If you want to make God laugh....

Feeling a bit like this week has been a huge blur.  I had a dozen different projects I was hoping to get finished, but threw my back out last Sunday evening which changed everything.  I spent most of the last week either sitting on my faithful frozen pea package or my rice bag (thank you Donna Fay)  and massaging arnica oil onto my hot spots.  After limited success, I broke down and went to see Mark,  my massage angel here in Boquete for some acupuncture and work on my back and am now feeling almost human again.  Dennis managed to get most of the place painted while I supervised from the sofa.  No, I did not plan this.
Prior to sciatica hell, earlier on Sunday we had a wonderful German brunch and celebrated Dennis's 66th birthday where he was given a birthday bottle of German wine.  Made friends with a couple from Lake Chelan who were great company.  Dorothea is from Germany and has lived the most interesting life. Jack is American and is an orchardist. We wound up spending the whole afternoon with them showing them the area and then having dinner.  Looks like they are moving here sometime next year.
I didn't want to miss my spanish lessons on Wednesday, so Dennis was great about driving me to and from class, sitting on my pillow.  Quite a sight. I also found a free site for learning spanish called Duolingo which is very cool.  Between lessons, Rosetta Stone, and Duolingo, I am determined to converse in Spanish on a more regular basis.  Mi espanol esta' mucho mejor, pero todavia necesito mucha practica.
Thursday we had plans for driving to the border to find a roof rack for the car and we made the trip without too much fuss.  Our friends, Lesia and Jim joined us and we had a fun time tracking down what we needed.  After a bit of negotiating, we got a good price on our car rack and then headed over to the Jerusalem Mall, which is a string of shops, one after another, selling everything under the sun.  Everyone found something they just had to have and my score for the day was a soap dish for the bathroom, and some kitchen sink  strainers.  Dennis found bungee cords and a cordless flashlight.  Everything is a hunt.  Guys seem to like that sort of thing and it may have been the first time Dennis ever enjoyed shopping. Jim had a craving for Burger King so off we went.  I enjoyed the man selling papers who came in dancing and balancing newspapers on his head.  Eat your heart out Barnum and Bailey.  Of course, we made a pass at the duty free store for some Kalua and rum and filled up the trunk with our goodies and headed home.  By then, the afternoon rains descended upon us like angry hornets.
Still trying to get a load of gravel.  We've been by the pit twice, but gravel is brought in from David and as of this writing,  Monday might be our lucky day.  It would be nice to be able to get from the patio to the car without wading through puddles.  I am hopeful.

Met with the Newcomers dinner crowd on Friday and had a festive Peruvian meal of sea bass in a wonderful sauce.  So many interesting new flavors to experience.  Met several new people from South Carolina, Minnesota, and Arizona.
Music is in the air.  All the older kids have been practicing for the upcoming holidays and festivities in November.  Everyday I see the different schools with their marching bands going up and down the streets around where we live.  It's fun to hear the drums and guess where they are marching today.

Spent today at an art class on Zentangles, and had a blast.  I got some really nice pens and a sketch pad. The instructor/artist did an impressive job of guiding us through the process.   I can't wait to get my office/studio together.  I have so many ideas I can't wait to try out that I learned. Nice to get those creative juices flowing.  Check out youtube for information on Zentangles.  Easy and so meditative.  I was totally absorbed in creating designs.  A little miscommunication on my part (let's blame it on mercury in retrograde) but Dennis wasn't there to pick me up afterwards, so I went 'native' and walked over the bridge in the pouring rain.  Felt wonderful to be walking after a week of being laid up.  

Tomorrow is the last spay and neuter clinic for the year, and we are again volunteering to help.  They are expecting over a hundred dogs and about half as many cats.  Where do they all come from? There are so many opportunities to serve here, and this really speaks to my heart.  TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE WITH GRATITUDE.