My Latest Adventure

So, the main event of this post is that I found the spider this morning as I got out of bed. I very calmly captured her and let her go.

Then, last night, I turned off the light and crawled into bed and noticed a light flying around the room. It was about the intensity of my phone flashlight. This morning I found this guy on the wall.

I asked in the Boquete Community FB Group if anyone knew if this creature lit up. I never got a good answer. It looks like a grasshopper. One guy said “firefly.” I don’t think so. I did get one comment, however, which made me wish I had thought it through. He said, “Put it in the dark and see if it lights up.” Why didn’t I think of that? Instead, I took it outside in this glass, but as hard as I tried to fling it, it wouldn’t let go of the glass. So, I thought, fine, I’ll just leave you out here in the glass, and you can come out when you’re good and ready.

A short time later, my new neighbor, Sue, came over to ask me a question, and she noticed the glass. It looked empty. I told her the story and then picked up the glass. When I noticed the creature was on the outside of the glass, I threw it, and it smashed against a rock.

Sue said, “Well, that wasn’t a very strong glass.” That made me laugh. I could see she was a “defender.”

I had a lovely dinner last night with Betty and Gloria. Betty is house-sitting across the street from me, where Cathy and Larry (former tenants here), moved. The place is gorgeous. As nice as my place is, their new place is amazing. Also, Cathy has done a lot of work in the garden. Gardeners love it here.

Michele and I finally connected on the FitXR virtual reality boxing workout. We did a short workout this morning, and I think we now have a system for getting into the same workout room. It’s not all that easy. I’m looking forward to doing a longer one. So, Michele and I now need to set up a schedule. Right, Michele?

I am happy to say that I did my PT routine today, which included push-ups, planks and weights. I had no problem at all with my back. Feels good to be coming back.

Also enjoying my adventure into the plant-based diet. On my next shopping trip, I’m going to go back to Bulk Organics with some containers. I am going to buy almonds to make almond milk, to eventually make yogurt. I will be so happy if this turns out well. I will definitely miss Dan’s yogurt.

I think I have a replacement for cream cheese, and now I will look for something to replace parmesan. I have collards and bok choy in my refrigerator as well as a Hawaiian sweet potato. It’s purple! So, I’m going to look for recipes to use those and buy the ingredients on my shopping day. I might wait until the Tuesday Market. I am making a hummus-vegetable-cracker tray for Gloria and Betty’s birthday party on Tuesday, so I can get the freshest vegetables possible. The yellow bell peppers are amazing.

I spent a lovely morning with Barb driving “up the mountain” to Alto Quiel to buy coffee at Café Suarez. The coffee is fresh from the roaster and only $4.25 pound.

The spider showed up today. I found it on my jacket sleeve as Barb and I were leaving this morning. So, did I say, “Oh, there you are Sweetheart. Let me take you outside,” and walk outside and shake it off? No, I did the get-it-off-of me freak out. Now I don’t know where it is again.

After the coffee run we stopped at a place called Bulk Organics, which is just what it sounds like. I want to purchase almonds from there to make my own milk and ultimately yogurt. I couldn’t buy anything today because I didn’t bring any containers with me. I’ll be back. They make fresh coconut cream on Thursdays. Jane, the owner, gave me a sample. I’ll be purchasing that too. I can just taste it with a vegetable curry.

Turns out Jane grew up in Waubeno, WI (not Waubena as I thought). Small world. I asked her what it was known for. She said, “Taverns.”

Barb stayed for lunch, and I served my first intentional vegan dish. It’s called Ikarian stew. I heard about it on a Rich Roll podcast about plant-based diets. Rich was interviewing Dan Buettner, writer for National Geographic and author of Blue Zones.

While doing his research he visited the Greek island of Ikaria. There he met Dr. Antonia Trichopoulou, a Mediterranean diet expert. He asked her how he could get the small American city of Albert Lea, Minnesota—famous for meatpacking—to eat more vegetables, He knew he had come to the right person. They were sitting at Thea’s Guesthouse, in front of one of her amazing spreads of Ikarian cuisine. Dr. Trichopoulou paused for a moment and then gestured to the food and said, “Feed them.”

Here’s the recipe:

Ikarian Longevity Stew Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried black-eyed peas (or 8-ounce can, drained)
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 large, firm ripe tomato, finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste, diluted in 1⁄4 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
Salt (optional)

My modifications:  I added 1 cubed sweet potato, and topped it off with avocado, cilantro and my basil vinaigrette.

DIRECTIONS

If using dried black-eyed peas: Cover with water and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an hour.
Drain and rinse. (If using canned black-eyed peas, skip this step.)
In a large pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and fennel, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes.
Add the black-eyed peas and toss to coat with oil.
Add the tomato, tomato paste, and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch.
Add the bay leaves.
Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the black-eyed peas are about halfway cooked (if using dried peas).
Check after 40 minutes, but it may take over an hour.
If using canned, skip to next step after 10 minutes.
Add the chopped dill and season with salt to taste.
Continue cooking until the black-eyed peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and pick out and discard the bay leaves.
Pour in remaining olive oil, stir, and serve.

Barb shocked me as she savored the stew and tried to discern a subtle flavor she was experiencing. I thought, if she gets this, I’m going to be very impressed. When she said, “licorice,” I almost fell over. That’s it! One of the main ingredients is fennel.

I feel fortunate to have arrived late to the plant-based-diet table. There are now so many great recipes and products available. I always thought it would be a chore. I remember a vegan friend, Sue Vincent, telling me that she found it to be an adventure. So, that’s how I’m approaching it. So far, so good.

Michele and I have been trying to get into the same workout room on the FitXR app on the Oculus. We’ve tried a couple of times without success. Tonight we’re going to try it again. Fingers crossed.

I had a visitor to the play area today. I gave her this beautiful Italian glass bead to get her started, but she wasn’t interested. She left. Now the question is, where is she?

I took a walk over to Valle Escondido a few days ago to visit Jon Arcuni. Jon was a former landlord. I was sorry to hear that his daughter passed away from an overdose. I expressed my condolences, and he responded, shaking his head, “Yeah, she was always a problem.” I am so conflicted about that response. My thoughts jump all over the place, so I just stop thinking about it. His coping skills are amazing.

I asked if he was still sitting watching Fox News all day. He said, “No, they’ve begun to lose credibility.” I didn’t know what he was talking about until Dan told me that Fox is losing faith in Trump. It all made sense then.

Rosa was there for my visit. She and Jon have developed a beautiful relationship. She is a Panamanian woman who nursed Jon back from the brink of Death’s door a number of years ago. She now takes care of him on a regular basis, and Jon, in turn, has adopted the entire family, putting them through school, helping with expenses. It is a loving win-win.

I had to turn down the position of secretary for Boquete Health and Hospice. It was tempting because it feels like a great way for me to be a contributing member of the community, but after I reviewed the projects I have planned to complete while I’m here, it just felt like too much. I told them I would reconsider in a month or so.

I’ve decided to try a plant-based diet while I’m here. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to try this, since I’m the only person I have to consider. I’ve been listening to some excellent podcasts lately. Here is a good one. I have just recently discovered Rich Roll. I like him a lot.

Speaking of food. This is an amazing taste sensation. It makes me want to cry right now knowing that it is off the list. It’s an asiago-jalapeño bagel with cream cheese and kumquat jam. I wonder what vegans use to get the sensation of cream cheese. It’s the same as with a nice thick Greek yogurt. I thought the word was umami, but now I’m not sure. Wow. Maybe this will not be an all-or-nothing proposition.

No, I know myself well enough to know that I’m all in for the next four months at least. It will be an interesting journey.

Speaking of interesting journeys. I have been experiencing a transition in my relationship with pain. I am astounded to discover how much power I have over this. Turns out it’s just another habit that I can change, just choosing another thought.

I have caught myself a couple of times. When I stand up from a table or desk, I find myself pressing on the table to take the load off my back. Or I have a little fear when I’m going to pick something up off the floor. “Knock it off!” I hear my mother saying. So, it’s just a matter of replacing that pathway.

Another good video:

I like Huberman. He’s a bit geeky funny. He likes to use medical terminology, but he has a hard time with the pronunciations. He makes me laugh. And that’s what it’s all about! I like when he says, “I hate to break it to you…”

A video of my Play Area to date:

Love a VR newbie.

I received a text from Leslie Hughes today. She is one of the Boquete Hospice coordinators. She asked if I would consider being their data person or the secretary. I told her I would have to give that some thought. As much as I want to be a contributory member of the community, I’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed with the projects I want to accomplish while I’m here. I’m mowing through the list, but I must be careful. Pondering.

