It is official

Today I picked up the keys to my new house in Orosi. I spent several hours there. Moving the majority of things is set for Monday morning at 10:00am. All the big things.  I don’t have to be out of here until the 15th so I will move in stages and hopefully be able to put one batch away before moving the next batch. The plants will be later and the cats will be last. I will continue to sleep here until the cats move so I don’t have to worry about them getting out when people are moving things in.

We did make a couple changes to the big back room at the new house. It is a partially finished area past the kitchen. Some parts are screened so they will be able to see and smell outside. I had a shelf added in front of that area, had a window screen added and had 2 door screens added. There is a latch at eye level but one needs to be added closer to the floor so they can’t push the door open enough to get out.

Hopefully this and the run of the house will be enough to keep them happy. If not we will create something outside like a screened walkway or enclosure. Roberto is great at helping with this.

Since I will be moving in on Monday the ladies are going to give it a Tica cleaning this weekend. They will probably get quite a laugh when they go in because when I was there today I started moving furniture around to make it feel like mine. I am sure they are going to wonder how I managed. Big cabinets, refrigerators, dressers, tv and stand. No problem!

I can’t wait to start on the gardens. They have done a great job of clearing out the weeds and there seem to be 4 raised beds in the front area. There are a couple piles of brush that still have to be removed. I have noticed there are tons of concrete blocks surrounding the various areas so I have tons of those to plant also. They will be great for succulents and cactus. I have the front area on the right side which is rectangular shape and pretty much wide open. I want to have bougainvillea climbing the walls. Next is the area with lemon and orange trees and several concrete block surrounded beds. On the left side is a pretty open rectangular shaped area the full length of the property. The hydrangeas and poinsettia can go there. I will be busy, busy, busy.

Monday, at 12:30 José will go pick up Emilio and 4 pizzas and soft drinks so everyone has a fun lunch. It would be too difficult to try and cook. He will make an assortment and this will give him a chance to come see the house.

I have been working. To think most of what I have came down in suitcases. Well except the buffet and kitchen cabinet and kitchen counter and shelving units and 10 tubs and 4 chairs and a folding table and a tent and a hammock and hanging chair and and and. Think I am nesting?

The story of Pura Vida

I have posted off and on since June about the blanket we were working on for my friend, Roz, in Hutchinson. Roz and her husband, DuWayne became clients of mine at Bursch Travel in Hutchinson. The first trip I did for them was extra special and they kept coming back. At Christmas they were one of the people who received trays of cookies.

When I left and moved here and returned to Hutch for visits they insisted I stay with them and I have a room that is mine, whenever I come to visit. I have even brought others to stay there. They are very gracious hosts.

Over the years I have brought back items the ladies have made and Roz has bought some from me, for herself or others. When I sent her a picture of a bed cover that I loved, she loved it too. I said I would start working on it and see if my ladies could make it. The complications. They speak Spanish,  me not so much, they are traditionalists and do certain stitches over and over, not so much new ones.  They don’t read patterns. To mention a few. They are used to crocheting with small hooks and thread. This would be yarn and bigger hooks. The 20 squares had to be the same size so everything fit together. The center section had to be 48 inches square. And it needed to be for a king size bed.

Ligia and I started talking and planning in June. I had tons of patterns printed in color so she would have colored pictures to follow. I made a trip to Cartago to get the yarn. It is all Sinfonia. Roz wanted high quality and Sinfonia is one I get here and haven’t found much cheaper online or in the US. High quality cotton. Ligia and I started crocheting sample squares to give the ladies. We needed 20 squares altogether. Ligia is very fast, not so much me. She did 4, I did 1. By early August we were ready to present it to the ladies in Paraiso. The samples had their white border and woven ribbons. Laura, Marta, Adriana and Rosa decided they would participate. Their job would be to crochet 3 squares each. The colors could be used in different orders, but only the colors I supplied. Light aqua blue, dark blue, beige and dark brown, variegated beige and white. There is some cinnamon color but not everyone got that color. I cut pieces of fabric to 12” square and marked an area 9” square. The smaller was for the colored area and the larger was including the white and ribbons. We did end up with a few that are bigger and they will work great for the pillow shams. Jeannette and Zoila in Orosi handled the ribbon weaving.

In September I took what was done to Roz’s house so she could see it in person. We still had a long way to go. My part of the center was done and Ligia would continue when I returned to Costa Rica. All the squares were done. Now it is all up to Ligia. Finish the center. Sorry it is too big. You have to take out a few rows. Now sew the squares together and to the center. Next is the outside border which will include the pieces of fabric that Johanna embroidered with our names in hearts and the message Chicas Buenas, with much love, Pura Vida and 2019.

