ONE COMMAND SPOKEN IN PERFECT SPANISH AND, STILL, I AM IGNORED...AND SO MUCH MORE

One of the first phrases I learned before our first trip to Panama in 2012 was "ayudame" or "help me."  For a number of reasons, I thought this would be wise to know then and now.  If we are lost, we need help in the store or on the road, trying to understand something being said to us, or need directions, I thought it was easier to learn and memorize this quick command.  I had yet to put it to use until just the other day when I found myself in the predicament of being stuck in the womans bathroom stall.  Ray and I traveled to Westland Mall to shop first at the Conway store.  We were in search of bedroom comforters. But first, a stop at the restroom before shopping.  It was easy enough to slide the lock over once inside the stall, but when I tried to let myself out, it was jammed.  Not the slider (of the lock itself), but the magnet up at the top of the door (or something up there was stuck).  My "Ayudame" came to me quickly, since I knew there was a woman next door.  Then, I heard her washing her hands.  I heard her grabbing the towels.  I shouted my command.  Nothing.  I rattled the door.  I even told someone, anyone, that my husband was just outside the bathroom.  Hey, if you don't want to help me, how about if you go get him?  Nothing.  I shook and rattled and pulled at the top of the door.  I stuck my feet under the door and hung my hands over the top for the next woman that walked into the bathroom.  There was not a way under the stall, since it was such tight quarters by the toilet (I looked). Then I thought "call Ray".  Not in the sense of yelling for him, because I did not know if he was wandering the aisles waiting for me, but I used my phone to call him.  He quickly asked where I was and thought I had gone shopping elsewhere while waiting for him to come out of the mens bathroom.  I started cracking up laughing trying to tell him "I am stuck and locked in the stall, and no one will help me".  He told me there was a woman in the bathroom with me (duh).  I told him I knew this, and there were two in with me.  And neither one would help me.  Why are we discussing this?  Please go get someone to get me out of here.  He did not want to walk in, since there was a woman inside, so he found the sales girl.  In his perfect Spanish, even though he did not know how to say "stuck", he told her his wife was in the bathroom, and the door was broken. She came in, acted like it was an everyday occurrence to rescue a woman from the stall (this is Panama, so I am sure it is), banged the door forward, and out I went, but not after first coming down from standing on the toilet seat (I was trying to see over the stall to see how the door worked, or did not, in this case) to a smiling sales girl.  A man outside was laughing with us.  Not at me, of course.  When I told my Spanish teacher this story (practicing phrases of what could have been said), and I told MC this at House of Hope yesterday, they both said my "ayudame" should have done the trick.  Not.  But I felt good knowing that when in a bind, I could use my words and try to express myself.  But just like with me understanding the Panamanians, perhaps my dialect is a "little" bit off.

Almost me.  

Going to Westland Mall was not any part of the plan for last Wednesday.  But following the gym,  giving blood for the Panama Hospice and Respite Foundation, and before participating in dance lessons, going there was the thing we decided to do in that hour.  Not a typical day haha

With giving blood, the Panama Hospice and Respite Foundation supports the Emergency Blood Bank Registry of Panama City.  There is a low blood bank inventory at many hospitals in Panama. As we were told a few weeks ago, only five percent of healthy adults donate (this number is ten percent in the United States), and there was a request put out for expats to sign up and donate a pint of blood. The Administration building in Coronado's Equestrian development was where the event took place.  It would be held for four hours, and there was a stand by list for those that tried to make appointments, but the day was fully booked.  Dr. Montero, a hemotologist who runs blood bank in Panama, came in from the city, and while we were not successful with finding the comforters,  we both had excellent blood pressure and hemoglobin levels.  He evaluated Ray and I, along with all the other possible donors, and gave us the thumbs up as donors.  Thirty expats were able to give blood that day (none were turned away).  Refreshments were provided by Playacommunity.  Cafe Viana cookies were excellent!  We needed our juice and sweets, after all.  We had wonderful indoor or outdoor seating while waiting our turn or just chatting with friends after giving a pint of blood and resting.  This is just another of the many organizations expats can be a part of volunteering for and offering their time.

http://playacommunity.com/en/

http://www.panamahospiceandrespite.org/donor.html

Ray enjoys his juice while losing a pint of blood.

