MANGOS SEASON MISSING IT

I sat in the little office where I am working on this Wine event for my friend Tina yesteday, eating the most delicious Mangos.

WE bought them at this quaint store in Vancouver Washington called O DONG MARKET. It is an Asian Market that Tina and frequent about twice a month. I saw them there a couple of weeks ago and only splurged on one, then I went back the following week and bought two more. I would eat mango frankly every day when I lived in Central America, I even did a nightly Mango while lying in a hammock before going to bed.

Mangos seem to induce sleep and they are the most succulent, sensual fruit, aside from Guanabana that I have ever eaten. As I was working on the internet, eating this mango my mind was traveling and thinking about the smell of the mangos as you pass through Orotina Costa Rica, one the most highly planted areas with Mangos in Costa Rica I believe?

The smell of the flowers in bloom, and then when the trees are in full fruit it is amazingly sweet. Its not intoxicating but it is luring and makes you want to stop at every little stand that is built on the side of roads. Some of these stands are just loaded with different varieties, large ones small ones. Yellow ones, Peach colored ones, Pink ones, ones tinged with melon color, ones splashed with Red and green. GOD HOW I LOVE MANGOS!

I was typing away on the computer and dreaming about all the good things I have made with these mangos, then I got on Twitter. I post and do Social Media right now for www.montereywine.com and the West Coast Chowder Competition, I was on the twitter making posts about our Sponsors, when I saw a post from Food and Wine magazine on Twitter about Mangos and what they believe was a good way to use them. I had to laugh!!! I mean I am not making fun of FOOD AND WINE but, the fact that I was eating them, dreaming of them and they were talking about them in such a way that is so high falutant, made me laugh!


They are the most delicious things ever! when you buy them here they are green and have very little flavor, but At the O DONG they sell them in a mature state. YELLOW AND GOLD and WOW sweet as candy. I think the best way to have them is just sliced with salt and chili, the way the Central Americans eat them and not all dolled up and made out to be such a fancy little fruit! They are one of my passions in life.. MANGOS GIVE ME THEM DAY AND NIGHT AND IM HAPPY!! I think I need to go to O Dong today ?? Looking forward to more MANGOSSSSSSSSSSSS

Thoughts of Sunshine Early Mornings & ZUMBA my release

I had some sort of vision's yesterday morning less than 20 minutes after I woke up. I saw myself in the early morning sunshine, waking up in my bed in Costa Rica.

The sun always came through the window so early around five A.M. and would stir me and rouse me right out of bed, immediately I would get up make my coffee and enjoy that early morning sunlight out on the balcony.

I had the same habits in Roatan, I would wake about six, hit the hard wood floors, go down stairs make the coffee and open the screen door to look at the new day. Enjoying the quiet of the morning sometimes putting on good music to welcome the day.

Then to sit on the balcony above the house and watch the birds listen to there songs and gaze out to sea. Many times reading early in the morning when your comprehension level is higher for me was a good way to start my day.

SUCH A STRETCH FROM WHAT I AM DOING NOW, How I wish I could be back doing that! As I said in the last blog, my only outlet now is ZUMBA, It takes me back to that latin life and makes me forget where I am. Makes me remember all those beautiful mornings, and impressive sunsets, with the sounds of latin music in the background.

Here my routine is drag myself out of the bedroom where I am staying, I hardly can wake up sometimes at 8:00, then go pour myself a cup of coffee that is already made, turn on the telelvision and watch and listen to all the depressing news that is out there. I SO MUCH RATHER BE WAKING TO SUNSHINE THE SOUNDS OF MUSICS AND BIRDS SINGING.

I am trying to Adjust, it sure aint coming easy here. I look so foward to the Zumba classes, kinda of pathetic that this is my only outlet?? curiously I wonder myself about this! I have a teacher her name is Jahnea, shes a young mom self supportive and is a ball of energy. She is more of a Street dancer, a hip hop type of Zumba teacher. Although she does do Latin music she excells in the hiphop versions of this exercise work out. She really works you hard, and I love her smile, shes a doll. I am happy to be in her classes, She is in Vancouver Washington teaching at the Hazel del grange.

Another Class I attend twice a week is in the same buidling, taught by Jennifer. She is a very good latin dancer, and has a huge following. I think it is good to have a varied, classs. Jennifer does not do much Regaeaton, where as Jahnea does. I enjoy the Regaeton, it reminds me of JACO BEACH COSTA RICA where I spent so much time. Its a rough kinda hip hop type of Latin music and its enjoyable and fun.

I am still working on the www.montereywine.com, West Coast Chowder Competition for Tina, and doing ok getting us Sponsors. But the best part of our day is Tina and I going to do our latin dancing! This particular event I am working on is in June mid month, So I am trying to plan what I will be doing after this is over. My work for her will be done, and well maybe my life will change once again? Nothing much else going on for me, the chapters of my life right now are quiet, boring, not much interaction, sometimes very lonely. Who would have thought that in this time of my life it would be such as this?