By now the blanket is getting very big and heavy and the only place Ligia can spread it out and work on it is her bed. At night she folds it up and shares her bed with the blanket. Delivery was made December 30th and we video called Roz so she could join in on seeing it finished for the first time. It is really quite spectacular. It could never have been done without Ligia. We would go pick up squares and she would compliment the person and after we left she might shake her head and go home and redo some of it. She is very particular which I depended on. She was also very kind and patient when teaching the ladies.

Mine are the only parts where I actually read and followed the pattern. I only crochet with a pattern. these ladies are so much more talented than me at needlework. And they put so much care and love into an item for someone they may never meet.

The blanket went home with Heather and was shipped to Roz last Monday. She received it on Wednesday along with 10 little crocheted angels from Ligia and a pair of slippers, just like mine, from Rosa. They were packaged in a corrugated paper box made and decorated by Rosa’s daughter. Today I received pictures of the blanket on Roz’s bed. I must say, all in all, we did good.

Two things. Roz wanted a name for the blanket instead of calling it the blanket. After coming up with several possibilities I think she decided on Pura Vida, a phrase, greeting, blessing that is used continuously here. The second thing is this blanket helped to save a person’s mental health this year so it is so much more than just a crochet job. She was going thru a terrible time with many close family members dying and suffering from depression. Having all this work to do and being trusted enough to do it helped her tremendously. The year was difficult but would have been so much worse without Pura Vida.

You may be very bored by now. I did this so Roz would have it.

The one that started it all. 6/6/19. Remember this isn’t the one we did. Ours is the last one.

Ready to show the ladies in Paraiso 8/6/19

Profesora Ligia and Laura 8/8/19

Rosa picks hers - mine. 8/8/19

Roz I promise they will fit together. 8/20/19

A trip to Paraiso to pick up more squares. 8/22/19

Needs a little adjusting. No problem. 8/27/19

Roz’s bed. Long way to go 9/21/19

Center is done and so are the squares. Now the sewing together starts 11/11/19

All together, just the borders to go. 12/3/19

Delivery to my house. 12/30/19

The angels 12/30/19

A close up of the border 1/3/2020

Panels with our names and one that says 2019, Chicas Buenas, Pura Vida, con mucho amor. 1/3/2020

Rosa, Marta and Adriana showing off the border. We went to Paraiso 1/3/2020

And now, the finished product on Roz’s bed. 1/17/2020

I am giving up..........

The best road and sidewalk in all of Costa Rica for easy access to services in Orosi. Yup, I am moving again. Come on now, it has been 2 years and 6 months. At my age my moves have to be spaced closer together. And how did this all come about you say!

I was thinking about moving to Cartago, near Ziomara, and we even looked at a couple places when Heather, Kent and I went to visit her last Saturday. They didn’t work out and Heather was very nervous and concerned about the idea of me living there. It is a big busy city and makes her nervous. Then I thought maybe Cervantes and it is definitely a beautiful area but not any less remote than this area. Maybe more so.

When Heather and Kent were out walking in Orosi they came across a possibility and I found one listed that looked lovely. These were for sale and I wasn’t sure I wanted to get involved in purchase. Then Tuesday they were out walking and ran into Ligia. They talked and they told her I was looking and she took them thru the house where her parents had lived. They decided it was perfect for me and since we were heading for Cervantes to visit Jazmin and Rosa and family we arranged to meet Ligia at 10:00am Wednesday for me to see all the house. I had only been there once and only saw a little of the house. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room, big kitchen with actual counters and cupboards, tv room, big enclosed back room with another kitchen for parties.  Large patio in front, 2 big green areas, tons and tons of plants and some lemon and orange trees. Half a block from Ligia and her sisters.

But it is all new to them and it happened so quick they didn’t know what they were going to charge. Heather and Kent were flying home yesterday so we agreed to meet at 3:00pm today and Kent would be on a call to translate so there were no misunderstandings.

I stayed for coffee and they made sure I knew they are very happy to have me in the house and now as part of their family. They are very concerned I am happy and comfortable. I feel the same way towards them. The only one who knows me very well is Ligia.

Well, I have a house! I will pay rent here for the first two weeks of February and slowly move during that time. They have lots of work to do, removing things and cleaning out the yard so I won’t be starting to move in until February. My rent is up the end of January but when I gave my notice today I said I would pay until the middle of February so that I am giving a 30 day notice. I don’t know that it is required here but I want to be fair.

So, in the next month lots of plants will get moved. Lots will stay too. José will help when he is available and Ligia and the family will help. Every move I have more stuff and this time I have some big furniture.

It is all quite exciting! The party will be Sunday, March 9!

The green area on the right side

The green area on the left. Below the back fence is a creek.

The front.

Living/dining

One of the bathrooms

The TV room but I told them I didn’t want the tv.

A beautiful kitchen 

A real closet.