That same afternoon I had decided I was going to go to Coronado for dance lessons.  I would go solo.  I would try it out, and if I enjoyed it, perhaps Ray would come along next time.  The lessons were being held at the Sukha Bar.  Lessons are $5 for two hours.  There were ten of us along with two dance instructors.  We learned the Easy Swing.  And there was another woman at the lessons by herself.  We each danced with an instructor.  I didn't figure it out until the end that I should have been dancing under either the fan or the AC vent.  I was so hot, and I was so sweaty.  What a workout that was that afternoon.  Ray will go with me this coming week, because on Friday night while at Sukha Happy Hour, I was able to introduce Ray to the two new couples I had met at the lessons.  This way he will feel a little more comfortable walking onto the dance floor on Wednesday.  I just told him that I, too, have two left feet.  Practice makes perfect.  

This is so us!  

Friday night Happy Hour was again a great night.  But first, before that, we had met a woman at the Bluwater Bistro Happy Hour Thursday night, and we offered her a ride to the restaurant in Coronado.  This sweet woman is staying at the Bahia condominium and is in Panama traveling for a month.  She has traveled the world.  She came up to Ray and I while we were seated at a long table for eight.   We had decided to eat dinner outside for a change, and we knew there was a possibility it was not going to be a pork chop.  We resigned ourselves to that until the menus were brought to us.  We were handed three different menus, and on the one menu, there was The Flintstone Chop.  Can't turn that down!  I ordered the Bang Bang Chicken Salad (so good!).  Back to meeting friends at the Happy Hour though, our table for eight quickly filled with four more people (two permanent expats and two visiting the two permanent--got that?).  I chatted a great deal with this friendly woman, and, after a few hours, plans were made for the next night.  This would give her a chance to see where the expats were, since her complex is now very quiet.

At Sukha Bar on Friday, the three of us turned our table for four into a table for eight again, and we had different expats mixing and mingling.  Ray and I are meeting quite a few couples that live in this area full time.  The snowbirds are slowly migrating north again.  At this Happy Hour, the band again is one that I enjoy albeit loud.  After a few hours there, we called it a night and dropped our new friend from Denver off at her building assuring her we would keep in touch.  She wants to see our house, so we will take her "west" of Coronado to show her the development sometime soon.  Back at Casa Cuarenta in Chame, we face timed with our daughter telling her my humurous tale of being stuck in the bathroom.  She had a chance to fill us in on her week, and we then dug into the excitement of talking about her upcoming trip to see us in a week!  We are all so excited.  Her good friend and colleague is coming along with her for the trip.  Six days and counting until I see my baby girl again!

And then it was back to Woody's House of Hope I went yesterday.  On the way to Penonome is the furniture store, and this lovely man, Cruze, is making most of our furniture for the house.  I stopped by the store to make sure of one thing with the staining of the pieces, managed to speak all Spanish, and he told me my Spanish was coming along great!  This was good to hear.  He remembers Ray and I stopping by many times last year, so he knows how far we have come with our lessons (thanks to a great teacher!).

This is the back of the store.  

Beautiful teak!

Once at Woody's, my first task was painting.  And then it was an "oh my" sort of feeling.  There is an Open House in a few weeks, and I wanted to get started on cleaning and organizing the library.  Overall, the house looks great!  The deposito which is really a bedroom is now a typical storage room in that it is where things get dropped off, but that room has been adopted and  will be cleaned up again in no time flat!  The other empty bedroom with an adjoining bathroom has also been adopted.  What I was able to do was put the final coat of paint on the last wall in the bedroom Thea and I adopted, assemble a shelving unit in hopes of having a little more storage for books, and then I dug into the library.  Where to begin?  I moved items around, I wiped down some surfaces haphazardly, and I felt overwhelmed.  I found the top of the table and then covered it up again unsure of where to put things.  I started putting books in a certain order, and then decided that with MC's guidance and help, we have an opportunity to attack it together the week before the Open House.  I did not want to throw anything away, because I did not know what MC would be able to use, what she would be able to restore or what would be repaired in the coming weeks.  I needed her to decide what papers are trash, what electronics work, I thought that maybe someone can hang the gigantic chalkboard to get it off the floor and out of the way a bit, and she will tell me where we can store all of the ceiling tiles that are back to covering the table that will one day soon be used by the girls for studying.  I felt really good though in the few hours that I was at the house.  I was alone while MC was at the orphanage teaching and the girls were inside their rooms or at the dining room table studying.  And with MC's assurance, although it did not look like I had touched the library, she could see the difference.  I felt that I had broken through the surface a little bit.  Just like all things in Panama, little by little.  I cannot wait to see the end results of this room.  And for the girls, I am excited about this house.  It is looking pulled together, and they are really coming together as a core group of friends and family with MC.  They are so welcoming and inviting whenever I show up, and the love in that house and for that house in what it represents is a great thing.

