The greatest, most special holidays have just passed. It is hard to let this very happy, joy-filled time of year go by. It is a time when routine is discarded and days are filled with planning, cooking, decorating shopping and hosting & attending gatherings with friends and loved ones. Like a child wouldn’t it be nice to be that active, expectant and joyful all year long? By now most people have put away the decorations and returned to their normal. Most of us are again living in a planned, orchestrated, mechanical way of life. We get up. We work. We eat. Some care for pets and or grandchildren. We do our stuff. We go to bed. We get up and do it all over again.
For Stan and me, right now there is no normal. Every morning we have the pleasure of asking each other, what would you like to do today?
Coco and Richard were here with us over the New Year holiday. Their visit was a gift. They returned to USA on January 2. Currently the CDC requires a valid negative Covid test performed within 24 hours of a flight to the US. We made a quick run to the airport where they got their tests on January 1 – both were negative. With credentials in hand they boarded their flight to Atlanta early on Sunday, January 2.
About the time Cody got home she began to feel weird. Next morning she knew she was sick. She was tested. Twenty-four later, yep, her PRP test was positive. So far so good, neither Richard nor Stan and I have developed symptoms. Today is January 7 Coco is feeling better. Thanks to good fortune and also to having been boosted a month or so ago her case was a light one. Shea on the other hand contracted Covid before Christmas and suffered royally. She too is better now but was told by her doctor that the congestion could last for weeks.
This holiday season was anything but ordinary for our family and maybe yours too.
The kids, Richard and Cody, had three packed days here. They visited the Canal, of course. They got to see and feed friendly monkeys, watched the sunset with cocktails and Coke from a roof-top bar, tried Panamanian food, and tasted fresh pineapple and mango. We all cruised together across the bay one day for a little beach time on the beautiful Tabogo Island. And yes, we had our peas and greens on day three, January 1. Our plan was to enjoy our New Year meal as brunch and visit one more Panamanian restaurant that evening. But this city is a puzzle. We were surprised to find a few restaurants and grocery stores open on Christmas Day, but on New Year’s Day everything was shut up tight. We had greens, peas and cornbread once again in the evening. Two meals of the traditional pennies, greenbacks, pork and golden cornbread should make us doubly prosperous this new year!
The day was not lost though. The kids wanted to pick up a few more souvenirs. We went to the Mercado de Artisans;. It was closed. What? They never close! We did get to walk the Cinta Costera and took photos of Richard and Coco in the 2022 display. Then, yaaaay! A few vendor carts were operating selling juice, fruit, wonderful hand-made souvenirs and raspados! Richard bought colorful Panamanian hand-stitched appliqued masks and we had maybe the best raspado yet. They called this version a malteado – it’s the same raspado I have raved about: Fruit syrup pumped in a cup filled high with shaved ice, then drizzled with honey, condensed milk and get this – the malteado is dusted with malted milk powder. It was cold and luscious!
Riichard’s pineapple drink 
Tribute to Paul Gauguin who lived a short time on Isla Tabogo 
My pretty daughter and me 
So happy you all got to spend time together.
Cody is right! She has your eyes, Janie! 🥰
I love you all!!
Their visit was wonderful! We enjoyed having them so much and they are so funny together . . . they are like bad siblings!. I’m hoping they will meet us at another destination down the road. We love you right back!! (And I’m happy we three have the same green eyes!! You have them too!)
Beautiful! The beach, the luscious fruits/food, the smiles and the favorable outcome of covid. God Bless you two and your family. Living vicariously through you. Just sign me BeachBumWannabe
Betsy, you beachbumwannabe!!! What a thrill to hear from you! Thank you for your sweet blessings. We miss our LCR family but we are thoroughly enjoying meeting people here and seeing this wonderful creation God gave us. Hugs to you and Mark!
Yes, absolutely, Cody is pretty. That’s because she looks like a young Janie ! She may have some “Stan” features, but all I see is Janie. Beautiful pictures of your surroundings. So glad you had family there to ring in the new year with you.
Judy – you sweetheart! Thank you!!! Thank you!! While Cody was here I got a chance to look her square in the face . . .. not just a drive-by glance that we so often do with loved ones. I was taken back. I said, Cody, your eyes are so pretty! She said, of course, mom, they are your eyes. My heart melted.
Happy New Year my dear friend!
Happy New Year and so nice to meet my 3rd cousin in photos! So glad everyone is surviving Covid. It’s raging here in the States. Omicron is hitting unvacinated people worst of course but children are being infected in record numbers, too. We’re hoping it’ll run its course by Feb. but for now, we’re hunkered down again.
Good idea to hunker down, Charlotte. Some people have been hit very hard with this new variety. Do stay safe! So far so good, the incidence of cases here are not too bad. Panama is very conservative when it comes to the pandemic and they will shut down in a heartbeat. Carnival is scheduled to run February 26 through March 1, and as of now it’s on as planned.
So happy you got to enjoy some family time. I now remember Cody because of your photos as I did her hair a fee times. Happy and healthy New Year!
Barry, Cody remembers you too. We talked about it when she was here. How’s your case of Covid? Have you kicked it yet? Both my daughters still have lingering symptoms.
It went quite smoothly. Actually Sunday I started not feeling well again( probably something else) but today Tuesday I’m better. I’ve heard of after effects of covid like muscle aches and tired this is what I’m feeling now. Cannot wait until Winter is over. It’s the only thing that I don’t like here and as our week of sun in Dubai was canceled we’re suffering. 3.5 years until Reto retires then we won’t be here for Winter. Your Panama trip has inspired me so will probably go there for a couple months. Xx