Home Business Sign: Seamstress

Clinica de Ropa
In Boqueron, 3 blocks from Roca Verde
Atenas, Costa Rica


“Clinica de Ropa”
(Clinic for Clothing) is the common name for a seamstress (la costurera) who probably does more repair work on clothing than making new clothing, although she does both. This particular seamstress is the closest one to my house and I have used her twice. The first time she put a patch over a little hole in one of my several canvas shorts I wear every day. She did a good job with fabric on both the outside and inside and it does not show or is not noticeable.

Recently I was motivated to do something with my front right pockets where I keep my cellphone and believe it slid out of the pocket in a San Jose Taxi. I asked her if she could sew velcro on both sides of the top of the right pockets. She said she could do that but, a zipper would be better and safer. So for one mil, the equivalent of about USD $1.75 each, she sewed a zipper in each of my 6 pairs of shorts, the only pants I wear here. That included the zipper! I think it would cost a bit more in the states! 🙂  I think the patch was about the same price, though don’t remember for sure. Labor and services are cheaper here! Imported U.S. products are not. It was most likely a Chinese zipper which would be cheaper here than say one from even Mexico or Columbia. Interesting!

New photo gallery: Home Business Signs

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly in One Morning!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
On Heliconia in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Yeh, it is unusual for a hummingbird to stay still very long, especially on a flower! Thanks Lord!

Bark Scorpion
On my kitchen floor, Atenas, Costa Rica 

Both of these shots were made before breakfast this morning. The scorpion crawled out from under my electric dishwasher. You can see that on his tail and left hand he has collected some cobweb.  🙂  I just used the broom to sweep him outside off my deck or terrace. In 2 1/2 years here it is only the second scorpion I have seen, both in my kitchen. I am going to spray under my dishwasher, stove and frig, the best hiding places. Though, last night I opened two cardboard boxes of old genealogy books and that is also a good place for scorpions. Part of living in the jungle!  🙂

Check out my Birds photo gallery and my Other Insects photo gallery for more creature shots.

Home Business Sign: Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas by Ana that I pass every day walking.
She sells them out a window of her house.
People walk or ride a bike to her house to get morning or evening bread.
Atenas, Costa Rica

For first-timers, this is the second in a new series of posts with photos of interesting signs people in Atenas hang outside their homes for their home business. With two photos now, I have also started a new photo gallery: Home Business Signs

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta Glasswing

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta Glasswing
Atenas, Costa Rica

This is a first sighting of this butterfly for me. He was on the screen in my kitchen, obviously near the end of his short life. I went for my camera and when I returned he had fallen onto the kitchen counter next to the sink. Not great shots! I prefer to find them on flowers! 🙂  This is usually the best time of year for butterflies (May-June) but not as many this year. Is it because of more rain?

It is my second clearwing or glasswing butterfly to see or photograph. The other was near Chirripo, Costa Rica in Cloudbridge Nature Reserve and called a Greta Oto or by the guide, just “Glasswing Butterfly.” It was in a tree which is a little better background than a kitchen counter.  🙂  But with my doors wide open during the day, I sorta live outdoors! And I like having nature come to me!

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta
Atenas, Costa Rica

I hope you realize that it is common to find dead or dying butterflies here, since most have very short lives, sometimes only hours! (Yes! Less than one day!) The Monarch is a big exception who migrates to Mexico from as far away as Canada but then dies after giving birth! And we do have some Monarchs here and our famous Blue Morpho Butterfly lives 115 days or about 4 months. So all are different! And you are worried about how long you will live?

See DESCRIPTION  of Greta Morgane on Wikipedia – It is one of several sometimes called “Glasswings” or “Clearwings” and in the smaller category of “Greta” butterflies. Note the link in my opening paragraph to the other Greta I have photographed.

And of course my Butterflies & Moths Photo Gallery has many other interesting creatures! Enjoy!

Gardeners Lunching at My House

Every other Wednesday they come work my yard & eat lunch on my terrace.
Last time William brought ceviche. This coming Wednesday it’s Sopa Azteca.
I’ll eat the soup with them this time, but I don’t eat ceviche (raw fish soup).
I provide the drinks!   La conversación es en español.
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
My Garden photo gallery 

Parakeet Flocks Over My House

Every day I have bigger flocks of parakeets than this flying over my house, more this year for some reason.
But I haven’t gotten a photo over my house. This is one I shot at Rancho Naturalista, Turrialba, Costa Rica.

