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 |   Enga mellom fjella: where from across the meadow, poems sing from mountains and molehills. |
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Enga mellom Fjella  Sentinel Marked as if you own me I bow before the Bitterroots and just like you my rocky soil, my withered grass lays prey to the empty sky. © Kåre Enga 2007 "Sentinel"   Reader's Choice of Poems: "'heart's home'" "Where grows the compost heap" "In search of Iris" "For Jeanette ... when she grows old" "Plain cover jacket" Reader's Choice of blog entries from my old blog "L'aura del Campo" :"Death of Jeannie New Moon" "Winter: 18 Mas'il (December 29)" "When is it proper to tell someone you love them?" "A Thanksgiving Dinner poem and the WDC Zoo" "Guitarman, a gift for Gary. Aaron Marable's art." FACES     PLACES            Kåre  Enga~ until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And I let the fish go. ~ Elizabeth Bishop The Fish |
| ...so I'm staying in during the heat of the day. Me: Day 4. I washed out clothes. This is important when traveling cheaply. Laundry costs! Spoke to couple from Alaska who were shocked at the cost of laundry in Spain. Mind you it came back nicely folded.  If I wash fairly early and hang up in the sun or near a fan it can be damp by evening and dry the next morning. Just one reason why it's very very hard to travel every day. Go slow the Alaskans said... They are older and wiser than me.  I am taking notes. Need to post of course! The sounds and smells of this place are obvious to someone from dry (no-smell) and quiet places like Montana. Day 4. Got a bathrobe I'd bought for a friend to that friend. I now have more room in my luggage. It wasn't heavy, just bulky. And I get "rid of" the black licorice Thursday. Not bulky nor heavy just tempting. I weighed my self  . The good news? I'm in the land of rice and beans and sunshine and good walking weather. I tend to lose weight here in Costa Rica.Day 4. My legs ... not so great. But I did find a place that can check my coumadin (warfarina) level for maybe $10. My health is iffy. Emotionally I'm okay. A bit bored at the moment but I can always catch up on my writing so I can't complain. Day 4. BCR doesn't like my debit card. Fortunately, BN does. I never understand where all the money goes... I do keep track. Except for that 20.000 note that I hid some place. Good to have some money hidden. Day 4. Clear morning, could see the mountain ridge. Bright morning like always and hot by 10 am. Yesterday surprised with a shower. So far only puffy clouds. Sounds of motorcycles of course, church bells (the clock actually has the right time ... and not just twice a day!). Smell of autos and flowers and cooking and... well, it's the center of a small city. Much cleaner than San José but it's still a city. The kiosk has a lighted "tree" above it. Quite pretty in the evening. Now? Just flowers in bloom: musaendra, llama del bosque, jasmine, hibiscus. People here wear all colors but this isn't the Caribe where neon colors dazzle. Of course, the young women's finger and toe-nails... that's another story. People aren't totally quiet but this isn't Puerto Rico. Yes, there can be blaring music but not at the moment and never constantly. However, when there is people just shrug their shoulders. Nothing to do about it. Day 4. I already had my gallo pinto con huevo ...y dos cafecitos. So I've been fed, but I should leave soon to eat again (but not too much). I also have pan casero and queso blanco in the fridge  .Day 4... maybe I should make plans for this trip? Nah. 45.111 |
| ...in Costa Rica. Yo: To blog or not to blog? That is NOT the question. To sleep or not is more like it! Up late last night which is a bad habit when I'm in Costa Rica. So... I promise to go to bed earlier tonight. We'll see... 1. Plane flight: thought about taking a voluntary bump in LA. Didn't happen; however, I was up-graded to 1st class! Zowie! Thank-you Christina. I sat next to a heavy metal rocker from the bands Sanctuary and Nevermore. Got fed a real meal. 2. Arrived bright and early. No problems with phone. No problems getting hotel room (same room as before, one I like). No problem finding rice and beans. Happy to find a place that makes the best sorbet (vanilla-cinnamon?). 3. Went to zoo on Sunday. Saw the one lonely lion. Saw crocodiles and macaws. And other animals. Small zoo right in town. Found my way at night to Santa Ana for a concert of the Cafe Chorale. I had met them in Montana. Late dinner afterwards with Ileana and her husband Roger and a co-worker. Oh... there's a tad more, but I need to find breakfast and get out of here this morning. Blog later? |
