Happy Holidays 2007

December 2007 CR update

Everyone has heard the saying that misfortunes come in threes. This month we have survived Joe being bit by a feral cat, our favorite dog being bit by a rattlesnake, and our only car being in an accident so we were without a car for a week.

Joe had to have 3 rounds of different antibiotics for his leg including a series of shots. Maurizio did home visits and made follow-up phone calls. Still, it was quite the nasty bite and on my next trip to the states, I am going to learn all I can about wound care. I wrote up the story about Frieda being bit by the rattlesnake for the Voice of Nosara. It is also on this blog—the next entry. We are grateful for everyone’s quick action which saved Frieda. The accident was truly an accident. We were driving to Nicoya on a paved road on a day with intermittent showers. It was the first rain after 11 dry days, causing the oils to rise from the roads creating slippery conditions. We had just skidded and were going very slowly down a winding road toward a narrow bridge. We skidded again—the car swerved around in a circle, went over the embankment and landed on its side. We were unhurt, but the car cost $800 to fix. As time goes on we realize how lucky we were.

Despite all this, it is great to be back. I continue to love the natural beauty here—my first few days, I could feel the waves of tranquility coming over me as I readjusted. It is great to wear summer clothes all the time, to do yoga, swim, read every day, to take showers outside, and to have all the time you want for yourself.

The pub is open, slow at times, but one night we had over 50 people. I was able to handle the bar with Joe helping. My bartending skills have improved but I decided I am more comfortable with actually measuring drinks than pouring visually or by count. I think with time I will get better and we are looking for a professional bartender.

I started teaching my Breathwork class at the Yoga Institute and I put an ad in the paper for my nursing and counseling skills. I started my Spanish lessons and am trying to get my woman’s health group together. My Sun magazine subscription, from San Francisco, has finally begun. And I plan to volunteer once/week at the local medical clinic.

The garden is beautiful. Our beer garden is being built now on top of our terrace. Besides adding 600 square feet of living space, it fills out the property nicely. We also had a ranchito built on the back slope of our property. A ranchito is a pyramid shaped straw structure and it is an incredibly relaxing experience to lie in a hammock in the jungle under the ranchito.

We will be busy the next month building up to New Years. Now that we have over a year of business, I can see that this time last year it was slow and at New Years we had a surge, then we had another surge for our anniversary in early Feb, and then another for St. Patrick’s Day—each party getting bigger and better. I am hoping we will have the same rhythm and success this year. Write when you can. Stay in touch. Joe and Helena