Saturday, October 25, 2008

La Feria

La Feria

 

Saturday is the farmers’ market known in Spanish as, “la feria” .  On the ½ mile walk there, one sees unusual sights(Brian has the camera in Peru or I’d post a pic here)….a soda(small restaurant often run by a housewife out of her driveway/front of house), a bakery with piping hot baguettes(and other fresh baked but not warm rolls, breads, cookies), a veggie stand, a fruit store, a mini-super(think AM/PM or 7-Eleven but not overpriced), a diaper store(yes, for adults and infants), and a couple carts selling fresh fruit drinks(orange, kolita (bubble gum with fruit floating in it), mixed fruit, tamarindo, and limeade. On the edge of the small, local market here in Tres Rios, trailers selling meats or seafood sit a few meters(remember the metric system—they use it here!) before long rows of fresh veggies and fruits. Often vendors sell only green veggies or strawberries or you name it. Quite an experience…if ya’ll come visit, we’ll take you!

 

Friday, October 24, 2008

Pursuing a No-Regrets Life

Much of what we read has little to do with our lives and offers an escape from reality. Our family recently received the book One Month To Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life.  The book’s thesis is that in daily life we put off many things due to lack of time, energy, resources, or mere excuses. All of us have the same quantity of time to spend each twenty-four hours. What can we do to make it count for the kingdom, most specifically in the lives of our families and others?

 

Case in point, applying to graduate school while raising four children was a choice motivated first by a passion for the lives of women and children (instilled by God and three different nurse-midwives whose paths crossed mine in my 20’s and 30’s); secondly, to cultivate my intellect; and thirdly, by a desire to use that passion to assist women in my own family and women and children in need.

 

I daresay that making the choice to leave a comfortable, idyllic American lifestyle was another turning point for our family and in doing so, we began living out what the book above calls a no-regrets life. Believe me, we have not arrived but are on a journey and hope that a small portion of such living will be learned by our children and their children as they develop, not in middle age.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Zumba, anyone?

Although I have been to a few gyms in Latin America, and have even enjoyed exercise classes at a few, this morning made me realize exactly why I enjoy running so much—

· It is a solo sport, except during races etc, and even then you are competing against one’s own personal best

· It takes place OUTDOORS, a breeze or light sprinkle may even be felt

· Cadence is involved, but not to a Latin beat

But when Keri wanted to go with me to Zumba, it made it somehow more palatable…

Zumba is intense- and when done in a hot, non-air conditioned Costa Rican gym(think the smallest exercise venue in any Charlotte area YMCA) you are sure to burn enough calories to earn a taxi ride home from the middle of town-especially when your 17 year old insists! We’re gonna try a different class at another gym this week!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Matthew speaks

Matthew was asked to be the student representative for the groundbreaking of the new 128K square foot science building at Wheaton College.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

http://picasaweb.google.com/cathirn/TheWayWeWere#slideshow

Happy 25th Reunion Class of '83

Although I am sad that I am not physically present in Wheaton this weekend, I want to wish my husband and all of my friends well on their 25th reunion. I am grateful for the role the faculty and institution played in our spiritual growth, our commitment to Christ, in our marriage and in the lives of our beautiful children. Classmates are scattered all over the globe and are walking testimonies to Christ.  We will pray for you and your families as Christ continues to write His story! We have a PO box here in Costa Rica that is just as lonely as your CPO box was when you checked it several times daily while at Wheaton!  Emails are wonderful, but notes of encouragement are nice too! Please keep in touch!



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Oreo takes the cake!

Happy Birthday, Oreo!

Although no one but Oreo’s mother knows the exact date and time of Oreo’s birth, we were told a date of October 1, 2008 was close. Our little 1.2 kilo malnourished, near-death puppy has grown into a sweet, personable dog. Keri baked her a few “pupcakes” to celebrate, frosting them with one of her favorites, peanut butter!

On that same note, we had a little trouble baking both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and wonder if the sugar or one of the two leavening agents, baking powder or baking soda were to blame…not to worry, we’re going to use pretend that they were meant to be mini “molten lava” cakes with ice cream and strawberries later. If you have any suggestions, let us know—we’ve never had a problem before!