Not sure where I learned it, but I like the idea of book-ending a constructive criticism or a harder topic in between a compliment or a positive remark on either side. That’s why I call it the Oreo Cookie Concept. In my observation, it has seemed to at times soften the full-on direct approach to negative feedback or a strong fact or truth that can seem glaring or harsh or too much for some hearers without the cushion of some balance to offset the heavy “middle” especially if it’s a double-stuffed Oreo with a lot of content to convey!
Porches……I really like porches. Not a cement patio, it’s gotta be a porch with an ample overhang! Rain, shine, snow, hot or cold, they afford my soul the luxury of being outside in the elements which I love while still being somewhat protected from too much sun or precipitation. My earliest memory of a porch is spending some time almost every weekend at my paternal gramma’s house, sitting politely in old cane chairs on her dark, shaded, somewhat mysterious back porch filled with her beautiful geraniums. For me a porch is a set-aside place. My soul feels more alive there. It seems to give place to leaning in, to lingering, to wanting to just stay there, and to being more intentional about soaking in quiet, Nature or other people. There are no in-the-house noises; instead, birds chirping, wind chimes chiming, the buzz of hummingbirds; and the sights less seen draw me into their patterns with prolonged time to just be in the moment; the doves that fly & eat together, the darting of hummingbirds, the skittering lizard along the metal fence rail, the potato bugs & ants going somewhere at their snail’s pace, the squirrel stealing birdseed, the surf at the ocean, the red cardinal with it’s peaked head-feathers sitting majestically atop the junipers; and the sights to notice, the biplanes making the loops, the breeze waving the olive branches, and more. I love it, closer to the gardens, closer to the quiet of Nature and the feel of the breeze on my face, more in tune with the outside sounds. None of this luxury would be seen, heard or felt by me as wonderfully without a porch. Wrap-around porches make me smile because they usually include space for children to play, run & laugh. No matter the size of the porch, they draw me out of being inside and draw me in to the magical-ness of the outside. Bundled up against the cold or seeking shade, I’m sold! I have memories of a few more special porches…to name a few…the beginner 3ft x 3ft one of Partnow’s before their giant, wonderful, mini-baseball field sized one (both afforded the much-needed outside vibe), my balcony porch at the hotel in Ocean Isle Beach, the screened-in porch at Barb’s house, eating lunch on that restaurant porch in Coeur d’Alene, Baldwin’s front porch with the chiminea and lots of chairs & benches to gather in on, TX Kremer’s back porch, the hummingbird haven upper porch in the Estes Park B&B, Val’s backyard gardened-in shady space, the B&B South Carolina porch with the white porch swing, outside dining at the Inlet View in NC, the Montana smokehouse with giant windows, the cedar smell, and endless hours of connecting. I really like porches. They have afforded me a front row seat to many a breathtaking sunrise or sunset. They feel like a God-hug which imprints upon me moments of restoration and renewal. Just thinking of spending time on a porch makes me breathe a sigh of decompressing and satisfaction. I’ve heard sayings over the years akin to gathering on the porch of God’s Goodness, which evokes such a sense of comfort and connecting to my heart. I like that sentiment as much as I like porches.
Kudos to designers & architects of porches!
I invite you to join me for tea or coffee on the Porch of God’s Goodness some time soon…..
Today marks the second anniversary of Doug’s Homegoing, altho I believe he now inhabits a place of eternity with no time and space limitations, but here I am still marking things with an earthly perspective. My heart is beyond happy for him to be where I believe there is no pain, no sorrow, no sadness. My words don’t do it justice, I know, and I don’t wanna mess up the incredibleness of God and all but I am wanting to articulate to the best of my ability how I’m feeling so, so grateful today. The days leading up to today have also had the thankful vibe for sure. I imagine the pure joy & full-heartedness Doug must be reveling in, having his questions answered, meeting saints of old, worshipping the Living God with the Angels, living his best life, no fears & no worries about anything. In as much as I believe Heaven to be a perfect place with God & Love & Forever infused into every inch of it there, (and if I’m honest I am kinda jealous that he got to go there first and immediately be plopped into a Place we talked about often, wondered about, tried with our human limitations to imagine, and looked forward to together with such expectation that it gave our earthly life a sweetness that almost defies words….), I have experienced some of my own wonderful, nothing short of miraculous moments here these past 2 years, feeling encased in an ornate & beautiful frame of God’s supreme protection, swaddled securely in peace & comfort, and literally feeling the Hand of God holding my right hand thru the days and months and now years.
