Author: Charlie

Retired American nature-lover, living in Costa Rica, photographing birds and other jewels of nature. This site simply reports on my joys of being RETIRED IN COSTA RICA!
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Ginger & Jason

This post is really only for family and close friends who knew me back when married and younger. Ginger and I divorced in 1990 and Jason tried several things before, in over simplification, ran away and had nothing to do with me since the mid-nineties except for a few times wanting money. I tried connecting with him several times but we lived in totally different worlds and could never connect.

Sometime in the last 5 years he decided to become a transsexual and except for a few close friends, I told no one. How do you? With several gay friends I had come to understand or accept homosexuals, but as I told Jason, I have no experiences with trans and no understanding of it. We remained apart, still not understanding each other. He chose not to stay in communication and I had no addresses or phone number.

A couple of weeks ago I received my first contact from Jason in nearly 5 years. He has legally changed his name to Athena and wrote to tell me that his mother (my wife of 20 years) was dying of cancer and might not last through the week. He needed to see her and close out her business and other affairs. Of course, I paid to fly him from Asheville, NC to Gatesville, TX and other related expenses. He spent a week with her in a Gatesville nursing home. He emptied and closed out her apartment, shipping himself 16 boxes. And all arrangements are made for her to stay in the nursing home until she dies by signing over her Social Security check. Her will and the deposition of her ashes are also arranged. So my little boy has grown up and handled one of the toughest times of life, though she still has not died yet.

We have corresponded several times by email and I am again trying again to “connect” with Jason/Athena, though still not sure how or if possible. He is about to turn 43 and showing some interest in family history for the first time, so that is certainly part of my language. 🙂 We will see what happens. Your prayers are appreciated! And maybe my post of last night makes a little more sense now. God is my rock and my salvation!

As most of you know, I don’t like to keep secrets and not good at it, so again I’m being very open and honest and simply trusting God to be in charge. Thank you for allowing that in me. It is good to have friends!

MY LIFE VERSES

  Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
  think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6, Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Dios es bueno 
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Trust in God Alone

Not a beautiful building
like the Catholics, but
The most loving people
found anywhere!
Today’s sermon at Iglesia Biblica was very well presented and in two languages! After the Lord’s Supper (communion) we heard an exposition of Psalm 27 with the closing challenge to memorize the last verse (14): 

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and courageous.
Wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 HCSB



And last night’s devotional in Open Windows was sort of my answer to Psalm 27 & today’s sermon with the first two verses in Psalm 62:

Psalm 62
Trust in God Alone

1 I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

My faith is as strong or stronger than it was in the states with a lot less church activity but just as much or more dependence on God. And I am at peace. Tomorrow I will tell you about the latest development with what is left of my family, my son and ex-wife, though I have hesitated to share publicly, I’m feeling led to do so. And regardless what happens next, I live by the above verses and “I will never be shaken.”

And one of the neat things from church today is that the translator between English and Spanish (Both directions, depending on who is preaching each 1st Sunday) is named Zaray, a local school teacher and one of my two Spanish teachers who this week started a new “Intermediate Spanish” class that I’m in with 3 other students. I am a very slow language learner, but it is beginning to “click” and be more fun and I have hope of improving, “poco a poco.”   🙂

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¿El mejor clima del mundo? InterNations Says So!

Recently, an international survey of expats found Costa Rica as having the best weather in the world. The organization InterNations asked the question about weather in its survey to expats in 195 countries. There were 14,000 respondents. InternNations stated, “If you move to Costa Rica, Cyprus or Greece, you can be sure to enjoy the outdoors almost every day of the year.”

The organization also went on to say that, “The most popular reasons for relocating to Costa Rica are for a better quality of life and a thirst for adventure.” “The country’s friendly people and great work-life balance are just some of the reasons why expats decide to move to this tropical paradise.”

My internet research also puts the Canary Islands up near the top of this list. Still a subjective opinion!   🙂    But I like being in the mix and most often at the top!  🙂

InterNations’ Best/Worst Weather Map

Weather was not my only reason for choosing to retire in Costa Rica, but a major factor. I literally live outdoors all the time in an alfresco style house with doors and windows always open all day and only window screens separating me from outside at night. I have no need for air-conditioning or heat at any time of the year and rarely use my ceiling fans on some warm afternoons.

The PR Slogan for my little farm town of Atenas (on the back of all our buses) is:
El mejor clima del mundo!   (vinculada al artículo en español)

The best weather of the world!   (linked to English article)



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Black Witch Moth

Black Witch Moth
On the ceiling of my covered terrace in Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica.
Wing span about 5 inches.

This guy is pretty common and one of the 8,000+ moths in Costa Rica and appears in all parts of the country. He is one of the best travelers, appearing from Florida to Brazil.

Here’s a photo of another one inside my house last November:
And an earlier one that matches the description except for the color but it is a Black Witch:
Maybe you would like one for your Halloween Party?

My Butterfly/Moth Photo Gallery   with 50 species!

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Atenas Info FaceBook Page

It is a “closed group” so you have to join to be able to see the posts. But it is great for a newcomer expat living in Atenas where all your questions are answered and even often asked by someone else. 🙂  Also great for someone about to move here or even thinking about it!

Questions/answers range from where you can buy something to where you can get something fixed. Plus how to accomplish needed tasks, etc.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/atenascostaricainfo/permalink/1028669077248845/

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La Bohéme Opera Sunday Night

Teatro Nacional Stage seen from Balcony
They asked us to not take photos during the performance.
Note the screen for subtitles. Opera was in Italian and subtitles in Spanish!
(What did you expect in a Spanish-language country?) I understood maybe 30%.
Thanks to Amazon Kindle I had read it in English before the performance
AND watched it on YouTube with English Subtitles, so I was ready!  🙂
Our Atenas Group in the Balcony of Teatro Nacional

Atenas Expat Retirees on Bus to San Jose

Opera Program Book
And oh yeah, it was a fabulous performance! Perfect in every way!
The arts are very important here and done well in every medium.
And I’m interested in something other than just birds!  🙂

Outside Teatro Nacional
(Photo made earlier than today’s visit.)

Inside Lobby of Teatro Nacional
(Earlier shot. It was packed full tonight!)
There is a great little restaurant off the lobby but packed tonight,
so Anthony and I ate burgers at McDonald’s across the street. Shameful!

We went to a 5:00 PM performance and our bus was back in Atenas by 8:30 PM. Nice!