Using your favorite search engine, look up "Boquete Panama Flood". I don't have the words. Look at the pictures. Pray for Boquete. Tell everyone you know: Pray for the Boquetenos.
We are safe - not dry, but not flooded.
There are no words...
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Terremoto o Temblor?
Which means, basically, "big honker earthquake or not-so-much earthquake". And last night, if you happened to be near the border of Costa Rica and Panama, you experienced a 6.2 degree relatively big honker earthquake. Here in Boquete it was, technically, a not-so-much earthquake.
If, however, you are in your own bed, minding your own business and it sounds like you are in the middle of a very loud and bouncy-wiggly freight train, then it was something of a big honker. Especially when you consider that I have never been in an earthquake before.
The bed - trembled. It shook up and down - not violently, but obviously. There was a deep rumbling sound. The onset was without warning, and after maybe 20 or so seconds, everything sort of tapered off. I never felt any aftershocks. But then neither was I able to fully relax and get any restorative sleep after the event.
I don't think I like earthquakes.
If, however, you are in your own bed, minding your own business and it sounds like you are in the middle of a very loud and bouncy-wiggly freight train, then it was something of a big honker. Especially when you consider that I have never been in an earthquake before.
The bed - trembled. It shook up and down - not violently, but obviously. There was a deep rumbling sound. The onset was without warning, and after maybe 20 or so seconds, everything sort of tapered off. I never felt any aftershocks. But then neither was I able to fully relax and get any restorative sleep after the event.
I don't think I like earthquakes.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Mishmash
Part of me wants to call this post "'Flat' and 'Level' are Deceiving" and part of me wants to call it "I Won!! I Won!!". So it will be a mishmash.
If I had the proper equipment to transmit photos, which I don't :..( I could show you my pretty yard - flat and level. If you were here to visit me and see it in person, which you aren't :..( we could walk around said yard and enjoy the tropical plants and flowers. (Yeah, I have impatiens and daylilies and peace lilies in bloom today. Outside in the yard. Don't you just hate me??)
But I cut the grass this morning. My flat, level, and fairly small yard isn't. There is a definite, though subtle slant toward the back wall. And there are countless little bumps and hollows and the occasional ginormous root snaking across my path. And what really is a small yard suddenly grows huge when your only weapon is a 22 inch cut, non-self-propelled mower. Oh, yeah, and I mustn't forget the anthills. I don't know if they're fire ants, but they do pack a hefty bite and can get up inside your pants leg REAL quick.
I am proud of myself 'cause I got the grass cut and the laundry off the line WAY before the rains came. I WON!!! And it's just barely after noon!
Maybe I'll celebrate by dust mopping the floors...
If I had the proper equipment to transmit photos, which I don't :..( I could show you my pretty yard - flat and level. If you were here to visit me and see it in person, which you aren't :..( we could walk around said yard and enjoy the tropical plants and flowers. (Yeah, I have impatiens and daylilies and peace lilies in bloom today. Outside in the yard. Don't you just hate me??)
But I cut the grass this morning. My flat, level, and fairly small yard isn't. There is a definite, though subtle slant toward the back wall. And there are countless little bumps and hollows and the occasional ginormous root snaking across my path. And what really is a small yard suddenly grows huge when your only weapon is a 22 inch cut, non-self-propelled mower. Oh, yeah, and I mustn't forget the anthills. I don't know if they're fire ants, but they do pack a hefty bite and can get up inside your pants leg REAL quick.
I am proud of myself 'cause I got the grass cut and the laundry off the line WAY before the rains came. I WON!!! And it's just barely after noon!
Maybe I'll celebrate by dust mopping the floors...
Friday, November 7, 2008
The ____day Chowder and Marching Society
Will now come to order! It is official, I have decided, and I am unanimous in saying so.
We women need each other. We need to talk, to laugh, to walk, to sit, to nurture each other. We are the ones who pack the tents (as in Sarai and Abram) or the Mayflower or the Conestoga wagons or the 40-foot containers. We are the ones who gather those of our chicks that we can take with us and tear our hearts from our breasts as we bid farewell to those of our chicks that we cannot take with us.
We are the ones who leave all the familiar sights, sounds, smells, tastes, "feels" that are our homes as we follow our menfolk to the wilderness, the Promised Land, the New World - whatever it is that is around the next bend and just out of their view.
Our menfolk seem to be just fine, thankyouverymuch, as they settle in. They seem to be able to look ahead and to compartmentalize all the left behinds of their lives.