ZUMBA Working My Brain My Body

Thank god the sun came out today, those months and months of gray were surely getting to me. If you have never been in a place where you are living that has no sun you can't understand how some people feel with out it. FOR ME its not good. SO Thankfully it came out today! I been doing Zumba a lot the past three weeks, I'm so grateful for my only friend here TINA she and I have been trying to do it at noon, in the evening and today it was in the morning. They were going to Seattle today so our work day was cut very short. They wanted to leave at noon, so Tina and I went at 9:30 today and worked out very hard. The thing about Zumba is, that it is my mind lifter, working out my brain, remembering the routines and the steps that are easier for me I am positive than most of the women and men who live here and are unfamiliar with Latin music or the dance. I can tell you this much, I am so sore I can hardly move today. The cold weather makes it difficult to move those old joints. But Thankfully I shook my ass pretty darn good today! I plan on going tomorrow.~~~~~~ Seriously its the only thing I have right now. I use to be a jazzercise lady, when I was away I learned how to do all the Latin dances, if you read the blog years back you would know, sunshine and dancing, Beach and swimming. Horseback riding, walking a lot and having good times with lovely Latin women, and men. Now my only Latin experience is Zumba! soooo when I am in the class and the music begins I start out slow especially the last few days bad cough and hard to get moving. Then when my adrenaline kicks in I AM OFF, I hear the music and I see the moves but I'm not there, I'm dancing with friends and remembering all sorts of fun and wonderful different things during that whole hour. I totally get away from the gray the cold the rain and the dealing with fitting back into USA society. So after Tina and went to the office, sweaty Hot and then worked a bit then I was dropped off. I don't have a car or any sort of way to get around its a good thing they pick me up. I swear if it wasn't for her I have no clue what I would be doing right now. I am temporarily helping them with all there Social Media work, and pages I have built for there events one is www.montereywine.com and there facebook page is Montereywine the company. The others are www.asirenstale.com a book that Tina wrote recently that is really cool! I was the first to read the script as she wrote it, I have it on LULU as an ebook and on Amazon.com for her, I built her a page on Facebook, in the same name A Sirens tale book. Then the last one is West Coast Chowder Competition on FB. What I do is find sponsors and do all the media on these events, I make so little times are very tough. commission only but its better than sitting here and doing nothing. Finding a job at my age is not easy in USA. I have dropped my dreams for a while and plan on finishing this up with them and then who knows??? someone recently who is just a friend on FB told me, Marianna you are a beautiful lady, talented and so alive, you inspire me don't be sad or depressed about your situation, take it as your life is your book, and right now this is just a few slow chapters. Something like that she said? I found that good. Shes right its just a lull before the excitement again! My get away is Zumba, I literally go into another world when dancing, ITS A VERY GOOD THING. For those of you who read and don't really know me just a reader. I AM A SURVIVOR, I made a way on my own for years with out help, I worked made a career. I raised two boys pretty much alone but with the help occasionally of my family who would watch them now and then. But I worked hard, and I survived in a third world country alone. I had many adventures and I made a way where there was none. I've have lots of ups and lots of downs. This is a low but not the lowest. The lowest was some years back when I returned from Spain. It is a difficult time for millions of people right now, Instead of tearing me apart, be compassionate, and lift one another up. If you are out there and are having a hard time and you read my writings let me know If I can pull from my experiences to make you feel better I think that is a good way to help ones self as well. I BEEN THROUGH SOME HELL IN MY LIFE and damn it if you think I'm weak, I'm strong its just hard sometimes to be the perky happy person we all love to be around. The reason is, I think that people are afraid to try help, when all of us need love, a touch, a hug, a pat on the head. I hardly ever get that.. and it effects you. With out human touch the body grows old, and we all need love! THIS IS MY REASON TO LOVE latin music as well, every one of there songs is about love, losing, gaining, begging you not to go, telling you how stupid you are if you do leave! and sharing how much they love you.. Passion is what it is called. WHERE IS THE PASSION ANY MORE?

