Hello to old friends and a few new ones. I can't believe it has been three months since my last blog. I guess since we have settled into our new life here in Panama it doesn't feel like I have much to share. As I sit here thinking about the past few months there are a few things that stand out.
Our Trip to Texas
I planned a trip to Texas over spring break so that I could spend some much needed time with my kids. The plan was to spend a few days in McKinney with Alex and Jacob and then move onto Austin to see Andrew and Amanda. Our dear friends the Scheppners could not bear the fact that Peg would be sitting alone here in Panama so they pooled their family resources (thank you Caitlin and Beth Ann) and got us a ticket for her too. It was a fantastic surprise and made the trip so much better. We had a fabulous visit with Alex and Jacob and our new grand-dog Captain filled with fun dinners at home, a brewery tour, walks in the park, and several trips to the new pie place in downtown McKinney - DELICIOUS. We then headed to Austin to spend time with the kids and friends. Unfortunately Andrew decided that the beach with his college friends was more exciting than his mother so I didn't get to see him, but the rest of the trip was a blast. Peg decided that she could not get along for one more day in Panama without her bicycle. So we endeavored to pack up her mountain bike from the storage unit and bring it back with us. What a fiasco! We are now calling it the money pit. Not to mention that we did not factor in how hard it was going to be to get it from Austin to Dallas and then to the airport. A big thank you goes out to Cherie, Randy and Cindy Rumney and to Jacob - the best son-in-law on the planet who took it all in stride.
 |
| Franconia Brewery Tour with Jacob and Alex |
 |
| Spoiling the grand-dog with his first ice cream - He loved it. |
 |
| Thanks Schep, Cheri, Beth Ann and Caitlyn! |
The Starting of our Casa de las Bengales
We finally have started our new home which we have dubbed the House of the Sparklers. Peg's grandmother used to proclaim the day a "Sparkler" when you looked out over the ocean and could see all of the sunlight sparkling off the water. So we have named the house Casa de las Bengales in her memory. Our builder is progressing nicely and the footings and foundation are underway. We visit the sight once a week to see the progress and are very excited to see it taking shape. He has a great crew there every day and they are making great headway even with the rainy season in full swing. They work long days when the weather is good and have been able to put their forty hours in without problem.
 |
| Pouring concrete |
 |
| Portable concrete mixer |
 |
| A bustle of activity at Casa de las Bengalis |
New Neighbors
Our neighbors here in Palo Seco are a Panamanian family with three kids and no English. We have really enjoyed getting to know them and getting the much needed Spanish practice. We have so much fun watching the kids play in the yard. Peg has designated the middle boy her novio (boyfriend) and has taken to buying them different toys when we go shopping. The latest was a wrist rocket airplane which had poor Edie (mom) moving the ladder from one place to the next to rescue the airplane from the various trees and roofs. We have made them brownies and they have made us some delicious Panamanian treats. .
 |
| Irisbel practicing her English on our Ipad |
 |
| Jonathon getting pipas |
One year anniversary
We celebrated our one year anniversary of moving to Panama with the tasks of renewing... health insurance, truck registration and driver's licenses. It turns out that you have to renew your truck registration at the office where it was originally registered. Since we lived in Pedasi at the time of our purchase that is where it is registered. The steps involve getting a revisado inspection with all of the appropriate paperwork and then going to the Corrigiemento office in Pedasi. In our usual Panamanian way it took three trips, but we got it done. Then we find out that in order to renew my driver's license I need to update the truck registration with my permanent resident cedula number which means... another trip to Pedasi. Well at least we got to visit with our friend Karen!
Live and Invest in Panama Conference
Lief Simon asked us to be a part of the Live and Invest in Panama Conference in April. We worked the Los Islotes sales booth and gave a presentation on expat life here in Panama. We met a lot of great people and once I got over my nervousness of speaking to a large group we had a great time. Kathleen even wrote an article on us so we are now sort of famous :). Most of you reading this know the story, but you can read the article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-peddicord/retiring-to-panama_b_7089748.html
To Internet or not To Internet
The internet down here in Palo Seco has become the bane of my existence. In our time here we have learned what we "like" versus what we "need". This will be different for everyone. I need hot water in the shower - I don't care how hot it is outside - but not in the kitchen; we like consistent water and electricity, but are able to make due when we don't have it without much difficulty; we need a washing machine, but not a dryer; and finally WE NEED INTERNET. We use the internet for everything; email, to talk to people back home, entertainment, news, to study Spanish, our work..etc. The Claro wifi that we had been using since we moved here depends on the cell signal. We were able to get our booster to work on the correct frequency to drive the internet - thanks to a great help line at Wilson. But the signal is still too unpredictable to work consistently. So we had a satellite system installed. What a disappointment. The satellite is more consistent, but it is so slow we feel like we are back on a dial up system from a hundred years ago. Our patience is tested daily, but we are trying to keep our spirits up and forge ahead. I should note that we could pay a huge monthly fee to the satellite company for faster service, but our budget doesn't allow for that now. We really miss being able to Skype call our friends back home. So if you haven't heard from us that is why.
 |
| This is what our water looks like some days. |
Not Really Retired
The main reason that I have not made the time to update the blog is that we are now working girls. Los Islotes has actually added us to their sales team. We spend time every day reaching out to prospective buyers that have shown an interest and we give tours whenever needed. I also have taken on the job of the bookkeeping for the project. So between the two we seem to spend time working every day. I must admit it is nice to have something productive to do.
I know there is so much more that has happened in the last three months, but these are the highlights. We spend our days enjoying this beautiful country, continuing to learn Spanish, and living our new life Panamanian Style. We have been so blessed and feel so fortunate to be living this adventure.
