My Own True Nature: Life's a beach

Decided to head over to Las Olas for the day and enjoy a picnic at the beach. It takes about an hour to get there, so we packed a cooler of goodies, grabbed the sand chairs, a good book and lots of sunscreen. We 'rented' a palapa for the day, which basically means you have pleasant shade, a wooden bench, and a spot to hang your hammock. We had our chairs, so didn't use the bench, but really really appreciated having a cool spot to hang out in and enjoy the day. There were so many other families enjoying the beach as well, and it made for a truly wonderful day. The kids were happy, the parents were relaxed, the teenagers were teenagers, and the old folks wisely looked on. Several young gringo girls, who obviously had not experienced the equatorial sun before baked on the sand, while the rest of us looked on in dismay.
In between chapters of my book, we had fun swimming and catching waves with the boogie board. We bought it for Caleb, but someone had to break it in, right? Dennis is hot on tracking down a surfboard suitable for his age, weight, and current physical status. Wishing him luck on finding the perfect board and the perfect wave. Now he will live up to his nickname, 'The Big Kahuna'.
As the tide was coming in, we noticed lots of little starfish floating around in the water. It was awesome. There is a beach in Bocas Del Toro called Starfish Beach where this is a usual occurence, but for us at Las Olas, it was a real treat.
Joining a local gym close by called Curvas Bonitas ( http://www.curvasbonita.com/ ) and have been enjoying latin style Zumba classes. To say they are kicking my bee-hind is an understatement, but they are fun, the teacher is great, and today I actually finished the whole class today. GO ME! Had to work off my great dinner at the Panamonte Inn, (panamonte.com ) a very elegant plantation style hotel and restaurant where the Newcomers met last night. Each Friday is a different restaurant and we pick and choose when we want to attend. There are many wonderful restaurants here and this is a great way to try them out and meet new people. Dennis ordered a special fettucine dish and when it arrived, it was a tiny tiny portion on a huge plate. You should have seen the expression on his face. Priceless. One of the other folks there was telling Dennis the key to longevity was under-eating, so Dennis got a jump on things. All was well and a peanut butter sandwich at home filled the spot where his dinner should have been.
Wishing you all a prosperous, healthy, and joyous New Year. APPROACH THE NEW YEAR WITH RESOLVE TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITIES HIDDEN IN EACH DAY. Michael Josephson