coffee – Dreaming Reality

Once Upon a Time in Paradise

Costa Rica, creation, Dreaming Reality, flowers, food, Memories, moments, mother nature, nature, photography, pura vida, Uncategorized, Villa Vanilla

It’s sad to think it has been nearly four years now since we made the move back from Costa Rica. Since that time we have planned and been unable to revisit our second home on two separate occasions, both due to natural disasters.

In the past few days I have been going through photo files and reminiscing about our very special experiences there. I loved the photography opportunities almost as much as the people and all the unique places we were able to visit.

As I explore more files I will share more of our time there since many of my new friends here didn’t know me back in 2012 when I first began this blog as a way to share our lives in the beautiful country of Pura Vida!

Once upon a time in Costa Rica, we visited a spice farm named Villa Vanilla Spice Farm. As it happens, this tour was one of the first we took on our original journey to Costa Rica, long before we made the move. Once we lived there I had the opportunity to revisit the farm with my best friend when she came to visit us.

The farm grows orchids, which include the vanilla plant, which is actually an orchid. They also grow various bromiliads, cacao trees, carambola (star fruit), peppercorn plants and ceylon cinnamon trees. Ceylon Cinnamon is known as true cinnamon and is the variety you need for real cinnamon health benefits for blood pressure and blood sugar control. The best part of the tour is learning how the owners and workers grow, harvest and prepare these natural plants for consumption. Tasting was fun too. Near the end of the tour, there is a treehouse with a magnificent view where the tour ends with chocoalate and cinnamon specialty coffees, vanilla cookies and a very special mandarin lime cheesecake. Heaven!

Take a walk with me and I’ll share a few photos with you.

Sally and me

Brand new cacao blooms and pods

These are growing but not ready yet

When ready the cacao is yellow outside and has a pure white yummy flesh

Vanilla beans

There were so many gorgeous bromiliads

See the water collected on every petal?

And at the end, with the heat finally taking hold, we climb to the patio of the “treehouse” for a cool breeze, tasty treats and a breathtaking view. If you make it to the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area, this tour is one of the traditional ones but well worth the time and sweating.

I could sit there all day……and you can when you live there. 😉💕

Just for Fun

art, Uncategorized

Hi all! I hope everyone in the states enjoyed a #Free72. That’s a #Free48 plus! We just hung around the house, tackled some previously avoided projects and had a chill weekend. We are keeping an eye on that storm though. Lots of family and friends spread throughout that corridor.

I did some organizing, we had one shopping spree and I got some writing done (yay!) and also a few creative things as well. Here are just a few highlights. I downloaded a new fun art app called PicsArt. I’m hoping to get better with it. I love it, though.

70FC1476-1A4F-4281-9A88-331B024D8653 — Little faeries, ll in a row..

D3D4DE27-02E3-448C-A4AB-9E0C9AC96168 — The buzz is, I can fly!

23ECE9B0-39F5-415B-A9EE-64EA9A466E35 — Little Man in the Moon..

That troublemaking moon is finally letting loose her wicked hold over us….

And looking mighty sultry, I might add…

we got a new toy! 👏🏻We actually fell in love with the coffee first. Then came the machine, once it went on sale. This is really a nice espresso machine, I have to say.

This machine comes from New Zealand.

Besides the awesome tasting espresso, the fother is amazing

Someday I may get the hang of fancy frothing..

Annnnd….we have a new sentry in the front yard. Found her there, just hanging around.

For more info on Espressotoria go to the link. You can find PicsArt in the app store.

Have a great rest of your week everyone!

One Thought/#SoCS

#SoCS, Empty, Matrix, photography, Uncategorized

Wow! Today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt rather has me stumped. Perhaps it is because the first impressions that pop into my head are negative when it comes to empty/hollow.

This is a subject my blogging friend Jill Dennison writes about most succinctly. But I’ll leave these nuances of empty promises and hollow words to her. She has the most well researched information I have found.

I guess I would have to say my own world is the antithesis of these things. My heart is so full of hope and vision for what this existence could be that the only moments finding me with a hollow place are when I see and hear about the slow decline of such hope, about the rise of negativity and anger that is building within this creation. There is so much talk, talk, talk; but the action seems to be coming too heavily from the depths of the Great Hollow where Love does not live. So, if you imagine you cannot make a difference because you don’t go out and protest or fight in an army, you are in error in that thought. Any change that occurs globally begins within, for creation is in the heart of every living thing, every thing that exists. I just picked up this book to read again and am finding new and exciting inspiration from it. To my surprise I have indeed grown a lot since the first time I read it. If you want to be engaged, both spiritually and scientfically, this is a great contribution. Mr. Braden has several wonderful books out.

Anyone who knows me knows I am enthralled with the tiny things that work together to make such a huge universe and beyond. If we all immerse ourselves in the understanding of the connectedness of the All That Is rather than viewing ourselves as apart from anything within it, we can effectively create more of what is required to heal it. As I sat reading last evening, a fly kept lighting on my arm, my hand, my leg. My normal instinct would have been to shoo it away in horror. Why? Germs! I know humans who carry worse.

So, I left it alone instead. It stayed awhile and then left. I connected with this part of Creation in a way I never had before. It brought a real sense of peace, allowing it to be where it was even for a moment or two.

Every little thing has its place (except wasps…please tell me what they do good! 😱) Lol.

Here are a few more of the small things that caught my eye yesterday. I hope your #Free48 is filled with a sense of connectedness, with no empty cup or hollow place in your hearts.

669168FA-CC5B-47E4-A254-EADE07BD27A4 — The smallest members of our flower bed. Don’t they look happy?

4D77FCD5-76EA-402D-9816-840971284EB4 — Zippy saying Good morning in his ‘dashing’ way!

D7C509A4-DCC4-4524-AEBC-A7BF841DE4C5 — The world in a drop of rain. Even the leaves know a treasure and try to hold it

13FC3DEF-0A2A-429C-B361-77AF706A7C04 — Yeah…well…I haven’t had coffee all week. This is my little treasure. Doctor’s orders! 😉

If you guys get thirsty, hop on over to The bar at Dan’s blog for a cold one. Who knows? We might meet up there! 😉

This post brought to you by #SoCS

Beautiful/#Free48-So Far/#SoCs

#SoCS, cat, free48, Friendship, Uncategorized

So far, so peaceful. After a long, busy work week I am very happy to welcome this #Free48. And so far it looks promising. First, there was no alarm, and now I am enjoying a nice cup of coffee with ‘The Doctor’, the sun is out and hubby did most of the tough cleaning for us during the week. Toss a bit of exploration and some creative time in there and I couldn’t ask for more.

Well….maybe a visit from our little buddy. I found the shots from her near stowaway excursion with us. 😀

Okay, get your ‘awwwws’ ready.

After having my head down fiddling with coat, gloves, purse, etc, I looked up and nearly screamed until I realized who it was. Let me tell you, guys, she owns her special-ness.