Our First Christmas in Costa Rica

Lots of parties up on these ridges during the holidays. When its all over I think we will have attended 10 different events.

Here is a video of the Annual Solstice party hosted by our friends Jim & Irina. It was held on El Cajon which is the next ridge over from ours.

It was an awesome party. And what a lovely home they have!

Annual Solstice Party Dec 2016 from Devon on Vimeo.

Coffee Grounds - I'll take you there!

This was originally the Saturday video/post for my blog The Aspiring Expats but since I finished the editing early. YAY!! (for once) I thought I would post it here first

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Marcelo took us on a tour of the coffee farm that is behind our house (Casa de Coffey) and down a steep hill. To be honest, I always thought we were living on the edge of a cliff, and if we went out too far, we would go tumbling down the hillside, crashing through the trees and coffee plants and land in the river (which of course would contain wild animals and snakes). Truth! (smile) Really though, all I can see from our patio is coffee and trees for miles (and of course the rose garden).

I had no idea!

We were both pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is out there. There are paths and trees and flowers and lots and lots of coffee! No wild animals only the neighbor's friendly Schnauzer.

I am so happy we had a chance to see it and Marcelo was so nice to answer the 1001 questions we had.

Come along with us and see for yourself.

Today's video is about 12 minutes long, so grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (depending on what time you are reading this)get comfy, sit back and enjoy. (Excuse the audio in portions it is a little low - just turn up the volume a little)

Coffee Grounds - Exploring the farm from Devon on Vimeo.

 email subscribers click the link above

(If any of you come to visit  us "I'll take you there" out behind our house and walk along the beautiful paths leading to the river)

#ThrowBackHulaDancingWithAStar

I was going back through some of my photos and videos and came across these dancing pics of myself and my niece Maile from 2012.

We have a connection to Hawaii as my parents moved to Hawaii in 1970 and lived there until they passed away in 2004 and 2007.

Maile is a beautiful, graceful dancer and has been dancing hula since she was about 6 yrs old. I have attended many of her shows and the hula is such beautiful dance that a few years ago I thought I would try my luck at it and signed up for classes.

As you can see in my video below, it was not as easy as it looked!
The practice goes on for hours. These dancers are dedicated and 1st class.
Me...not so much, however they put up with me anyway.

I'll try just about anything...once! LOL 

Purple Tears and Purple Rain

R.I.P Prince

6/7/1958 - 4/21/2016

photo source

Thank you Glenn Frey for the beautiful music

This is an unplanned post in memory of one of my FAVORITE musical artists, Glenn Frey who passed away today.

photo source

My heart is heavy tonight as are millions of other fans who loved his music and felt as though he was part of our family.

Glenn Lewis Frey was an American singer, songwriter, producer and actor, best known as a founder member of rock band the Eagles.

"Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks, but sadly succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," the statement continued. "Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community and millions of fans worldwide." Source USA Today

R.I.P Glenn Frey we will miss you!

With Liberty and Justice for All

Saddened by recent events and racial animosity in our country

America! 

We are better than this!

one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all

Currently Listening

Songs that defined a generation

Back in the day, radio was our Internet, and the songs the DJs spun connected us to our world and to one another.

Here, in chronological order, are the 15 songs that rank among the best that spoke to and defined our generation. 