| ... well kinda ... Me: I finished the chapbook and printed out a proof. I was happy. Now I'm not. *sigh* Very difficult to catch errors, especially small ones. Or unimportant ones like the font ... I mean who cares about the font? Me ... So, I have a proof and the time this morning to redo it if I have the energy and oomph. I woke up with the beginning of an anxiety/depression cycle. I banished it in the shower. I have too much to do. Plus now it's sunny after a night of snow (not much). Wintry conditions are expected for today though and I don't have car ... so bus ... unless minor miracles happen (and they sometimes do). Individual prose poems are posted by my door. I put up an old copy, the cover and 16 of the pieces. I didn't put up the one I wrote for Lavinia because I want it to be a surprise! Well ... it sure will be. This morning there was a note under my door from her saying she wanted a copy ... with some money. She doesn't know yet she gets two "for free" because one of the poems is for her. She will. ... as soon as I get over myself, get to the printer and spend beaucoup buckos to print it. Then the collating, the stapling, the folding ... Fortunately, folks I wrote for (plus the "editors") are sending me their address so I can get a chapbook in the mail before I leave on Friday. Got message from Lorin, Thomas, Ann, Sharon... Now if Julia in England would respond ... yep, one gets to go across the Pond.  |
| ...depend on comments around here! Yo: I struggled with the chapbook yesterday and thought I'd won... ...Not so quick. But, I did make progress and now know how to set up the pages. Wanted to do that today but ran out of time at the library. My bad. So tonight I'll reread and try not to re-edit (bad things happen during quick re-edits...). That means tomorrow... ...print?... ...regardless of the storm that's suppose to visit us tonight. But, only one  day forecast then bitter cold. Like below zero Fahrenheit. I leave Friday ... could be single digits. Saturday there's a game here. The forecast is sunny and 15 (-10ºC) ...maybe. The visiting team, Coastal Carolina, hails from Conway South Carolina. It was 72 (22ºC) for their last game. The Chanticleers are a good team ... but 20,000+ frozen bears (Griz fans) will assuredly give them a "warm" welcome.  In other snews... bought and began to read an anthology of travel writing. I already learned something from the intro: write so that the person feels they have visited there by the time they are done. Plus, exciting trips can be made boring; boring trips can be made interesting to read. It's all up to the writer. So, a four day weekend which is wonderful for working folks but not so wonderful for those whose work depends on public resources. This week is going to be "fun"  |
| A sense of where I need to be, of where I need to go, of what I need to do. A home base surrounded by artists and the creative juices they ooze. (I've always been able to survive off the unused excesses of others.) And yet, the urge to collect local people, not only images and sounds; but, also to travel to where I can harvest what cannot be found here. A certain sense of peace, that it's okay to be me. To realize that maybe... it always was. |
| ...my stuff! meeeee: Had goose for Thanksgiving Dinner. Travis bought and cooked it. He also prepared asparagus and potatoes. I grilled some parsnips, made some mousse (with almond milk), had a bowl of fruit (banana, pear, grape, clementines), orange-dark chocolate mints. Lit a couple candles, put out the dishes and silverware... voilà. I don't think I've had goose since I cooked one back in the '70s in Nebraska. I like goose.  And cold. Hoarfrost since we've had no snow. My cousin had snow though. I asked her how many feet. She said only 2. Here they measure in inches.  Anything over 6" is a lot.It's cold and next week will be colder. May see 0 ...cold enough? As long as I can get to the plane... adios!  I need to re-read and re-write LOTS OF STUFF! Unfortunately, can't travel with that much paper. Found stuff I wrote years ago and forgot. Some of it isn't too bad. Need to re-write, post, ask for comments. I did fairly good with editing my Europe '13 pictures (still hundreds to go) so I know I can focus for periods of time necessary to accomplish something. I need better internet access.  That said. Can't do much today. Library was closed. Barbershop was closed. But: went to Court to tell them I'm gone for two months and unavailable for jury duty, checked mail (nothing, box payment is due in July), stopped in at Butterfly Herbs to buy licorice for friends in Costa Rica. And I had a coffee, a pasta salad, talked to friends... A good day. |
| ...are nice. me: Typing this in real fast as I have lots of work to do today and the work week is shortened, especially since I only know of one computer (the one I'm on) that has a version of Picasa I understand ... and I need to do stuff in Picasa! Senior Center is closed Thursday, of course; but, why can't it open on Friday? *whine* Four days of rest is going to harsh my mellow if I'm not prepared. Among other chores: I need to work up a CV (or something similar) for my presentation in February. I'm sure I can do it in Costa Rica. My kitchen is looking so much better! And I've boxed up some books (I need two full size bookcases, but until then...). I'm starting to look around my two rooms with an eye for something simple and quick to do. Each and every accomplishment keeps the anxiety down. I even have a handle on my laundry situation. So organized (means I'm bored and stressed over the unfinished chapbook). I re-organized the chapbook. Hopefully for the last time. I caught the end of sunset last evening. I need to be ready at 4:30 pm because by 5... I was writing a letter to a friend and almost missed the beautiful skies. They have been outrageously lovely this week. Got the letter posted in time for the pick-up. So many I ...I ...I ...s in this stream of thought. Oh well, I am the center of my small "universe". In more interesting news: I got an Awardicon for Creativity! Shocker as I hadn't gotten one for a year. I'm just not as active as I once was. 44,382 |
