There is a wonderful little place here called Gringo Mike’s or Joe’s Coffee (depending on the time of day one goes). In the morning they serve delicious coffee and in the evening pizza. Actually Mike has retired and Joe is Mike’s son. Joe, his lovely wife Danette, and their kids, Noah and Abigail came here from the states one and a half years ago and took over the business. I just love going there to enjoy their tree, their lights and the Christmas carols in the air. Yes, I splurged and got hot peppermint chocolate complete with whip cream and the whole candy cane with a white chocolate croissant on the side. That does wonders to enhance the spirit of the season for me! For my part I got to share a bit….brought over my Christmas CDs. Even with little, there are so many ways we can brighten others’ days!
Oh, regarding my “guardian animals”, I stopped on my Christmas morning run due to a rustling in the bushes nearby. Out lumbers an anteater, as peaceful as can be. It walked right by me within inches seeming not to even care that I was there staring mouth wide since I’d never seen anything like it before in real life.
I will admit to being a tad bummed at not being able to send out my usual “year on a page” update and holiday cards. I had to resign myself to sending greetings only from my heart to yours and hope you may have felt a warm twinge. My internet was so intermittent and mailing anything is kinda crazy…you may have received it in March and I’d have had to take a loan out for postage. For anyone missing a birthday card that usually gets one from me, consider yourself sung “Happy Birthday” and be grateful you didn’t have to hear it in person :-) My faith that we are deeply connected whether cards find their way out or not helped too.
Now I know the real meaning of Leapin’ Lizards! I used to think it was what the cute little lizards in Florida did. They’d jump from a window ledge to the ground and run off, something our CA lizards didn’t do. But that was nothing compared to something I’ve now seen many times. At Villas El Bosque I suspected it from the sounds I heard but here…..I’ve seen monster iguanas fall from high up in palm trees (mostly because that’s my closest sighting spot) and other trees. It sounds like a limb crashing to the ground but it’s just a 2 ½ foot spiky iguana who gives me the “what are you looking at?” glare before running off. A number of times there are two on the ground so I’m not sure if this is a result of territorial issues or they just can’t calculate their weight vs. branch strength.
I have also been blessed with the opportunities to see not only one, but two volcanoes. Poas Volcano had steamy ashy blue-green water in it….at least I think that was water….kinda smelled sulphury. Beyond the rock of the volcano were forests and there was a blanket of puffy clouds in the sky…below us. Even more amazing was the sighting of Vulcan Arenal. While I was treated to a steady flume of smoke, evidently, more often then not, this volcano is covered by the clouds.Remember the 6 suitcases? I managed to eliminate the biggest one through usage and mostly giving the contents away. So…only a meager 5 to get back to the States with me. I was prepared to pay as outlined on the airline's website for the extra baggage. Guess my “anything’s possible” could only have prepared me for getting to the airport with the 5 - only to be told only one piece of luggage per passenger was being allowed on my flight! Only an insane series of miracles resulted in me and my entire luggage making it back to Florida. This included getting baggage with liquids and scissors past the carry on inspection and someone meeting me at the gate and smuggling my luggage into cargo. Also had to retrieve luggage and go through customs/inspections again for a flight change. Talk about trusting the Universe big-time!
Like the movie Castaway, I had my own Wilson that I carried around with me, ever hopeful I could rouse some volleyball interest. Since the national sport in Panama and Costa Rica is soccer and I wasn’t doing too well with Spanish, the best I got was a few hours practice. Still, my Wilson was a symbol of hope on more levels than just volleyball. Sometimes it seems silly, but maybe if you had a Wilson equivalent, you might encourage yourself to go a little longer, a bit farther….. If I had known what was ahead of me on this journey, I may not have done it. Having gone through it all though, I have no regrets and know I was meant to be where I was every day for a specific reason.
Will be in Florida January 9 where I may just be able to put Wilson to work a few times. January 16, I head to California. Will get a chance to say hello to my family and some friends. I have a couple meetings for Spa Retreat possibilities. AXICOM will be ready to assist me in getting a new set up complete with cloud computing capabilities (something I’m just learning about). If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Westlake, CA, I highly encourage you to find out about AXICOM’s educational opportunities at their office. They would also be happy to provide an audit to review ways that they can help you to save or make money with technology! Contact AXICOM to schedule an appointment.
Many of you have sent e-mails of encouragement, ways you’ve been inspired to take action in your own life and new ways you are thinking. I am incredibly grateful and fed by these “love notes”. One example of someone “making it happen” is my friend Barbi in Texas. Check out the Spa she created www.thebeachhousedayspa.com Continued thanks to everyone for the ongoing flow of leads, ideas and assistance for the Spa Retreat. Panama is still bursting with potential that I just need patience to discover. For now, I will be available again for Telephone Wellness Coaching starting mid-January. If this is something you feel may enhance your life, please contact me by e-mail asap so we can jumpstart your New Year!With my current eating habits still different than “normal”, I feel good about getting all the nutrients my body desires with my Juice Plus. The chocolate and vanilla shakes make excellent meal replacements – very handy at times. If you have kids, or just like to eat like one, there are gummy fruits and veggies. Make a resolution to enhance your health in 2010 by signing up for yours today!
We are what we think and a result of what we put into our mind. Spiritual Cinema is a monthly movie (DVD) service which provides uplifting, thoughtful brain food. Give it a try today HERE.
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Blessings, Appreciation & Love ~
Michelle
