Costa Rica

I realize it´s been a while since I´ve posted! I think I´ll start where we are now and will write at a later time to ¨fill in¨the gap in time since so much has happened in the last 4 months.

About two weeks ago Colter and I were out looking at washers and dryers for our new to us house. We went back and forth on price, style etc. In short, after analyzing the cost we decided to skip the washer and dryer and instead, head to Costa Rica, from where I am writing this post.

We spent the first few days in San Jose, eating at small family restaurants called Sodas. Sodas, as it turns out, provide amazing home made meals of rice, beans, fried plantanes and many other sides. One order is the perfect size portion (if not more than you can eat) and most of the meals are under $3. The hostels are also affordable, averaging about $7 per night (dorm) and $25 for a private room. Most places have breakfast included.

In San Jose, we went to the Jade museum, the museum of art, to the central marketplace which sells an abundance of anything you need. The variety of fruit and vegetable there are unbelievable (as well as the size). Besides sight seeing, we did a lot of walking. Colter kept telling me how much this place reminds him of the Philippines.

After a few days, we took a bus ride to the Pacific coast, to Manuel Antonio, a beatuful beach town and National Park. A four hour ride for $7. No problema. Windy as hell but well worth it. I looked out of the window at one point and I kind you not, two dogs were standing on a hill facing the freeway, side by side, with the same legs lifted taking a pee. A rooster stood there and watched, awquardly. He he. In Manuel Antonio we took a guided tour through the rain forest and saw various moneys (howlers, white faced, squirrel). Colter asked how our guide was so good at finding animals, and the guide said, jokingly, ¨Vibrations¨. He was really funny. We concluded our stay at the park by soaked sun on the beautiful beaches.

Today was awesome! We went on a sailboat with 6 other people. The hosts served us fresh fruit and made us a home made meal right there on the boat. We sailed around the Manuel Antonio point and hopped out for a swim. So far, the worst that has happened on this trip is that we´ve been stung by jellies a few times but hey, no problem! I am certified CPR and marine life injury certified. Yes friends, the patch that has the octopus hugging a heart. he he I know that´s your favorite. The boat also stopped at a place where we all jumped out to snorkle and I have to say, I am very impressed with Colter´s snorkeling skills. He swam and dove so easily, whereas I felt like a bobbing bouye. We got some sweet pictures as well (thanks Chiara for letting us borrow your camera!) I´ll post pics later.

Tomorrow the adventure continues as we head into the forst. The loose itinerary includes possible bird watching, hiking, and we are definitely going to tour an organic coffee plantation.

Right now I am suuuper hungry so we´re gonna head off to the Soda across the street.

Jordana

The Mother

It was sometime in High School, over ten years ago, when I first read a poem by Maya Angelou. From the beginning her works have moved me deeply and I would say in many ways have taken a place in shaping the type of woman I have become.   Her works validated my life, growing up the daughter of a single mom on welfare, medi-cal, and food stamps.  There was hardship but there was much joy.  Additionally, her works helped me to understand many of the hardships women in poverty face on a daily basis. 

When Colter came home from work and asked me if I would be an additional chaperone for an event, and that this event was to go see Maya Angelou speak at the Lyric Opera House, I didn't hesitate for a second.  You see, Ms. Angelou has had such a profound influence on my life, it has always been a dream to see her speak.  Somewhere in my subconscience I had a mental list of things to do before I die, and seeing Ms. Angelou was definitely one of them.  

We took a group of 9 kids from Colter's school who were (besides being 9th graders) incredibly well-behaved and timmering with excitement.  Once Ms. Angelou came out onto the stage there was a roaring applause, no one hesitated to stand up and clap as hard as they could-as if attempting to be the one clap that stood out in Ms. Angelou's ears.  

And there she was.  Little Maya Angelou sitting in a chair on an enormous stage.  She began to sing, "Sometimes, I feel like a motherless child..." and spoke to us about some of the women who most influenced her life...she told stories, some hilarious (like that she does not travel well by plane because people always bother her by handing her babies, taking pictures against her will etc., her explanation: "...you see, I look just like Maya Angelou") yet all empowering stories. 

Then she began to read maybe her most famous poem, "Phenomenal Woman" (please read it!) As she read it, I could hear the whisper of many other women, reciting it from memory, whispering it along with Ms. Angelou as she recited.  Tears were flowing from many eyes, including mine.  And I thought of all the phenomenal women in my life, starting with my mother, Camilla, who is the most phenomenal woman I know.  Then I thought of all the other women who have made an impact in my development: my grandmother Inge, aunties, teachers, Ms. Angelou and other poets, writers, dear friends, and complete strangers.  

