happy Easter!

Buddy & Aruba surprised me with this sweet Easter basket this morning, complete with hand-shredded paper "grass"!
(thank you Sal)

crafting marathon!

Really enjoying the 24-hours of scrapbooking shows airing on HSN today! :-)
Loving the ideas & inspiration!

I'm "that girl"

Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed the weekend?

The 4 of us needed to rest after the trauma of Aruba's stroke... Sal and I were emotionally spent.  We see Aruba doing a little better each day!  She still has balance issues, sometimes tilts her head to the right, and her left side is weakened.  But she's taking meds for this and I've already begun physical therapy that will hopefully help strengthen her.  And her appetite has bounced back--- but she needs to be hand-fed from a spoon, or with her dish elevated.... the vertigo won't allow her to lean down to eat.  Poor angel.  I asked the neurologist about dietary supplements that will help Aruba, and she suggested "omega-3 fish oil".  Well, being vegetarian, we're not proponents of fish oil... but after some online research and a visit to a specialized vitamin shop, we found NutraVege, a high-quality potent vegetarian omega-3 substitute!  We're SO relieved to see Aruba improving!

On a lighter note... have you seen this new TV ad from Expedia?  The timing is amazing given that I had to "find my courage" to go ziplining in Costa Rica!  I'm "that girl" the ad describes... careful, safety conscious, logical thinker... and I too am really glad "that girl" stayed home when I went to Costa Rica!  ;-)

Aruba's home !!!

Another thanks for your continued concern for Aruba... your thoughts and prayers have meant so much!

Aruba was released from the hospital last night .... we're so happy to have our precious angel back home with us !!! And she seemed pretty happy on the car ride home.

She'll need some recovery time; the stroke left her with vertigo (she's taking meds for that--- between hers and Buddy's meds, I'm running a doggy pharmacy here! LOL). The stroke also left her with a weakened left side. :-( To strengthen her and prevent muscle atrophy, we'll be doing some basic range-of-motion physical therapy with her here at home. After she goes back to the neurologist for a follow-up in a couple of weeks, she might need more advanced physical therapy.

For now tho, we're all just so tired after a trying week! She and Buddy snuggled-up and fell asleep together, so sweet! He missed her.

Come back soon... as we get settled down here, I plan to blog our last few days spent in Costa Rica. We have some amazing experiences to share!

Aruba's recovering

Hi everyone and thank you SO much for your comments, emails, texts, calls expressing concern for our precious Aruba... it's so appreciated!

Yesterday was a day of worry and uncertainty here. Unfortunately, the neurologist said that Aruba had a mild stroke. :-( She is still recovering in the ICU. We are so sad about this, but with testing and diagnostics we're trying to find out what caused it, to make sure there's not another underlying medical concern.

The good news is that when we visited Aruba last night, she was alert and fairly bright-eyed! She also began eating again... and this morning, the overnight nurse said that Aruba ate even more through the night and is walking better! :-)

Her head is still tilted to the right, and this may never go away.

Our precious angel Aruba... she has always been so strong & healthy, it's so hard to see her like this. And after Buddy's battle with lung cancer and congestive heart failure, my heart is so heavy for my furbabies.

Waiting on more test results and another neuro exam today... then hoping that Aruba can come home with us tonight. Buddy is looking for her too.

prayers for Aruba

It's always 'back to reality' after a trip. I know this.

But sometimes reality is a big bucket of cold water splashed in our faces.

Our precious Aruba was admitted to the hospital last night. So hard to go home without her. {sad} I want her here to hug and comfort, but that won't make her better.

After thorough examinations by 2 veterinarians, it's still not clear what's wrong. She is stable this morning, and even ate a little. A neurologist evaluated her early this morning, waiting to hear....

The overnight nurse said that Aruba is "so sweet"... warmed my heart!

Will be back with updates.....

hasta luego, Costa Rica!

Heading to the airport soon, time to go home... Costa Rica, we absolutely loved you!

Natural beauty!
Exotic wildlife!
Warm & friendly people!

We'll be back!

Pura vida!

'pura vida' meets 'la dolce vita'

After bidding a sad farewell to the hammock yesterday, we took a 4-hour trip back to central Costa Rica, to a quaint town called Escazu, outside San Jose, the capital, where we'll wrap-up our journey through Costa Rica.

We arrived at our pleasant B&B, a traditional Costa Rican home, and were warmly greeted by the owners, Pilar & Xavier. After resting on yet another fabulous balcony outside our room--- this time with a comfy wicker chase lounge instead of a hammock--- we took a walk to a nearby Italian restaurant called D'Amalfi (btw, Costa Ricans seem to love Italian food!). It was different to see a menu describing Italian dishes in Spanish! Turned out the chef was Italian, from Milan, so he and Sal had a great chat at first in Spanish, until they realized they're both Italian, then it was 'parliamo Italiano'. (Sidebar: the B&B owners love to visit Italy, and they speak Italian also, so we had a lovely time chatting.)

Our dinner was fabulous, lots of vegetarian delights.... starting with a bruschetta appetizer with a local flavor twist-- a fried plantains garnish. And I had a ravioli dish that amazed! Throw in some live music, al fresco dining, and a lemon sorbet for dessert--- served in a frozen lemon rind! --- and it was a recipe for a perfect evening.

