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While we’ve been back for a bit, I still haven’t quite gotten my ducks in the same yard, much less in a row. The Costa Rican crud that I picked up continues to plague me, but as everything does, it will get better. Costa Rica was a wonderful country, with amazingly friendly people, crazy roads, and a simple lifestyle that held a strong appeal for us. We didn’t venture far from our tiny lodging, and that was okay for this trip, but (of course) I am planning a return visit to explore more of this magical place. Every night, we had a sunset like this, our first one.
Playa San Miguel, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Quote of the day: “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” — Jack Kerouac
Daily gratitudes:
A lovely day
Costa Rican crud medicine
Cuddlesome cats
Tea
My youngest stepson
Yes, it may have some storms, but it’s open and free and wild, and I have my love by my side. Always.
County Road 14, Colorado.
Quote of the day: “Home sweet home. No place like home. Take me home, country roads. Home is where the heart is. But my heart is here. So I must be home.” — Audrey Niffenegger
Daily gratitudes:
MKL
The boys playing basketball on the patio
Late night talks with my brilliant daughter
A day in the country
That we did not fall into the twilight zone in Grover
I don’t know. But I feel that there are people I love waiting there – people and animals. And there were people waiting for all of those who arrived so suddenly yesterday. I imagine that when I get there, I’ll see something like this. Peaceful. Beautiful. Tranquil.
Somewhere over the sea.
Quote of the day: “As the rose-tree is composed of the sweetest flowers and the sharpest thorns, as the heavens are sometimes overcast—alternately tempestuous and serene—so is the life of man intermingled with hopes and fears, with joys and sorrows, with pleasure and pain.” — Edmund Burke
Daily gratitudes:
The concept of Bolivia
The man listening very intently to the pillar on the corner of 15th and Wynkoop
A little girl in the dancing waters
That Kelsea is (still) on her way home
How beautiful my cousin looks
My wedding gown, too, had buttons down the back, though they were the non-functional kind. It’s one of those little touches that add to the loveliness. I love wedding gowns. To help myself fall asleep sometimes, I design them in my head. I’ve always done so. Somewhere along the line, I missed my calling. It doesn’t help that I can sew about as well as a gerbil can, at least using a machine. I’m actually not too shabby at hand-stitching. Another sign that I was likely born in the wrong era.
Sedalia, Colorado.
Quote of the day:
“She puts her wedding-gown away,
As tenderly as one might close,
With kissing lips and finger-tips,
And the petals of a red rose..” — Arijit Mandl
Daily gratitudes:
Baby prairie dogs
The smell of freshly mown grass
Channeling my dad through the push mower
Flowers blooming
Puffy clouds in blue skies
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell where the earth stops and heaven begins.
Topsail Beach, North Carolina.
Quote of the day: “There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them,’ my mother explained shortly before she left me. ‘If you can remember me, I will be with you always.” — Isabel Allende
Daily gratitudes:
Blooming things
Lavender oil
Poetry
Snuggly cats
Peaceful passings
It may not have a sunrise like this, and even if it does, I won’t see it, but I’m ready for today to be done, so here we are. Having spent most of the weekend grappling with my fallen tree, I can honestly say that I hate this tree. And if you know me, you know I’m a tree-hugger, and have probably never said such a thing before. This tree is evil. It didn’t want to be here, and it doesn’t want to leave – worst guest ever. It slaps and cuts, it bites and bruises, it’s stubborn and pervasive. It’s a Siberian Elm that really should have just stayed in Siberia. There are logs and branches and twigs everywhere and I feel like it will take forever to make it go away. So I’m calling it a day. As my FB Friend Scott says, the white flag is up. Tomorrow is another day.
Cozumel, Mexico.
Quote of the day: “A sunrise shows a new day has started, that whatever happened before is the past.” — Shannon McCrimmon
Daily gratitudes:
Progress
A beautiful day
Being clean after being super dirty
The scent of hyacinths
Oversized T-shirts
Here’s a quick post to usher in the weekend. I am feeling strangely anxious this evening, and have little to say, other than that. Tomorrow, it’s the Colorado chainsaw massacre. Let’s hope it’s only the dead tree that loses limbs, not MKL or me.
Ventanas al Mar, Cozumel, Mexico.
Quote of the day: “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” — Patrick Rothfuss
Daily gratitudes:
Brand new baby cows
The light on the snow on Long’s Peak
How MKL makes me smile a smile that spreads to others
The neighbor’s grandson playing basketball on the back patio
Little girls wearing princess dresses in the middle of the day for no reason other than that they want to, and mothers who understand that and let them
I love shooting doors. There’s a magic to doors that is both obvious and mysterious. You don’t know what’s behind a door, and you don’t know how passing through a door may change your life or otherwise transport you. Doors themselves can be imbued with their own stories, as shown by their wood, their weathering, their color. Of all the interesting, quirky, and colorful doors I shot in San Miguel, this one was my favorite. From this shot, it’s hard to see the very best part of this door, but I thought I’d present you with the challenge, and then reveal the perfect little element tomorrow. So, if you can see it, let me know in the comments, but don’t give it away!
San Miguel, Cozumel.
Quote of the day: “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” — Helen Keller
Daily gratitudes:
A visit from Joy
Being barefoot outside
Strawberries
Learning Spanish, little by little
Emotions
Prayers for Pakistan.
A rare, but beautiful, sight for me. And through the camera’s eye, you can see the curve of the horizon.
Cozumel, Mexico.
Quote of the day: “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” — John Muir
Daily gratitudes:
The velvet softness of pansies
The scent and memory of daffodils
Trish
Pie and coffee at Sam’s with MKL
Finding a favorite movie on TV on a sad night
Prayers for Belgium.
As it usually is, today was better. I felt better, not so hopeless. There was sun. And then there was snow. But that’s okay.
Cozumel, Mexico.
Quote of the day: “I’m the one waking up at 4am to witness the sunrise, where the sky touches the sea, and I hold my elbows, grasping tight to whatever I’ve made of myself.” — Charlotte Eriksson
Daily gratitudes:
My random llama
Piglets running
How much Mr. Man loves chicken
Kelsea’s first spring break adventure (I wish I was with them)
A certain calm
My husband
Sending love and prayers to Kelsea’s Ultimate teammate, who lost her Mother unexpectedly this week. What impossible pain for a young woman. For any woman.
