Author Archives: Myra

About Myra

I'm retired in Costa Rica, having lived in Philly, State College, Salem Mass, and Kawagoe Japan. You might call me a career gypsy, but my last and best job was teaching English to some of the best and brightest kids in Philly. I'm new to blogging and websites, and will probably make all the mistakes there are, but now I'm sharing my writing. I moved to Costa Rica in June of 2009 with my husband Jack, my dog Buddha, and Jack's two cats, Hobbes and Noir.

Life without Google

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Myra

I slipped off my anti-Google wagon yesterday. It would have been day four of my life without Google if I hadn’t regressed. Like other addictions, Google use becomes a habit before the unsuspecting victim even realizes it. Every morning, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Life, Philadelphia, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

White Privilege

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Myra

In 1997, I passed the Philadelphia School District’s test for English teachers, and picked my first school from among the openings. The choices seemed bleak: each position was at one of the persistently dangerous schools- that’s to say, schools that … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Education, Family, Life, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let’s boycott the bigots. All of them.

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Myra

One of my greatest joys, as a mother, was passing my love of reading to my daughter, Bonnie. Oh, the books we read together, beginning with my favorite children’s author, Richard Scarry. We subscribed to the Children’s Book of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Life, Reading, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Occupy the House of (un) Representatives!

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Myra

The Republican members of the House have crossed the line between ignoring the poor (and soon to be poor) and downright attacking them. They’ve committed the criminally insane act of withdrawing critical support from the segment of the population most … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Absent without leave

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Myra

The two months since I wrote my last blog have been sucked up by the black hole of time. Looking back over my planner, I see that I haven’t suffered from a dearth of activities. I have no memory of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and blogging, Health, Life, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Bitch-slapped by life

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Myra

Life reached out and gave us a bitch slap recently. We’d taken an overnight trip with friends to Puntarenas, on the west coast of Costa Rica, a couple of hours away from our Puriscal home. At eight that morning, we’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Costa Rica, Life, Life abroad, Retirement abroad, Rural Living, Travel | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

The Sting

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Myra

I had a big day planned yesterday: lunch and a movie in the city (Escazu, Costa Rica) with girlfriends. We may be seniors, but we’re still girls, right? But I begged off, due to a headache and upset tummy. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Costa Rica, Health, Life, Life abroad, Rural Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Supremes wig out again

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Myra

According to the New York Times, the supremes are wigging out again, and this time, two of my favorites seem to have defected to the dark side. Justices Kagan and Sotomayor, females AND liberals, have changed their minds about allowing … Continue reading →

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Batty over bats

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Myra

In general, I’m not a fan of bats. They simply don’t conform to my notion of cuddly critters. And there’s that whole vampire thing. Not that I believe in them, but it happens that I’ve been binge-viewing season one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Life abroad, Rural Living | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Clean, or happy?

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Myra

Before we moved to Costa Rica, we learned that we could find someone to clean the house for about a dollar an hour. I was ecstatic. Back home, I cleaned when company was coming. It’s not that I don’t love … Continue reading →

Posted in Costa Rica, Family, Life, Life abroad, Retirement abroad, Rural Living | Tagged , | Comments Off on Clean, or happy?