot of them yet. The blue crowned mot-mot, pajaro bobo was happy...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 9, 2011, 8:01 am
While Bill was exercising the little pup, Violet the neighbors dogs came up to check her out. Surrogate siblings made sure the neighbors knew the little one was part of "their" pack. They may not want her around but they've decided she's one of them. The next morning they all...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 7, 2011, 7:02 am
This beautiful hibiscus plant grew from a cutting I got at one of the garden group plant exchanges. The small cutting was stuck in the ground and now is well over 8ft tall. Time to give it a trim and make a new start. I want to get several plants...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 6, 2011, 8:08 am
Here's a first, a butterfly eating ... well, shit! I was stunned. And it wasn't just one butterfly. There were two. They wouldn't leave it. And who left these uh packages that the butterflies loved so much. It certainly wasn't this one. She did have fun chasing away one of...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 4, 2011, 6:32 pm
One of my long term projects has been completed and delivered. The crochet covered stones and fish I started several months ago are on their way to a wedding in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica this weekend. I don't think I'll ever take on a task as large as this again....
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 3, 2011, 6:05 pm
A friend watched our dogs while we were out of town. Now we're returning the favor by watching his little pup. I think we won in this deal. His little mini is so cute!
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 3, 2011, 7:48 am
There's no way to know what the universe has in store for you. One has to be open and allow the blessings to come. Acknowledge them and give thanks. The universe recently brought a wonderful couple into our lives. A cartoon, cat and mouse couple, if you will. Our face...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 2, 2011, 8:11 am
Happy October! Okay, so I'm a day late. Kinda hard not to feel wonderful when your day starts like this. BEAUTIFUL!
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Oct 2, 2011, 6:26 am
Where did last week go? It went by in a blur. I barely took photos all week which is odd in itself. A few memorable moments in the dog world. Tutti-fruity has started to steal bananas and bury them in the garden. Bones I get. He used to run off...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Sep 29, 2011, 7:35 am
It's a miracle, we passed our annual car inspection on the first try! WOO HOO!!! It rarely happens. For us anyway. I think this is only the 2nd time we've passed on the first try. This as well as the last time we honestly expected to fail. On the morning...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Sep 27, 2011, 8:06 am
This precious little Hoffman's Woodpecker has captured our hearts. He's been coming around since we got home from our recent trip to Florida. He eats until he looks like he's gonna burst. Then he flys away to sleep it off and comes back to gorge himself again.
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Sep 26, 2011, 8:01 pm
The other day we had business in the city and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to visit a place that's been on my wish list, Tea Land Costa Rica. You don't have to make a trip into San Jose to visit Tea Land for yourself as they have...
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Jennifer S. posted an article on A New Life In Costa Rica - Sep 25, 2011, 7:48 am
A friend of mine is making these beautiful, upcycled bags. I absolutely LOVE them! Some of the bags are reversable. All are quality products with attention to detail. The messenger bags are fantastic. This one was made special for another friend who does a lot of traveling. It's got space...
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