A few of many wonderful lessons from my Mami have been to love fiercely, to have unshakable faith, to fight for justice, and to persevere.  

From my Omi (grandmother) I learned that "Dein laetzten Hemd traegt keine Tasche." Translation: "Your last shirt will not have pockets", meaning that one cannot take possessions to the grave.  If you have something which makes someone else happy, give it freely to give joy to one another.  I also learned to enjoy life and please, eat a little chocolate because most likely you deserve it.

I would also like to honor the following women for the impact they have made on my personal and spiritual development: Eileen Banghart, Lia Dimill0-Gray, Sofia Whitehead, Cornelia Gloeckner, Marion Wuerfel, Shelly Gibbs, Grethe Klose, Toni Morrison, Anne Lamott, Dorothy Day, Mother Theresa, Kristi Diehl, all my lovely lady friends, and possibly you.

 

My Mami                                               My Omi                        

"Sometimes, I feel like a motherless child...."  Maybe sometimes we do feel like motherless children--lo, we are not.  We have many mothers and sisters in this world who have influenced us positively with a kind word or action and love, whether they are aware of this or not.  Please take time today to think of these women in your life and if you are able, honor them for their part in creating whom you have become.  

The Inauguration

  

Almost three years ago, Colter and our good friend Matt Will were talking about this guy they had heard a lot about.  Who is this Barack Obama character?  

After the election we immediately began to make plans to attend his Inauguration.  I wrote to at least a half a dozen said ticket providers which led me on a wild goose chase that ultimately led no-where.  Who needs tickets anyway?  I mean, it would have been very nice however we were planning on going, ticket or null.   We managed to purchase tickets on the first train out to D.C., which was scheduled to leave at 5:16 am yes, A.M.   

3:45 am-woke up and proceeded to put on more layers than I have ever worn (we looked like the Michelin man times 5, or the kid from the Christmas story who couldn't put his arms down).  My snowboarding socks, hiking boots, silk long johns, leg warmers, pants, tank top, long-sleeve shirt, fleece, winter jacket, scarf, hat, two pairs of gloves.  Grabbed a water bottle and stuffed our pockets with as many Odwalla bars as we could hold.  

4:30 am-picked up Matt & Jen and drove to Penn Station to catch our 5:16 am train into D.C.  

6ish am-arrived at Union Station and proceeded to follow a sea of people to the National Mall where we would be watching the Inauguration and its events.  The city shut down just about all auto-traffic and closed down a four lane tunnel.  Volunteers were directing us while other folks were handing out freebies like buttons and vitamins.  All around there were masses of people.  Yet, everyone was cheerful, even giddy in anticipation.  

7ish am-we arrived at the mall, attempted to get as close as possible, which ended up impossible, as we participated in a thousand+ strong group of people all trying to push their way forward.  This was the only part where I thought it was possible that I could die.  So we backed up a bit to a more open spot and decided to stay there, no matter what.  Now, it was time to wait.  Time to wait for 4 hours in high teens temperature.  At one point I couldn't feel my toes.  The Hardy's (always prepared) brought hand and toe warmers to put inside your boots, and still, we were all freezing.  But it was worth it!  

11ish am-Aretha Franklin.  Need I say more?  

11:30 am-the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.  

Highlights: 

I spoke earlier of a collective anticipation.  It felt like we were all at church because on any other day these strangers would probably not even acknowledge our existence.  But this day, I saw only smiles, helpfulness, and a lot of people with a good sense of humor about the lines and masses of people.  

• First off, my really good friend Jesse Siess flew all the way from Palm Springs, CA to attend Inauguration with us!  I loved having her here even though her visit was much too brief (and cried a little when she left).  
• On the train to D.C. the bathroom door was broken (wouldn't stay shut).  So the people in line took turns holding the door shut for each other.  I don't know that on any other day I would have trusted a complete stranger with the task of saving me from utter embarrassment.  
• While walking through the tunnel to the National Mall it was very dark and I (being a short-legged person and trying to keep up with 4 long-legged people) looked down briefly to watch out for the many urban obstacles (sidewalks ending, street signs, trees, and feet), and NAILED a guy in front of me.  I mean nailed.  I mean full speed-walking force nailed this guy.  On any other day, I wouldn't have just received a "No worries".  I'm sure I would have heard much more than that.  After I recovered from the shock we had a good laugh.  
• I think you're supposed to keep your eyes closed during prayer, but during Rick Warren's prayer I was looking around and was humbled at what I saw: many people lifting their arms up to the lord, praying for this country and for our president.  There were tears.  There were Alleluias. There was swaying.  
• As the Obama family arrived, we heard this loud roaring, as if there was a helicopter hovering right above us, but there weren't any around.  I mean, we could feel the vibration in our chest and in the ground.  A neighboring person told us that this was in fact the roar of the crowd which extended back to the Abraham Lincoln Memorial echoing off of the buildings.  Incredible.  
• After President Obama was sworn in, there were embraces and tears and shouts of joy like I have never seen before (live).  
• Having the opportunity to take part of such a historic event.  I still sometimes cannot wrap my head around the magnitude of these few hours on American history.   