Spent over an hour today dealing with Landmark’s new website. Trying to start working on taxes. Always a challenge waiting.

Made my own yogurt yesterday. Since Dan is not here, I have to make my own. It turned out okay. What Dan has discovered is that the best starter is a full-fat yogurt (10% is good). The 0% fat versions just don’t quite cut it. Even with straining (Greek yogurt), it doesn’t have the thick, creamy texture I love. I’ll have to look around. Here is a link to an easy-to-follow recipe.

https://www.liveeatlearn.com/greek-yogurt/

I pulled out the paints today. I have a couple of birthdays coming up here, and I want to get started on cards to donate to the church auction.

Today was the first sunny day I have had, so I decided to make a video of the outside. Actually, it turned into two videos.

As I said in the first video, I was hoping to sit out there this evening to do a bit of star gazing, which is one of the Soul Matters spiritual practice options; however, it has really clouded up again, so I may need to look at another option…just in case.

I met Gloria and Sally this morning at Tuesday market. The market is always fun. You never know whom you’re going to run into. I saw Beth, faithfully sitting in her place outside the market, where she has a table set up for Los Animales. She is a true animal lover. She reminds me of my friend, Bambi Kehler. They have truly found their passion in their love for animals.

I didn’t think of it until now, but I should have done a short video of the market. I’ve done it in the past. Well, there will be many Tuesdays to come.

We dropped Gloria off at the Haven (gym), and Sally brought me home where we sat and had a great visit. I had her try out the Meta Quest 2. Hilarious. Always is when a person tries it for the first time.

After I finish here, I plan to put the headset on again and try to figure out how Michele and I can do our boxing workout together in the same room. Not as easy as we thought. I’m finding the learning curve to be a bit choppy. Not sure if it’s me or them. I just have to get my system down. Right now so much is hit or miss. I need a manual!!

I’m going to do a beginner workout today. I was going to wait, but I changed my mind. I find that my newest adventure is learning more about chronic pain and how much of it is in our minds. After listening to just a few conversations online, I’m beginning to believe that my back pain stems back to an accident I had in 1978 in which I was hit by a car while riding my bike. I sustained a T12 fracture, which I’m now thinking is not that big of a deal, but I think that cognitively I’ve been protecting myself ever since. Although my current issue is due to an acute injury, I realize I’ve been dealing with back issues on and off since the accident. This will be a very interesting journey.

Ash sent me a text today with drills that he has designed for me. It looks like fun. I am so happy that I discovered a love for this art. While I am doing it, I feel such joy. I know that there is nothing else that I should be doing. Who knew?

Barb asked if I wanted to drive into David with her tomorrow. She has a medical appointment. Sounds good to me!

Today is only day three of my visit so far, and I have checked a number of things off my to-do list. I want to get “the work” out of the way so I can concentrate on playing.

The night before last, as I was falling asleep, I heard a thud followed by footsteps (pawsteps?) on the roof over my bed. The next morning I sent a message to Cathy and asked if it sounded crazy. She said absolutely not. This house is right on the edge of a ravine. There is a fence which separates the house from the ravine, but some of the trees that reach out over this house are rooted on the other side of the fence. She said it could have been a squirrel, an opposum, a sloth, a kotamunde (like a raccoon) or a large cat. I wish I would have seen it.

I received this lovely message from Ash, my calligraphy teacher, this morning after sending him my daily practice.

“Well how good to wake up to my morning seeing this. You have come a long way Christine. Pat your back and be proud! 👏👏”

I’ve also been working on getting my Meta Quest 2 set up. I tried it for just a little while yesterday. My back is about 90% better. I’ve decided to start one of the fitness programs at a beginner level and see how it goes. Sally is also lending me a book titled Pain Free by Peter Egoscue, which she said she and friends have found helpful.

I also watched this excellent video conversation between Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and pain specialist Howard Schubiner. with

With the Meta Quest, I was also experimenting with watching videos on YouTube that are made just for virtual reality (VR). I was watching a National Geographic video on elephants in Africa. At one point, I turned and looked to my right. There was a guy standing right next to me. Scared the shit out of me!

This is my first card. My friend’s father passed away yesterday, so I made this for her. She likely will not receive it for a while, but I hope it makes her smile.

