happiness is...

...new blinds!!!

before

after

BIG difference, right?

...having a "girls only"

This evening a few of my girl friends are coming to watch a movie under the stars, as my house has a flat room we are setting up the projector upstairs, wishing for good weather!

Although am I working today, so I will be "on duty" from 9am to 3pm and that might feel like it doesn't quite fall into the "happiness" category, I guess at some point it does. With the rising unemployment around the world, having a good stable job is directly related to happiness...

So Happy Weekend to all!!!

Friday Feeling

I get more than a feeling when it's Friday and I know the weekend is so close.

Last Friday on my blog post, many kitties were getting ready for the approaching end of the week, today I want to share this wonderful video that I am sure it'll put a BIG smile on your face...

So, what do you think? Wasn't it wonderful? Hope it's the start of a wonderful weekend...

nice to meet you!

This week is full important and meaningful dates for me, besides yesterday being Costa Rica's 189th independence celebration, today's is my bosses birthday and last but definitely not least today's date marks the day when 5 years ago I meet my other half, the one that fills my heart with the kind of love you cannot get from anybody else, my husband Mark.

When I think about this day back in 2005, I cannot recall much of what happened through the day as it was a day like any other (or so I thought!). I woke up, went to work and never in my wildest dream I was expecting to meet the man that eventually would sweep me off my pretty feet, treat me like a queen and shower me with love...

Growing up at some point I had my doubts about ever finding somebody that I could love completely but most important somebody that would love every version of me.

Well, turns out, there was somebody out there and now we've been happily married for more and a year and we have a wonderful family together, with 2 crazy dogs!

Certainly I am a very lucky and blessed human being, we  have a great life together and every day I am grateful for what I have but mostly for that day back in '05 when we met...

I love you baby, and I am very happy God brought you into my life. I am looking for many more years together; loving, supporting and cherishing each other.

Have a wonderful Thursday!!!

Happy Birthday CR!

On a day like today 189 years ago my country, Costa Rica, (among other Central American countries) got the independence from Spain and became a republic.

For those who don't know much about this little piece of paradise, here are some facts:

This Central American country abolished its standing army in 1949.

It's bordered by Panama, Nicaragua, and surrounded by the Pacific and Caribbean Oceans.

Costa Rica is best known for its coffee and commitment to ecological sustainability and booming tourism.

Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.25% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. Around 25% of the country's land area is in protected areas and national parks.

And even though today I am not there to celebrate next to my fellow Costaricans, I am always there at heart.

There's not a day that goes by that I feel proud to be from Costa Rica, we have a beautiful country, filled with many wonders and amazing things, we are hard working people, friendly and very happy to share our wonderful country with visitors, so if you ever get a chance don't hesitate to come and visit!

So, now to honor my dear country on it's 189th birthday I will like to share our National Anthem.

The video I found in YouTube has two versions, first one is only instrumental and the second one is with voices and played by the National Symphony Orchestra (both are very nice versions), Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Costa Rica!!!

called for help?

Yesterday I got a most unexpected phone call from our former manager at the store, she got fired last year for reasons that I am not going to get into, all I can say is that she was making the wrong decisions that once some of us found out about it and even after trying for her to come clean about her wrong decisions, she did nothing, which made us feel like her accomplices, so instead we did the right thing...

Later on she got fired in part for her wrong decision making, but mainly because of the way she handle the whole situation, by not accepting her responsibility and kept on lying about it...

Of course, once she was out, she took it against me (mostly) and started sending me some very harmful and mean texts (from an old phone of mine that I gave her as a present cause she needed one in the past- ironic!), calling me names and all. But, even though her behavior made me feel kind of sad, I never felt bad about coming out with the truth about the situations at work, because I know I did the right thing...

Well, back to the unexpected phone call... She called me yesterday asking me for help, she wasn't very explicit over the phone and only did say that it was something to do with Costa Rica, about some documents in Spanish and since I am the only Costarican that she knows and "trusts?", she wanted to meet and talk to me about it. 

I accepted and I am going to meet her tomorrow... But, of course I very cleverly choose a cafe where they know me at, so in case all of a sudden she starts acting up, at least I will be around people that know me and can "come to my rescue", right? 

So I figure, why not helping her? I never did anything to hurt her, in fact most of the time while working with her, she did several things to hurt me and even after I distanced myself from her and tried keeping a very professional relationship she always managed to find a way to mess me up. (I guess forgot to mention that she also claims to be bi-polar, so that doesn't help her behavior at times!).

I am a firm believer that in life you need to do good without looking at whom. If she needs my help (as long as it's not anything beyond my power; monetary or illegal) I will do my best to help her. 

After all she did to me (and other staff members) last year, it must have been hard for her to swallow her pride and call me, so that proves that what "goes around, comes around" and I don't want to be the one ever in trouble or in need of help and having a hard time calling somebody for help because of my bad karma...  I figure it just adds good karma to me... Let's just hope that she honestly needs my help but mostly that she is willing to be helped, right? 


Here's to hoping I don't get dissapointed and have a tough time talking to her..Wish me luck!

Maxine Monday

The weekend was very short, mostly because I worked on Saturday.

In general I don't really mind working on a Sat. (as long as I still have my 2 days off a week) because we only open from 9am to 3pm, unfortunately right now we are in low season for tourism, so the day was super slow and very boring, which makes 6 hours feel like 12, ugh!

Having only a day a 1/4 off it's really not cutting it for me, next Sat. is my last working one since the manager should be back to work, can't wait to have 2 days off again!

Not much to post about today... Hoping to find some inspiration for the rest of the week! Have a great Monday!