| ...turkey, stuffing, green beans, sorbet, potatoes... Me: I am still having problems with my legs (I swear they are worse) and my energy level is low as well. And I don't like spending dinner with a couple hundred people. So, I went to the Senior Center late but still in time to eat. The feast cost me $3 as usual and ... well ... I was here (still here) and why not? I survived it quite well and got to see folks I don't see very often. Unfortunately it becomes one more distraction on getting my chapbook done. I'm stymied. I mean ... I cleaned! I've done part of my packing! Anything but work on the chapbook (which MUST get done). Argh. I did manage to get to the park to watch THE football game on big screen tvs. It was sunny and quite cold but they had heaters. And it always seems warmer when "your" team wins. And they did. Which means there will be a game here in tropical Montana on December 7th. The Griz host a Southern team (either Bethune-Cookman from Florida or Coastal Carolina from South Carolina). It may be cold; it may snow. Regardless I won't be there. My flight leaves the day before. Nope. No cold bench for me. But sitting here writing this won't get my chapbook done! As for more turkey on Thanksgiving Day? I'm eating at a friend's place; we're having goose. 44,354 |
| ...a Kennedy coin? M E:I love meatloaf. I really like deviled eggs. I paid for lunch with 2 $2 bills and got $1 change. Later I bought 3 pair pants (3 for 2) for $3 each (one free). Paid with 3 $2 bills. It's been a sunny $2 day. This morning I took a photo of Esteban (stuffed toy puppy) with $2 bills fanned out like a turkey's tail. Added 2 Lincoln $1 coins and 4 Kennedy 50¢ pieces. Only one comment. So... have you seen a 50¢ piece recently? They still make them (oldest American coin) but they have fallen out of favor. I've been able to get my hands on two rolls (remember rolls of coins?) recently and went through the dates. May save some. The others go back in circulation. Same with $2 bills and $1 coins. Americans have been skittish about these denominations. Do away with the $1 bill? It would be so UN-American! But so logical. At least we still have paper money and coins. Plastic has its issues too. Like trying to ride the bus in Sweden. No plastic? no go! Soon I'll be in the land of colored money. Bills of ₡50.000, 20.000, 10.000, 5.000, 2.000, 1.000 and coins of 500, 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5. The 5 and 10 coins are "worthless" but used (₡50.000 & ₡20.000 are hard to change in many places and I've never had the bigger bill in my hand). All the coins have the same design except for braille numbers. The differ in size and weight as well. The money differs in size and color (like most European systems). Americans seem to have trouble coping (except the Ticos, they are Americans as well). When tourists visit Costa Rica many will use American dollars because they cannot learn another system of coinage. But then again... they can't learn their own... . So... I'll just jingle my money... |
| ...rat poison ...again. ME... Been a very sunny and frozen day. There's ice on the canals. There's snow on the far mountains. In town, dry, cold, sunny. It's brown out there. With a bit of white and plenty of blue above, of course. Inside it's coffee and rat poison. Yep. Doc prescribed two months more for me. I'll run out around ... two months from now. Or just before I get on the plane to come home. Since I have a middle seat on the long flight to Atlanta I'll be a bit concerned. And try to change seating before then. Same with going down. Middle seat on the long over-night from LAX to SJO. Then a bus to downtown, a 20-30 minute walk to the other bus station then 3 hours with one rest stop to my final destination. Going to be hard on my circulation. Which is why I have rat poison (coumadin). (Found out that papaya isn't much of an issue and no other tropical fruits showed up high on the list of vitamin K sources.) Ginny was kind enough to get me out to Target to pick the prescription up. 60 pills for $18 so the cost is reasonable. Now if I can just remember to get more hyper-tension pills. Those are fairly cheap and I can get 180. Enough to last me quite a long time! So it may be cold out there ... but this rat is taking his poison anyways. |
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