The song by Mercy Me, “I Can Only Imagine” is a powerful, anointed strength-narrative that builds me up inside and makes me wanna shout & cheer about Heaven. I never tire of listening to it.
I really like Martha Snell Nicholson’s poem called “The Other Side”…. “This isn’t death–it’s glory! It is not dark–it’s light! It isn’t stumbling, groping, Or even faith–it’s sight! This isn’t grief–it’s having my last tear wiped away; It’s sunrise–it’s the morning of my eternal day! This isn’t even praying–It’s speaking face to face; Listening and glimpsing the wonders of His grace. This is the end of pleading for strength to bear my pain; not even pain’s dark mem’ry will ever live again. How did I bear the earth-life before I came up higher, before my soul was granted it’s ev’ry deep desire, before I knew the rapture of meeting face to face the One who sought me, saved me, and kept me by His grace!”
My strongest Hope, however, is found in God’s Word: In John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, “[a]I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies;” These strong words change the I think so, I wish so, I hope so, and maybe into I know so. Hands down. We do not grieve as those without Hope. John 14:3 reminds me I will once again be reunited with God and with Doug. On this earthly journey we live by faith. Doug now lives by sight. Wow! He is smiling & belly laughing all the time now. I love that thought. I long for that time for me and those I love & share life with until then. Jeremiah 31:9 says, “Tears of joy shall stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care.” And let me finish with Jeremiah 31:12, “They shall come home and sing songs of joy upon the hills of Zion, and shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord…..Their life shall be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows shall be gone.”
I think death deserves a bit more space in the thoughts of our lives because it is just as much a fact in our life as living is. I think too often it’s a subject that can be off limits because of the pain & loss, but may be better for us to include it more often to remove some of its negative emotions & the sting of it. It can be quite a hideous & sad & displeasing subject indeed, however God’s opinion of it says, “Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints.” Precious means…..invaluable, highly-prized, cherished. Hmmmmm, I want myself to stop letting death be such a dreadful full-stop and I want to view it more like God does. It is apparent to me that God’s Perspective on death is quite different from mine; in that it was His Plan for His own Son to die, to accomplish our redemption and our living with Him forever. Death has a higher purpose, a lasting meaning, and a Divine element of mystery that I’ve yet to fully understand. I look forward to my turn to meet God face to face and ask many questions I have no answers to in this earthly life. I find the Hope that’s woven into so much of God’s Word creeping like a dense fog over the mountains and valleys of what’s left of my years; it serves as a strong reminder to carry on well, to be alive well (because of a big, good God that is to be trusted with every ounce of my being as He heals & restores me), to last well until my own appointed hour, and to die well.
Cheers to Life, to Eternal Life, to God’s Plan, to my XXL, our #6, my high school sweetheart, my life partner, my iron sharpens iron person, wonderful Dad to our kids, companion, and man of Faith who finished his race well. I love you & miss you.
This day means a lot to me. First off, kudos to my own Mom who was the most classy, beautiful, strong, nurturing & loving person I ever knew growing up. I loved being a Mom. Loved the challenges, joys and even some sorrows. Loved getting to help shape, mold, love, mentor and grow along with our kids as they became young adults and I became more experienced & seasoned. It was such a privilege to see our kids’ unique personalities, gifts and talents unfold through the years. My heart is full to overflowing and I couldn’t be more proud of these wonderful, kind, amazing, strong, independent, loving people who are now my peers & friends. Love you so much, Jason, Kellie, Matthew & John.
Quite often when I see photographs, they remind me of things I’ve read in the Bible. The images make the Bible come more alive for me so I wanted to include a few here.
Isaiah 40:31.But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.
John 8:12Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].
James 4:14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] [b]about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air].
Psalm 100:3 Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, [a]not we ourselves [and we are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Matthew 10:29 Are not two little sparrows sold for a [a]copper coin? And yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered [for the Father is sovereign and has complete knowledge]. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Ephesians 6:11-18 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. 13 Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14 So stand firm and hold your ground, having [a]tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), 15 and having [b]strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16 Above all, lift up the [protective] [c]shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all [d]God’s people.