Could not figure this puzzle out.  Then I saw
the other parts in another corner.  Another day, I thought.

The beginning.  Where to put the tiles?

Piles.  Bags to still sort through, books to file in order, etc etc etc

 Once back from Woody's, it was Cholo's for Mexican food!  The basket of chips was overloaded this time which is rare.  Ray's margarita was delicious.   It was all so good, and our waiter was very friendly and just fun.

Today, Ray and I enjoyed lunch at a friends beautiful home on over three acres in Chapala.  This area is approximately forty-five minutes from where we live in Chame.  Even with it being so dry, the grounds are lovely.  The hummingbirds were buzzing around while we drank wine on the outdoor porch.  This couple has lived in Panama for ten years.   Whenever Ray and I drive back from Panama City, we make mention of "stopping by", but the city can wipe us out!  We decided to plan a day to visit them.  Lunch was just the icing on the cake.  Great wine, great food and great conversation made for another full day for us in this thing called retirement!

We finally tried Sugar Cane juice this past week (Sugar cane on the ground on right side)

Green and frothy.  Smelled like grass.  Too sweet for even me!

A WEEK IN PANAMA

As usually happens more often than not, yesterday went by with Ray and I wondering where the day went, and how the day ended up the way it did--it was a little confused, but it was still a better day than a day at the dental office.  No complaints here!  While I didn't accomplish my tasks at Woody's House of Hope (it will get done), we did meet with a new friend late in the day that will be installing blinds for us (waiting for his quote, but it will certainly be better than a first quote we have been given by another company).  We met him at the beautiful Bijao complex on the Santa Clara beach in nearby Coclé, Panama.

                                                      http://www.bijao.com/

  He is the property manager for many properties west of Coronado, and it was in one condominium here that he could show Ray and I samples of the work he has done with different style blinds and shades for our new home.  We followed him to another condominium in nearby Playa Blanca (the large resort with the lagoon for a swimming pool) to see other examples of shades and blinds.  I was so busy looking at the amazing views out of the condominiums, I had to remind myself to look at the material hanging from the windows.  Once we agreed on the type of blind we would want installed, he then requested one more measurement of our very large sliding glass doors in our soon-to-be family room.  Gee, now we have to go back to the house to get the measurements.  We had just told Carl (the builder's son and also a builder himself I should add) that we were not going to return to the house for one week.  We were there last Friday, and as of the end of this week, all of the wood work is to be done.  The man responsible for this job is one month behind in installing our wood cabinets, door frames, and everything wood.  He has this week to complete the job.  But since we needed those two measurements, we stopped by the house and chatted with Kevin, the builder and founder of this project.

http://www.azurapanama.com  

We found out he has new buyers that will live across the street from us come December.  Or earlier depending on occupancy permits and the government bureaucracy once the house is built.  And we saw the bathrooms in our house being completed with gorgeous teak cabinets and the granite resting on top.  The switch plates are installed, and we now have a sliding glass door in the family room.  The little things matter, and once the dust settles from the cutting of the granite, fixtures, lights and ceiling fans will start going up.

I should write here how we met this man that is property manager of over forty properties with his wife and also a specialist in blinds.  While in the pool with our friends, Robin and John, we met two women that own a house in our community here in Chame.  We have never seen them before, because they are not in Chame permanently.  They are here quite often (every eight weeks or so), but our time here has not overlapped their time it seems.  They have owned their home for five years and live in Kentucky.  After talking to them a little bit about Panama, what has changed in the area since they bought their home, their lives in the States and how life is there and here, we were invited the next day to a dinner party.  This is where Ray started chatting with the man grilling my filet just perfectly (without letting it touch the shrimp nearby).  He found out this man and his wife have lived here for seven years, and yes, he installs blinds and shades.  What a night, too.  We saw what our rental house looks like when homeowners are not renting the property.  A beautiful home, garden, furnishings, paint colors, with it all so cozy and inviting.  A really great way to spend a Sunday night in Panama.

After taking the measurements of the walls surrounding the sliding glass door, it was now dinner time.  We had decided to try a new Chinese restaurant to us in San Carlos (on the InterAmerican Highway) called Don Mario's.  We were given large menus with pages of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts (thinking of our friend, Greg, and his love of flan), but many things were marked in pencil "No Hay" meaning "There is no".  However, when we asked about these items, we were told that the items were available.  Always ask.  We enjoyed the pork and chicken egg rolls along with our entrees.  It is a place we will revisit especially when we live on that side of Coronado.