 

The Update (Aquarium & Mighty Mouse)

NAIB-

My first shift at the National Aquarium in Baltimore started in December.  Since then I have logged almost 40 volunteer hours and have really enjoyed my time.  I almost feel guilty to gain so much pleasure from being around an array of amazing and fascinating creatures.  They bring me such indescribable joy.  Every time I volunteer I learn new and interesting information about these creatures.  At the end of my shifts I have to refrain myself from walking around to the various volunteer supervisors, shaking their hands and deeply thanking them for allowing me to come yet another day (obviously this would be incredibly creepy).  Instead I smile and kindly state, "Have a nice day, see you next week!"  

Honestly, two days a week isn't enough.  In fact, I wish I could go every day.  It seems that my favorite animals rotate constantly as I learn new information about each one.  Currently, my top three (keeping in mind that marine mammals are always at the top) are hands-down: 

1. Giant Pacific Octopus-the female has a life-span of approximately 5 years.  Once she lays eggs (fertile or infertile) she stops eating and spends the rest of her days protecting her eggs until her inevitable death.  Their intelligence has been compared to dogs and they are highly social.  The octopus at the NAIB is given difficult "Puzzles", if you will-clams inside a sort of hamster ball which it must figure out to open in order to eat its content.  I once had the opportunity to touch and "Play" with a GPO when I was in Eureka and we put a basketball in the tank.  The octopus wrapped itself around the ball and changed its color to match.  Amazing.  
2. Sea Stars-They have no brain, their arms regenerate if torn from the main body, they move by pulling water through a small opening on their top (dorsal) side and with a muscle push it through canals (water vascular system) into the many rows containing hundreds of tube-feet.  When the water is squeezed through the muscle, the foot pushes outward/off.  When the tube feet touch something it contracts, creating a suction.  So it has to do this with many rows consisting of hundreds of tube feet just to move about.   Not to mention how they eat...okay I'll tell you: once they find a tasty mussel, clam or other bivalve they literally push their stomachs out of their body (underside) and through a space 1-3 millimeters wide and digest it from it's insides.  Tell me that isn't wizard cool.  All this without a brain (while I can barely juggle talking on the phone and drinking a cup of coffee).  
3. The Masked Lapwing-because I had the honor of holding one (I'll let you look it up on Wikipedia in case you are are incredibly bored by now).  

Also, I will be signing up for a SCUBA diving class for April/May!  

Mighty Mouse-

Has died 7 times now.  Ah, 7 is a magic number, isn't it?  Colter was away for a few nights with his brother and parents in Cumberland.  While we were saying goodnight on the telephone I was sitting at our little bistro table in the kitchen.  I had just finished telling him, "I really hope I don't have to deal with a mouse while you're gone" when I (no joke) hear a noise from the stove.  Just as the words had barely left my mouth a mouse peeks its head up from the gas burner.  I gasped.  The mouse looked in my direction as if to say, "How do you do" and jumped out of the stove to sniff at my left-overs.  Again, I gasped and was shocked at its lack of fear of something thousands of times larger than itself.  I stood up, it jumped back into the stove.  Colter very sensitively began to counsel me.  Well, a few days ago that little mousie (or one of its buddies) went to mousie heaven-and stay there!

Mighty Mouse

It all started a few months ago when upon pulling out a bag of sunflower seeds from the pantry I noticed a hole at the bottom of the bag where the seeds were spilling out onto the floor.  Upon further examination I discovered what looked like tiny chewing bites along the plastic edge. "Curious" I thought.  I threw the bag out and continued on with my day.  

A few weeks later, I reach into the pantry again to pull out a bag of mixed nuts and cranberries.  "Hmm" I thought,  "There's a hole at the bottom of this bag, too".  Only, as I further investigated the crime scene where the bag lay I found that somehow, only the cranberries had made their way out of the bag.   I thought, "Very curious...".  I threw the bag and cranberries away.  As I returned to the scene I found that a tiny hole had been chewed through the wicker basket which contained the nuts and former seeds.  I briefly considered the possibility of a mouse, but then quickly switched the lever in my brain from "Logic" to "Denial".  