I love tulips & daffodils that burst forth to greet us each Spring. I got to thinking about their perseverance. There they are all winter just waiting until the appointed time. And the weight of the garden dirt packed down on top of them is in itself noteworthy. (Simply as I can describe it, a cubic yard of wet garden soil can weigh 2-3 thousand pounds; those are some odds I’d say……) Why does this intrigue me? My life, your life can at times be weighted down with challenges or odds or just the day to day, right? Like our little bulb friends, there can be obstacles & a lot of waiting. Against insurmountable odds of making their way through the PSI of wet dirt, rocks, bugs, roots, snow & months of their winter season, onward they press & upward they push to reach the top, to appear & bloom just in time to herald the hope of Spring. Let’s keep doing our own pressing on & pushing through to make our way to the surface & do our own blooming, called forth & strengthened by our Creator.
I feel so thankful to have had the privilege to travel to many places in my life. Growing up, my Dad felt it was extremely educational to travel as a family and visit many different countries, which included Europe, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Hawaii, and England/Ireland/Scotland. Now, though, I love short trips here & there.
Some of my favorite vacation destinations and adventures as an adult have been: San Diego, Jamaica, Florida, Alaska, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Rochester, Seattle, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York City, Paris, Amish Country and Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, Disneyland & Disney World, Mexico, Chicago, Shasta Lake, Coeur d’Alene, Estes Park, British Columbia, Ocean Isle Beach.
I plan to continue to add many travel adventures to my experiences.
Butchart Gardens, British Columbia
The Butchart Gardens is a 120-year-old world famous 55-acre display garden located in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia. Created by Jennie Butchart, and still privately owned and operated by the family, The Gardens was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, in 2004 for its one hundredth birthday. Doug and I first visited for our first anniversary in 1976. We returned one more time 30 years later and it was still as amazing & beautiful as our first visit. The ferry ride over to the island is swift and invigorating standing on the deck at the railing. There is an old-world magic to the city that takes you back to a simpler time.
Paris, an anniversary trip with Doug, 2009
Doug had done such stellar planning with a travel agent before we left that our trip was scheduled but did not feel overly-busy or exhausting. He had tried to completely surprise me but there was no way to go on a trip like this with only vague packing instructions, so he did end up telling me. We had a lovely, cozy hotel on a cobblestone side street with windows that opened up to the hustle of life and people in Paris, day & night. We were immersed in the culture; we walked to eateries, a lovely bakery each morning for fresh food & drink. We took one amazing excursion day in a small van to the Palace of Versailles and to Notre Dame; it was memorable & beautiful. We walked along the Seine daily, walked to the Louvre and savored room after room, enjoyed lovely gardens, street vendors, and tiny sidewalk cafes with rich, delicious, creamy coffee with designs in the foam and sat on benches to people watch. We walked so much our feet & hips hurt to the bone each night as we plopped into bed with a sigh and satisfaction. We wanted to eek everything out of our few days there. It is a very memorable & special anniversary trip I will long remember.
Las Vegas
Best parts of our trip here was getting to see two Cirque du Soleil shows and walk past the lively fountain at the Bellagio. Amazing, athletic, graceful & strong dancing, artistic talent on full display during the entire long shows, jaw-dropping and worth every second.
Jamaica Vacation, details to come
Singapore Trip2013, details to come
Disneyworld, My last vacation with Doug, 2022, details to come
Pennsylvania Trip, 2022, details to come
Diary of Puerto Rico trip, 2023
Highlights: coconut bread, the feel of family as we observe people, Love is a big part of their culture, “plates” made out of half bamboo for putting tacos in on paper, you can walk around w/alcohol and drive with open containers……
2/7/23 Tues-Long day traveling, 3 flights, 4 hours from Houston(too long) landed at 9pm with 79 degrees and a lovely island breeze; Venezuelan refugee uber driver, so sweet & interesting hearing her life story of a brave escape & building a new life for herself; everyone has been so nice; plump Lupita stewardess so so genuine and nice; held someone’s crying baby on the flight. Lots of poverty, no street signs, laid back feel, construction things are not completed or done with excellence. Singing frogs very very loud that sound like chirping birds sang all night long. Large large leaves and lots of lush greenery everywhere; abandoned houses and bizzes, Valentine pop up booths everywhere. SW decorated well in the airport with big candy heart poster board letters. Free enterprise is everywhere; pop up tent biz for selling bananas, side of the freeway pulled over van selling juice, people pulling wagons of wares to sell, people seem very hard working and resourceful and industrious. But not like the people at an intersection who are begging to wash your windshield.