We women don't have that gift. We are the nest-builders, the putter-downers of roots. We decorate. We paint. And it is like splinters under our fingernails to have to up and leave our nests.
So what we do, we women, is to search out each other. We scout for each other. We "Knit in Public". We conspicuously look at local maps at the welcome center coffee shop in the hope that those nice looking people a couple of tables over might also be ex-pats. We listen for English - American or Brit. And we find each other.
And when we find each other and we discover that we are, as Gonzo said in "The Muppet Movie", old friends who've just met, we rejoice. Oh, how we rejoice!
And on a day like today, that rejoicing consists of getting together and driving to David and laughing and talking and sharing and eating and shopping.
My feet are a bit sore but my spirit is soaring! We have decided, Kathleen and I, that once a week is not excessive for meandering down to David and having girl time. We have not yet decided, however, what day would be best. But we shall, indeed, institute the _____day Chowder and Marching Society, effective today.
Because it is cheaper than a ticket to the states. And a heckuva lot more fun than a shrink!
We women need each other. We need to talk, to laugh, to walk, to sit, to nurture each other. We are the ones who pack the tents (as in Sarai and Abram) or the Mayflower or the Conestoga wagons or the 40-foot containers. We are the ones who gather those of our chicks that we can take with us and tear our hearts from our breasts as we bid farewell to those of our chicks that we cannot take with us.
We are the ones who leave all the familiar sights, sounds, smells, tastes, "feels" that are our homes as we follow our menfolk to the wilderness, the Promised Land, the New World - whatever it is that is around the next bend and just out of their view.
Our menfolk seem to be just fine, thankyouverymuch, as they settle in. They seem to be able to look ahead and to compartmentalize all the left behinds of their lives.
We women don't have that gift. We are the nest-builders, the putter-downers of roots. We decorate. We paint. And it is like splinters under our fingernails to have to up and leave our nests.
So what we do, we women, is to search out each other. We scout for each other. We "Knit in Public". We conspicuously look at local maps at the welcome center coffee shop in the hope that those nice looking people a couple of tables over might also be ex-pats. We listen for English - American or Brit. And we find each other.
And when we find each other and we discover that we are, as Gonzo said in "The Muppet Movie", old friends who've just met, we rejoice. Oh, how we rejoice!
And on a day like today, that rejoicing consists of getting together and driving to David and laughing and talking and sharing and eating and shopping.
My feet are a bit sore but my spirit is soaring! We have decided, Kathleen and I, that once a week is not excessive for meandering down to David and having girl time. We have not yet decided, however, what day would be best. But we shall, indeed, institute the _____day Chowder and Marching Society, effective today.
Because it is cheaper than a ticket to the states. And a heckuva lot more fun than a shrink!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sunshine Came Softly Through My Window Today
Who sang that song? I wish I could remember. I'd either hug them or slug them.
The east-facing bedroom window naturally captures the rising sun. Which can be blindingly bright early in the morning. There is no escaping - and no turning over and going back to sleep. Especially in the rainy season. You just gotta get up and get the clothes done and on the line. Sort of the laundry equivalent of "make hay while the sun shines".
It is in the mid-70's here, and the clouds are already creeping over the mountains to the east of me like the advance scouts - the invaders will be following very soon and the rains will come later today. The rains always come.
But I understand that the dry season will be here in about 2-3 weeks. School will be out, baseball season will be starting in earnest, people will be preparing for the annual Fair of Coffee and Flowers (in January) and the tourists will be arriving. Should be interesting.
Last Saturday we went to a guitar recital at the fairgrounds. I was reminded of the recitals I'd attend in Nashville, although there were no solo performances - just groups. All the pre-performance introductions were in Spanish, but one thing I was able to comprehend was "La musica is salud." Music is health. The college-level student/teacher group was really great. They played everything from classical to jazz to samba to cha-cha. I loved watching the artists' faces as they played. And I loved the music!
I'm told that the fairgrounds where we were is the location of the Coffee and Flower fair. Right now it looks pretty rough, but I understand that by January it will look lush and colorful. Actually everything will look lush and colorful by January. The farms and garden plots visible from the highway are all planted now - the idea is to get your garden in before November 1 so you can take advantage of the upcoming dry season. Difficult as it is for me to comprehend, they even have irrigation systems for watering! December thru March there is very little rain. I'll believe it when I see it.
The east-facing bedroom window naturally captures the rising sun. Which can be blindingly bright early in the morning. There is no escaping - and no turning over and going back to sleep. Especially in the rainy season. You just gotta get up and get the clothes done and on the line. Sort of the laundry equivalent of "make hay while the sun shines".
