The Sun, the Moon and Kindness

The sun rose again in orange and pink, in the same place'
The rooster crowed his morning song the same way
This place tends to me,
The sky still bright behind the mountains and yellow,
green light still shimmers sneaking its way thru a crevice of a valley,

The new day turns to the darkness of midnight blue,

A night of the cresent moon and
The jasmine again sends it's sweet scent to me, I remember,
It tends to me. LB

San Jose for lunch at the super mercado, a menagerie of vendors, selling fish, meats, octopus, fruits, herbs, christmas decorations, leather goods. I found a remedy for migraines. Some local honey for my rosa de jamaica tea, papaya abounds here, juicy and a meal in itself. City is not a place I want to spend much time in, ok for visit, but too much for this country girl. Too many people. Wonderful casada with rice, beans, bananas, chicken, potatoes. No dinner for me today, but I did enjoy a glass of white wine with artist Nancy next door and Michael, a writer.



Michael told us a story that he had dinner with a local family last night. He had taken a walk to cuidad Colon and he had his yamaka on, a man recognized it and told him he had just converted to judism and he and his family would love to have him for dinner after knowing now that Michael was here in the colony for a short time, so he had celebrated one of his nights with a Costa Rican family for hanakuh. He said it was so nice and his new friend walked up to colony to walk Michael. Many stories of the great tico ways of acts of kindness.

Susan had a funny story too. We had gone to yoga the other day with another couple who drove us there, WHim &Luz, they dropped Susan off so that she could meet up with another friend after yoga at a cafe and when she got out very fast not to get hit by on coming traffic, she got out with only one shoe, well we did not know this and took off with her other shoe, there she was with one shoe on and no way of retrieving the other till later. She had to explain to a man close by unloading a truck in her best spanish what had happened and he said to her uno momento senorita and returned with a pair of flip flops for her. We call it her "Cinderella" story. I could not stop laughing when she told me.

Time to play, magic happens

In order for my work to continue to evolve, I get involved in playfulness and take the opportunity to look at the what-ifs. Whatever the result, it expands my vision by letting go of who I think I am and discovering the spirit within.

Yes and after a time this place begins to remember and tend to you. I played all week and finally have a good feeling today about what I am doing here now. Alot of progress & inspiration today, I was getting a little worried.

Creativity-Peace-Balance

Yoga was great this morning in a studio that was long, narrow three glass walls surrounded by bamboo trees. It touched all my senses. I will go back on Thursdays to this class. Took a ride around the area, went to Price Right (BJ's) and bought a big bag of almonds for snacking, a papaya, ceviche, and mouthwash, weird combination.

I just made the ceviche for dinner tonight, "Oh my God", it was sooooo good, easy to make very fresh (sushi-grade) white-fleshed ocean fish, such as grouper, wahoo, sea bass, or red snapper, (it was a mix), lime juice, fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, red pepper, diced yellow pepper cilantro, extra-virgin olive oil, marinate, added rice when cooking it and the juices cook the rice. Muy bueno!!!


I just now see a gecko on my wall.....where has he been all week? Must be "Go For It", he is moving around in spurts. Oh geesh! Maybe I should give him a paintbrush. See him? He is way down towards the left corner. He is making his way towards me.


I am finding these wonderful quotes in different places, inspiring me.

"Creativity is the ability of a person (or a gecko) to respond to visual and other sensory stimuli in an original way, and then to share with passion, individuality and spirit." Gerald Brommer

Seeing the Light

Walks on the property in the morning is refreshing, listening to grapefruits, oranges and tangerines drop as they ripen and fall from the nearby trees. The bamboo singing and insects calling. The tangerines, sweet and wonderful, but have to be eaten right away, otherwise they sour. Luis (pictured above) taking a break from some renovations here on property, I was on the way to the Bonanza Restaurante for lunch yesterday which is next door to the colony, there is a secret path to it in the forest. Real secret, sign to it and all. But, it's really a path just for the colony guests to get too. I remember the sunsets sipping mojitos there last year. Lunch was delicious today, just some nachos piled high with diced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and beans...mmmm. I walked over with Susan, she is working there temporarily filling in for Amber (waitress), who had a baby girl on Tuesday, Nina is her name.

I had been wondering why my phone was not working in the studio. All the buttons were in the right setting. Kept testing it and no ring, but could make a call out "mmm" I said. I finally realized it was not a bug or bird that was chirping, it was my phone ringing. Never heard a phone chirp before. Kind of a good idea actually, not so abtrusive. I saw this bug on the screen window the other day when I heard the chirp, so I thought it was the big green bug, but then when it chirped again the day after there was no bug on the screen, very smart conclusion I know.

