Reflections of a day…

This morning as I sit on my terrace I’m reflecting about this moment in time. In this very moment I’m feeling so happy and grateful to be right here. Sitting right here, in this chair overlooking this beautiful place and soaking up all that is this life, I feel as though my heart is nearly bursting with a peaceful sense just simple pleasure in the moment. Scruffy is sitting on the floor at my feet watching with adoring eyes as I type. I hear the sounds of saws, hammering and the laughter of the guys up at the house working with Scott to build our new house. As the day tumbles by it seems that the banter of the guys becomes more and more boisterous, they always sound like they’re having so much fun harassing each other as they work. Although I know my gardener doesn’t exactly appreciate the good natured teasing he gets from them. He’s a new gardener and doesn’t quite get the jokes, I’m pretty sure he’s offended by being teased and has expressed this to Scott, asking him to make them leave him alone. Hah! Scott told him that if he talked to them about it, its very likely the teasing would only become worse! I shake my head in disbelief and good humor at “my Guys”….I love the ongoing joking and lighthearted jests that are full of childish good fun. The sounds I can hear this morning make me smile…

“Love me!”

The hummers are swarming the feeders chirping and fighting for a spot to drink. I could sit out here and watch them all day long. Their antics are endlessly entertaining. Dozens of hummers perch in the bushes and trees surrounding the terrace, just waiting for a turn at the feeders. They seemingly dive and tumble into the jungle below, like a bunch of fairies. Their chirping and batting of wings is a constant sound here at our casita. It’s a sound I love and a sound that has become background noise, mixed with the sounds of construction and the wind rustling through the leaves of all the trees and bushes and plants that our little casita is nestled amongst.

Today is cleaning day and Daisy, my housekeeper, has her music from her cell phone playing as she cleans. I like her music. But I especially like how she sings along as she cleans, with a little smile on her adorable face. All these combined sounds, the birds in the surrounding jungle singing away all around me, the dozens of hummers swarming at the feeders, and Daisy’s music and singing mixed with the distant sounds of our guys working on building our home are just a few of the sounds that are giving me great pleasure right in this moment. And, of course mix all of those wonderful sounds with the sight of my sweet dog, who seems to love just being near me and Its no wonder why I’m happy. This morning as I’m soaking up so many small pleasures of this new day I’m also smiling as I enjoy a few text messages of friends from afar. Debbie, in California has news of her sons engagement. Her joy is seeping through her words to me right through my computer screen and I can’t help but smile. Luana is in Barcelona, ready for an afternoon nap after exploring the city and she and I agree that it’s time for her to come home to Boquete. Then, my little sister in California Skypes me….sigh…its nice to see her smiling face and to hear her talk about her life. My friend and neighbor Kat has returned from her four month visit to the states and having her back, right next door somehow makes me feel like everything is nearly as it should be…I say ‘nearly’, because Bond & Luana are still in Spain, so until they are back on Panama soil things aren’t quite as they should be…close, but just not quite! hah!

Daisy…

As I start this new day soaking up all the things that bring a smile to my face I stop to embrace it and take a deep breath. It’s nice to have the time to really appreciate so many little things and to feel grateful in the moment. But now…its about time to get this day going… My Chores for the day include tending to my seedlings in my little greenhouse, driving into town to do my grocery shopping, stopping by the Corregidor (sorta like the sheriff of our little area) to get a special pass for our cars to get over the bridge to our home while the flower and coffee festival is going on (Jan 14-24th). Town is really hopping! With this next big festival there will be tons of Panamanian tourists in town and it feels as if they’ve already arrived for the big party. I saw the huge mobile Discos being built which means the music will be booming soon! And they’ve been busy repainting the bridge and doing some general “spiffing-up”. While in town I stopped by the new municipal mercado. They have been working on the construction of this market since we’ve lived here and town is just abuzz with excitement now that it’s finally open. This new market is really nice! With beautiful grass courtyards, fresh new stalls, lots of parking and its just all fancy and new. Everyones favorite vender, Benjamin, has a lovely spot and he seems really pleased with his new digs! Its so nice to have all the fresh fruit and vegetable venders all gathered in one spot instead of spread out all over town.

It’s the end of the day and the workers will be running down the hill soon. I can always tell when Its time for me to drive them into town. Those crazy guys always race down to my car, trying to be the first one to get the front seat with the Jeffa! Seems like the days fly by so fast. I wonder if all my hummingbirds feel the same way. They never stop frantically buzzing those feeders gobbling up the sugar water like its the last meal they’ll have! Scott’s done working for the day and he’s been snoozing in his recliner with his laptop precariously balanced on his lap (don’t tell him I told you that! hah!). The dog knows its time to nap as well as the cat…hey…what about me! Nah…I’m happy sitting here writing and sipping on my ice tea. As we’ve settled into this new Adventure, which is not really NEW anymore, but still and Adventure, I find myself constantly feeling so grateful for deciding so long ago to make this move to Panama. To step away from a life that had stopped being what we wanted and to embrace something new. To begin again has been good for us. While many have said, “I could Never do that!” or “I wish I were brave enough to do that” and “Why on earth would you move there?” I have to smile. This type of move is surely not for everyone. For us, and for all the friends who are now like family to us here in this little town, its what works for us all. I can’t imagine how much we would have missed out on had we just stayed put. Today, as I type this post I think my mind has been focused on embracing the little moments and as my day comes to a close, I’m still smiling…Life is good!

my tired guy…shhhhhh…dont tell him you saw this !!!

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