Pacific Specifics

  I don’t have much use for anger. I found that if I took the time to de-value it, it was harder to find within me. Also I have learned that since anger is a choice, it’s easier to choose something else. Compassion is one of my favorite alternatives. Humor is more fun too.   I was talking with a friend of mine today, and we had another one of those good conversations about things that matter. She reminded me of my over-all quest for respect and compassion. Starting with myself. In general, I’m just not very good at being angry. Everyone else is better at it than me. I can tell that some just don’t have control over it, and some see it as a useful power. I remember even as a teenager, being confused by anger. The physical and mental effects of anger didn’t feel right. It was worse than alcohol. I avoided them both for the same reasons. They can compel me do and say things I can count on regretting later.   Then I see people who get angry when they get drunk. That m...

  I love the law of attraction. If you haven't read the book, or seen the movie, you're missing out. It's called The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In a nutshell - it means you attract what you are thinking. The biggest example I can think of is all the people who spent a lot of time bashing Donald Trump. They are confused how he became the president. The law of attraction says he won because for better or worse - because everyone was thinking of him. Some of how much they admired him, some of how much they hated him. The law of attraction says if you wanted someone else to win, you shouldn't have invested so much negative energy into Donald Trump. Because it was still invested energy. It's a kind of breaking the law of attraction, because it was used to get what wasn't wanted.   My point today, is how I can become more aware of the law of attraction working in my life? I found a real life example that really made me think. Look at this picture: It's some art ...

  I go to a writing group once a week, and I love it. We sit at an outdoor restaurant and order drinks with lots of ice and strange names like kombucha. A wise person said: there are 2 elements to being a good writer. Having a good story, and telling it in an engaging way. I suppose I agree. I'm reading a book about a massacre of over 100 people in the 1800's. It's a true story. But it's so dry and involves so many characters eye witnesses that I can't keep up, even though I've read other books on the event.   I should be very involved in the book, the tragedy happened at a place that is about an hour or so from where I used to live in Utah. Men from my town were involved, albeit over 100 years ago. It's a big fat book, and it was recommended by a friend who's family is from the area. My husband's great (how many greats?) grandfather came across the scene afterwards, he helped bury some of the dead. This book is supposed to be amazing because it set...

This is how I cheer myself up. Perspective. A smile. Some hope. These are my favorites from my old iPad. This is a random collection, enjoy.

  Just over a month ago I spoke to my Father for the first time in about 4 years. In just 20 days from now we will arrive in Denmark to go visit him. Life has always been that way. Taking me places that are just incredible. Look at me! I'm in Costa Rica, planning the details of my trip to Denmark. 2 months ago I would not have dreamed that we would have those tickets in hand. After buying the tickets we ran across a couple taking pictures of monkeys on the street outside our front door. The man says he drives through the town my Father lives in, on his way to work every day. They are from Denmark. Weird, right?   By some fateful decision of Destiny my brother and I are the only cousins who didn't grow up in Denmark learning Danish. But I love learning it, and 9 days later I'm at 5%. I'm not sure about the app Duolingo, it is teaching me how to say: Jer er en bjorn. I am a bear. And Fuglene drikker ol. The bird drinks beer. But... it's a starting point, right?? My D...

We’re going on a hike today.   I’m planning in advance, to make it as comfortable as possible. We are leaving at 8:30am, low tide is at 10am. We already planned out the tides, that was the first thing we look at, because options change depending on how much beach is available. High tide means more people – less beach for them to walk around and avoid each other. It means less areas we can go, because we are going to the next tiny beach, and during high tide it’s impossible to even think about swimming over there. Waves crashing into the rocky hill, crocodiles, sharks. Our beach is near perfect and safe. On either side is crocodiles! The beaches have signs that say watch out for them. Although on our side there is a sign for rip tides. Right where we go to snorkel. But that’s at low tide.   So the tide will be right when we get there. It takes less than 10 minutes to bike to the trail head on the next tiny beach. It takes about half an hour for the intense hike to the...

  I picked a new topic. Death is too raw of a subject. And too easy, too over-done to promote fear with it. New topic: How to be afraid of your own body. Based on how many exact things need to go right for it to be sustained. How awful would it be if I succeeded in making another person afraid of their own body? Knowing how fragile mortality is.   I like this topic better because it plays with my belief that fear comes from ignorance. What if I created fear based on information?? No, just because it's a writing challenge doesn't mean I should do it. I'll just make you afraid of your dinner plate.   The World Health Organization states that the top 10 leading causes of death are: Ischaemic heart disease - plaque in the arteries that reduces the flow of blood/oxygen to the heart Stroke - interruption of blood to the brain Lower respiratory infection COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Trachea and bronchus cancers Diabetes mellitus Alzheimer Diarrhoeal d...

  I'm dedicating this post to Rhiannon, who says one day she must come here. I got up, sat at the back porch and had some chamba chai, and jumped on my bike. It was just after 6am when we rolled out of the arched gate to the house, which was covered in flowering vines.   Getting up before 6am is wonderful. March is summer time here, and it gets so dang hot in the middle of the day! Everything is quieter and cooler at 6am. I used to whine and moan about getting up early, but I've never had such a great incentive before. Plus, I don't work swing shifts until midnight either. That factors in too.   We got to the beach and the had already come up. Pity, because it's amazing watching the sky light up, then the sun emerge from behind the mountains. It was low tide, which means tomorrow morning will be a good time to snorkel. It's going to be so much fun, I can't wait. The hardest part about snorkeling is reminding Ron that I like shallow water, not going half way...

  I decided to try a writer's group here in our little town of Costa Rica. I've been to one meeting, and I like it. It's nice and informal, at an outdoor restaurant. I decided to not be a big chicken afraid to lay an egg, and check it out. We do some impromptu writing, where we are given a topic, and set amount of time to try and write. To try and engage, to try and be creative. My biggest problem so far is not making things up. It's been about real life. There are weekly assignments too. Everything I've done so far has been pretty much true. Does my life require embellishment? No, it's pretty unique all on it's own.   There was an assignment involving expectations vs what really ends up happening. I could invent a new creature in a 10th dimension named Chirana, but I wrote about giving birth to my first child. Then an alternative piece on death. This week the topic was: Major transformation of a character. Physical, emotional, change of location. (I...

  My favorite thing about living in Samara, Costa Rica is that I never know what I'm going to see next. Today it was a very small owl. Odd, in the middle of the day. Sitting on a wire along the side of the same road that I travel every time I leave the house. Tomorrow will be the 6 month mark that I've been here! It's the second owl I've ever seen, the other one was a few months ago at night.   This is the land of double takes. You never know where an iguana will appear. I always look up. I've seen an iguana on the very top of a utility pole. I've seen a vulture perched up there on one too. I've seen an iguana clinging to the rod iron work of my bedroom window, I have no idea how or why he got there. He was pretty amazing though, I enjoyed the visit. Only because there was screen on the window! He was a decent size.   Yesterday Ron said he saw a grasshopper that was longer than his cell phone. I can't wait to see one of those. He said it made quite a n...