Last week, we found ourselves again at Bluwater Bistro.  This restaurant is in the Bahia complex in Gorgona.  No need to twist our arm here.  

http://www.insidepanamarealestate.com/blog/bluwater-bistro-bahia.htm

We were having a send off meal with friends that are headed to Boquete, Pedasi, Panama City and then home to Canada.  They have been in Coronado for almost two months and will be missed.  But alas, there weren't any pork chops this past week on the menu.  Always a good place to catch up on weekly events, and this was also the meet up point for me to gather the goods for Woody's House of Hope.  So great to have six people to load up our car that night!  

The next night Ray and I decided to go to a new Happy Hour at Sukha.  We had driven by the restaurant one week prior while our friends were visiting, and it seemed like a good place to again catch up with friends.  This bar, and soon to be restaurant, took the place of what had been a steakhouse restaurant in Coronado.  We have been told it was a not so good steakhouse which explains why it is no more.  Friday nights there is a band playing that is the same band that had played on the rooftop at Trypp Hotel in Coronado.  My favorite kind of music was playing, and there is always dancing and karaoke (the later not for me though).  Sitting outside, we had to remember to hold onto our glasses.  There is a strong, cool breeze kicking up some nights, and the week prior, several glasses bit the dust.  This night, I only heard one crash to the ground.  Not mine though!  

Still staying on the subject of eating and drinking, Saturday night we enjoyed a really good dinner at Picasso's.  We don't usually eat there, because we eat a little earlier most nights, but we wanted to get a table, drink Sangria and listen to the Jazz music.  We met with the same friends we had dinner with a few nights prior at Bluwater.  And we met another couple that is renting at Coronado Golf.  He and his wife recently moved to Panama permanently from Chicago.  I will say everyone is very friendly whether an expat or Panamanian here.  People want to meet others, and they will walk right up to you and say hello.  Another thing is that everyone is also available to answer questions and offer up tidbits/advice/suggestions and just different ways to do things or try things that we might not have thought of in the first place.  Phil, who owns a bed and breakfast called La Joya de Chicá is one of many friends we can rely on to answer a question or point us in the right direction.

http://www.lajoyadechica.com 

 In the link below, there are pictures of his place in Chicá along with our trip to Campana National Park.  I wrote about this when Clyde and Terry took Ray and I on a day trip in March, 2013. 

 http://www.2wannabretireesinpanama.blogspot.com/2013/03/looking-listening-learning-and-with.html  

Phil also gave us the information about a jungle tour when I inquired where we could take a lake tour and possibly see more monkeys.  I have read recently though that Monkey Island is gone.  The monkeys have had to find a new place to hang out (no pun intended), due to the expansion of the canal taking away the island.  

http://www.junglelandpanama.com

And while Panamanians are not necessarily at these happy hours or sitting listening to the bands we listen to, they do say hello and smile wherever we see them.  They make themselves available to answering questions ("do you know where this is, how can I find that" and so on).   It is a very friendly country from what Ray and I have found since moving here last August.  

Moving backwards in my thoughts, how can I forget how we spent the day last Friday!  We took a drive to El Valle to see our friend, Tonette.  We had made plans to enjoy lunch at Casa de Lourdes, and boy, we did enjoy our lunch!

http://www.lacasadelourdes.com/  OR

http://panamainfo.com/en/listing/casa-de-lourdes-el-valle 

We shared several appetizers sitting outside by the pool with more cool breezes.  We also shared two amazingly delicious desserts one of which was called "El Heart Attack".  We caught Tonette up on our life in Chame, and she caught us up on her life.  WE chatted in her casita, walked the grounds admiring the new casita being built on the property, and we made promises to visit again when our daughter was with us in a few weeks.  The temperature was a cool 84 degrees in El Valle that day.  

***FYI--A brand new two bedroom, two bathroom casita in El Valle to be completed in June for rent.  Beautiful, private grounds with great neighbors!  Can get contact information to any person if interested.

Outdoor seating at the restaurant

Dessert One of Two

Taking a break on the couch.