It is in the mid-70's here, and the clouds are already creeping over the mountains to the east of me like the advance scouts - the invaders will be following very soon and the rains will come later today. The rains always come.
But I understand that the dry season will be here in about 2-3 weeks. School will be out, baseball season will be starting in earnest, people will be preparing for the annual Fair of Coffee and Flowers (in January) and the tourists will be arriving. Should be interesting.
Last Saturday we went to a guitar recital at the fairgrounds. I was reminded of the recitals I'd attend in Nashville, although there were no solo performances - just groups. All the pre-performance introductions were in Spanish, but one thing I was able to comprehend was "La musica is salud." Music is health. The college-level student/teacher group was really great. They played everything from classical to jazz to samba to cha-cha. I loved watching the artists' faces as they played. And I loved the music!
I'm told that the fairgrounds where we were is the location of the Coffee and Flower fair. Right now it looks pretty rough, but I understand that by January it will look lush and colorful. Actually everything will look lush and colorful by January. The farms and garden plots visible from the highway are all planted now - the idea is to get your garden in before November 1 so you can take advantage of the upcoming dry season. Difficult as it is for me to comprehend, they even have irrigation systems for watering! December thru March there is very little rain. I'll believe it when I see it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Stuff I Wish I'd Learned Earlier
I liced in Nashville, TN, for most of my life. I have lived in other states and even countries, including Colorado and Germany, but for the most part, I have lived in Nashville, TN.
State capital.
Major publishing center.
Major educational center.
Music City, U.S.A.
Altitude: about 900 feet aove sea level. (This is important. Remember this bit of trivia, OK?)
Now, as I mentioned, I have lived in Colorado. Colorado Springs, to be exact.
Altitude: about 6000 feet above sea level.
When I lived in Colorado Springs, I had to buy a new cookbook - one about baking at high altitude. The air is thinner at high altitude and things cook differently. Water even boils at lower temperatures. I knew all about high altitude cooking in Colorado Springs.
I also knew what that kind of altitude did to me - I slept about 14 hours a day for the first 3-4 months because I just couldn't get enough oxygen out of the air.
Now, I did my research before moving to Boquete. I knew that the altitude is about 3300 feet where our house is, but since I have had no problem with oxygen deprivation, I never thought about the fact that baking and general cooking just might be different here. Homemade sugar cookies certainly have not been a problem (other than keeping the cookie jar stocked!), but pound cakes came out looking more like pancakes. And I never could get vegetables cooked properly without having to do some major fiddling.
Last night was the last straw. I'd made mashed potatoes and green beans on the stove. And both tasted awful! Underdone beans, lumpy potatoes. I was devastated - and upset - and so relieved that I didn't have company over.
So I got on line and did some research. Did you know that 3000 feet seems to be the "breaking point" as far as not needing adjustments to recipes?
For that matter, did you know that water (which boils at 212 degrees F. at sea level) boils at 204 degrees F. in my kitchen?
Neither did I, until last night.
I'm so glad that I had not tried to make my "killer chocolate cake" before learning this! Now I just have to work on making adjustments to ALL my cooking.
And as Bob says, all the flavors are there in the pound cakes, and that is more important to him than looks. And the cookies are fine. Disappearing, but fine.
State capital.
Major publishing center.
Major educational center.
Music City, U.S.A.
Altitude: about 900 feet aove sea level. (This is important. Remember this bit of trivia, OK?)
Now, as I mentioned, I have lived in Colorado. Colorado Springs, to be exact.
Altitude: about 6000 feet above sea level.
When I lived in Colorado Springs, I had to buy a new cookbook - one about baking at high altitude. The air is thinner at high altitude and things cook differently. Water even boils at lower temperatures. I knew all about high altitude cooking in Colorado Springs.
I also knew what that kind of altitude did to me - I slept about 14 hours a day for the first 3-4 months because I just couldn't get enough oxygen out of the air.
Now, I did my research before moving to Boquete. I knew that the altitude is about 3300 feet where our house is, but since I have had no problem with oxygen deprivation, I never thought about the fact that baking and general cooking just might be different here. Homemade sugar cookies certainly have not been a problem (other than keeping the cookie jar stocked!), but pound cakes came out looking more like pancakes. And I never could get vegetables cooked properly without having to do some major fiddling.
Last night was the last straw. I'd made mashed potatoes and green beans on the stove. And both tasted awful! Underdone beans, lumpy potatoes. I was devastated - and upset - and so relieved that I didn't have company over.
So I got on line and did some research. Did you know that 3000 feet seems to be the "breaking point" as far as not needing adjustments to recipes?
