I just need more to do, idle hands and all that. Maybe if I were busier, I wouldn’t have time to sit around examining my navel. I wouldn’t hear the what because maybe there is no what. Maybe I’m just making it all up for Something Important to do.

Speaking of which, there are two more to dos on the list I neglected to mention:

1) Tamara, Margaret, two women I met through Helping Hands Costa Rica (HHCR), and I worked with Gail Nystrom, truly an angel to the poor here in Costa Rica, to help the women of La Promesa [la pro-MAY-sah] sell their crafts at The Newcomer’s Club bazaar last Saturday and at the Women’s Club fair coming up on the 10th of November.

La Promesa is a very poor neighborhood created by the Costa Rican government for (mostly) women escaping abusive relationships. In her efforts to help them be self-sufficient, Gail arranged for these women to learn crafts – beading with seeds, wood, plastics – and they churn them out. They are simple and beautiful – I’ll post photos from the Women’s Club.

The women also put together an educational/entertainment day at La Promesa. For $10, you go for a tour, a short talk, a native dance by the children in costumes made by the women, lunch, then shopping for crafts. Mom went last time and loved it. (Have I mentioned she loves everything?)

Unfortunately, the Newcomer’s bazaar was very poorly attended. I don’t think anyone sold anything – and there are some beautiful artisans here, local and expat – to anyone who wasn’t also a presenter! Hopefully the Women’s Club will be better attended.

2) Evangeline and I are speaking at the International Living conference next week being held at the oh-so-fabulous-and-swanky Los Sueños Resort in Jacó. That will be VERY fun. An audience and applause. What’s not to like?

Evangeline, as founder and head of HHCR, is speaking about volunteer opportunities. I am speaking about life as an expat, what it’s like, what happened, culture shock – the whole nine yards. Basically the blog on stage. The only topic I’ll skip is real estate. As might be expected, they have TONS of real estate
people talking there. It is, after all, geared toward people moving to
Costa Rica!

And I will, of course, be pushing my book*… I swear, it’s coming. Turns out writing the damn thing is the easy part!!!

E & I are putting together Power Point Presentations for both talks. Really exciting. After it’s over, E will have a presentation ready-to-go for talking about Helping Hands locally, like at the Women’s and Newcomer’s Club, the Rotary Club – all those clubs.

And I’ll have a presentation all ready for when I’m on Oprah. You know, on the book tour. No time for examining my navel today. Back to the book!

*Advice From A Broad: The First 100 Things You Need To Know About Coming To Costa Rica. Catchy title, eh?


Previous Post
Next Post