I just didn't feel like writing.

It's  been a while, and lots has happened. I have been to the US and back. I have seen Heather's new house and driven to Minnesota to visit family and friends and sold 5 scarves and crocheted a hat and brought back lots of yarn.  I have been enjoying sunshine and warmth and been to Cartago for chocolate. Those are the generalizations. Now let's see if I can add some details to make it more interesting.

I have so much fun when I travel, enjoying the foods I don't have here. I started in Houston with Wendy's and a baked potato with chili. I was going to have Orange Chichén but I didn't want any of the sides and it was going to be $11.00 and I just couldn't do it. The Wendy's was like $5.00 and that included the Frosty I had with it. There was a lady with a tiny dog sitting near me at the gate while I was eating and he kept getting closer and closer. When I was finished I put a tiny bit of frosty on the spoon and he gobbled it all up. He thought that was really great.

It was about 11:00pm by the time we got to Heather's. Her new house is lovely. I waited until the next morning to really look around. It q so full of light from all the windows and she has plants all over. Usually she moves her plants outside during the summer and then tries to figure out where to keep them or who to give them to during the winter. That won't be the case now. She also has the sunroom which will be great once they have it insulated and heat added. Then they can use it all year. It already has good quality windows. It is the quietest neighborhood. I heard a dog once in a while but no other sounds. There are no big, busy streets so no traffic noises and it is far enough to any businesses you don't hear anything from them. It is funny though on one side the lady is from St. Cloud, Mn. and on the othe side the man taught at the University of North Dakota. I spent a lot of my time going through containers of my things, deciding what to keep and what to send to Goodwill or the trash. I still had a few pieces of baby clothes and I brought them to give to Jose for his people.

Justin, Kent's son, came for the weekend. I had been carting around an old desktop and a laptop that I just wanted the hard drive destroyed before they were thrown away. Justin had fun taking them apart with his set of super duper computer tools. He was amazed at the desktop. It was older than he is and things were much different in it than today's computers. He  was willing to explain things to me but my eyes just glazed over. He is extremely talented and builds computers for himself and his friends. He is off to college next year and that will be his field.

Kent took me to the Enterprise location a couple miles from their house and off I went in a Chrysler 200. Nice little car and the only complaint I had for the agent when I returned was the windshield wipers needed replacing. As before, Heather got a great rate for me. I headed for Little Falls and spent the night with Sandy. The next morning I HAD to stop at the bakery, Pete and Joy's, for some goodies. A box of pastries for the Bursch office in St. Cloud and a loaf of Poppy Seed Bread. I stopped at Home Depot in St. Cloud and picked up a gift certificate for Jess to thank her for helping me at the Social Security office last fall. I had tried to get it from here but it didn't work so I waited. They have just bought a new house so I told her it was for flowers not cows. They have also been buying cows and now have 19.

So I have had baked potato and chili at Wendy's, good Chinese, very good thin crust pizza, barbecued pork and now Five Guys hamburger and fries. I do really like them with bacon, grilled onions and barbecue sauce.  I forgot. When I left the Bursch Travel office I stopped at Great Harvest Bread. You know how much I like bread! I got a couple bars, a loaf of cranberry wild rice bread and a loaf of Snickerdoodle bread. As you can tell, all my gifts were edible. I had brought a few jars of jelly so I gave bread and jelly.
I did a little shopping before I headed for Hutchinson. I now have brown jeans and a new pair of shoes. Roz and DuWayne were waiting for me and really enjoyed the bars from Great Harvest. She hid her jar of jelly and made sure I didn't take it when I packed up the others for my next stop. They have had quite a year last year. Shoulder surgery for her, another to come, basement flooded and had to be remodeled and at Thanksgiving he had heart problems.  Thank heavens her kids were there to give CPR until the paramedics got there because he was over 30 minutes without a pulse. They really saved his life and he is doing great.

Saturday Roz and I drove to Minneapolis to watch her granddaughter play basketball and then had great fish and chips at Poor Richards.

Spent some time with Linda and Red at the theatre - more jelly and bread - and went to church on Sunday before heading to Minneapolis and Kaye. Father Jerry always gets a big grin when he sees me. I keep popping up even though I have left the area.

I had brought with me some of the scarves my ladies crocheted and Kaye decided to buy 5 of them to offer for sale at the Red Door Gallery in Wahpeton. I wrote up a history/explanation to be displayed with the scarves along with a picture of the group. I can't wait to give the ladies their money. I will keep half to purchase more yarn. Like I need more yarn! I filled the better part of 2 suitcases and I still have a tub full at Heather's. But, keeping 4 ladies and myself stocked takes a bit. I am very proud of how committed they have been. I was asked to make a plain hat for a lady in Paraiso who doesn't have cancer but has lost all the hair on her body. She usually wears a wig but it hurts. I did a plain off white and gave it to Rosita last night and now I am working on a gray one.

