‘Tis The Season

This promises to be one of the best, if not the best, Christmas season we have ever had.  It started out with our gratitude from both of us recovering from health problems–not major but annoying and limiting.  For about 2 months, I had been experiencing another round of sciatica, which wasn’t responding to my usual treatment.  I really was considering going back to the orthopedist and insisting on physical therapy (he’s a little too in love with surgery, as are they all).  Then a Panamanian acquaintance urged me to go to a massage therapist, who comes to David twice a month.  He does Swedish massage, which is not for the faint-hearted, but she went on about all the near-miracles he had performed with various people in the area.  I decided to give it a try.

So we went together to David, to a private house that the Maestro uses when he’s in David.  It’s a typical Panamanian setup–we sat outside along with 3-4 other people and chatted with each other and everyone else while waiting.  When it was my turn, the therapist had me walk a little–and then said both to my companion and to me that the problem was a tilted pelvis.  It flashed through my mind that that would explain some other things as well.  Both my internist and orthopedist had immediately focused on a slipped disc in my back, everyone agreeing that it was an old condition, but that’s where their attention was.

The session was painful.  BUT I had immediate relief–no question that I was feeling better.  He urged me to return the next day, which I did, and I went for still another session when he returned in a few weeks.  I’m greatly improved, and will see him next week for another session.

Mary has been doing a series of back exercises designed by Egoscue, highly recommended by acquaintances in Boquete.  They’ve been working well for her–she describes it as similar to the feeling after a chiropractic session.

Neither of us is completely recovered, but we both are far more functional than we have been.  I’ve been walking pain-free for the first time in months, and am able to do a surprising amount of work, which was good, since we had various emergencies, mostly having to do with broken water pipes, last week.

So when we lit our Advent candles on the first Sunday of Advent, we were correspondingly grateful for those among other blessings.

It took me a while to adjust to beautiful weather during Christmas, but this year, for the first time, it seems absolutely perfect!  Probably because of the contrast with the 9 months preceding, but for whatever reason, the weather, the fortunate lives we’ve had, and the season have all combined to bring a great deal of joy to this house.

We’ve had our Christmas lights up since the first week in December and have delighted in those.  They really are pretty and we enjoy seeing them from the inside of the house as well–they make a lovely pattern of colors seen through the windows.

I’ve been baking up a storm.  Yes, the fruit cake is brooding in its alcoholic haze for 4 weeks.  But I’ve also been baking seasonal cookies that I haven’t made in decades.  As my Christmas gift, I’m going to share a recipe that has been in my family for at least 60 years, and probably longer.  I remember my mother making it when I was a teenager, and I’m sure she made it beforehand, except what kid remembers exactly what the goodies were except that they were special and delicious?

Here it is:

Fruit Bars

 

Forgive the image–I scanned my original recipe into my recipe file.

A few differences–you might want to cut down on the sugar.  Surprise, surprise–I soak the candied fruits in rum for 2-3 hours before baking!  Also, I use a much smaller and deeper pan–an 8″ x 8″  baking dish in which case this makes 2 batches.  You can substitute some other dried fruit for the dates; I’ve used prunes, and that’s been just fine.

We love them and are having a terrible time rationing ourselves, since we’re both on diets (I’ve lost 12 lbs so far with 8 more to go), which we’re struggling to maintain until Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, when hey, those are my favorite days of the year, and let the good food make its welcome appearance!

We visited the Espinosas yesterday for the first time in weeks.  They’re almost over their latest round of colds and allergy problems, with most conditions clearing up with the weather (true for just about every Panamanian we know).  I’m going to make tamales again this year, only this time from maize nuevo–fresh corn.  I am not looking forward to getting the kernels off the cob, and grinding is a chore, but Ricardo showed us an ingenious setup he’s devised for turning the molino the easy way–with electricity.  He’s hooked up a motor to the mill via an old bicycle wheel, and both he and Maritza assured us that we’ll have all the masa we need in 15 minutes!  Maritza is also going to check to see if we can get fresh corn from local people–much cheaper.  We plan on going in together, she to make bollos, me to make the tamales for Christmas Eve.  We’re going to make the tamales at their place on Thursday.  It’ll be fun, working up there, and I will be making tamales under the guidance of that master chef, Maritza.

