Fringe Benefits/ #9GoodThings

As if we needed any fringe benefits here, but yeah they exist! And at the top of that list is number one of my 9 Good Things for today, November 7, 2021. Drumroll please…

And the number one good (great) thing about today in Panama iiiiis…..

1) No Daylight Savings Time! 💃🏼🕺🥂

I have loathed DST since I was in school, having to catch the bus in the dark or sliding in to ‘home’ base with only an hour of daylight left after homework and chores. Then when my own kids were in school it was worse. Sending them off to school in the dark, dragging them in screaming and kicking because it was still full light and they wanted to play until the sun set.🤦‍♀️

No more losing an hour of sleep or gaining an imaginary fleeting hour, all for no real reason beyond the original idea which actually only benefited retailers. Sighhhhh…..

2) Taking an unexpected nice long hike with a new friend. And she lives in our little community! We went further up the road than I have been before and took a side rode as well. It started sprinkling on the way back but more like a mist that just cooled us off. The views! 

The weather was perfect. Sunny but cool and breezy.

3) I live in the mountains! 4700 feet. I have to pinch myself every few days. Or take a hike. 🤭

4) I can always dream about living in one of these houses. 😊

5) Little red was one of a dozen colorful birds who showed up for fresh orange juice. 

6) We got this pod of Amaryllis seeds from the lady who sells avocados. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

(The seed in the background is not one of those)

7) If you love tuna, no words necessary. If not, move along. No words necessary. 😶

8) Trying out some cookie recipes in my little ‘Suzy Homemaker’ gas oven before the holidays are upon us. 😋

9) Managing to get two good peeled eggs out of the five fresh ones I boiled. I’m trying all the tricks but it’s the membrane and shell attachment of the fresh eggs that cause the mischief. Any suggestions welcome. Remember, these are uber fresh eggs so tricks for store bought eggs are not effective. 

Finally! A few deviled eggs that I have been dreaming of. My needs are small and my excitement mighty. 😜

I hope your day has been filled with exceptionally good things. 

And, speaking of time…

One of my faves by the lyrics master.

#ThursdayDoors/Viva la Panama!

Today’s post will be a two-fer. It is Thursday and once again I have the chance to (finally) participate in the Thursday Doors prompt hosted by my good friend Dan Antion . You should follow the link to his blog and enjoy his latest doorscursion contribution. You can also find links to other great blogs with doors posts there! 

Part two of my post is the continuation of my own November prompt of #9 Good Things which is my way of expressing gratitude for the gifts we enjoy each day, large and small. 

As it happens, this week is a time of celebration here in Panama, with several days marking big events for the country. Yesterday was Panama’s National Independence Day celebration, honoring the establishment of The Republic of Panama in 1903 when it separated from Colombia. 

Today is National Flag Day. Panama’s flag was designed by Maria de la Ossa de Amador and officially adopted in 1925.

Flag of Panama

Tomorrow is Colon Day, honoring the day that the citizens of Colon helped avert a march on Panama City by Columbia in 1903. It is the third day of the Independence ‘triple crown’ celebration of freedom for this beautiful country. 

It seems there is a lot of gratitude flowing here this week and a lot of celebration. What follows is my today List of 9 Good Things, starting with my Thursday Doors submission. 

1) This door is a magical portal that delivers all of the packages we get from home. Many people depend on this service. There are several in town but we are happy with ServiTech. If you could peek inside, you might confuse it with an Amazon warehouse. 🤭 On delivery days the packages are stacked outside to the rooftop! 

2) You have to love the opportunist! Making an entrance anyway it can.

3) This is my favorite tree here. It is an angel trumpet, a member of the nightshade family. It’s flowers can be poisonous and fatal if ingested but many have used them for the hallucinogenic properties they have.

Hint: DON’T do IT! 

 

3) Morning dew on dainty blooms makes me smile

4) Hot green tea on a brisk morning

5) Bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with a side of fruit. Love those little zingy sprouts on top! 

6) Tripped down memory lane seeing this public pay phone. Yeah, it works! 

7) Our favorite taxi driver’s truck. Gonzalo is the best, always available and on time. Taxis run the moving world around here, even though a lot of folks have vehicles. 

(We don’t 😉)

8) I had a treat today! A mani-pedi. 😜 First time in I don’t know how long. She came to the house and was so sweet and great at what she does. A little self pampering goes a long way, not to mention the wonderful conversation we had. 

9) A new little shelf from my friend to get another space organized and a bit more ‘homey’.

Well, this a wrap. I hope everyone has enjoyed a lot of good things in their day. If you haven’t already, take a closer look at them. You’ll be surprised what a difference it can make. Until tomorrow…

 

3 de Noviembre #9GoodThings

 November 3, 2021. Day three of my gratitude project. It’s been raining for the past two days pretty much non stop. While we will be happy to see the sun again, being ‘stuck’ at home does not really bother us. 

We spent so many years chasing our tails to make money so we could spend money to raise our children and pay the bills, to squeeze in vacations and fun times. But through it all, both of us never lost sight of what we truly enjoyed, what gave us the greatest sense of peace and connectedness to the natural world. At a crucial point in 2012 we decided we didn’t want to continue on the treadmill until we got too old to enjoy things and so retired to live in Costa Rica. Life was not ready to let us go completely so after months in paradise we had to return to regular life. A year later we made the leap again, this time scaling back our possessions to commit more fully. 