Besides eating and drinking, there have been things on our to do list for this month.  Ray and I have been to the little yellow clinic (next to the Barber Shop by the bus stop in the Coronado area) to have our blood work done, and Ray's numbers (for cholesterol) are ideal.  Of course they are, and I shouldn't be miffed haha  He has not had his checked in a number of years. My numbers came back the lowest of low!  Awesome!  For four tests each, the cost with our Jubilado discount was $22.50/person (without discount $25/person).  My appointment with  Dr. Levy with discount was $12.75 (without discount is $15) to review findings.  I had a dental appointment and had my crown delivered finally, and yes, the tooth is just fine.  He honored the quote he gave me last August when I first lost my veneer and he said I would need a crown someday.  I am unsure what his current fee would be today.  I am just annoyed it had to be done here in Panama in the first place.  Oh well.  It's done, and I can now bite into an apple again without worry of losing it!  On Tuesday, we had six bar stools delivered to this house.  They arrived the day they were supposed to, but not at the designated time of ten am.  When Ray called inquiring about them at one pm, he was told three pm.  Then we found out the driver was thinking they were to be delivered to a nearby storage facility.  Ray put our neighbor, Gus, on the phone.   He could speak faster Spanish and get the matter resolved quickly.  He looked at the directions we had written down for the driver and commented "perfect".  Unsure how they ended up at a storage facility.  They were going to unload a great looking king size mattress into our house, but we told them we only had six bar stools.  Assembly was done, and we slid our rental units six bar stools out of the way.  We are now enjoying our bright red chairs.  They are much more comfortable, and here's knowing that they will pop in the new house!  

And with all of that, new restaurants to try, furniture delivered successfully, dental and doctor appointments covered, happy hours to catch up with great friends, Ray and I squeezed in walks on the beach along with pool time.  We had to be lazy at some point soaking in the pool chatting with friends.  Okay, the walks are not the lazy part.  Ray and I can cover a lot of ground when we get ourselves out there.  And yes, while I had been to the gym last week a few times alone, there was that one morning I decided I had enough time to use the weight machines before our beach walk.  And this time, the one time I am only there goofing off with just the weight machines for thirty minutes, I am not alone.  I walk in, the A/C is running and there is the owner's daughter, who happens to be a strikingly beautiful model from Canada.  And her just as beautiful boyfriend is nearby and also a model.  I am thinking I enjoy my alone time all the more at the gym, but perhaps the beach walks will keep calling my name for a few more weeks.  As long as Ray wants to hit the sand walking in the morning, I can give up the treadmill, no problem!  Okay, after today's St. Patrick's Day feast (Kudos to Louise, President of CASA, her husband, all other Board Members and those that were part of set up and clean up for throwing a wonderful party full of green!), I better hit the gym one more time in this thing called retirement.  

IF THIS BLOG HELPS ONE PERSON OR, IN TODAY'S CASE, A FOUNDATION

In whatever capacity, whether this blog helps those looking to Panama as a future retirement destination (or even vacation spot), gives our family and friends insight to our new life and our settling into retirement, or perhaps encourages anyone that might be looking for a way to help in their own "down time" of retirement, all of this is important to me when I am writing a post.  Sometimes blogs can turn into daily journals, and believe me, I know all about the writing of a journal.  I kept a journal for Carly, our daughter, for sixteen of her wonderful "childhood" years.  I am trying to keep this blog about Panama and its trials and tribulations, its challenges, things we find we like and don't like and not turn it into a daily journal for me and about my "dear diary" days.  I do want to also share the joys of being able to retire, pack up all of our things, travel the country and beyond, and write about the things Ray and I have found to be simple in nature living 24/7 with each other.  I also hope to use it as a means to spread the word of organizations I might stumble upon along the way.

When Ray and I moved to Panama, we looked into different areas that we thought we might be able to volunteer our time.  We had plenty of it, after all.  The long and short of this is that six months into retirement, I found I wanted to invest some time and energy into Woody's House of Hope.  This house is the only empowerment house for at-risk girls.  It is in Penenome about a forty-five minute drive from the Coronado area.   I knew that once I had returned from our trip to Virginia in February and my friends had returned home from their vacation here to Virginia in early March, I needed to make a trip to the house.  I needed to put a final coat of paint on one of the walls in the room Thea and I adopted, I wanted to put a small storage cubby together for our room, but most importantly I needed to talk to MC about my next move in the house.  Where could she put me to use next, basically.  I let my friend Nancy know that I would be going to the house this past Saturday, and if she wanted to stop in on the house and see what it was about, she could take the drive with me.  She had expressed interest in the house and volunteering when she and her husband, Paul, had Ray and I for breakfast with her guests and our friends, Brenda and Dave, a few weeks ago.  Not only does Nancy now own a bed and breakfast (http://www.sunrisesunsetgh.com) with Paul, but she was also a former hairdresser and dental office manager when she lived in the States.  Her dental office sounds like a dream.  Back on track, Nancy wanted to offer her services as a hairstylist to the girls living in the house while there. And what's wonderful would be that once Nancy sees the house and spends time talking to MC, I know she will spread the word to her close knit group of friends.  These friends may be able to offer volunteer hours, or donations of money or incidentals for the house. Along with bringing Nancy to the house this past Saturday, I had told MC that I had a friend here, and we loaded my SUV up with bags and bags of donated goods not only for the girls, but also for the orphanage, and I would be unloading this into the house, as well.  Thanks Nancy, and the girls, for helping with the unloading, because there were so many bags!