See also my Birds Gallery

-o-
I went back to Alajuela Hospital and got more papers and two more appointments. Seems a little weird, but on 23 August I go to hospital admissions in Alajuela to be admitted to the hospital for a procedure at Hospital Mexico in San Jose. They will probably weigh me, temp, maybe blood and urine tests; don’t know yet. The next day, 24 August, back at Alajuela Hospital (my province hospital) for an appointment with my cardiologist and possibly other tests, not sure. Then 25 August I go to Hospital Mexico in San Jose to get the angiogram. Whew! It has been confusing because my Spanish is malo (bad), but I plan to take my translator with me in August and hopefully get a little more fluent!

No Angiogram Today

Well, I did not get my angiogram today after two hours at Hospital Mexico (left) and another hour at Alajuela Hospital (my province hospital). It seems that the bigger hospital wants my regional hospital to perform some preliminary tests that they can do before the big hospital does my angiogram which is now rescheduled for 25 Agosto, oh, that’s August 25! And yes, they did tell me that earlier or the doctor scribbled it on the appointment sheet in Spanish that even my Tico friends could not read. Tough luck!

It is all part of the bureaucracy in the government healthcare that Ticos make fun of all the time but are also more naturally patient than Americans. And hey! I have more time than money! So, just another adventure! Plus Jason and I had a great lunch of Mexican food at Jalapeno Central in Alajuela today! They even have pecan pie! (Not something you find very often here!)

The other thing a learned today is how important it is to speak Spanish if you are going to live here as a local and use services like this! Sure wish I had learned Spanish when I was young! I’m a slow learner now! I really needed my translator today, Jason Quesada. My cardiologist will call me next week when he returns from a trip and get it all worked out.  🙂   Pura vida!

 -o-

And for my fellow readers and literary lovers, you must see this more sophisticated evaluation of Donald Trump that ironically uses a wonderful old Russian fairy tale to describe him: 

REBECCA SOLNIT: THE LONELINESS OF DONALD TRUMP


Are any of my American friends aware that your president is now the most mocked man in the world? How sad! And even sadder, my cable TV subscription does not include the American NBC network, thus I don’t get to watch Saturday Night Live! Sob, sob.  🙂  And even the YouTube clips are not licensed for showing in Costa Rica, thus can’t go there! I occasionally see little clips on Washington Post or a pirated one somewhere. So funny! 

Medical Test Tomorrow, Friday, Maybe

As mentioned earlier, I’m scheduled for an angiogram tomorrow, Friday, June 2. They were to call me by today and tell me the exact time. I never got the call. Long story, but I loaned my phone to a friend yesterday and he evidently turned the volume down to 0 or I could have accidently done it. I discovered it tonight and then found on the “recent calls” that the hospital tried to call me twice today. Darn!

Anyway, I am going to show up at Hospital Mexico at 7 AM tomorrow with my interpreter and hope I am still scheduled for sometime tomorrow. The devil is in the details and little things like the volume control button on my cellphone! Ugh!

-o-

It will be huge and just over the hill from Atenas, closer to me than the current SJO Airport. And I will only be 87 years old, so good time to come visit through the big new airport!  🙂  Click title to see pictures and read about this big infrastructure improvement here. 

Saying Nothing

A great article I just read in Christianity Today online: Why We Argue Best with Our Mouths Shut  and this link will open for non-subscribers of CT, a new service they now provide for people like me who like to share their articles. This describes my kind of Christianity (or evangelism) for a long time now and how I try to live it here in Costa Rica. It’s also interesting that science proves the title statement true according to this article and “the secret may lie in the charge put forth by James: to make every effort to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).” Not easy for someone who likes to talk as much as I do!  🙂  Enjoy a free article from a great magazine! 
And just for fun . . .
Spanish for ear: la oreja  or  listen: escuchar

-o-
RECORD RAINY SEASON?   Actually too early to tell, but . . . 

Note that “Rainy Season” in Costa Rica is May-November with much of the country having our heaviest rain in September & October. Let’s see what they say in November or December!?  🙂