2/8/23 Wed- got our rental car in San Juan via Uber and drove to the old Fort; wild horses grazing all over on grass; cobblestone streets very narrow, no parking available, left busy San Juan, neon yellow and pink large blossoms, espresso colored sand at one beach, green/blue water that looks like Yellowstone hot chemical pools, ate at our first patio restaurant and enjoyed the sea view, sea breeze, and sea vibe; trailer park coast community made me dream of having an airbnb there; took chairs to the Fajardo beach and enjoyed the evening shade and high winds and basically no people; border and customs guys there checking out something; fishing boat came in; airbnb in a very loud area; lots of stray cats and during the night we thought it was cats yowling but it was a child; thank God for earplugs.
2/9/23 Thur- Woke up at 9am after a long howling night, wind blew and it rained a lot in the night. We are at a 4 unit bldg w/neighbor tourists; AC works great; lots of nearby Walgreens, Burger Kings, American businesses. Pace of life feels very laidback, drivers are terrible, no street signs, almost never any speed limit signs. Maps phone feature kind of works but since there are no street signs or house numbers in many cases, you still do not know where you are going. Kinda funny. Our place has a nice porch and there’s a rooftop patio I could not go all the way up the Giant spiral staircase; I froze. Hope we have no crying wailing baby again tonite.
Saw a group of 10 wild horses. Got stopped behind a funeral procession where a large family WALKED behind the funeral vehicle and there was a GIANT sound system that took up and entire bed of a pick up. Sat at the beach all day in the amphitheater and on the sea wall. The sea air blew on us all day. Watched families and people enjoy it like we did. Ate at an outside delicious place made out of cargo containers stacked on top of each other. Found a Walmart for aloe and coffee. Watched 4 large group of kayakers that disappeared into an ocean tributary and they followed it up to an ocean lake for bioluminescence of a night trip. Dead squashed large iguana with orange innards. “Construction” is done very haphazardly and incompletely here(I’m so used to Doug’s excellence in building & construction quality). Wild dog and cats wandering. Lots of chickens and roosters with a dozen babies, so cute!!! Dive bombing birds; fish that blend in and dart away faster than a wink of an eye. Amazing wind and surf. Crashing and splashing of surf way out by the islands and outer colors of blue/green/dark blue essences of hues. Great people watching. We sat and walked and stood in the ocean for 11 hours today and it only seemed like a couple hours. So relaxing. So uninterrupted. So refreshing to our souls. No need to know what time it is. The people seem to have a handle on pace of life and work/life balance and they radiate a chiller vibe than in the states which brings me down to a calmer level. See this, this is my “I don’t care” face….
2/10/23 – Friday, travelled 2 hrs to Ponce, roadkill are iguana; up thru the mts quite a climb; no lanes, no speed signs, people drive wherever they want; beautiful high mts, it’s hotter in Ponce area; wild horses and cows grains and drier grasses. Found a Firehouse Subs and had a great lunch; checked in at Paul’s outside of Ponce at 4pm; lovely compound at the end of the road w/villas; beautiful and spacious and newly remodeled. Looks like they bought a wrecked piece of property and put a lot into it and now it’s this gorgeous villa. Lizards skitter about; the beach we found here had about 50 mph winds all day; we found it at the end of the road next to a police station with an outdoor flea market feel kind of set up; lots of food trucks and trailers, great little coffee place on one side; pelicans walking all over; dive bombing for fish; Paul’s condo is lovely and spacious and newer feeling; he has a binder of wonderful helpful hints about beaches and eateries; we walked 2 blks to an outdoor one man cook-eatery and Pablo behind the building drinking an open can of Coors washing dishes, furnished w/old office chairs, dump looking throw away items but his cooking/outdoor fire burning oven pizza and tacos were to die for; he started in Argentina, moved to LA and cooked at his “Santini’s” for 30 yrs, came here on vacay and stayed in Paul’s villa and then moved here. Yum. Easy vibe and very very slow pace of life feeding our souls.