For that matter, did you know that water (which boils at 212 degrees F. at sea level) boils at 204 degrees F. in my kitchen?
Neither did I, until last night.
I'm so glad that I had not tried to make my "killer chocolate cake" before learning this! Now I just have to work on making adjustments to ALL my cooking.
And as Bob says, all the flavors are there in the pound cakes, and that is more important to him than looks. And the cookies are fine. Disappearing, but fine.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Cue the Cutesy Music...
...and let's all join in : "It's a small world after all..." You know that it really is a small world when you can sit in a French restaurant in Boquete, Panama, eating crepes (mine was Indian Curry, by the way) and listen to Patsy Cline's immortal "I Fall to Pieces" playing on the IPod. Kinda wierd.
We went out to lunch yesterday since our trip to David to go to driving school was cancelled. And we did enjoy crepes and country music. After lunch we wandered through a couple of "typical tourist" shops and then drove around for a bit. It was a really nice break from the house. And the weather cooperated: the rain did not start until late afternoon. Of course, it was a true gully washer when it did rain, but there was sunshine there for a while.
I stopped in at Cafe Ruiz where I'd planned to buy some Panamaria blend coffee, but they won't have any more until next week. So I decided to treat myself and bought a couple of varieties of organic coffee. The descriptions make them sound wonderful. I'll report soon...
I also now have a cell phone! I'd give you the number, but it would be an international call and the rates would be horrendous. It's a Samsung and way smarter than I am.
We got a lot done today! We put together a medicine chest for the hall bathroom. What an adventure that was! The directions were drawings only, and several of the drawings were not labeled correctly. We almost had a disaster, but thanks to Bob's casual disregard for directions, everything went together nicely. Well, adequately.
I also got the serger cabinet put together this afternoon. This is one part of the really nice sewing cabinet that I'd bought way back when and saved the putting together until we were all moved. I hope to get the rest of the cabinet put together over the weekend. Then I can get much of my sewing supplies organized. And then I can start sewing the curtains and valance and bedskirt and get that much more done in the house!
I am also going to put a dehumidifier in my sewing/craft room in the hope that it will cut down on the risk of more mildew damage. Having a sewing/craft room is like a dream to me. Just a half-dozen steps off the kitchen, it is a place where I can store my fabric and yarn stashes, make home decorator things for my home, make clothes for myself, and generally retreat to refresh my creativity. The room was originally the bedroom for the live-in maid, but since I was not overly impressed with the quality of her work, and I am confident of my ability to keep ahead of the dust bunnies, I appropriated it for myself.
I really need to educate myself on posting pictures so I can show you what's happening, don't I?
We went out to lunch yesterday since our trip to David to go to driving school was cancelled. And we did enjoy crepes and country music. After lunch we wandered through a couple of "typical tourist" shops and then drove around for a bit. It was a really nice break from the house. And the weather cooperated: the rain did not start until late afternoon. Of course, it was a true gully washer when it did rain, but there was sunshine there for a while.
I stopped in at Cafe Ruiz where I'd planned to buy some Panamaria blend coffee, but they won't have any more until next week. So I decided to treat myself and bought a couple of varieties of organic coffee. The descriptions make them sound wonderful. I'll report soon...
I also now have a cell phone! I'd give you the number, but it would be an international call and the rates would be horrendous. It's a Samsung and way smarter than I am.
We got a lot done today! We put together a medicine chest for the hall bathroom. What an adventure that was! The directions were drawings only, and several of the drawings were not labeled correctly. We almost had a disaster, but thanks to Bob's casual disregard for directions, everything went together nicely. Well, adequately.
I also got the serger cabinet put together this afternoon. This is one part of the really nice sewing cabinet that I'd bought way back when and saved the putting together until we were all moved. I hope to get the rest of the cabinet put together over the weekend. Then I can get much of my sewing supplies organized. And then I can start sewing the curtains and valance and bedskirt and get that much more done in the house!
I am also going to put a dehumidifier in my sewing/craft room in the hope that it will cut down on the risk of more mildew damage. Having a sewing/craft room is like a dream to me. Just a half-dozen steps off the kitchen, it is a place where I can store my fabric and yarn stashes, make home decorator things for my home, make clothes for myself, and generally retreat to refresh my creativity. The room was originally the bedroom for the live-in maid, but since I was not overly impressed with the quality of her work, and I am confident of my ability to keep ahead of the dust bunnies, I appropriated it for myself.
I really need to educate myself on posting pictures so I can show you what's happening, don't I?
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