And a fan that works, too!

I told Nancy this was my first long drive in Panama, lucky her.  After passing the house once, turning left in what was not really a left turn, passing by a group of six to eight policemen standing on the side of the road with a police Van, and then being waved through the road block being set up once we made our turn around, we arrived to the house with six girls, one father and MC inside.  There are now six girls living in the house!  This is really great, but also has its challenges of now there are six, and not two, or four, anymore!

MC and I formulated a plan.  She sees me as an "organizer".  And this I like, because this is something I feel I can do for her with help or solo.  Two of the six girls wanted their hair cut that day.  And it's a good thing there were only two of them for the day, because they both wanted long layers.  And long layers takes time.  So we put Nancy to work while I continued to chat.  Nancy did such a great job, and she, too, chatted with MC about future appointments with the girls.

This pretty girl asked Nancy for long layers, but a shorter haircut.

And this sweet girl asked Nancy for long layers, but she still wanted her long hair.

 I didn't even think (until I was almost out the door) that I could have been doing something, anything, such as painting, since I knew I would be returning again soon.  The wall will still be there, and the library is waiting for me.  What is really needed for this space are bookshelves and more of them!  The man that was working with MC on the house has not been coming around of late.  She is unsure where he went off to, since she hasn't been able to contact him.  The good is that there are many bookshelves already in place.  The bad is there are many, many books still needing to be shelved.  This room is going to serve as an office/study/library for MC and the girls.

Which brings me to today and my putting that final coat of paint on the wall of the bedroom.  I knew exactly where the paint was (made sure of this on Saturday), I knew where the cubes were that I wanted to put together as a small storage unit for the room, and I knew a little bit of what I could get done in a few hours in the library.  MC's friend, Marisol, would be at the house to help me.  Ray and I drove out to a locked house.  Long story short is that Marisol arrived and didn't have keys to the house, and the girls that did have keys had locked the entire house.  Makes sense, of course, but they had gone to school today (they didn't have classes last week).  They were right down the road at the University.  But they didn't have phones, or they weren't able to answer them (again, makes sense), and they wouldn't return to the house for another two hours or so.  Marisol, a wonderful woman and friend, spoke Spanish very slowly to us.  She is so sweet!  She even said there was a lot of work to be done today.  I agreed.  But it was decided that we would drive her back to her house, and in the future, I can always pick her up on the way to House of Hope, and she will help me with the library.  She will have keys.  I was more frustrated for MC who was receiving phone calls while she was trying to do her full-time teaching job at the school.  She was trying to make contact with one of the girls.  Like Ray and I said on the trip back to Chame, I have time to offer, and things happen.  I will go out another day.  I am being really anal retentive about that wall needing a second coat of paint!

There is some exciting news about Woody's House of Hope I have to include in this post.  Skye, the President of the JLM Christian Foundation, started a fundraiser in February.  It was called The Money Bomb Competition.  This was new to me.  It was the second annual It Takes A Village fundraiser.  Last year, there was a race, but this year, individuals, teams and businesses competed to raise the most money in one month in whatever fashion (a few examples were:  selling lemonade, baked goods, providing movie night, an Intimate Musical Evening with catered food, even cover charge money to listen to bands raised was to be donated, etc).  When this campaign ended this past Saturday, the GRAND TOTAL RAISED for Woody's House of Hope is, drumroll please, $7911.90!  Wow!  That is beyond fantastic!  And the winner (the person who raised the most money out of all the competitors and raise over $1000) will receive a $1000 cash prize at the Open House in April. 

 This prize is being awarded by United Country Panama.

 (http://www.coastalpanamaproperties.com/meetourteam.htm)

The sole purpose of this post is to put the word out again about MC (her mission work), the JLMChristian Foundation and, most importantly, Woody's House of Hope.  In one post, I wrote that a plumber or handyman was needed to install a kitchen faucet.  Check that off the list.  This was put in place by friends not too long ago.  Now I am putting the word out that a carpenter or handyman is needed to build shelves for the library.  And to repair some other wood work in the house for MC.  And, below I have included the list of things MC is asking for at this time for the house.

Finally, there is an OPEN HOUSE FOR ALL.  Everyone is welcome. Here's hoping for a huge turnout, and that more volunteers will come out to support this wonderful cause in Panama.