2/11/23- Sat— I have lost track of time and what day it is. Sitting at the shore being battered by the high winds feels like when you were a kid and you’d ride in the summer with the car window down and the air would pummel you, only better here cuz you are surrounded by ocean and breeze and salt smell and the continual sound of the ocean. It feels like it’s blowing the dust out of my soul and heart completely to the core. Don’t care about my phone. Will try to do better taking pictures today, I know that’s super important to Kellie. People here make do with what they have and seem grateful to their core. Sense of community here on a big city level. Politeness very very prevalent, except for the crazy driving; People drive at night with no lights on. They tailgate and weave on the roads in a naive kind of way, without the road rage of America feeling.
A little crab across our feet at the beach; beautiful ocean; tons of carp and pelicans; an entire population of people open carrying and behaving themselves; Walmart that had 14 check strands open and we waited in line 30 min to check out on a busy Saturday and people were ALL patient and amazing; one dad even offered to let us go ahead of their family and we said thank you but no with out 4 items. Gas station with a fancy, silver-gold, 10 foot high coffee/espresso maker; amazing coffee for breakfast from non English ladies who were so joyful and kind. Fresh slushies/pina coladas so big and hearty with fresh fruit cut into it and decorated.
2 for $4 …..GIANT avacados literally the size of a kid’s basketball!! Walmarts here sell washer/dryers/paint and tons of amazing produce. Lots of family units; lots of couples holding hands and families spending time together. You can feel & see the Freedom and Capitalism at work. Guy on the beach pulling a wagon making mojitos for you on the spot. People can just start a biz any time, anywhere, it appears. It’s palpable the joy and appreciation of life in the culture here. Watched the Bernie Madoff documentary.
2/12/23 – Sunday – large groups of workers use weed wackers and walk along side the highway for miles and miles. They use baby strollers for their supplies. Everyone layers up so as not to burn we learned the hard way with John getting pretty fried in 10 minutes.
Culture of love and family units. Drove to the ultimate Playa Jungle beach and paid $4 to get in; spent the morning in a beautiful paradise cove w/lots of colorful umbrellas and families just chillin on Sunday; by 1130 we were gone cuz of heat of the day and crowds; took a short hike to find the second cove shore which didn’t exist but there were huge cactus and lots of motor cycle riders in full full gear and mt bike riders enjoying the day. Lots of kayak and loud music action and family time. You can feel the respect as people. There is total open carry which isn’t guns, it’s alcohol; they sell ready mix alcohol drinks everywhere.
Saw a boys 5th bday party at a red picnic table w/fam and surprises w/a bouquet of huge balloons tied to his new electric bike w/training wheels in the 60 mph winds they finally blew away. Speed bumps everywhere. Even out in the sticks and back alleys. Ate at Santini’s again and had the most delicious “mistake” pizza; I had ordered another pepperoni pizza like the first night and got a combo instead and it was fantastic! Sergio and his little waiter guy weren’t busy so we asked them a bunch of questions when we paid for dinner and they were so helpful with info and suggestions and said we can easily find homes for sale for $30-50K and fix up a little bit with no problem; hmmmmm, gets me to thinking…. get a generator and do an airbnb and have passive income. They were so cheery and free with advice! “We will help you, we can help you………”
2/13/23 Monday. Woke up and went for amazing coffee at our place 2 min away. Didn’t feel like beaching it. Talked a lot w/John about investing in property and what I could do for an airbnb and connected place to live myself and have passive income. Giant cement drainage entry and exit to gas stations and you have to go in sideways so you don’t scrape. Our car is getting excellent highway mileage; we’ve driven far and long and back and forth for $20. The only roadkill is lizards!!! John found some PR garden seeds for Randy.
2/14/23 – Tuesday. Leaving Ponce today for Cabo Rojo. Valentine’s Day. Workers in bright red t-shirts and cute hair ties. Exploring the unknown.
Lovely drive to Cabo. Found the Walmart for groceries and there was a DJ right inside the doors dancing and singing and with his uniform on blasting Peter Saterra “you’re the inspiration”! (One of Doug’s & my favorite songs). Ate at an outdoor bar/eatery for dinner; our airbnb is adorable, very homey with live anthurium mini plant on the table right on the beach and up 3 stories; our view is amazing.