But wait, there's more! We were walking past a shop on the way back to our B&B when I spied scrapbooking supplies in the window! Get out of town! Really? Had to stop in and check it out (excuse how bedraggled I look after a long day!)... according to the clerk, scrapbooking is big here in Escazu!

Today we woke to a delightful breakfast, including Costa Rica's famous tasty coffee and fresh tropical fruit, served outdoors, before heading to a fabulous local festival for the day. More about the festival in my next post.... need rest! ... that chase lounge is beckoning!

I just couldn't leave....

.... the hammock (oh that hammock... from which I am blogging again! I even saw Sal enjoying it, and he's not really a hammock kinda guy)
.... adorable monkeys peeking into our balcony in the early morning
.... the sweet scent of gardenias wafting onto our balcony
.... the sight and sound of the ocean (from my hammock!)

So, since it was (thankfully) available, we stayed an extra day & night here in our villa! It'll probably mean one less volcano hike when we get to Escazu, but that's ok --- we'll do it when we return to Costa Rica sometime --- oh yes, we'll be back!

Time to go in a few hours... kicking and screaming! LOL

(I also loved the towel art that housekeeping left for us, and the new little feline friend we made, he hung out with us on our balcony every day--- look at those stunning green eyes!!)

International Women's Day

Taking a break from blogging about our journey through Costa Rica to celebrate today as International Women's Day; it was established worldwide to recognize the achievements and contributions of women.

Given that we're in Costa Rica on this special day, and since this country is a wonderful example of eco-friendly living, conservation, and wildlife protection, I thought it would be fitting on IWD to highlight the work of Dr. Jane Goodall, an amazing scientist who blazed a trail in science at a time when it was not easy for a woman to do so. Please read more about her story and the incredible women scientists who followed in her footsteps and are now part of Dr. Goodall's Institute:

http://www.janegoodall.org/media/news/womens-history-month-jgi-recognizes-amazing-female-scientists

Thank you, Dr. Goodall, for all you do for animals!

And happy International Women's Day, ladies!

another day of pura vida

Sal and I enjoyed another spectacular day here in Costa Rica! (I'm blogging from a hammock, ahhh)

After a delicious tropical breakfast poolside, we took an early morning hike with a naturalist through the forest of Manuel Antonio National Park. Saw some amazing wildlife, OMG !! Birds, sloths, monkeys. Some animals, particularly the sloth, live up in treetops and are virtually impossible to photograph, they're so well-camouflaged and are so far up. But, our guide was able to capture some images on our iPhones via his spotting scope. {cool} The monkeys are adorable, and thoroughly entertaining!

After the hike, a refreshing dip at the beautiful beach within the park was just perfect! My 'rainforest green' toes in the Costa Rican sand....

Sal and I always enjoy exploring grocery stores in other countries--- it's interesting, a window into a culture! So tonight we stopped in a supermercado to get some things for dinner, to enjoy on our villa's beautiful balcony.

Afterwards, it was back to my hammock to watch the sun set over the Pacific..... seriously, the hammock just beckons! (maybe I'm a sloth??)

I'm missing Buddy & Aruba so much; despite this amazing destination, my heart aches! But, our doggie sitter tells us they're enjoying some time with her, poolside... their own pura vida!

Tomorrow we're heading to central Costa Rica, to Escazu, where we'll attend a festival; and the town will be our base for a couple of exciting day trips. Meet you back here with the details!

Hasta luego!

a view with a room

Today we arrived in Manuel Antonio, on the western coast of Costa Rica... stunning so far! Filled with tropical delights... swaying palms, warm breezes, pretty beaches. Drenched in sunshine. I have lots of this in Florida, that's true, but it's still Heaven to me. Especially combined with exploring a new locale, a new culture. (By the way, Sal is totally rocking the Spanish--- he's so good with languages!)

Before we venture out to explore tho, I'm still falling in love with our villa... I'm pinching myself over the view of the Pacific Ocean from our balcony's lazy hammock, and of the sparkling pool from our window. I feel like a celebrity!!

Pura vida! (this expression is proclaimed widely among locals... and literally means "pure life"). But it really is more of a profound "enjoy life" way-of-thinking among Costa Ricans. We've noticed that if we exclaim "pura vida" as we bid farewell to locals, their faces just light up with big smiles! It's really something special.

Now go... enjoy life!

up in the clouds

Today was a big adventure!

We zip-lined thru the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica! Wow, it was great fun... but... it wasn't easy for me. I apparently looked so terrified on the first platform that one of the guides insisted on zipping with me (tandem). It was a good thing.... besides getting to zip with a good-looking Costa Rican fellow (ha!), I would've been distracted with fear, and you really need to have your wits about you as you dangle in a harness in midair from a platform before flying above the rainforest and thru the clouds as high as 1,000 feet above the ground. On a wire (ok, a steel cable). At 30-40 miles/hour. And for distances of up to 1/2 mile. Then braking so that the tree at the next platform doesn't do it for you. So, I'm proud of myself!

Sal had no problems... just got right into it, and loved all 13 ziplines!

Great memories today!

Some glimpses:

monkey business

Hola! We've arrived at our eco-lodge here in Monteverde, Costa Rica after a ride here over unpaved, rocky, rough roads... loved the adventure! Taking a rest this afternoon, listening to exotic birds chirp in the trees outside our balcony. More soon!

Got a chuckle from the sign in our room: