Each weekend we treat ourselves to a meal at a place we have not been yet. The offerings for food experiences here are many, varied, and very, very tasty.!
Tonight we ate at Selvin's, which is open only on weekends. They serve traditional Caribbean food and specialize in the catch of the day. Tonight it was lobster, but since none of us is particularly enamoured by its' taste, it didn't seem prudent to try it at 10,000 colones (20.00) to start and then more per ounce.
Allie and I shared Rondon (traditional fish soup) that was amazing, especially with the very Caribbean hot sauce. Yum! I ate enough to satisfy my palette and leave room for a meal, Michael had a taste that confirmed he is not a seafood lover, and Allie finished it off!
Michael had Caribbean style barbeque chicken, and Allie and I had the sea bass. These served up with the staple rice and beans in coconut milk, and fried plantain, salad, and a variety of green veggies. For dessert...homemade ice cream with chocolate sauce!
Our waitress was a lovely black woman whose zest for life was absolutely tangible! Michael asked her how long she'd worked at Selvins' and she lit up when she'd told us she'd moved from San Jose three months ago. Just knowing there was a happy story there... I asked her what brought her to this part of Costa Rica. She enthused, "quality of life!" She explained, "in San Jose, I woke up, went to work, went home", her smile widened even further and she became animated in a way we recognise as gratitude, "pura vida!", as she described, "here, I ride my bike to work and breathe in the fresh air; a Toucan flew right in front of me the other day! And if I have an extra half hour, I can go for a swim!"
Yes! this is what we have come to know! We were so impacted by another human being resonating the same sense of yearning and choosing to live gratefully, in the moment: it's what we are now holding as we rode home, tucked the kids in, and are enjoying our evening together on our deck. We don't even know her name, but we've shared hearts, and that is a gift to us. We are grateful!!
Tonight we ate at Selvin's, which is open only on weekends. They serve traditional Caribbean food and specialize in the catch of the day. Tonight it was lobster, but since none of us is particularly enamoured by its' taste, it didn't seem prudent to try it at 10,000 colones (20.00) to start and then more per ounce.Allie and I shared Rondon (traditional fish soup) that was amazing, especially with the very Caribbean hot sauce. Yum! I ate enough to satisfy my palette and leave room for a meal, Michael had a taste that confirmed he is not a seafood lover, and Allie finished it off!
Michael had Caribbean style barbeque chicken, and Allie and I had the sea bass. These served up with the staple rice and beans in coconut milk, and fried plantain, salad, and a variety of green veggies. For dessert...homemade ice cream with chocolate sauce!Our waitress was a lovely black woman whose zest for life was absolutely tangible! Michael asked her how long she'd worked at Selvins' and she lit up when she'd told us she'd moved from San Jose three months ago. Just knowing there was a happy story there... I asked her what brought her to this part of Costa Rica. She enthused, "quality of life!" She explained, "in San Jose, I woke up, went to work, went home", her smile widened even further and she became animated in a way we recognise as gratitude, "pura vida!", as she described, "here, I ride my bike to work and breathe in the fresh air; a Toucan flew right in front of me the other day! And if I have an extra half hour, I can go for a swim!"
Yes! this is what we have come to know! We were so impacted by another human being resonating the same sense of yearning and choosing to live gratefully, in the moment: it's what we are now holding as we rode home, tucked the kids in, and are enjoying our evening together on our deck. We don't even know her name, but we've shared hearts, and that is a gift to us. We are grateful!!
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance,
chaos into order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.-Melody Beattie
A huge part of living this dream-realized is about just that! Intentionally "sitting in" the realization of pequenos milagros-little miracles-taking the time and of having heart/mind/spirit "tuned in" to recognizing them as they unfold...
The more you notice, the more you notice...Funny how that happens...Focus where you want to go...
The more you notice, the more you notice...Funny how that happens...Focus where you want to go...
We are so much more cognisant of the power this choice has in our life. We are also aware how easy it is to get mired in the relentless insistence of an attitude of ingratitude that seems to be insidiously present in the "world we live in". Gratitude expands our hearts, our minds, and our spirits' capacity's to grow and enjoy and embrace life...We become more aware of the details of a life we love, and grow in ability to delight in the simple things, and most importantly, the people who contribute to our purpose. Gratitude has the power to change us completely!
Ingratitude causes our hearts, minds, spirits, even bodies, to shrink-really! It breeds dissatisfaction, grumbling and complaining, negativity, and an attitude of "entitlement". To our minds, the foundation of "entitlement" is ingratitude.
In this paradise we are so privileged to live in,there is so little media consumption, we notice a marked difference between our consumer "mindset" (combined with our human tendency to compare), that grows discontent and a belief that we don't have "enough" or what is in our lives "fall short". Here, people don't seem to have time for gossip, back-biting, mean-spiritedness, or negativity. They are too busy surviving, experiencing the wonder of the nature around them, and smiling. Living in an attitude of entitlement just breeds small, petty lives that close in on its' inhabitants. I know that's generalized...it has, though, its' roots in a genuine experience. When we come across a negative person here, it is such an anomoly it shocks our spirits! So incongruent to our sense of "norm" here-smiles that reach the eyes, people who look at and really "see" you in a passing greeting-and 99% of every person you pass greets you-and if you've met once, next time a kiss along with that happy smile of recognition!
We really do choose our quality of life!
We really do choose our quality of life!
It all sounds so exciting! I love how they truly appreciate every little thing they have over there in that portion of the world. They take such enjoyment in the smallest of things. It is so refreshing. Part of the reason I miss Bolivia so much I guess.
ReplyDeleteGratitude, one of the many keys to a happy life. I completely agree with your thoughts on Gratitude. It is so easy to look at the things you don't have instead of taking joy in what you do have.
My thought on ingratitude:
It's basically saying to the people and everything around you that you are not good enough, I want more from people, from objects, from life to make me feel (insert feeling(s) here). The only problem with that is nothing will then ever be good enough, you will always be searching for that something better, a never ending cycle. Basically selfishness...A sad place to be.
We do so enjoy your comments! You are right, a sad place to be! As for me, and we, we choose LIFE!
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