Retirement and Good Living – My Guest post

I was asked to Guest Blog by the popular site: Retirement and Good Living. I am humbled and flattered. Here is the link to the site:   http://retirementandgoodliving.com/busted-flat-in-california-lets-move-to-costa-rica/   Enjoy! Continue reading →

Are Divas Made or Born?

I signed up to be a diva. I wasn’t sure what I was signing up for, but I was thinking slinky dresses and stilettos when I saw the invitation to the “Inner Diva” workshop last November. As usual, I leaped first, looked later. It wasn’t until the day before the scheduled meeting at Tin Jo … Continue reading →

How High is Your Mezuzah?

“Mom, are we Jewish?” asked the little Brooklyn girl. “Only on Jewish holidays when we go to Grandma’s house.” I clearly remember that conversation with my mom when I was seven years old. My best friend, Kathy, asked me if I wanted to go to Sunday School with her at the Dutch Reformed Church in Canarsie, but … Continue reading →

Buckets in Bocas?

We booked a bus tour. This is uncharacteristic of us; we are not bus-tour types. We went to the travel agent in Atenas to buy a bus ticket out of Costa Rica to prove we had an ongoing ticket out of the country, and we walked out with package tickets to Bocas del Toro, Panama … Continue reading →

Our Chili Flopped! But We’re Still on Top!

Bigger isn’t always better. This was certainly the case for Roca Caliente at the annual Atenas Charity Chili Cook-Off 2014! It’s true; our chili flopped, but we’re still on top. Time to hang up the pot? We decided to make six gallons this year. Last year we had five and still we ran out. We … Continue reading →

Which Hat Will You Wear Today?

Are you a “One Hatter?” Or maybe just a MAD hatter? Like most of us I wear many hats! Today I will wear the Chili Cooking Hat (bandana), not to be confused with the Chili Cook-Off Hat! Today I cook, tomorrow I show off! I have lots of hat stories and I don’t consider myself … Continue reading →

Paella Ingredient Challenge

Paella is a regional dish my husband, Don, learned to make in Spain years ago when he was in the business of buying and selling horses that took him all over the world. He made the acquaintance of the beautiful, enchanting “Sangria Lady” and the wizened paella chef touting their wares on the coast of Valencia. Whether the … Continue reading →

Can 7 Women Travel in Harmony?

“She’s so bossy!” I said to my new friend, Rose, referring to my old friend, Lynn. Rose answered: “Yeah, right! Who in this group isn’t bossy?!” We had been planning this “girls’” outing for weeks, coordinating the trip with the arrival of Sue and Rose, friends of Isa’s from Colorado where she had lived before moving to Atenas, … Continue reading →