Tag: journal

With patience………………

With patience you possess your soul. Luke 21:19

I became aware of this scripture, in the Kings James Bible, with the help of a friend. I think of it often, because it rings true for me.  They are important words to me.

I was taught the concepts of “acceptance” and “cease fighting everyone and everything”, and these ideals have helped to re-create my life.

There’s another saying that was a guiding force for years.  “Patience and Perseverance” is the key to all success.

But they all seem to pale in comparison, to the promise, of possession of your soul, through the practice of patience.

Every day is fraught with opportunities to practice patience. Today  was a good one.

On our way to Playa Avellanas the surf sled broke down, on the side of the road. We were there for three hours. Fortunately, one of us is a good mechanic. We all new the swell was here, and we really wanted to get into the waves. But we stuck together and helped in the repair~~~Did your mother ever tell you, that you could really help,  by being quiet~~~~~~~

Our plight was made easier, by breaking down, right in front of a coffee shop.

This picture of my friends, brought to mind, images from my childhood. I would go with my mother to the closest, grocery store. We lived, “out”, and had to drive miles, for any conveniences. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I would guess nine or ten. There would often be kids sitting on the curb. I took these children to be street urchins, and I wanted to be one! In my mind, they portrayed freedom and independence, and that’s what I wanted.

There’s another saying,” be careful of what you wish for”.

After the car was repaired, which seemed sort of miraculous, by Costa Rican standards, my friends and I parted ways; not much worn for the wear. They went on to surf and I decided to start again tomorrow. I can wait.

That’s one of the great things about living in CR. The waves keep rolling in. I’m all about the saying, never leave good surf. However, today I never got there to leave it. So all is well.

The New American Standard Bible translates Luke 21: 19 into, ‘By your endurance, you will gain your life”.

That’s just not the same.

I wish Tom Sawyer were here and I could get his opinion.

What do you think?

Mental Health?

I once read an interview, in a surf magazine, A young kid, lived with his parents. He was asked about dividing his time between California and Hawaii. His answer was, when I’m on the Island, I’m on the Island and when I’m on the Mainland, I’m on the Mainland. I had no idea how those words were going to replay in my mind. They became a guiding mantra to help keep it together through the last ten years.

I’m not sure what mental health is really. The dictionary says that, sound mental health, is ” the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner,”. Well who says what is normal.

When in Rome do as the Romans do.

When I came here, I wanted to assimilate into the culture. After being here a while, I found out how hard that can be. I went through stages of trying to figure out what a “gringo” really is. There’s numerous definitions.

Many things in life here have, drove me crazy, which I soon learned does not translate in Spanish. Neither does raining cats and dogs.

Year in, year out, I’ve seen families come and go. They want it to be like it is at home. So they go home, eventually.

I fit in here, on my corner.

Here is an example:

This is my beloved stove. It’s practical for living here in the tropics. I make coffee on this stove. When I cook, I make a lot of one pot meals. And as you can see I have a blender in the background; another must, for batidos (smoothies). There’s so much fresh fruit here and there’s a vendor right down the road. For years, I’ve not wanted anything more than this.

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Today, I went to town and purchased this stove top, with an oven. Is this what qualifies me as part of the human race? I don’t know. I once had an empty space, in my kitchen, where my stove had been. When my sister saw it, she was horrified. Her comment was, “You can’t have a house without a stove.” I went out and bought a stove. I couldn’t shake the pressure of her comment. I didn’t want anyone to think I was crazy.

That was a long time ago.

The stove is really for Mary. Mary, Nestor and her two children live here with us and she is a good cook! Now I’d be crazy to not buy her a stove. Wouldn’t I?

Surfing-a chosen lifestyle

Last night, I surfed Playa Grande. That makes two sunset surfs, in a row. The clouds were a crimson red. It’s not about just catching waves. It’s about being in nature and being one with all things Holy.

I came here to live a slower life. To be able to catch waves and not have to surf desperate. I’ve  achieved both of those goals.

I feel fortunate, that I listened to that inner voice and gone against the grain. I believe, the universe has placed me where I am. I live on a small lot behind a big hotel, The Bahia Del Sol. Initially, here in CR, I owned a lot in the gated community, Rancho Playa Negra. But I soon found out that I didn’t belong there. I am a simple person.

I chose the name, La Huerta, for our abode, because it means orchard. I want to always be reminded that I am going to reap what I sow.

On the ride home, my friend and I discussed the waves and what goes on, in your head, when you’re in the water. Everybody’s different, though I think we’re also the same. Surfing is individual, but for the most part, you’re amongst other surfers of both genders, young and old. So, of course, there’s going to be varied perspectives. Some kids are out there wanting to be pros and they’re practicing every move. But for me, it’s a life style that I have chosen, and it might be for them as well. I can only guess what others are thinking.

I love it when I catch a wave.

But it will always be more than that.

Saddling up surf sleds.

There was the 1976 Land Rover that I just had to have. It stayed broke down. At one point, I became convinced that the devil lived in the dashboard. Then there was the Yamaha dirt bike that had a rack on the side for our boards. That was tricky, because my husband and I both ride longboards. It was confiscated by the transit police, never to be seen by us again. That was followed by our beloved 1989 Toyota that we drove here from Florida. We made it last as long as we could, but it was doomed, by the “aduana”. He’s the immigration man that robbed our tax money. I’m not going to say I paid any bribes to drive that truck, but I drove it around for a few years until the police told us, “one more time, I see you in this truck and we have to take it!”. It went out to a more remote area and was eventually wrecked.

Buying and maintaining a vehicle is one of the most challenging aspects of surviving Costa Rica.

A long time ago, I began to equate vehicle to horses.

This is a mule. This is a darn good horse.

At this here hitching post, we keep em til they’re ready for the glue factory, or the law gets em, or they meet someother unforseen disaster.

We have to save our money for gas to get to the break.

By the way, I did get to surf today with one of my good friends. His car is, for real, called a Galloper.

Friends and cars in Costa Rica, both are worth their weight in gold.

Happy trails and we will trudge the road to our happy destiny, one car and one wave at a time.

A blog about blogging.

I want to write a blog about blogging. I know this is probably all simple technology. But for me, it’s an ongoing process of, Que! What’s going on? How do I fix this. I fix one thing, and something else seems to go wrong. I think back when I was in school at the University of North Florida. I was forty and the professor was very anti-computers. I allowed myself to be influenced by that. But on the other hand, before I got out of school, I did purchase a PC and took an art class, Fractal Painting, which had no pre-requisites.

But then, not long after that, I was off to the jungle. Communication was limited. I had no computer, no phone, no hot water yet life was interesting to say the least. That was in 2001-2003. Four years ago, in 2007, I bought an Apple, and I am playing catch up, on the computer that is. I haven’t missed out on one thing in life.

This blog is a test for putting my picture with the text.

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The test failed! Darn it!

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Re-tested/successful/not quite sure how!/interesting/more will be revealed

Who would believe it!

It looks like I’m going to get to surf tomorrow, in the morning. I am really looking forward to it. But I have something I think is far more interesting to share about today.

This picture was taken by a Niaraguan woman that I know. I lent her my camera today to take to a children’s party. She has NEVER used a camera before in her life!  Can you imagine?  We take a lot for granted.

This picture is unedited. I think she did a good job. How about you?