Again life threw us curveballs and we returned to life in the US. In the years that followed we got older, felt older and more disillusioned than ever with the craziness that seems to have infected so much of the world. Our hearts and minds turned once again to a life in paradise. 

Covid. My Dad’s untimely and sad death. Nothing but disrespect and malcontent in my workplace. We considered Costa Rica. Expenses there have skyrocketed, residency is tricky and you almost cannot function without a vehicle. Panama had more to offer and when hubby showed me videos of this place I said, “Let’s go.”

We sold all but enough to set up a small house should we need to return and we left. Little did we know we would have to return in less than 6 mos after an emergent health issue arose for him. Thanks to the love and support of my children, we had a place to ride out the diagnostic phase of the crisis and get him on a treatment path so that we could return to what we consider home. 

So, on this third day of my blogging prompt for myself I am sharing more simply wonderful reasons why life feels so rich here. Here are today’s ..

9 Good Things

Morning, meditation, music and tea..

All life awakens as if just for me.

Unfurled, wiping their sleepy eyes..

The flower that blooms and the bird that flies.

With them I share such delicacies..

Nature’s bounty, our palettes please.

Magnificent treasures awaiting their turn

Tiny surprises, oh how I yearn

to express my contentment, how can you know?

My heart is at peace when we sit, toe to toe

at end of day when we finally retreat

to share a moment with a delicate sweet. 

Ahhhhh….it was another good day. 

 Yes, those tiny speckled beauties are quail eggs. 🤭 When my friend brought the eggs she said she was one short so she put in several of these to make up the difference. I’m so excited. It really doesn’t take much to thrill this old Southern girl with an Irish soul and a warrior spirit. 

See you tomorrow. 🤗

Another Day

 Okay, here it is, Day 2 of my gratitude posts. In an effort to keep it fun and interesting (for me and you) I will change the format of my posts somewhat. Today I’ll post photos to represent my ..

9 Good Things Today

1) Our dear friend, Mr Sun, rose again to spend the day with us

2) Breakfast with the last of the muffins, fresh papaya, fresh squeezed orange juice and what passes for grits here. 😜

3) It rained, giving Ole Mr Sun a lazy day.

It rained and it rained. It’s still raining. Oh yeah, it’s the rainy season here. 🤔

4) More writing, with Harry, Ron and Hermione for muses. 😉❤️

5) Lunch. Bean and cheese burrito with chicken enchilada topping. Oh.

And fresh guacamole. I was supposed to trek uphill for more of these beauties but ..rain! 

6) I can always go tomorrow…

7) Avocados so large I can barely hold them in one hand. She calls these ‘Butters’. 

8) Coconut Cake with Passionfruit Curd filling and orange glaze. 

Yeah ..😋

9) Electricity ALL day! Woohoo! 

And how was your day? I hope it was simply perfect. 🤗

Here’s something pretty for you. 

About Today

 

Beautiful view, isn’t it? I feel rather guilty in saying I can enjoy views like this every day now. We are so thankful and enjoy every moment of our life together, wherever that may be, but our hearts soar here in the tropical landscape of Panama. 

I am taking a cue from my blogging friend and dedicated writer Dan of No Facilities. Check the link to his post for more details. Dan wrote about his history of blogging and the use of numbered lists, like ‘Ten things you should never do..” only he chose the number 8. His words inspired me to do something similar that I have touched on in the past. I often jokingly say, “Reason number 200 for why I love..” 

So, I am going to use the month of November as a gratitude tribute. Appropriately it is the month of Thanksgiving and every day gives me reason to be ever thankful in spite of the messiness of the world at large. 

Each day I will be sharing 9 things I love about my day, from the smallest to the most magnificent. I agree with Dan, that 10 is all too common. Nine has been my favorite number for many years now. Here are a few interesting facts related to the number 9.

November comes from the Latin word, novem, meaning 9

Number 9 is the number of magic

Nine is a sacred number

Nine represents completion and fulfillment

Nine is a symbol of wisdom and good leadership

Nine represents heaven

In Hinduism nine is the number of Brahma, the Creator

When multiplied the number nine always reproduces itself

Tutankhamen was only nine when he became king in 1333 BC. He was born in 1342 BC (1+3+4+1=9). He married his half sister. They had two still born daughters that were found buried with him. He died at age 19.

So, on day one of my personal November prompt, here are my 

9 Good Things About Today:

1) Waking up to the sound of hummingbirds outside my window-again

2) Preparing breakfast for us using the fresh eggs we get from our landlord’s beautiful chickens

3) Having time to edit my book

4) My dear friend sending the produce guy up to my house

5) Cleaning and preparing the fresh fruit and veggies

6) Watching The Second Best Marigold Hotel with my best friend of 32 years this month! 

7) Him happily cleaning the kitchen after my food adventures

8) Making passionfruit curd for the first time-yum! 

9) Hearing the rain on the roof at bedtime

The fresh eggs made the curd special!

Yep, it really is delish

Well, I had to do something with the smidge that was left in the pot

The produce man cometh! 

When the hubby asks for English muffins one must comply

A new basket of orchids for the porch

A favorite local restaurant. Good food and ice cold beer. 

Yeah…I think I’d like to stay awhile. Stay tuned for the cake that will accompany my passionfruit curd. 

Who knows what tomorrow’s list will bring?  Here’s hoping your days are filled with lovely things. 

Be passionate about life..