When I moved to Costa Rica several years ago, I adopted the “less is more” philosophy and divested myself of most of my worldly possessions. There is something liberating about not being bogged down by stuff. Even now, living back in California, I have strict rules about stuff. It has to be … Continue reading
I’ve been traveling to Costa Rica on a regular basis since 1991 when my mom bought a little vacation home in Nosara. The kids were little and we enjoyed our annual trip to the jungle-beach town on the Pacific side of the Nicoya peninsula. The rule of thumb was to get the … Continue reading
“Hurry, we’re closing the door behind you!” the gate agent shouted as she saw me panting and red-faced pulling my roll-aboard (for years I thought it was roller board, but it turns out that’s a skateboard), in my red stilettos. She reached out to grab my extended boarding pass and we completed … Continue reading
I lost my mojo a while ago. It wasn’t any one thing – it was a bunch that piled up until the proverbial straw broke Carole Jean’s back! Friends were getting sick, friends were dying of natural causes that come with old age, friends were losing it, and I was helpless to … Continue reading
I had my finger poised over the SPAM button when I noticed it was NOT an ad for Viagra or cheap cigarettes as is usually the case when I get a new comment on an old blog. It was the “extra-large Chocolate Lab” part that grabbed me. My heart … Continue reading
And once you get there, do you know your way around? San José, Costa Rica, that is. I have been getting lost in San José since 1989; at least that was the case until I found Michael Miller’s guide titled “The Real San José”. At last, I can make some sense of the crazy streets, convoluted … Continue reading
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
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
The Nutcracker Suite (Cascanueces) is coming to Teatro Nacional! This was a family tradition ever since I can remember. My mom studied ballet at the Settlement House in the Lower East Side of Manhattan as a teenager. I studied ballet from the age of five at the Lea and Gia dance studio on West 4th St … Continue reading
Carole Jean's Capers 