9.22.13

home alone

9.21.13

progression

this is xan...... he's "just a dude trying to figure out life."

9.20.13

day 20

this is kofu...... el es "un perro con un grande historia." 

he kind of reminds me of the after photo of a meth-addicted muppet.  (this is a flattering photo.)

9.19.13

back on the wagon

I’ve recently decided to go back to being an herbivore.  This is not my first foray into vegetarianism.  Through no choice of my own I was forced to become one when my brother, aged uh.. 4, declared that he would no longer partake of meat.  Somehow our whole family got roped into this.  John started eating meat again after some time but I held out for almost 14 years.  Although at the end there I occasionally started eating fish.  I lived in California at the time which is a magical place full of people who were quick to tell me ‘you’re not a vegetarian you’re a pescatarian,’ which was true.  And also really, really annoying.

Anyway, after gleefully partaking in flesh for a few years I’m jumping back on the vegetarian bandwagon.  I’d love to say this is for some morally superior reason (...ahem. ahimsa.)  It’s not.  I’m doing a lot of yoga lately and find that I practice, focus and meditate more effectively when my body feels light, i.e. when it’s not digesting meat and other heavy shit.  I will never be one of those people who shames meat eaters – I made bacon ice cream for christssake.  The jig is up.  

I may lapse occasionally.  My family hunts and ergo I have access to large amounts of lean, grassfed, organic meat.  (And to those who say “don’t eat anything you wouldn’t be willing to kill yourself” and assume that I’m burning in shame/smugly content – I’m not.  I was that.)  But I’m gonna do my best and give it a go. 

One reason I wanted to start eating meat again was because I wanted to learn how to prepare and cook it.  I was getting way into the culinary arts and felt I was missing out on a huge portion of cuisine.  Which I was.  Conversely once I became a meat eater I sadly neglected all the interesting and delicious veggie dishes out there.   I’m coming back to them now.  I will probably occasionally post recipes here along with other holisticky stuff.  Hope you enjoy it.   

Namaste bitches, xx

9.18.13

preterito

9.17.13

put a lizard on it

"a human being is a part of the whole called by us "the universe," a part limited in time and space.  he experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical illusion of consciousness.  this delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us.  our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in it's beauty.'

mr. einstein

9.16.13

week three

i had to add this into the post:

John McCallen	8:23 AM (3 hours ago)
to me

I had a dream that you and I were at a pool somwwhere tropical. You had a giant, docile pet iguana that would ride around quietly on your shoulder, even when you went swimming. We were in the water and a king cobra came into the pool area. It was almost 20 feet long and very agitated. 

It started spitting venom around randomly and then slid into the water next to you. You were calm and moved very slowly to get out, your main concern seemed to be that your iguana did not fall off your shoulder or get stuck in the pool with the cobra. 

You made it out fine but I was standing on the pool deck panicking the whole time until you were all the way out, then we just slowly walked away. 

Strange, huh?

Marin McCallen	11:14 AM (45 minutes ago)
to John

that just made me laugh outloud.  did you see my blog today?  posiblamente es mi iguana.  : )

i think there's a life lesson in there somewhere.... when the cobra's in the pool with you don't let your iguana slide off your shoulder. 

this is also funny to me because chepin's (property owner) son michael caught a little iguana the other day and when i looked over he had the poor thing in the pool.  like a toy.  making it swim. so it doesn't seem like a completely far fetched situation. 

--
*

John McCallen	11:15 AM (44 minutes ago)
to me

Hahahah oh my god, that is exactly the iguana from my dream - so funny. 

I like that "When the cobra's in the pool with you don't let your iguana slide off your shoulder." New motto. 

9.15.13

cafe carola

9.14.13

playa guiones

9.13.13

our friday the 13th

mi amor,
thank you for motivating me when i'm being lazy, inspiring me when i'm being dull, standing by me when i'm being a scaredy cat, rejoicing when i succeed..........and always keeping the bats out of my hair.  happy 9 months.  
xx

9.12.13

pura vida

we were walking along when this fisherman came in to drop off some netting.  russ asked him if he'd caught anything.

"yes!  a huge one!  the biggest...... it's just in the ocean right now."

9.11.13

paraiso

9.10.13

day 10

9.9.13

low tide

this is just a reminder:
follow your own path, wherever it may lead you.

9.8.13

week 2

9.7.13

pool party day

9.6.13

zephyr does not want to take a bath day

9.5.13

lunch break

9.4.13

butterfly season

certain theologies and religions say that all of this, life, the world, everything is just an illusion; a trap keeping us from the ultimate.  

but what an amazing, unthinkable, unimaginably beautiful trap it is.

9.3.13

stowaway

9.2.13

lluvia

my three big goals of this year were 

1. to learn to surf
2. to get certified to teach yoga
3. to learn spanish

having bagged number 1 and 2 i figured it was time to do something about number three.  so, today was my first day of spanish lessons at intercultura.  i am literally so excited to be in school.  i forgot what a nerd i am. 

9.1.13

la piscina

you should come visit.  xx.

8.31.13

los flores

8.30.13

                                                                                          

                                                                                              bikes, beers, german breakfast 

it's good to be home new home number 28!

8.29.13

rainy season

8.28.13

graduation day

congratulations congo class! 

8.27.13

luncheon day

we're back for the graduation activities.  today was the student luncheon at the house.

8.26.13

buenas dias costa rica!

8.25.13

 

                                                                                     hasta luego estados unidos

8.24.13

wedding day

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,"

i think these days we can safely say all the worlds a reality show and all the men and women merely participants.

something tells me shakespeare would not be surprised.

8.23.13

hello again new home number 29!

back to this wide open space business.

8.22.13

never call it the willis tower

- sears tower. check
- the bean. check
- millenium park. check
- the el. check
- chicago hot dog. check
- chicago deep dish pizza. check.
- chicago art institute.  check.
- buckingham fountain.  check.
- architectural river tour.  check.
- amazing meal at super cool restaurant. check.
- jeppson malort.  ug. check check check.
- hang out with kimmy.  check

we did pretty good, pretty good.  chicago we'll be back. xx

8.21.13

architectual tour

i'm really onboard with chicago.  i think it's awesome.  i love the architecture and the food and the art and the vibe. 
i have to say though i find it a bit disturbing that 200 years ago it was little more than a fort in a swamp and within that 200 years 
a. the largest freshwater lake in one country has become completely polluted and 
b. the river has been made to run backwards so as to carry the toxic waste in the opposite direction. 

......but the hot dogs!  amazing!

8.20.13

the second city

hello chicago!