Apr 05
Posted under Puerto Rico, Trips & Tours by MicheleP.
BLOG I’ve been sorely neglecting the blog of late. I have lots of stories to tell but sometimes just thinking about how to tell them makes me tired! I kind of like the one-line Facebook entries better – much less effort involved . But looking back, I love having a record of our life adventures [...] [...more]
BLOG 
I’ve been sorely neglecting the blog of late. I have lots of stories to tell but sometimes just thinking about how to tell them makes me tired! I kind of like the one-line Facebook entries better – much less effort involved . But looking back, I love having a record of our life adventures so I need to get back on the blog wagon.
One of our recent adventures was a weekend trip to Rio Grande for Scott’s birthday celebration. We stayed at the Wyndham Rio Mar and had a fabulous time. From our room we had a wonderful view of the ocean
We enjoyed some quiet walks on the beach, hanging out at the adult pool, lunch and drinks poolside and even lost some money in the casino.
And what about the girls, you ask?
TWO BEAUTIFUL WORDS: KIDS CLUB
The girls had a blast in the resort’s Iguanna Kid’s Club and got to play tennis, get their hair braided, feed some very large iguanas and do “arks” & crafts.
As you can see from the picture, Libby was less than pleased when it was time to leave
It was a fantastic weekend, one of those where you remember how fortunate you are to actually LIVE here
Feb 16
Posted under Puerto Rico, Trips & Tours by MicheleP.
A few weeks ago we took off to explore a new part of the island (well, new to us – I’m sure it’s not actually “new”). We went through Ponce and stopped for lunch – at Chili’s. I know, it’s not that unique…but it’s reliable, offers food that isn’t fried and has clean bathrooms – [...] [...more]
A few weeks ago we took off to explore a new part of the island (well, new to us – I’m sure it’s not actually “new”). We went through Ponce and stopped for lunch – at Chili’s. I know, it’s not that unique…but it’s reliable, offers food that isn’t fried and has clean bathrooms – three things that make me a happy camper.
After lunch we headed West to the town of Guanica on the Southern coast of the island. We had heard about this “dry forest” there but really had no idea what to expect. Unlike visiting El Yunque, one had ever mentioned to us “Oh – you just HAVE to go to the dry forest” so we didn’t have very high expectations. On the way to one of the entrances, we came upon a resort that looked pretty cool. We stopped to get some information. Turns out, it’s the only all-inclusive resort on the island and seemed very much our style – nice but casual and low key. We made a mental note to put Copamarina on our PR Bucket List.
Continuing on down the road, we were treated to some amazing views of the Caribbean on one side and then this rough, scraggly, dry and arid land on the other – it really is amazing to see such diversity on one island. There is also a small island just off the coast – Gilligan’s Island – that you can take a ferry or boat charter to. There are no facilities on the island but it looked like a great place to spend the day.
We hiked along the coast for a while and then came back to the beach to play there. The current was pretty strong here so we stayed out of the water – and made our own “dry forest” in the sand.
I’m not sure why this area isn’t promoted more than it is. We’ll now definitely tell people, “You have to go to the dry forest!”
Nov 25
Posted under Around the house, Life, Puerto Rico by MicheleP.
There are a lot of things I like about living here – and a lot of things I don’t like haven’t gotten used to. There are things that I don’t understand…like why bananas cost more here than in Kansas, why they sell winter coats and boots, why there are no pay at the pump gas [...] [...more]
There are a lot of things I like about living here – and a lot of things I don’t like haven’t gotten used to. There are things that I don’t understand…like why bananas cost more here than in Kansas, why they sell winter coats and boots, why there are no pay at the pump gas stations, and why you can’t find decaf coffee anywhere. All these things I can deal with – but the one thing that might just prove to the the straw that breaks my back?
The Ants.