While in the Cities I was able to spend time with Janice and Jack and their granddaughter - more bread and jelly. Janice told me the last one I brought was all dried out so hopefully this jar is better. They babysit on Monday and she is such a good little one.  They also are having health problems. This getting old is not for the weak.

Back to Heather's for 2 nights and off to Chicago. I had packed a duffle and then actually talked to someone at Avianca. Instead of 2 bags totaling 70 pounds I could have 1 bag 50 pounds and pay $40.00 for a second bag. I had the duffle packed because it was light and I had it leaning up against the buffet. We went out shopping and when we came back it was dark. I walked into my room and tripped over the duffle. It had fallen and I didn't see it. I changed my plans and went with 2 suitcases so I repacked everything. I had hit my knee but everything seemed ok. I knew I had a massage scheduled with Otto the day after I returned. I didn't really have problems till Saturday when I went out to run errands and I twisted wrong crossing the street and pulled something in the same leg. I stayed pretty quiet for a week. It is getting much better and although I wore a knee brace and an ankle brace I managed to walk around Cartago yesterday. But, back to my return.

Bus to Chicago - O'hare this time and check in with Avianca. I had checked in online and printed boarding passes. I was able to change to great aisle seats in the second row for both flights. In fact, the first flight I had 3 seats to myself.  It was the first airline where they weighed my carry on. Everything was in order. They are the first airline in a long time where alcoholic drinks were free and they served a hot meal. You had a choice of chicken or beef pasta. Even on the hour flight from San Salvador to San Jose there was something hot to eat. San Salvador is a lovely airport. Kind of a long walk but tons of shops. The only thing I bought was bottled water and they quoted US. $1.50 which I didn't think was bad for an airport.

Jose was waiting and the crowd outside the airport was crazy. He said some celebrity was coming in and they all wanted their picture taken with him. He couldn't see who it was but my guess is a soccer player. They do love their soccer here. The drive home was easy even with the closed bridge because Jose knows all the shortcuts and back routes.
No, I'm not going to give you a day by day report. The crochet ladies were here and each gave me 3 hats they did while I was gone. Even though they were also taking beach vacations. They were pleased with the money and happy with the yarn for new projects. I counted 26 hats altogether for the cancer ladies so I have them all making scarves or hat and scarf sets. I also have Ligia Sanchez making more flowers and a crochet top. They tease me about making me a crochet bikini but what she is making is for sale. not for me.

I mentioned I crocheted a hat. When I got to Heather's the hat I made for Kathy was back because it was too small. I had started a new one and took that one apart to reuse the yarn. I finished it and sent it off to Kathy but she left on a trip the day it came and hasn't seen it yet. I am just hoping this one isn't too big.

Thursday I went to Craft Ladies for the first time since the Christmas Party in early December. I had lots of goodies for them like crochet thread. fabric, crochet hooks and embroidery needles. Also hate. Anita and I delivered 2 to the guard at the bank for his wife. For coffee I brought Papaya Date Bread. I stopped first at the cheese store and was able to get 2 containers of butter. I was a happy baker.

As I mentioned. I went to Cartago yesterday. First to Mayca for Dark Chocolate to melt, then to the yarn shop where I picked up 8000 colones for things they sold, then to the market for strawberries. On the way back from Mayca I stopped at a lovely bakery/cafe for coffee and a bite to eat. I of course had to buy a couple things to bring home. VERY GOOD. I am happy to have found it. I also wanted to stop at the other yarn shop where I get the cotton yarn. I needed a little more for Janet's project. I had a general idea of the area. Near the cathedral. I looked and looked and went around and then remembered Ziomara had told me they weren't open on Saturday because they are Jewish. I will have to go another day.

A request for all of you. Ziomara's father is going into the hospital today for heart surgery. Prayers, please.

Since Tuesday is Valentine's Day I am going to dip strawberries and bananas and peppermint filling and coconut balls to hand out. At least if the strawberries don't last I have plenty of other things. Gerardo's truck is parked by the party room with the whole back full of bananas from his finca.

I think that is it. Only the most dedicated will have read the whole thing, if there are any of you left. I probably wont be writing as often this year. Life for me really is settling down to a normal life. Since I do have a big birthday coming up I may just have to do something wild and crazy. I will be sure and let you know if I do. For my 65th it was a train trip to Whitefish, Montana. Who knows what I can come up with in Costa Rica!