I feel sooo accomplished and it’s not even 9 a.m. Here are the Saturday statistics on my successful doings so far. Exito! (Success in Spanish.)

 

I’ve already walked 7664 steps today

 

I walked almost 1000 doing a little housework (sweeping and mopping the tile floors, reducing the number of items on the bathroom sink and cleaning the glass there, dusting), walking to the canasta (trash receptacle) with a bag of trash, walking on the back patio more than 5500 steps, replenishing the bird baths, starting a crockpot for this evening’s meal, cooking rice (that happened while I walked), and what else?  Oh, looking online briefly to see if he  has died yet. (No such luck. Not that his successor would be any better but since HIS backer has moved to Argentina maybe he will follow him. I hope he takes the rest of the Cabinet and Speaker Mike Johnson with him. And that is my sole, snarky policitical comment for this time!)

 

I also ate breakfast and drank two cups of coffee. Thought of my mom and Lisa with every sip. Becuase they were/are me favorite coffee drinkers and I always wondered what they saw in coffee.  Now I know.  I’m a late bloomer, but freshly obtained and brewed Costa Rican coffee (Arabica) is the absolute best, I’m convinced. I add a little honey to each cupful. It’s heavenly.

 

While I Walked on the Back Patio 

 

… I remembered some of the happiest songs in my repertoire (You’re the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me, Wind Beneath My Wings, and Imagine Me and You among them) and sang them. Lisa,Mom and De came to mind while I sang them, because these two individuals have helped me find my happy place so many times. I felt safe and almost perfectly understood by them, which is HUGE when it comes to being able to let down one’s guard and just being our unvarnished selves.

 

So, that made my spirits soar above the norm, as did the view from the back patio. This place is paradise.  There sure are a lot of big, dead or dying red, wasp-like insects on the patio this time of year. I havent been here before during this time of year, so it’s all new to me!  But I had heard about it. Gotta keep the screen doors shut except when going in or out to keep the live ones from venturing in…  Don’t usually see them in the air doing well; the ones I see readily are croaking or already croaked.

 

In Other News…

 

Dengue Fever is in Grecia Now

 

At least 20 people in Grecia have contracted dengue fever. It’s nasty, caused by mosquitoes. So, the city has turned out a large retinue of workers to fumigate and mitigate against its spread. I wear long sleeves and long pants and slather insect repellent on whenever I go down there.

 

I also wear insect repellent here in the heights, although I haven’t seen a single mosquito in either El Cajon or San Isidro de Grecia.  I clean and refresh the water in the birdbaths daily so mosquito larvae can’t get underway in those spots.

 

The only other natural water source around here is the river, which is a long way away and running well, so there is little opportunity for mosquitoes to get started there. Still, there is no way I want to get any of the diseases that mosquitoes can carry here (dengue, zika, malaria, etc.) so I remain vigilant. Three of my friends have contracted it over the years and their stories sound like nightmares. I don’t want it on my Bingo card, for sure!

 

Friends Have Been in Touch

 

…more frequently via FB, WhatsApp, etc. recently following the passing of dear Patches, just checking up on me to see how I’m doing.  Lisa and I have been checking in on each other, too.

 

Lisa had her cremated up in Tacoma so she can take her ashes along as she continues through life and transitions. That’s comforting.  I want her to bring Deaken’s ashes down next time she comes, and Mom’s.  (Mom directed me to keep her ashes with me so she could keep an eye on me! Yes, she did! Gotta obey my mommy!)

 

And of course Charli was clingy, purry, kneady and supportive during my worst moments following Patches’ passing.  I’m doing better now.  Staying busy and occupied helps.

 

There isn’t much more news that you haven;t already read about in earlier posts, so I’ll let you go for now. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones. More within the next few days following the two interviews that are set for tomorrow and Monday…