(This list tilts more East Coast, urban, R&B and late '50s and '60s. It’s hard to represent the millions of individuals who make up the baby boomers)

~~~~~~~

Jail House Rock Elvis 1957

That’ll Be the Day Buddy Holly & The Crickets 1957

At the Top Danny & The Juniors 1957-58

Johnny Be Good Chuck Berry 1958

What’d I say Ray Charles 1959

Twist & Shout Chubby Checker 1960

I Wanna Hold Your hand The Beatles 1963

Dancing in the Street Martha & The Vandellas 1964

I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction) 1965

Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan 1965

Good Vibrations Beach Boys 1966

Respect Aretha Franklin 1967

Light My Fire The Doors 1967

A Day in the Life The Beatles 1967

What’s Going On Marvin Gaye 1971

 Source: HuffingtonPost


Have a wonderful weekend!
Up next on the blog: Going on a trip? How to pack a better bag
Stop Back by on Monday

Woodstock the event that changed the history of Rock and Roll #TBT

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair—informally, the Woodstock Festival or simply Woodstock—the festival widely considered to be the definitive nexus for the larger counterculture generation a music festival billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". 

Woodstock was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to 18, 1969. Bethel, is in Sullivan County, located 43 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, in adjoining Ulster County.

A late change in venue did not give the festival organizers enough time to prepare. At a meeting three days before the event, organizers felt they had two options: one was to complete the fencing and ticket booths, without which the promoters were almost certain to lose their shirts; the other option involved putting their remaining available resources into building the stage, without which the promoters feared they would have a disappointed and disgruntled audience but...when the audience began arriving by the tens of thousands, the decision had been made for them. "The fences at Woodstock" became an oxymoron, while the stage at Woodstock gave birth to a legend.

During the sometimes rainy weekend, 32 acts performed outdoors before an audience of 400,000 young people.

Rolling Stone listed it as one of the 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll

Richie Havens was the opening act and Jimi Hendrix was the last to perform at the festival.
Richie Haven's ashes were scattered over the grounds August 18, 2013.

Music in the tumultuous sixties

The 1960's began with a sort of wide eyed innocence  -- John Kennedy, was the young charismatic president who represented a spirit of hope for the nation. When JFK was assassinated in 1963 many felt that their hopes died, too. This was especially true of young people, and members and supporters of minority groups.

A time of innocence and hope soon began to look like a time of anger and violence.
Many Americans protested to demand an end to the unfair treatment of black citizens. Many more protested to demand an end to the war in Vietnam. And many protested to demand full equality for women.

To make matters worse, 2 other very important and influential American leaders were also assassinated. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior was shot in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 and only weeks later, Robert Kennedy -- John Kennedy's brother -- was shot in Los Angeles, California. He was campaigning to win his party's nomination for president.

The two murders resulted in riots in cities across the country. The unrest and violence affected many young Americans. The effect seemed especially bad because of the time in which they had grown up.

Later, many young Americans began to question these beliefs. They felt that their parents' values were not enough to help them deal with the social and racial difficulties of the nineteen sixties. They rebelled by letting their hair grow long and by wearing unusual clothing. Their dissatisfaction was strongly expressed in music.

In the sixties rock music comes of age and dominates the popular music charts. Elvis Presley continues to score hits in the early part of the decade, but the music continues to diversify with the folk revival, the Brill Building sound, Phil Spector's wall of sound, girl groups and surf music, all

impacting the early part of the decade.

The Motown, Stax and Atlantic labels bring more African-American artists back to the forefront of the pop charts. By 1964 American artists back to the forefront of the pop charts. By 1964 American artist are sharing the top of the charts with U.K. bands led by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In the U.S. garage bands emerge, inspired by the British Invasion sound.

Sixties songwriting moves beyond pop love songs and begins to include social consciousness and political statements. In the latter half of the decade psychedelic music reflects the growing hippie culture. Bubblegum music is created to generate radio friendly pop singles. Album sales begin to gain importance, as a harder rock sound emerges and sows the seeds for heavy metal.

Musical TV shows of the 1960's

American Bandstand 1952 - 1989 

Ed Sullivan 1948-1971 

Hullabaloo 1965-1966 

Shindig 1964-1966

In the sixties, television becomes a major force in rock music as networks try to attract a younger audience. American Bandstand continues with it's afternoon, clean-cut, teen idol format, while the Ed Sullivan Show and other TV variety shows begin showcasing rock bands in prime time. The networks also add the weekly prime time shows Shindig and Hullabaloo featuring dancers and new music for teenage fans.

The Beatles dominate the sixties record charts with 6 of the top 10 albums of the decade and 21 of the decades' top 100 singles. Their nearest competitor is Elvis Presley with 9 of the decades' top 100 singles and 4 of the decades' top 100 albums.

1960's Top 10 Best Selling Singles Worldwide:

1 The Beatles - Hey Jude - 1968
2 The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - 1965
3 Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale - 1967
4 Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman - 1964
5 The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand - 1964
6 Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? - 1960
7 The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody - 1965
8 The Beatles - Help! - 1965
9 The Beatles - Yesterday - 1965
10 Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never - 1960

Article Source - Rock Music Timeline 

Watch this excellent video on the sixties

Tom Brokaw on historic 1968 (the year I graduated from high school) 

The 50's - Music for the ages

Setting the stage

World War II was over and the battle weary soldiers had returned home.  Nine months later, “the cry of the baby was heard across the land,”

This marked the beginning of the “baby boom.”

With help from the G.I. Bil, returning soldiers could afford low-cost mortgages which often made buying one of the trendy new suburban homes cheaper than renting an apartment in the city. So many families moved to the suburbs.

Consumer goods played an important role in middle-class life during the postwar era. Adults eagerly participated in the consumer economy. With the increasing mobility of the average person, use of a new payment method called, the "credit card" exploded with popularity. 1950 was the inception of the Diner's Club Card. Other companies shortly followed suit.

We are Woman!

The suburban baby boom had a particularly confining effect on women.

In her 1963 book “The Feminine Mystique,” women’s-rights advocate Betty Friedan argued that the suburbs were “burying women alive.” This dissatisfaction, in turn, contributed to the rebirth of the feminist movement in the 1960s.

And so it was with music!

The 1950's were a time of change and the music of the decade both reflected the cultural changes that were happening while still holding on to the societal norms of the past. The 50's was a time of innovation that helped to influence everything that we listen to on the radio today.

Following the detrimental effects of World War II, the United States was about to embark on a musical journey that would change the face of music for decades to come. 

Racial tensions were being strained with the beginning of the civil rights movement and music reflected many of those tensions. Rhythm & Blues (R&B) and Rock 'n' Roll popularized "black" music and many African-American musicians rose to prominence and enjoyed success, but while some were able to reap the benefits of their work, many others were forgotten or denied access to audiences through segregation. 

The 1950's saw the emergence and rise of Rock 'n' Roll and Rockabilly. 

Carl Perkins wrote and recorded the chart-topping hit "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955 and the song was then covered by Elvis Presley and enjoyed even more success. Elvis Presley was dubbed the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" by many and rose to fame after beginning a professional relationship with Sam Phillips - a studio owner who wanted to market "black music" to white audiences. 

Elvis was more successful in this endeavor than any other artist of the time and he epitomized the Rock 'n' Roll style and teenage rebellion of the 1950's. 

Elvis was a growing phenomenon, and drove teenage girls wild with the controversial performance of hip gyrations on the Milton Berle Show in 1956. This performance shocked the conservative sensibilities of adults during the time but drew in the youth as his performance on the Ed Sullivan Show only a few weeks later drew in nearly eighty-percent of the television viewing audience. 

While Elvis is largely responsible for the popularization of rock music, it is important to remember the original African-American artists who created the genre and were pushed out of the rock scene like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Coasters, Chubby Checker, Fats Domino and the many others who were not afforded the opportunity to even record their music.

Next up: Music in the tumultuous sixties

Music Corner - Fave Sexy Song Pick

I'm a huge music lover.

I heard this particular song recently on one of the radio stations I listen to (KJZY) and quickly grabbed my iPhone and clicked on Shazam. BTW - It never ceases to amaze me how quickly Shazam comes up with those song titles!

