There I was. Here I am! What now?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? YOU ARE GOING TO GET US KILLED!" the anguished scream was coming from our Costa Rican guide for the day, Ronald, who was white knuckling in the back seat. In hindsight, that was rich coming from a Central American driver! All we did was follow the (Canadian) law which dictates that when coming up behind a stopped school bus, all traffic must stop. Apparently, not in Costa Rica. When we explained why we stopped, he was puzzled; it made no sense to him. So we commented that is was to prevent children from getting hit by cars passing the bus. "That's crazy!", he said, "In Costa Rica we teach our children to look for cars!" DING!!! Darren and I looked at each other. Oh My God! Common sense is not dead; it moved to Costa Rica! That was the moment when we decided to move there when we retired. The 5 year plan was born. Yes, I know; I am in Panama. Bear with me! I am a Canadian who hates winter. Not a good combination and...

🎶 His name is Rio and he dances on the bed...🎶 Apologies to Toto (the band, not the dog!) NO MORE DOGS! PINKY SWEAR! Yes, that is what we both agreed on after having our hearts ripped out by leaving our babies, Charlie and Tessa behind us in Canada as we started anew in Panama. We got them when they were 5 weeks old and moving to Central America was not even a blip on the radar. Charlie was a patient, loving saint of a dog and Tessa was the boss...of Charlie and Darren....she and I had our battles and I assured her that there would only be one alpha bitch in the household and it was NOT going to be her. After a year, she gave in and decided if she could not be top dog, she would be my dog..lol. I love big dogs; I could never get into little dogs except for Corgis. Fast forward 10 years. We knew that these dogs would not acclimate well to a tropical climate; they both hate the heat and love snow, unlike me! They were both starting to show their age but otherwise health...

I like rocks. I always have. Geology fascinated me at a young age; I had little collections of minerals and semi precious stone chips. Every time I went to a beach anywhere, I came home with my pockets full of rocks and shells. I still do! After I began traveling in my late 40s, having a rock to remember special places by became a part of every trip. I have rocks and shells from every country I have been to, and they are all here with me in Panama. Yes, I shipped rocks to Panama; somehow they are the link between who I was and who I am. I also began collecting orbs: Lapis Lazuli, Machu Picchu stone, Quartz, Amethyst, Obsidian flecked with Mica, Carnelian, Rose Quartz. As time went on, I also began to collect more varieties: Jasper, Enhydro Agate, Snowflake Obsidian, Amazonite..and many others. One of the rocks that is visible in the vertical shot at 11:55 is an agate I found at Scott's Bay, NS during a rough time in my life. For some reason, it comforted me. I used to ke...

Christmas Eve, a glass of Scotch and a few pangs of homesickness. Thinking about my sisters. Yes, I said that I was an only child, and I am...biologically. But from the time I was 6, my life has been blessed with girlfriends who, to this day, are part of the fabric of my being. They helped to shape me, guide me, support me, get me out of jams...and sometimes into them. I would not be who I am today without them. I feel a bit guilty about singling out the ones I am going to mention here, but these 4 have been part of my life for over 20 years on the shortest end and 54 on the longest. Names I could add: Janet, Laurie, Betty, Bev, Suzana, Shelli, Marsha, Cindy Mc...all of whom were pivotal during various parts of my life. I love you all. But I am going to talk about 4 in chronological order: Pam, Cindy, Char and Shelley. In 1963, I moved from Ontario to Bridgewater, NS where I skipped Grade 1 and was put in with a group of similar students who became my "squad", as they s...

I tell people that I do not have a lot of family, and, in numbers, that is true. I am an only child; Darren is an only child; Neal, my son is an only child as is Darren's daughter, Jocelyn. But I have learned through observation and experience over the years that numbers don't matter and blood does not a family make. Connection from the heart makes family, and I am a rich woman in the love of my family. People who love you do not hold you back; their love is not selfish. It weathers the storms and spans great distances. Now, to be honest, Facebook and Facetime makes this distance seem much less than it really is. But the reality is that both Darren and I are a long way from our family. I asked my son, Neal, "So, how do you feel about me moving to Panama?". His response? " It's cool! You have to live your life, and I can come visit! Now let's go get Sushi!" Neal has grown into a wonderful, young man. I was not always a stable fixture in his ...

"You complete me!" Jerry McGuire After almost 20 years, I have come home. Not home to place or a person, but to myself. Twenty years have passed since I gave up an essential part of who I am. It could not be helped, but it diminished me. There was a part of me missing which shaped me from the time I was two years old. My horses. People who do not share this love can not understand; they may try to, may want to, but it is a special feeling that exists in your very core. It is like breathing; if it is not nurtured, a part of you dies. My love of horses was born in me. My road to owning them was a rocky one. My mother would rather I had been a frilly little girl who dressed up and baked and sewed. I was a tomboy - the one who could milk a cow and squirt the barn cats. And "drove" my Grandpere's work horse, Queenie, every chance I got.  I can still remember feeding her oats, her huge, velvet muzzle could have swallowed my little hand whole, but she was ever so...