FELIZ NAVIDAD

Holiday Greetings to all our blog followers!!

We have switched from rainy season to windy season. I have to say, it sure beats minus 38 degrees and snow. I send my condolences to those freezing in Calgary today!

Christmas and New Years is huge here in Panama. People save all year to buy their loved ones presents and to decorate their homes. Many people wrap their front doors in wrapping paper and put their tree on the front porch for the whole community to enjoy. Even the poorest of places will have some type of Christmas decorations displayed. The stores are packed and there is always a free wrapping table outside each store that will wrap each gift individually. On New Years, at midnight, almost every home sets off fireworks. It is such a beautiful sight and a really neat way to ring in the new year. Another tradition is that people will paint their homes, top to bottom, inside and out. It is a way to symbolically remove all the bad of the previous year and start the new year fresh. Paint is on sale everywhere!

I always have such a tough time getting into the Christmas spirit when there is no snow. This will be out third Christmas in Panama. This year we hope to go to the ocean for a few days. This year we are praying for new skin for Syd. As many of you know, Syd has been really struggling with her eczema. She has been improving, and we hope all her skin will be closed so we can all have a good soak in the ocean this year!

I will take a picture if a few houses today and add them to the post.

Until I blog again.
Love Linda