When I was young we lived in an old house in Red Bluff.  One day I opened the cupboard door to the pots and pans and saw something move quickly into the corner.  Being the inquisitive child that I was I grabbed a flashlight and peered into the darkness.  Back in the corner, was a family of mice.  I remember shouting excitedly, "Moooom!  We have miiiice!" Plotting how I was going to catch, keep, feed and love them forever.  They were so cute...white with spots of brown.  They were the kind your friends kept as pets in cages, the kind that you would hold and chase your friends with, or make your mom shreek, "Eeew honey, get that away from me!" 

When it was delicately explained to me that these were not the type of mice one would keep because of well, all the reasons parents don't want their kids to keep mice, especially not ones bought at the pet store, I was crushed.  So you see, it is VERY important to me that I do not develop any type of empathy toward the "denial" mouse that was possibly eating my bag of mixed nuts (apparently does not have developed taste for cranberries).  

That night I told my loving husband, "I think we have a mouse" (emphasis on "Think").  A little background on Colter: born in Montana to mountain men (no joke) who ate only the venison they harvested, made beaded mokasins and drums, and lived in a log home, Colter does not fear critters of any kind.  True to his name, look up "John Colter, mountain man" and you will know a lot about my guy.  Anyway, when Colter was little his parents became dorm parents to kids at international schools, taking Colter with them to Irian Jaya, Malasia, Thailand, New Guinea, and the Philippines.  They did not have screens on their windows.  They sometimes ate "Balut", a partially developed duck egg fermented in the ground. "What?" he says casually, "It was a delicacy".  Colter once woke up in the middle of the night covered with crawling spiders only to sit up, brush them off, and roll over onto his other side and finish his sleep.  

"A mouse, huh?" and that basically ended the conversation for a few days until Colter went into the kitchen before bed for a snack, turned on the light and SAW the mouse duck behind a can of crushed pineapple.  He came back into the living room and said to me, "Babe, I think I saw the mouse."  This of course, was followed by me complaining and trying to figure out what we were going to do about this situation (basically, me telling Colter about how important it is to me that we have a mouse-free home and that this was intollerable).  I was appalled and nervous, maybe just because I didn't want to develop empathy for it.  I told our neighbours, who sensitively informed me that when you live in a house built in 1900 you are likely to have mice, especially when it is cold outside.  

We discussed with friends and experienced mousers a humane trap to purchase.  We settled on the snap trap, as we figured we would make its death quick so it didn't have to struggle.  We set up a trap in the pantry, placing peanut butter at the end and I kid you not, for almost a WEEK this mouse figured out how lick off the peanut butter without setting off the trap.  Like a dummy every evening I asked Colter to put more peanut butter on the trap, because surely, we would get it this time.  Great, so we have a mouse, and I'm feeding it like a pet-it's fat and happy, and my entire pantry has made it's way onto a card table in the center of our kitchen.  Score?  Me-0 Mouse-2.  Not only has this mouse figured out how to get off the peanut butter, but you have to understand, I don't know how it got onto the pantry shelves at all.  They don't start until about 3 feet from the floor, and there is at least 1 1/2 feet between each shelf.  There's nothing from which it could jump or climb onto the shelves, and it's made it to all three.  Only logical explanation: it must be flying.  

This is no ordinary mouse.  

THEN, while watching the debate btw. Senator Joe Biden and Gov. Palin the mouse had the audacity to waltz through my living room.  I said out loud, "You have got to be joking me."  Mouse is fat, happy, comfortable, I am unhappy, uncomfortable, and my pantry is still on a card table.  Score: me-0 mouse-3.  The worst part: it was cute.  So I kept reminding myself about how awful, yucky, diseased city mice are.  I reminded myself why my mom didn't want me to keep the mice when I was little, and how if we were parents, I sure as hell would not let our kid keep the mouse.  "No empathy" became my mantra toward the mouse.  

It was time for a more serious approach.  I couldn't support this relationship any more.  This meant war.  We borrowed our friend's cat and also bought crazy spinning and fail-safe snap traps and set them throughout the house.  We managed to kill it but you know what?  The freaking mouse keeps resurrecting.  We've killed it FOUR times but it keeps coming back for more.  If cats have 9 lives, how many lives do mice carry?   

Until today, I have never considered getting a cat for any other reason besides having a warm, cuddly, purring, furry companion.  But today, as the weather creeps below 60 and into the 40's next week, I just might have to take a trip to the pound.