Saturday, April 11 11-4  

For more information, go to this link http://jlmchristianfoundation.org/panama.html

OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING OF WOODY'S HOUSE OF HOPE!
COME OUT AND SEE THE HOUSE AND MEET THE GIRLS!
WHEN? SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH
WHERE? PENONOME

DIRECTIONS: 
#1. PASS THRU THE TOWN OF ANTON
 #2. ONCE YOU SEE THE MACHETAZO ON YOUR LEFT SLOW DOWN
 #3. YOU WILL SEE A GAS STATION ON THE LEFT.
#4. THE WOODY'S HOUSE OF HOPE IS ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM THE GAS STATION, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. :)
#5. DRIVE INTO THE FRONT YARD.
#6. EAT SNACKS, DRINK AND MEET THE GIRLS AND SEE THE HOUSE. 

Ways to donate:  

At the website, donations can be made via Paypal.  

There is a box at Picasso Restaurant in Coronado.  

Things to donate: 

Food (MEATS--all kinds, rice, beans, lentils, milk, eggs, flour, sugar)

Feminine hygiene products---only sanitary napkins, please 

Clothing (for ages 18 and up) 

Graduation, prom, wedding or bridesmaid dresses for Quinceañera (celebration of a girl's 15th birthday)--these are for the Orphanage

Wanted:

Handyman

Email to: houseofhopepanama@gmail.com with questions or to volunteer!
Visit and like facebook page JLM House of Hope Panama for information on to see current events!

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FRIENDS COME TO VISIT US IN PANAMA!

Ray and I had our very first visitors come to see us in Panama this past week.  My friend and co-worker of seven years, Robin, and her husband, John, came to visit us and explore Panama.  Oh, it was John's birthday week and also a great time to escape the cold temperatures (which in Stafford, Virginia was everyday, but Wednesday), rain and ice (Sunday) and six plus inches of snow (yesterday).  All we can hope for is that while we think we showed them quite a bit in the past five days, we also hope they had a week of relaxation and rest.  While John is now retired, Robin works five full days of hygiene and has done so for over thirty years.  She deserves this break and the warmth of Panama!  Today, while Virginia is digging out of the Winter Storm Thor snowfall, we enjoyed one last day at the beach and pool.  First though, we ate empanadas and pizza at Carlito's, after Driver Ray took us west to show them a little bit more of Panama's beaches.  There were also souvenirs to buy and more pictures to snap.  Once lotioned up and at the pool, we left John lounging in the shade while Ray, Robin and I walked the beach and floated in the pool. What an end to the week!

But before today, let's go back to Sunday where we enjoyed the day (after relaxing Saturday night in house) in El Valle.  We walked through the popular market, ate lunch at Bruschetta's, walked over the suspension bridges (Ray likes to jump on them) to the waterfall and the natural pool, and had a quick visit with our friend, Tonette and her kitten (always will be a kitten to me), Tito.  We stopped by the grocery store and picked up some groceries for dinner.  Not being one to really eat hamburgers, I decided to go with the team and sink my teeth into a grilled burger.  It wasn't quite cooked to medium well for me, so after I nuked it in the microwave for twenty seconds, I took a big Whopper kind of a forkful into my mouth (sans the bun).  I then proceeded to gargle, turn purple and choke.  Having had to re-certify in CPR every two years, I knew then I wasn't choking per se.  I wasn't blue, I could still make a sound, and I had a little bit of air passing through my nose and down my throat (I think.  It all happened so fast.  Okay, I think I was choking after I review my notes.).  And then I panicked a little.  I thought about where I was living and how things might not be so easy for Ray if I didn't dislodge this hamburger quickly.  Ray jumped up when I motioned for him to help me.  Robin also jumped up to help, but she saw Ray take action (Ray did call her name to make sure she was right there to assist him as needed), and as soon as I shoved Ray's fists just a bit harder into my abdomen, there she blows!  All was right with the world.  I finished that burger hesistantly, but I doubt I will ever eat a whole one again.  Onto a new day thankfully haha

The next day was a long, but full day.  Happy birthday to John!  He turned thirty again!  We gave them a tour of Panama north of the city.  This was much the same that we had done with Greg and Thea about a month ago except for seeing Portobelo.  And we didn't stay overnight in Colon.  I still get goosebumps seeing ships go through the Gatun Locks.  We ate lunch at the marina, and this is where I was told (I asked) the reason there is still a guard at the gate to "Fort Sherman" (it is no longer a US Army base or the Jungle Operations Training Center), now known as Shelter Bay Marina.  It is because the now empty and looted barracks and buildings along the water were a haven for drug smugglers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI16MPR_uFM
We did the drive through of Colon and finished our day practicing Spanish at Delizz restaurant along the InterAmerican highway.  We were saying the right words really, but the understanding of our dialect didn't seem to be there.  Once home, Robin and John caught up with their three children on face time, and they had the opportunity to give their dad happy birthday greetings.