Dinner was delightful and full of chit chat, Nancy artist, (Boston), Josh, (Amhearst, MA), Michael (Berkley, CA), Ish (?) musician, Susan (Canada) artist, musician. Fransico (owner) made tilapia fish, mashed potatoes, broccolli, salad. It was at Fransicos house which is built on a really steep hill, I get out of breathe just walking up to door, beautiful deck with view of Cuidad Colon valley, The large whole living room opens up to, I will take pictures next Wednesday night dinner. He speaks a little english with spanish, it his own language, funny, crazy driver, says he was a famous soccer player for CR.

I think I have to write at end of day, because I forget what I did the day before if I wait.Bear with me, I amjust writing like I am talking to myself.

The perception of light is the loveliest thing in the world.

Little Rain Must Come

I started a painting already from the first picture I took yesterday of the valley. I didn't take many pictures yet, I am just getting warmed up. But I kept going back to this one picture for my inspiration of the day, because it was my first.

It rained yesterday just a little, enough to make the photos I took look fresh. It was hot 81 degrees then the rain cooled the day down.

A small bug, light green and a yellow head, with lace wings I noticed on my Costa Rican Spanish phrasebook this morning. I must have put the book on it and squished it when I layed it down last night. Even the bugs are beautiful here.

As I was working in my studio I had the door open and outside my door is a tree with, what was a fresh bunch of bananas hanging from it, and now all dried up. It is now a bird feeder. With the door open I kept seeing the most colorful birds come to it during the day, I tried to capture with my camera but the trunk always seem to be in the way. Little bluebirds, yellow birds, a bird book is in my future. And across the driveway was another dried bunch of bananas that the squirrels took over.

Catching Happiness

Awakening to the first morning sunshine, "pura vida". Great cup of java and the usual yogurt breakfast, writing morning journal, little construction going on here at colony fixing up things. I also had a visit from a gecko this morning as I openend my door to let the warm breeze in, I am sure it was a "welcome back" greeting. Lots of oranges ready to pick outside the door. And I am almost ready to paint this morning, got to move things around a bit here for comfort. Great night sleep with no hot flashes, go figure. mmmmm weird. Susan had a couple avacados waiting for me last night, my favorite fruit, and a rose on my table. Nice welcoming. Susan was here last year and another friend, Alison will be returning in a couple weeks that was here last year with us. I have not met all the new kids on the block yet. I met Josh, a writer, from Amhearst, MA, we watched the last half of Patriots game last night on ESPN in the "muse", community room. Now, really I must get to work, I mean play, I mean work, yea yea work. Art is work.

"Sometimes, our thoughts turn back toward a corner in a forest, or the end of a bank, or an orchard powdered with flowers, seen but a single time on some gay day, yet remaining in our hearts and leaving in soul and body an unappeased desire which is not to be forgotten, a feeling we have just rubbed elbows with happiness." Guy de Maupassant

Costa Rica Arrival a Success-Yippeee

A long day, with a couple of scares, really rough ride and landing this time, very scary and then steward tells me immigration might not let me in the country because I didn't have a return flight booked yet, but it worked out fine, they didn't even ask me when I was returning to the states, geesh, got my stomach in knots for no reason---patriots won---weather is grand, my tummy is full, I have my old studio here in Costa Rica, feels like I never left it. Can't wait to get into my artwork tomorrow, get acclimated to my surroundings again and set up house. Went grocery shopping, so I am set up for the week, except I forgot to buy toothpaste at mercado. I don't see my friends, the geckos tonight yet. Have made tentative plans for a tour for 22nd & 23rd of Dec with friends here, of the indigenous people in Costa Rica, we will go directly to Guatuso where the "Malekus" live and we will visit their ranch, Rancho Margarita where they will meet us about 11am. They will give us an explanation of their culture and give us an traditional lunch that includes vegetables and fish prepared inside banana leaves and cooked with other delicious natural spices. Then we will walk in the family's garden and have a very interesting explanation about the usage of plants for eating and medical purposes. After that, don Rigo, the grandpa and his grandchildren will have a theater performance for us. Finally, we go back to the ranch where we will view their craftwares. That is a whole afternoon tour. In the evening, we go to our bed and breakfast LA CASONA where we will spend the night. That is about 10 minutes from the town La Fortuna (where the Arenal Volcano is located). My Spanish teacher, Bernarda set this little excusion for us today and set up Spanish lessons for me too.