Meantime, we’ve had other visitors and will have more this coming week.

For Christmas Day dinner, we’re having a couple from Abajo who are in the latest agonizing throes of construction, which has gone on for 2 years.  They’re interested in plants and thoughtful, witty, fun company.  I’ve also picked up some tips and information, since they have done a good deal of what we want to do in the way of insulation.  They also have recommended a cabinet maker, an American couple who have set up in Abajo.  I have hesitated and hesitated to have cabinets made by a Panamanian because as wood becomes scarcer, the incidence of using green wood has skyrocketed.  This couple has a kiln, which no Panamanian I know of does.  They’ll be more expensive, but I have heard nothing but raves about the quality of the work.  After the New Year.

So, it promises to be a wonderful end to what has been a hard year, and we are truly grateful.

This is a long post, because it is my last on this blog.  I have posted irregularly for a while now, in part due to the sciatica, which made sitting dificult and painful.  But even after that problem went away, I realized that I was no longer looking forward to bloging.  I’ve always done this blog for my own enjoyment, really, and now it’s turned into an obligation, somehow–”Gee, I haven’t posted in X number of days, weeks…”.  Nope, not gonna do that.  I think that, in good part, when I started this blog I felt like an outsider looking in and commenting.  I’ve realized in about the past month that I no longer feel that way and therefore no longer care to comment about what I view as natural, everyday living.  So, fittingly, this is the end, at this wonderful time of year.

There are about 6-10 of you with whom I correspond regularly by email (in some cases, even see!) or in other venues, such as LT.  I trade jokes with some of you, and that has been fun.  With a few others I’ve shared in both the good things and the sorrow of losing a beloved animal friend (here’s to Mr. Ziggy, well-loved in this life and beyond).  That’s taken on a life of its own, I’m glad to say, and there is no reason why it can’t continue, since we almost never communicate via the blog any more.

For those who have enjoyed the weather reports–and there are quite a few–just bookmark our weather site, because Mary does all the work and will continue to keep that up.  You don’t need any reminders from me.

It’s been fun but it’s time to end this and start something different.

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

Joyce

 

 

Disaster In Eastern Panamá

I read La Prensa daily, and for nearly the past week, the news has been increasingly grave due to the heavy rains Panama City, Colón, and areas nearby have received.  At one point on Wednesday, traffic on the Canal was suspended for 17 hours.  What has been alarming in the extreme is that important reservoirs and lakes are at their maxima and dam spillways have had to be opened in order to relieve the pressure on the dams.  The most important has been the Bayano Dam on the Bayano River.

But it’s been hard to keep up with the story.  However, Eric Jackson has done a superb job of summarizing the situation and reporting what information there is that hasn’t made the papers.  Please make sure you watch the video–it’s mind-boggling.

I should mention that there has been damage to the access of the Centennial Bridge; only two of the four lanes can be used.  There’s a dramatic photo of it in this morning’s La Prensa.

On a much milder scale, our November weather report is in the archives.  Mary has a link to an excellent presentation that Lloyd Cripe has done on the climate–do check it out.

A Gorgeous Day

Yesterday was a beautiful day–partly cloudy but a mild, lovely day.  And continuing today.  When we got up this morning, for one of the very few times since we’ve been here, the sky was cloudless–and filled with stars.  Mary went outside first, and just oohed and aahed (I had to remind her that at 4:30 in the morning, other people were sleeping–sound carries around here).  But it was hard not to get carried away at the sight.  Venus is spectacular in the sky, as bright as the Moon if not so large.  The Big Dipper was so bright, so large as to be almost overwhelming (which is what got Mary in the first place).   Orion was starting to set; we could just see Taurus–Gemini was still high.  The Southern Cross, Corvus–all were breath-taking in the clear sky.

Walking the dogs just at sunrise was a joy.  Birds making a racket–they seemed to be louder than usual this morning.

We ate breakfast outside on the porch, enjoying the perfect weather.

As we remarked to one another, these are the days that make the rain worth enduring.