I met Nancy and Beth for breakfast this morning. The plan was for me to meet Nancy at the entrance to Santa Lucia, where she lives. She doesn’t know where I live, so I told her “sure” I can do that. I am up Volcancito Road from Santa Lucia. I thought I could make it down the hill in ten minutes…easily…ha! My memory did not serve me very well. I used to live up here and walked and down this hill every day. I had no idea it was going to take me 30 minutes, not 10. I eventually caught a taxi and met them at Isabella’s.

Which was excellent!

I met a new person at breakfast this morning. His name is Jack. He’s a talker, but nice enough. From Chicago. I already know that he grew up in a family with eight kids, spent his summers in Boulder. Worked in construction, got his MBA and built computers. Knows a lot about supplements. Saved a woman’s life by helping her rid herself of cancer by using marijuana. Loves Elon Musk because he has made three-quarters of a million dollars for him.

I sent a message to Cathy (hostess) today asking her how she deals with scorpions. She gave me a number of tips and then shared this story with me:

“Funny scorpion story….
I was making batidos, grabbed a glass from the cupboard forgetting to check it, poured blueberry batido in the glass and gave it to Larry. He was busy and let it sit for a few minutes…. Took a sip and then pulled a batido laden scorpion out of his mouth. Fortunately, it was dead. He held it up and asked me ‘what is this?’ I smiled and said ‘a scorpion, my dear.'” 🤣

Barb is stopping by tomorrow. Can’t wait!

Getting back to blogging is proving to be a bit challenging. But it’s all coming back to me.

I am now settled in my fabulous room in Boquete. It’s called the Glass Casita at Finca Wild Orchid. This is truly heaven. I simply cannot believe my life sometimes. (Sorry for the breathing noises.)

I am all unpacked and settled in. The first thing I did upon unpacking was practice calligraphy. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Getting here from Panama City was pretty straightforward. I went to bed last night at 7:30, p.m., so I woke at 2:30 a.m. I arrived at the airport at 4:30 and sat and finished my book, In the Castle of Flynns. I highly recommend this book, especially if you grew up Irish Catholic in the 50s. You and your family are in there.

I arrived in David on time, and both of my bags were present! I was picked up by Fernando – all arranged by Cathy, my hostess here. We stopped at Gago, and I picked up a few essentials for dinner this evening, and then we stopped at Nancy Peterson’s to pick up my “three” boxes. Oops…actually five, but some were pretty small. Fernando then dropped me off here.

Tomorrow morning, I’m meeting Nancy and Beth Abrams for breakfast. Sunday, Barb Fiorucci is stopping by. It’s so much fun seeing people again.

Looking forward to spending most of this first week doing absolutely nothing strenuous. My back is about 80% better right now, and I don’t want to jeopardize that. I brought my Meta Quest virtual reality with me. I’m looking forward to doing some of the workouts on there.

I’ve begun creating my to-do list. Never a dull moment. I’ve been putting some things off until I got here. First thing is to start working on our church auction. I’ve already been nudged about getting that started. Then there are cards, writing, Spanish classes, Soul Matters prep, and calligraphy…of course. Nice to be back.

Just checked into my room in Panama City, where I will spend the night. My flight for David leaves at 7:19 tomorrow morning, which means I will have to be on the shuttle at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. I left home this morning at 3:30 a.m. Thank goodness Dan drove me to O’Hare; it makes things easier.

My main bag was checked through to David at O’Hare. Once at the gate, I thought I might as well check my carry-on so I wouldn’t have to deal with putting it in the overhead compartment. I didn’t realize that that bag also was checked through to David. I sat for too long in baggage claim waiting for my bag. One of the staff nearby assured me that it would be coming. He said it just takes time for them to unload sometimes. I finally went to customer service, and they informed me that it was checked through to David.

Next stop Customs. When I got to the desk, the agent said, “You made a mistake on your form. You have to make out a new one.” So, back to baggage claim to fill out a new form. So happy no one was waiting for me. Happily, the lines were not too long.

Tomorrow I will be met at the airport by Fernando, a taxi driver. Cathy (the caretaker of the Wild Orchid Glass Casita, where I’m staying in Boquete) arranged for Fernando to pick me up, go to my friend Nancy’s to pick up my boxes, and take me grocery shopping. Thanks Cathy!!

BTW…it’s 80 degrees here right now.