Born in Salo, Italy, about an hour south of Rome in 1953, Alfredo Peter "Alfie" Zappacosta's family moved to Toronto when he was only 6 months old. He first picked up the guitar at age 9 and began playing in different groups while only a teen. Performing at Italian weddings opened the youngster up to diverse musical influences, which would become his trademark later on.

Show Me is from his 1995 jazz release Innocence Ballet

Check it out.

I'm also featuring it on the sidebar

The evolution of the soundtrack of your life
What music we like is a mixture of things,
like when you were born, where you lived and which radio stations you listened to.

Come back next week and we will explore some songs that became part of the collective, generational playlist of the Baby Boomers (b1946-1964).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Let's call this one Marsala! My hats a wrap

It's a wrap!

It's finally Friday and I've exhausted all the decent hat photos we took last week. I'm pretty proud of myself though because in the beginning the plan was just to take a couple of pictures of myself wearing a few of my hats and it turned into something completely different.  

I changed direction!

I'm back

Today I end the "my hats" segment with pictures of the regular me, hair up and pulled back but remembering that there is still a young, and sexy side of me right underneath that hat!!

You can leave your hat on

Joe Cocker 1986

My classic oldie jam pick this week is

in memory of Joe Cocker who passed away on Dec 22

A great singer and musician with a voice like no other

He will be missed

This song was used frequently in one of our class routines when I was an instructor

for Art of Exotic Dancing for Everyday Women (short video)

(dancing in a man's oversized shirt - lots of fun!) 

But I digress..

Here's Miss Lily

I've mentioned before that my girls are always around when I do my photo shoots. 

They are also getting much more used to the camera and you will find them peeking around the corner or hanging out on the fringes just out of camera range

but 

sometimes....

 I'm able to catch one of them for a quick photo.

As for the color of my hat
Let's call this one "Marsala" 

(even if it isn't)

I have this hat in 5 colors. It's been my go to hat

The jacket is one I've had for a number of years - I bought it at Bryn Walker

Sporting a pair of my moto jogging pants from the Gap
I also bought another pair of Tom's. Black ones this time.
They aren't the longest lasting shoe, but I do like their "one for one" philosophy
And it was nice that they were on sale at Whole Foods over the holiday for $48
instead of the usual $60+

Well, as you can see, things don't always go as planned on my photo shoots!

Gottcha
Well almost!

Whatever you have planned (or don't).  Hope you enjoy your weekend!!

************
if you missed any of my other 4 posts this week featuring 
"my hats"
no problem -- to see them
 start here

An Ugly Sweater - My Gift to You

Another week has come and gone. Can you believe it? Christmas is less than one short week away.  

Christmas will be quiet at my house. With my daughter in London for the holidays and my son and grandchildren living in Colorado there is no around except me and the BF. 

I'll be working until noon on Xmas eve and then off till January 5th. So looking forward to it!!! 

But...what would the holidays be without the office Christmas party?

Let the parties begin!

My classic oldie jam pick this week is another one of my holiday favorites. 

My Gift to You

Alexander O'Neal 1988

This year our company hosted it's annual "ugly Sweater" contest but there wasn't much participation from our small group.

Notice - there are NO ugly sweaters

Realizing our dilemma our colleague Joe ran over to Walgreen's to buy us all Santa hats, but they were all picked over and all that were left were the pink ones!  For this photo Joe borrowed a red hat. Don't know why he didn't want to wear a pink one? :)

I actually kind of like the pink hat!

Happy Holidays!!

Whatever you have planned (or don't).  Hope you enjoy your weekend!!

Do you have the poo's?

The holidays are fast approaching! Only 3 more weeks to go.

Are you in the spirit yet?

Here's a little gift for you - you know I'm all about sharing information on how we can simplify our lives and live more naturally.

Today I have some hair detox tips for you.

I learned about this some time ago but recently decided to give it a try.

Oh and, while you read  -- click on the link to listen to my holiday oldie jam pick by one of my favorite artists, Gloria Estefan. And, this just happens to be one of my favorite holiday albums as well.  It's from 1993 and I play it a LOT every holiday.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Gloria Estefan

NO POO

(cleaning your hair without the use of shampoo and conditioner)

FACTS: 

WHY:

Ingredients

Many people use the popular method of baking soda + apple cider vinegar

How:

Step 1- cleanse

Step 2 - Rinse

That's it

What to expect:

Expect that your hair may be a little dry at first but stay with it, it will get better.

I think we should let this information sink in before I confuse you with the 2 other options

But....Stay tuned for more information on co-wash and pre-poo  

Whatever you have planned, (or don't). Hope you enjoy your weekend!