When moving to another country to live you expect there to be cultural differences in fact that is what the idea is.  Expose yourself and your children to the differences of the world.  Giving an education that you can't find in a school.  So what's happening here?  Am I  becoming disillusioned by culture??? Realizing that much of what I seek is not culture , it's awareness.  it's truth, it's right living...  ahhhhhhhh , all this feels a bit confusing.   Maybe it's another world I seek, one with peace and love and no  hate,
 no dis -ease, no plastic, no greed, no lies, no egos, no tv, no violence,  no chemicals, no competition...just LOVE... imagine...
But here I am on this big blue ball trying to make sense of what is .
  I now know that wherever you are there will be difference and I guess that is the lesson here, learning to tolerate and educate and learn where you can.
FASCINATING!!!!!

So what am I up to many of you ask...Sometimes, I am not sure how the days pass so quickly and wonder what the heck I did with myself, but they fly by.
And  I am doing some things...
      I was having dinner out the other night and someone asked me if I was the " garbage girl"  I guess there are worse names... like what????  trashy, dirt bag, dumpy:))) he he
I actually take great honor in that name, to be some small catalyst to a much needed awareness and change.   Helps me feel as though I am doing SOMETHING...

WE have had a lot of  support & interest for the beach clean ups .  The kids are really into it, so that feels like success.   But much change still needed of course the teachings of reduce, reuse , recycle   (one of the many plusses of SC).  Because here when the garbage does get off the beaches it goes to the dump,  and gets burned.  So regardless,the garbage ends up back in the ocean- via air.   WEW, muy grande problema.   It seems the solution always comes back to education, money...
poco y poco as they say

I have also been selling my postcards and art at a local gallery and hotels.  Not getting rich but it feels good to be sharing my work.   And for mind and body flexability I have been practicing a lot of yoga, we now have an amazing yogi here who moved from NY, she's been such a gift.
  After all, it's ALL about feeling good, and then the love spreads:)

 Tate  just started back to school, he has really risen to the occasion of the foreign land and schooling. He fits right in with the Panamanian kids, if he didnt have red hair and green eyes  you might mistake him for being a local.   Zade on the other hand is not loving  school and pretty resistant, can't really imagine spending 6 hours with 28 other spanish speaking 6 yr olds myself.
There is a definite lack of creativity in the teaching style here, even the private schools,  VERY old school.     Tara Redwood and  SC Montessori, you rock!!!  Blessed be for all the amazing teachers of the world, even the ones in Panama, they are doing the best with what they have.
 poco y poco:)))))

Lots and lots of life out in the sea... The boys caught Tuna and Mahi Mahi for dinner. The dolphins blessed us from every direction, it was a perfect day fishing.

So incredibly beautiful and very difficult to photograph.  Boat photography is not easy... but I'm up for the challenge:)

Tate got the tuna:)

Zade pulled in the MAhi, many smiles...

and the pelicans are our new best friends.

These photos are a bit mixed up, but you get the idea, were having lots of fun

living in the tropics.  Were getting spoiled rotten by warm tropical water,as much FRESH fish as we can eat and NO SCHEDULE...

Brotherly LOVE...

Uncle Doug and  Aunt Kathleen came to visit...

another excuse to go to the island.  he he he

Beach clean up at El Toro 50 big bags of garbage,

these kids  (and adults)are awesome!!!!  muchas gracias

                   DA BOYS, DOIN THIER THANG!!!!

                  Gangsters of LOVE, I presume♥♥

SOOOOOO much...

Nature has a way of entertaining...

Isla Iguana, Panama

I realize that I have really been a below par blogger, so inconsistent and really pretty vague.  So caught up in this adventure I really forget to stop and blog.  It's not easy keeping up with this modern technology-FB, Blogger, twitter, twitcher...

It has dawned on me many times since I have been here that I really need to photograph the people of Panama and their ways.  I have been sort of shy to do so, feels like an invasion, the gringa wants a photo of this poor, super photogenic man on a horse and buggy with his milk buckets.  I have not been able to bring myself to do this,  I start with my neighbor around the corner from us.  Beautiful, simple, people with hearts of gold.  Here is a glimpse...

Zade finally lost his first tooth, much excitement around that.  Actually our Panamanian neighborhood mama pulled it out the old fashioned way.  The toothfairy travels☺✩❃

Love is everywhere...

It's bustling here in Panama City, where I hunt and gather for something to give. The cultural differences are glaring at me, trying to be filled with love in this very loaded up time of giving. LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE GIFT:) I truly believe this.


I have never seen so many people in such a frenzy in all my life, wow, that is a phenomenon which I can't explain, and sort of intrigueing in a weird way. It's a bit animalistic , this need to give, to buy the love we so desire, is that it? Seems all so $$$ driven and completely out of wack. And yet I do want to give and love and be part of something greater, something celebratory, meaningful and ritualistic, just not sure it's the ritual I seek.


Well in any case, I came, I bought, I deliver, mom has a job to do... (not sure why Santa gets all the credit)


I'm heading back to the my little pueblo of Pedasi tomorrow, feels like a real sanctuary... so peaceful, and mas tranquillo.


I did meet a really nice circle of friends that I celebrated the solstice with, it's a breath of fresh air to find like minded souls that want to connect and focus on the tangible beauty that surrounds. Thank the powers that BE:)
love to you all, sorry for the rambling, it's late and I can't sleep in this big city or make any sense.
Merry Merry:))

Interesting living in another country with children.  It's all so interesting...  I am trying to keep an open mind and trust that learning the differences in the world is important and powerful too.  Why do I keep getting so caught up in the race????  Are they falling behind? So many standards and activities to keep up with.  We are such a generation of keeping busy , providing for our children has become everything, keeping them active and stimulated seems to be the American way- I am conflicted with these differences here , it's much simpler and
I guess it's not that easy to slow down.

 Zade is no longer going to school in Panama, everyday as I tried to prepare him for school, he would beg and plead to be able to stay home and do homeschool.   He's always loved his schooling experiences before, in fact he keeps asking for Tara Redwood  (oh, how we miss our amazing teachers  back in the Cruz ).    I have decided to trust him on this one and not force him to go, I have to admit I feel like a bit of a  pushover, but I do want to promote the love of learning, not squelch it.

So, my days are filled with creatively making the  ACB's and 123's  for lil  Z. In my patient moments, I realize the opportunity we have together to learn so much, it's actually an amazing gift if I can slow down and forget my own needs for a while- oooh, that's NOT EASY.  

Tate continues to do well in school,  constantly blowing me away with his language skills.   The school bus picks him up at 6:30 every morning and drops him off @ 2:30.  It it weren't an hour ride I would send Zade to the school in Las Tablas but it's too much for the little guy.

Tate spends his spare time boogie boarding down at the local spot, a ten minute bike ride, playing soccer,  a little baseball and singing Latino music along with his cell phone, yes, we surrendered to let him have a phone.   I  guess we go to great lengths to help our children fit in, he's had many obstacles in that regard, so we figured why not:)

Zade has a harder time on the social front.   Everyone wants to touch his hair and oogle over him, he can't stand that.    HE is counting the days until we get back.  Regularly stating how much he loves California and his California family and friends .    Hope fully we haven't tainted his view on travel for life.