2/15/23. Slept well in our new little “Sandy Villa” right on the ocean. On our way to the beach we found a tiny lot w/a lady selling delish coffee…..they know how to make it here. People here love to park backward and forward on the same street; there’s no rules; speed bumps are the norm; roads with no center line, right on the edges of the road! Fast turns and speeders
2/16/23 – Drove up the coast to Rincon where PR boasts of amazing beaches and surfing sites; found the island’s 150 yr old family bakery with cases and cases and cases full of colorful delicious pastries, cakes and donuts; appears to be a favorite w/ex-pats of lots of English speakers in this area; lovely coastal cities and tons of parking and gazebos, Light House, many many eateries, shopped at Walmart before we left; loud surf sitting for hours in our chairs watching amateur surfers take lessons and then try it out; plenty of shade from palm trees; wind and clouds came up so we scurried off the beach just in time to miss being drenched by a heavy storm of rain; discovered an orange and silver giant lizard and watched it eat leaves and drink water off the leaves too; John keeps getting sunburned without even being in the sun; miles and miles of coastline beaches and playgrounds for kiddos; they are very family friendly here; we like the vibe a lot in Rincon; it all keeps getting better as we travel the island and get more west and north. Air bnb is adequate and homey, I am on the hide abed; great A/C; nice porch, nice lighted stairway and doorway hose pad to wash off our feet before coming in; great assigned parking space; no shampoo offered but we picked up a travel bottle. Saw lots of wild horses and cows today. You leave the city busy with cars and traffic and in 5 min you are rural and driving along in a canopy of lush green leaves and bent over trees like an Anne of Green Gables ride; much less hurricane devastation on this side of the island; lots of modern buildings and the road now has lines and a guard rail. Most back roads are only wide enough for 1 1/2 cars and it freaks me out when we come upon a Mack truck or full size vehicles; big Toyota presence here. One would really need a very small car to navigate the tiny passable roads.
2/17/23 – Friday. Drove to Surfer Beach after stopping at Rincomini Bakery of awesomeness with freshly-made breakfast burritos & handmade pastries. Found a wonderful shaded spot, parked our chairs and enjoyed 5 hours of watching 100 people surf. Great people watching. Loads of parking, didn’t have to walk far to get to our hot car. Fed my final bread scraps to 2 lizards skittering on the beach. Beautiful winds and water colors. Lots of families and cute kids learning to boogie board. Stopped back by our fave bakery for iced coffees when we left cuz it was almost 90 degrees. Headed back to our airbnb and watched a movie and some Seinfeld and relaxed and planned our last day in Cabo Rojo tomorrow; then we will head north to the tip of the island, check on some land, and then head to San Juan for our last 2 days.
2/19/23- Left to head to San Juan and had a long long drive. I hate the too-skinny roads that lead to all the beaches!! They are too narrow, the Toyotas and full size trucks are all too wide and we are often in the small ditches or it feels as if we will definitely crash. And then you have the cars that park in the road randomly going both directions; they stop to eat, to drink or to visit. I hate it. Maybe I’m tired today, I don’t know, but crabby is what I am. Long day driving. Found the huge 350-foot-tall, beautiful, bronze Columbus statue that 6 states refused to accept so the town of Aricepo said yes to it and it’s erected way out in the middle on nowhere with a gate around it and you can’t get in!! Found a delicious BBQ place in the middle of nowhere and had a delish lunch. Right on the water; no windows, just open shutters and the sea breeze and birds coming in. Drove off the beaten path to an amazing tidal pool. Huge spraying waves and surf; deep blue colors again.
2/20/23- Walmart outside ice cream stand….mini donuts/amaretto ice cream: John’s Fave. Vanilla with a bag of donuts: My fave. Walked around the beautiful 500 yr old San Juan Fort on the edge of the island; amazing architecture and grounds; families with kites, bicyclists, lots of tourists.
2/21/23- Flying home but feel like I could move here tomorrow & live simply and happily. Grateful to score exit row seats randomly/miraculously for the 4 hr flight from PR to Houston which rocked!! I loved having my laptop for movies to pass the hours. Arrived home in MT to 6 in of fluffy snow and zero degrees in my flip flops. Amazing sights & memories to savor for a lifetime. Just what the doctor ordered for me with complete down time, unplugging, experiencing so many new adventures, and being refreshed to my very core.
