Life in Costa Rica: It is WAR and I am up to the challenge!

It has been a busy week, as this week will be also. I may have mentioned I love starting projects so my friends will be coming to see me in the middle of several. I bought another gallon of apricot paint and a gallon of white and a gallon of thinner - I hate the oil based paint. I may have mentioned that also. I left it all at the hardware store and asked them to give it to Gerardo. It is on my porch this morning. So I have painting to do. And my new porch furniture still needs covers. I have cut out all the cushions from the foam - I had enough for everything. Ana brought me covers for the chair backs so for now I just need fabric for the 2 chair seats and the long couch back. I went into the fabric shop in Paraiso yesterday but I got frustrated and left. I would take a bolt out of the stack and roll it out a little and see if the color and pattern would work. It has to go with the gold of these cushions. I would put it back on the pile and the lady from the store would come running over to put it back lower in the pile. I felt like I was being scolded for not doing it right. After a couple times I just left so her piles would stay perfect.

I went to the Féria yesterday morning. Emilio met me there. He no longer has to call to see where I am. He just goes to the plant stand. Yes, I bought more. They are so nice- the people I mean. I now have basil and a plant with flowers like crown of thorns but no thorns and some neat succulents and a ground cover. They also gave us advice for my war. When I was finished I gave everything to Emilio and headed off on my own. They we're getting a taxi to Orosi so he took my stuff to the pizza shop and I got more and took the bus back. I really gave him everything because my phone and iPad were both in the red bag. I had no clock, no lists, no translate, no nothing. I managed.

Now let me tell you about Friday. The excursion with the seniors. I hate to be late and inconvenience others so I am usually early. Jeanette had told me 8:00am so I was sitting in front of the church at 7:45am. Well, you tell a tico 8:00 because they are always late and you really want to leave at 8:30. It turns out San Rafael is just outside Cartago and the road was very good until it wasn't. It kept getting narrower and narrower and changed to gravel with an abundance of potholes. This place is out in the country and although I had not heard of it, it is lovely. Several pools, water features including a slide and large area for picnics as well as a restaurant. Very nice.

When we got there everyone headed to tables and a grassy area near a covered shelter. I headed to the covered area between the pools. I pulled out my crochet and sat there in the shade. I had my black ruffle swimsuit top with black capris withmy swimsuit bottoms underneath. Now all these other ladies were dressed so nice in pants or skirts and blouses, like they were going to church. Turned out most of them didn't go in the water. Ligia Sanchez and another one of my neighbors came and sat by me and I pulled out my container of snickerdoodle cookies. It was funny because word must have spread. Little by little we had most of the group near us. Eventually we all moved back to the grassy area for lunch and dancing. They brought in live music. Lunch was chicken, vegetables, salad, rice, dessert and beverage.

So let's talk about what I paid. It was an hour transportation from Orosi, entrance to the pools, snacks, lunch, live music. 2000 colones which is about $3.75. Quite a deal.

Yesterday when I got back from Paraiso I went to the Orosi Lodge to get coffee for Kaye and Harvey Richard to save them time when they are here. It is bad to let me out the front door when I have to go by a place with plants for sale. There is a place on the way to the Lodge with plants and craft items and I got both. Little plaques of the Orosi church and 3 little cactus. I will have to stop when all my concrete openings are full but so far I have some empty spots. I plan to put the plaque and a bag of Katherine's Pura Vida coffee on their pillow as a welcome.

Now about my war. I came out Friday to discover whatever is eating my garden has eaten all my beautiful orange flowers that weren't even fully opened yet. I noticed a few of the coleus had been chewed on too. That just won't do! Yesterday I showed Gerardo and he gave me a small container of something to mix with water and spray all over everything. I couldn't last night because everything needed watering so I did that this morning. The man at the Féria said to cut up 2 heads of garlic and pour boiling water over it and add liquid dish soap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. strain it and spray it on everything. I will give the plants a dose of that tomorrow. Right now the garden smells like cayenne pepper. I can't wait to see what it will smell like tomorrow - if I haven't killed everything. The bugs will not win!

I can't for the life of me find my digger for the garden. I have no idea where I stuck it. I may have to use a big spoon and get one in June in the states.

I had a little scare with Tia this week. She asked me to come to her house. There was a light on on her stove and everything was hot including the oven. I checked everything and got the light to go off but everything was still hot. When I got home I texted Gerardo and he came and checked and told me everything was fine now. I think she kept trying to turn everything off so the light would go off and instead was turning things on. At least she came and asked for help