My soccer field has been scalped!

I did it! I finished all the colored painting so what's left is the white and I haven't decided for sure if I am going to do it. It has kind of a distressed look and I kind of like it with all the fresh color. I did get the throw all laid out in the party room. I pulled two tables together and covered them with a sheet and laid the strips out. This way I could change them around and I have come up with a final layout I like. I added a border which frames it. It uses up every speck of gray sweater fabric I have. Now I am sewing strips together. I have sewn 6 so far. 

I left Saturday at 12:15pm for Cartago and only waited a few minutes in front of the church for Ziomara to pick me up. She and Maria Jose and I stopped for lunch at a really good Mexican restaurant near the Basilica and then headed for Pequeno Mundo. I bought so much stuff I knew there was no way I would be able to carry it all on the bus. I have plates, silverware for 36, little plates, napkins and the candles for the centerpiece. I also got navy drapes for the bedroom and a couple rugs and more cupcake pans and some kitchen utensils and a bunch of other things. This week I want to go to WalMart and see what I can pick up there. 

We headed to Ziomara's parents house when we finished and had coffee and bread. I sorted thru everything I bought and packed what I could in my red bag and left the rest with Ziomara for when I come back. We also talked about going to Price Mart next time. It was about 7:00 by the time I got back to Orosi. I stopped at the pizza shop, which was very busy and showed Rosa the crochet hooks I happened to have with me. She loved them and bought one of each.

I saw Gerardo when I got back and asked to make sure nothing was planned in the party room and it was OK to leave the throw laid out there. He said no problem and that he would be mowing the soccer field at 7:00am. Now I am used to the idea of mornings starting early here but the look on my face must have changed his mind because he didn't start until I was out on the porch, about 8:30. He was using some type of heavy duty weed wacker on the whole thing. It is cut very short which is great. His outfit made him look like a Sherpa. He even took the time to rake and remove all the cuttings.

I have to ooh and aah over the sunflowers. Ok so the corn didn't make it. But the sunflowers! They are just so gorgeous with multiple flowers on a stock. And, not to be outdone, the hollyhock must be 8 feet tall and has several flowers.

I headed for Katherine's about 10:00am and we talked for over an hour. The more I talk the more I cough so I was really hacking away by the time I came home. We had a really good session and came up with lots of ideas. One of hers for a half day is to go horseback riding around Orosi and then have a massage with Otto. Now doesn't that just sound like the best! We are trying our best to create packages that would also include other locals. And, we want to also offer things like Meet the Locals. These of course wouldn't be of interest to Ticos but they would be to tourists.  Maybe coffee and bread at Dora's house! Something like that. Or for a group lunch at La Quinta with the family. Our brains are working!

On the way home I stopped at the Swiss Shop and asked her if she takes things on consignment and explained about my crochet ladies. She said yes and that it all depends on price. We are going to talk again this week.

I sent a message to Jose that I wasn't going to make it to the party. I was coughing a lot and knew that an afternoon of talking would only make it worse. I told him I had a gift for his son when he is in my area. I put some colones inside a children's book that is in English. I also have a bag of cookies. I spent the afternoon working on the throw and doing some gardening. The banana trees are trimmed - I do hate dead things on plants. We plan to use greenery down the center of the tables for Thanksgiving so I am not trimming anything in my planters so we have lots to use. I figure we can add some of the herbs and lavender to add a good smell. The candles I got are apple cinnamon and maple sugar.

The big trap is on top of my roof with an avocado and a banana in it to try and get whatever is eating the fruit but it is still empty this morning. I did see a squirrel running along the roof of the next building so he may be the culprit.

Today is the throw and putting my bedroom back together and maybe some baking for tomorrow. Courtney has been asking to come to my house so tomorrow or Wednesday morning they are going to come. I have the crochet ladies Tuesday afternoon and I must make some homemade things.

Happy Halloween. It isn't celebrated much here but they do have the national day of the masquerade. On Saturday, in Paraiso, there were detours for the parades and tons of people. Traffic was a mess.

See, I'm not killing things. Look at the cucumbers! If you look real close along the bottom, there are 3 black plastic bags. Those are the mango. Still have some open spots to plant more.

If you aren't interested in flowers, better leave now.

Not very tall but look at the blossoms.

Papaya are still there!

This is one impressive hollyhock.

Dora gave me a pot of this and Gerardo divided it into 5 and planted it. It has taken a while but it is doing great and flowering.

I don't have any blooms right now but my hydrangea are growing like mad.

My scalped soccer field.