Never in my life have I lived with a pest that is so incredibly persistANT (heh – I’m so punny, no?). These suckers appear out of nowhere and are everywhere. One day, I opened the microwave to find several in there. So I figured I’d just shut the door and turn it on. A minute later, I opened it back up and guess what – the stinkers were still in there – and STILL alive. They love sugar – and it seems their favorite food item is granola bars. Problem is that my girls also love granola bars and cannot eat one without dropping something on the floor – which means within an hour of eating the granola bar, I’m gonna have a whole host of ants swarming that sticky piece of granola on the floor.
We’ve tried just about everything – and now swear by the best (and cheapest and non-toxic) remedy out there and I’m going to let you in on a little secret: White Vinegar.
Forget the expensive ant traps or chemical sprays or hundreds of dollars for an exterminator. Just find the trail and wipe it down with white vinegar. The ants will go crazy. They can’t stand the stuff and they can’t follow a trail that has been “blocked” by the vinegar. We have one spot in our house that the ants keep coming in – a hole under our (non functioning) air conditioner. So, we soaked a towel with vinegar and just stuck it up there – no, not the prettiest sight but it does seem to work.
Nov 20
Posted under Around the house, Clara and Libby, Life, Puerto Rico, Sights & Sounds by MicheleP.
I posted a video of Libby a few days ago. We asked Clara to sing a Spanish song too but she wasn’t really interested. Instead, she sang about princesses. Imagine that? If you listen carefully, you will hear a few things in the background… 1) Libby eating chips and 2) the sound of the coqui [...] [...more]
I posted a video of Libby a few days ago. We asked Clara to sing a Spanish song too but she wasn’t really interested. Instead, she sang about princesses. Imagine that?
If you listen carefully, you will hear a few things in the background…
1) Libby eating chips and 2) the sound of the coqui frogs. The frogs? Charming. The chip cruncher? Not so much.
Nov 19
Posted under Clara and Libby, Life, Lost in translation, Puerto Rico by MicheleP.
[photopress:Pinata.jpg,full,pp_empty] Ok – so not quite “Wordless”… One of the girls asked if we were going to have a piñesta at their party. “A what?” “A piñesta” Puzzled look on my face “You know. That thing with candy at a fiesta. A piñesta” And now a new word has been coined at our house. Part [...] [...more]
[photopress:Pinata.jpg,full,pp_empty]
Ok – so not quite “Wordless”…
One of the girls asked if we were going to have a piñesta at their party.
“A what?”
“A piñesta”
Puzzled look on my face
“You know. That thing with candy at a fiesta. A piñesta”
And now a new word has been coined at our house. Part fiesta…part piñata. La piñesta. Me gusta!
Nov 18
Posted under Clara and Libby, Life, Puerto Rico, Sights & Sounds by MicheleP.
Today was another field trip day for the girls - library story hour followed by pizza at a local shop. As we were getting the kids ready to leave, we heard some drums outside. As we looked out, we saw a marching band – complete with many different types of drums and baton twirlers in sparkly [...] [...more]
Today was another field trip day for the girls - library story hour followed by pizza at a local shop. As we were getting the kids ready to leave, we heard some drums outside. As we looked out, we saw a marching band – complete with many different types of drums and baton twirlers in sparkly outfits. Tomorrow is a holiday here (Discovery of Puerto Rico) and so I assumed it was some sort of celebration for that. I was just about to reach down and grab my camera for a few photos when I noticed something.
No one was smiling. In fact, most of the drummers had tears streaming down their cheeks. I was puzzled for a minute and then as I saw the next group in the “parade” I realized…this wasn’t a parade at all.
A black hearse followed the drummers. And behind that a white casket was being pushed on a gurney. A crowd of friends and family followed – openly grieving.
No, this wasn’t a parade. It was a procession. A funeral procession. I turned to my friend and we both said, “Oh. It’s a funeral.”
Clara overheard me. “What’s a funeral, Mom?”
And so with chaos all around me I tried to quickly explain what a funeral was – that someone had died and that they were celebrating their life. I don’t think she understood. I have a feeling, I’ll be answering more questions about funerals…and death tonight.
