farewell to the Christmas season...

There truly IS no place like home and the bohemian was so very glad to be home for the holidays! She is reminded how very blessed she is!! glad to be back to her beloved mountain... and enjoying tea with her mom and sister, at the local festival of trees... this was her favorite tree this year...orange, of course! luscious colors... fabulous shapes... shimmery metalics... There was even a skiff of snow in her yard today!!! and a little Nutcracker Suite ballet watching.... She also finished her cards for the"Mary Englebreit challenge" with her card exchange group. Mary's art ALWAYS makes her smile!! And she used her new 3-part bird punch...FUN! She hopes your season was blessed by the coming of the Baby born to save us all. Farewell, dear Christmas.... ...and onward to the new year!!! Hope you take time to play! Snowflake lace and warm knitted mitten wishes to you all....

the bohemian's back in town...

the bohemian is so GLAD to be back home after her 3 months away! it's been raining like crazy and the creeks have flooded... but her mountain peeked out at her today. it's good! life's good! one of the things she did while in colorado was visit this christmas house. it was crazy overkill and so awesome!! the whole house was covered with row after row of lights... and it put on a fantastic light show set to awesome guitar christmas music (think transiberian orchestra's carol of the bells) which came over the radio on a certain local station. house, garage, driveway, front yard, porch, back yard... all of it covered in masses of lights... flashing in time to christmas music... the bohemian had to see it TWICE!! so glad to be home and setting out her nativity collections...this one from Haiti in front of a painting from trinidad. and her little christmas fairy wishing all of you a meaningful and joyous christmas season with twinkly lights and holiday laughter and maybe a snowflake or two... (have you been playing while i was gone? i hope so!!)

things to do on a weekend at the farm...

The bohemian's last weekend out in the small village of Llano Verde, Costa Rica... She and her hubby stayed with the family who live in this small house there... Things to do there: watch the pot of beans cook on the fire... pick oranges off the tree (yes, they're ripe and sweet!)... fix the flat tire... stop and smell the flowers... laugh at the calf antics and go to sleep to the sound of cows mooing and chickens crowing... lay around and rest... help with English homework... ride horseback... help catch the chicken for supper... go to church... pet the "fern grass" (that's what the bohemian calls this grass, which cringes and folds up when you stroke it)... watch the cows go past on their way to the pasture... listen to children say Bible verses and sing songs... say farewells to the family we stayed with... (The bohemian's youngest daughter actually stayed all week in this village to be immersed in Spanish and help their son with his English. The parents are to the left, the 3 girls beside the bohemian belong to her missionary friends. That's her honey beside her and the son studying English, beside him. The other young man is a friend who is always visiting there.) And so the bohemian's visit to Bohemia of the south comes to an end. She says farewell to the warmth and beauty of Costa Rica and prepares herself for the winter weather hitting the Pacific Northwest right now. She wishes all of you a very warm and toasty Thanksgiving celebration. Have a gratitude Fling...make your list of all you have to be thankful for. Don't forget to list playfulness, then go out and play! Pumpkin-pie-with-whipped-cream wishes to you all...

the bohemian's island tour...

the Volcano Arenal in Costa Rica During her stay in Costa Rica, the bohemian got a chance to go on an adventure to Corn Island, Nicaragua. She traveled with her hubby, their missionary friends, and 2 very close friends... They traveled by car, bus, water taxi, car taxi, and finally, this cargo ship... a two days travel experience! Picture the bus ride from the movie "Romancing The Stone"... That's a story in itself. Highlight experiences: coconut buns... island beauty... beach time... palm trees and teal waters... warm tropical water... Mama Lola's... fresh papaya... fresh lobster... Hard to go from tropical bliss straight to Christmas at home... But she's so ready to celebrate the Christmas season. So away with the shorts and flip flops, and out with sweaters and socks. Winter love and cozy blanket hugs to all... For more of the bohemian's Costa Rican adventures... visit her travel blog.

come away with the bohemian to this teal blue ocean... where all the flowers wear their glory in the warm sun. come up these wooden steps... to this sunny yellow room... with giant bed. come sit under this canopy beneath the stars with your feet in the sand; where the waiters bring you flower-scented water to rinse your hands before you dine on delicious fresh red snapper and sip fruit nectar in a glass... and are serenaded by the mariachi band. come walk along this stretch of soft, gritty sand and gently lapping waves... past the elaborate sign leading to... a beach made entirely of sea shells, and bits of shell. bob along with the bohemian in an aqua green/blue bath-water salt soak. rest your happy tootsies in the warm pacific sands. return home to your sunny yellow room to find freshly laundered towels in flower shapes and sprinkled with tropical blossoms. later, eat lunch back at the beach, serenaded by thee mariachi band. glory in the exquisite sunset along with the dancing fire flies. life is so very rich!! go get some for yourself! sandy wishes and flower-scented love to you...