Pacific Specifics

  I have seen that I can get really stuck in what I know. Does that make sense? So I like to use my imagination more than ever these days. Because it seems to me that a lot of my problems were very much ready to be solved, it was just a matter of how long it took me to find the solution. And sometimes the solution was to change my mind about it. And often adding to the problem was how I felt about it, which was one of the biggest factors in deciding how bad or big the problem was!   I also had a good friend who said that today she didn't always go to church, but today her goal was to just "sit quietly and listen to God". It made me think about how quiet and beautiful it is when I snorkel (mostly). It also made me think about all the times I told God all my problems, and asked Him "Why?!!" and then didn't listen for an answer. Or didn't like the answer I was getting. I have found that I less problems than ever these days. Not because they all magically d...

  Hello all! Today's story will be told as explanations of pictures I've taken. Well, except for this one story that I have to share. I'm playing with the idea of manifesting things, I've read a bit about it. Probably I've read just enough to be dangerous. Lol. But I already have some intriguing results. One of the best realizations is that for the past 2 years before Costa Rica I've had really challenging jobs and I had been through 3 teenagers and had one left. I was used to stress. I worked with people with diagnosed and medicated anxiety disorders. I used to have a little list of basic things a person can do to help de-escalate stress levels. One of them was having them take a little time out and "go to your happy place", and have them describe it. I would do it myself too, when the crisis was over and I could wind down, when I was at the dentist sitting in the chair, etc... I always said: I'm going to my happy place. I'm going to the beach...

  I'm on Day 23 of Love your life in 30 days, and I'm pretty happy with myself. I already loved my life, for the record. The part that challenged me was having to be consistent. So far, so good, as I break my arm patting myself on the back. As if this program wasn't wonderful enough, with videos to explain daily activities that help me work on perspective and abundance - I'm nudging my Mom to go along with me. It's free and by Mike Dooley, the guy who's always saying: Thoughts become things. So I'm trying to eliminate the "negative" things. Plus I'm giving and gaining insight from people around the world with others doing the same thing on a Facebook group. It's so fascinating.   What a weekend. I watched the inauguration on Friday, and no, I won't make any comment on it except to say that it was also incredibly interesting. I am still amazed at the whole electoral process, who it was narrowed down to in each party, and that Donald Tru...

  I have my amazing days, and I have my days when I am feeling sorry for myself because I'm miserable with a sunburn. I'm human, I can't help it. I have visited a man in the hospital with advanced cancer who tried to be cheerful for his guests. I was so impressed. All I had was a sunburn from riding a moped through parts of Costa Rica. Thanks to aloe vera, I avoided blisters. Yet still us humans find a way to let things get to us. So I took some time out, and then yesterday was outstanding again. And then today I received an email. It was kind of funny. I went to tut.com to get 'daily messages from the universe'. I've been getting them for years. Today it said: When little things start to bother you, Suzette, it might be because you need more big things in your life. Happily, there's a super-easy spiritual fix: Get out more. It's all spiritual,     The Universe   How fitting. My 2 first big things was to go forgive myself for letting me ge...

  Before I tell you my latest oddball Costa Rican experience, can I tell you why I don't cuss? Much. Because sometimes, I really really mean it. If you hear me cuss, you may want to back away. But only one person makes me swear, mostly. I can stub my toe and not say a bad word. That's how I knew I finally kicked the habit when I was younger. It was the last great victory.   But I don't cuss for 2 reasons. The first one is that takes too much thought. And the second one is that I have a brain that likes to play with words.   It takes too much thought. First of all, I think it's pretty vulgar, and I don't like to be that unrefined. In most of life. And I never wanted to hear my children swear, so I didn't do it. It takes too much energy to swear. I have to first of all determine if there are kids around, or other people who might be appalled at me not noticing their young children are around. Or  maybe those proper type of  people who just get offended by i...