Fort San Lorenzo Chagres River 

Robin and John at the Locks

Here she comes!

Notice the man in orange looking over the edge.

On Tuesday, Robin finally saw the beach and put her toes in the sand!  We walked the beach at Punta Barco, while Ray and John sat under the umbrella.  Robin and I sat in our chairs along the waters edge with high tide creeping up on us.  We watched surfers take to the waves, and we decided anything they were doing was 150% better than what we could possibly be doing out there on the waves.  We enjoyed dinner at Gourmet Pizza with Greg.  We had to check up on him to make sure he was keeping Coronado squared away.  Happy hour occurred at Casa Cuarenta after dinner.  We usually tried to set John up with sports on TV, while the three of us would catch up on emails, read, or play frustrating games on our tablets.

Before we knew it, it was Wednesday which meant a day back in the city touring Panama City itself.  At the end of the day, it was decided we probably wouldn't include Miraflores Locks in our tour package with any upcoming guests unless it is high on their list.  Reasons being listed below:

Gatun Locks:  Pros

*close parking lot/ease of parking

*$5/person (vacationer)

*ships extremely close/more personal

*tour guide lady extremely friendly/personal

*less crowds

*informational movie

*once in this area, can tour "Northern" Panama

*gift shop

Cons

*distance from our house

*no 3D movie or museum (some may think this con)

*all outdoors

*no restaurant/only vending machines

Miraflores Locks:  Pros

*large, beautiful air conditioned building

*can watch ships passing inside or outside

*more seating to watch the ships (larger facility)

*location close to the city and our house

*restaurant

*3D movie/museum

*gift shop

*vending machines

Cons

*$15/person (vacationer) complete ticket

*crowded

*can be hot sitting outside on bleachers

*not personal with tour guide or as close to ships

At least, those are the reasons Ray, my friends, and I came up with for the list while eating breakfast on their last vacation day today.  

Here she comes at Miraflores.

But back to Wednesday's activities, it was  another long, but action packed (I am being dramatic here), day.  The day had us walking around the old stone ruins at Panama Viejo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamá_Viejo, eating lunch at Pomodoro in El Cangrejo, Ray winning money on penny slots, while my friends and I lost a few dollars at both slots and blackjack in the Venato Casino, watching the 3D movie and a ship pass by at Miraflores Lock (side note here is that the vending machine with water was broken and our waters were, of course, in the car getting warm, and the souvenir magnets that have a picture of the canal on them don't have "Panama" written on them), walking the old city of Casco Viejo, and finally stopping at Westland Mall for a bust of a dinner (Ray had a successful meal while the three of us attempted to find a place in the food court that had anything listed on the menu) and shopping.  Driver Ray delivered us, again, safe and sound to Chame where we had our first police checkpoint in months.  And then happy hour at Casa Cuarenta along with catching up on face time with my daughter were the final events of the day.

Ending the day, almost, in Casco Viejo

Yesterday was a lazy, restful day all the way around for the four of us.  It was an early day for Ray and I, since we had our Spanish lesson at eight am.  The hour flew by as we shared stories of the past two weeks with our teacher and re-learned a few more things we "used to know".  The rest of our day was spent reading on the back porch (two in the group-guess who), napping (two in the group--another guess here), and floating in our pool.  There we met two ladies from Kentucky that have owned a home for the past five years in our development.  They shared stories about the development, we told them up and coming news about what was happening around them on the roadways, and we talked about our current and past jobs.  Our day ended with an as usual excellent dinner of pork chops (!), steak, and corvina at Bluwater Bistro and having the full moon as a backdrop.  In Virginia, my former office was closed for the day (which is where Robin still works), our daughter's school was closed (all county schools were closed), and in DC, the Federal Government was shut down due to the six to eight inches of snow that fell throughout the day.  Fortunately for our friends, they will arrive to "normal" temperatures of fifty degrees when they return home and back to reality.  Unfortunately, they have to return to Virginia and their vacation has to end.  We are ending the day today with another trip to Gourmet Pizza, because it was hailed a favorite, and possibly an early night.  Tomorrow morning will come too soon.  Ray and I will say so long to our friends in hopes that they return again (in their winter season most likely) to relax with us in this thing we are still calling retirement.

Great way to wind down the week at Bluwater Bistro for dinner.