YERNING FOR THE HOT SUN OF ROATAN

Not crying but I'm really growing so worn out like a pair of sneakers that get worked out in day after day and not washed! That's how it feels when you wake up to the same gray day, day after day here in Portland. I mean I use to live here years back, no wonder I ran like a gypsy in the night! I seriously wish I had a camera, so I could post on this blog and make it better, but that was stolen as well in the last robbery. Its just so darn dark here, and today expecting SNOW IN APRIL? COME ON GIVE ME A BREAK HERE! I remember feeling the sun burning on my skin early in the morning when I walked to the water taxi to my first job in Roatan. The very first day, I had to be there at 8:00 I lived on a hillside up a steep road that was all dirt, the sandy beach front road was connected to mine near the west end of the bay in WEST END. I got pretty early, before 6:00 got all ready.I had a long backless dress on and sandals,(its hot and you can wear pretty much anything) I walked down the hill I was fine the hair was good the makeup was good. But from the moment I stepped onto the beach road, next to sea I felt the humidity and the sun blaring on my shoulders, I started to sweat, I had a big arrangement for the boss for the first day. I wanted him to see I was thankful, and created something really cool with orchids for his office. I was carrying this down the road when I couldn't find a taxi I got all flustered the heat was now burning on me, the hair started to go I could feel sweat dripping down my back then I decided to take a water taxi, but the guys are so lazy they didn't want to take just one person. Told me I had to wait! I couldn't I didn't want to late the first day. I begged practically then scolded cause there so lazy they could care less, laying on the dock like a bunch of ol iguanas. Finally someone volunteered to take me. We flew across the water in the early morning around 7:30 I was soaked with sweat and the sun was crisping my skin on my back and shoulders, the wind of the boat off the water was cool and felt so good, the water's reflection was diamond like, and in the close vicinity of edge of the boat you could see the bottom of the ocean. WHAT A WAY TO GO TO WORK! Although I was worried how I was going to get there on time, the idea of walking early in the warm sun then riding a water taxi to work was a cool way to arrive at your first day on the job. I would do anything right now to have that sun burning my shoulders, the way it feels here is so opposite that is a difficult adjustment since I been living in hot tropical climates for years now. It is strange how the dark damp weather effects the body as well. I never knew I had so many aches and pains! I think I rather deal with the bug bites and the sand in my toes than deal with the damp dark days that are never ending , waking up every morning to look out the window and see the same scene day after day. Branches that are darkened tones of black and deep gray with moss growing on them, leafless and lifeless, the sky in the background a steel gray and sometimes a bit of a pine branch here and there. It reminds me of a terror movie where they show the woods all cold and scary! BOY O BOY! ... Off to work!

Weekend blahs

The weekend is here, I am in Portland Oregon and guess what? It has rained more than a month with no sun. It showed it's face last evening for about a hour too late to even enjoy it, and with out a Sunset! I miss my sunsets I love them, Its a peaceful time of the day, watching the Sun slide into the water, sometimes catching a glimpse of a green flash. It is true you can see that flash I have seen it many times. Yea sooooo, really unusual situation I am in, I have little if not any friends here in Portland. I lived here for awhile years back very tough to make friends in this miserable City, and I can say that! It was voted the 2ND most miserable City in the USA. AND I'M HERE IN IT?? God forbid! I handle my emotions here cause it makes you feel so depressed and so miserable and so alone. Tonight though the gal I am helping out Tina, who has written this great book called A Sirens Tale, is taking me to a place called Ring Side. Its a fabulous famous Old steak house but they have recently remodeled so it should be a good evening. Funny though?? she asked me last night to invite some friends.. I laughed I SAID WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? you see me everyday I'm with you every day, we are now working out doing Zumba four times a week, WHAT FRIENDS DO YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE HERE?? She said well there has to be someone you want to invite? Honestly I only have about three people here I talk to, Jon, Tina, and Barbara. But Barb was an old client, I did many events for her when she was working for Radial Larsens, Jon is a good friend and ex employee, he has his life we occasionally talk through out the years. He' is a blazers fan so I'm sure hes going to that game tonight. I think this is suppose to be a sort of birthday party for me? Although my birthday was last month its going to be celebrated this evening by the three of us.NICE So I broke out a dress I have from Central America, and some heels. It will be the first time ever wearing a dress here since I arrived almost three months ago. NO REASON I GO NO WHERE so it will feel really special tonight to be pretty! I miss the sun, its so tough to be smiling and happy in this, at least the sunlight makes you feel alive, other wise I am feeling zombieish. Those sunsets mean something to me, it as if the world says good night and you say thank you for another beautiful day. It was almost ceremonial to me, so many people would watch the sun going down. In Spain when I was there, I saw actual drummers on the beaches drumming to the sun. Pretty interesting, and it felt good to watch that, although they reminded me of latent Hippies! wearing those darn pants that looks like your carring a load. But at least they were happy and enjoyed the moments. Other than this, no plans for the weekend, Other than working on A Sirens Tale facecbook page. This is the book that Tina wrote, I am trying to help her get publicity on it and get it selling. It is quite interesting, the imagination this lady has is wild! and I love the fact that these creatures are capable of changing there forms. Check it out www.asirenstale.com FEED BACK on this and the blog is needed, I want to continue writing, hoping I get my readers back I have lots to share with you on Central America. Maybe tell you about the Copan Ruins and what I felt and saw while I was there for four days, what do you think?