  We all have a story to tell. Many of us are in a complex range of either thinking very highly of ourselves, or feeling like we should tell our story truly don't know how, or that we have no voice worth hearing. Or having a unique combination of all those and more.   I'm reading a book by Nuala O'Faolain, and I'm on page 37 and still not sure if I would recommend the book. But it's called "Are You Somebody?", and I was drawn in by the introduction. It was a book sitting in a stack of books that guests have left here, and I just randomly picked it up yesterday.   Everyone's story starts like her introduction that says "I was born in a Dublin that was...." I guess it helps, because she went on to explain the way things worked for women in general, and her part of the world in general. How do you describe yourself, without touching on how your parents were? I mean, who would I be without the specific influence (or lack of influence) of my par...

  Breakfast of Champions! That's what I'm going to design and paint on a sign for my back porch, because that's where I eat breakfast every day. I'm trying a new thing for 2017. I'm trying to fall in love with my breakfast. I'm trying to be good to my breakfast, so that my breakfast is good to me. I want lots of skinny energy! I want to live every day knowing that I did great with my breakfast, to prepare me for my awesome day. Because why not? There are plenty of fruits and flowers here to play with, to decorate my breakfast bowl. Which thanks to my darling Mom - is a pretty blue glass bowl with a matching glass.   Also, I would like to give a shout out to all the other thousands of people who want to eat better, and have better health as a New Year's resolution. Sugar is a constant issue for many people. You know what has helped me? To just say no. And practice ahead of time. And be creative about it. Food doesn't taste as good? Um, so what?? F...

  Samara beach in Costa Rica sure feels like Paradise. But it's not all relaxation. It's actually more of a time to use all of my life skills, and see how all the years have combined in experience and knowledge. In the last few days we have helped a guest get to the hospital. Did a few hours of hotel-sitting for some friends who own a little place. And today I helped rescue a dog. I'm going to talk about the dog, not the guest, because there are no privacy concerns with the canine. (And no, I don't have any updates on the guest yet).   One of the long term guests at my Mom's mini hotel came to ask if Ron was here. He is out helping pick up someone from the airport, so I got to step in and do some hero work instead. There was an injured dog in the creek across the street from us. The poor thing was laying in the water, which wasn't very deep, but I'm not sure how long it had been there.   I grabbed an old sheet, put on a long sleeved shirt, some sturdy-ish ...

  I believed. And I have achieved. I am reminded yet again of the sign I used to have on my wall that said: Living the dream. It was just on a piece of wood, in my living room. I also had a map of Costa Rica on my fridge. I also had a dream board that said Costa Rica 2016 in really big letters.   I believe that life can be beautiful. I believe I can find value and love in most everything. I believe in being good to people. Better than good, actually. I believe in being ridiculously good to people. I believe in pronia - the opposite of paranoia. I believe everything is conspiring to make life incredible. I want to tell you about my day yesterday. I want to share the amazement and awe. I'm just warning you now, it's very cool.   I started the day like almost every day for the last 4 months. (Yes! We hit the 4 month mark of being in Samara, in the jungle.) I had a 1-2 hour breakfast on the back porch with my 2 best friends. My husband and my mother. Then some new fri...

 How to be ridiculously cheerful. That's a hobby of mine. Every time something bad happens, I call it a challenge, not a "problem". So I can say: I don't have any problems! If something unpleasant happens, I try to not react, and put on my poker face. Then I wait until I calm down, and figure out what skill set I can use to make it better. Or, what new skill set I must learn to cope with it.   2017 has already given me some experiences that came with a new skill set. The skill set is handling embarrassment. Which, can I tell you, I did NOT see that one coming. Embarrassment is on the top 4 list of words to describe 2017 so far. Which is weird. I'm not all that familiar with that feeling, because I'm fairly good at laughing at myself. I've raised 4 children, who gave me plenty of chances to be embarrassed. Like being in public and having to get after them for eating their boogers. You know what I mean? And I've worked with people with disabilities, whe...