Hicks' blog

trip to Portrero, Guanacaste

2009-10-03T20:56:00.001-05:00

summer 2009 in Longview

2009-07-19T22:05:00.001-05:00

2009-06-29T21:53:00.004-05:00

2009-06-19T13:47:00.001-05:00

2009-06-19T11:01:00.001-05:00

orchids bloomed again

2008-09-29T09:36:00.002-05:00

This beautiful orchid languished in my patio for months and suddenly burst into bloom again!

broken brenda

2008-09-29T09:06:00.003-05:00

5 weeks ago today I fell and broke my hip on my way to water aerobics. Exercise is just not worth the pain! There was a construction wire fence in the road and somehow despite watching my feet I didn't see it and got tangled up in it and fell down hard. Had a hip pinning at a local hospital affiliated with Baylor - and feel like the care was excellent. I'm up and walking with a walker and looking forward to being able to put weight on the injured leg in a week or so. See the doctor today for the first time since it happened.

Ouch! Still can't do stairs but I'm ready for the day they let me put weight on the leg with a new quad cane. Still taking "showers" in the carport.

sailing into the sunset

2008-08-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

2008-08-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

What a comfortable house! And its on stilts so it catches the breezes

Weekend at Surfside

2008-08-18T12:41:00.001-05:00

Sailing with Dick and Peggy Pease on a catamaran and good eats at home

2008-07-18T09:37:00.003-05:00

2008-07-18T09:10:00.002-05:00

Charlie, Mom and Astrid; Astrid in Malta

Barcelona views

2008-07-18T09:04:00.003-05:00

For Astrid

2008-07-18T08:53:00.004-05:00

Me at the Vatican and Charlie and Astrid in the dining room

Norwegian Gem cruise

2008-07-17T11:16:00.003-05:00

Charlie and Astrid on his birthday - it was a nice cruise despite Charlie and Mom's lost luggage, Astrid only arriving in the nick of time to board the ship after her flight was delayed by a day. We enjoyed being pampered (having the bed made with luxurious sheets and eating wonderful lots of stars restaurant quality food and having ourselves entertained by professionals)

They've straightened the leaning tower

2008-07-17T11:12:00.003-05:00

Well, this view looks straighter,but if you walk a few steps further you can see it leans a lot more. I always thought the tower was in a field but it's in a walled city with a little grass in front and other structures all around - and very rude vendors all along the area where I was standing selling tourist trap stuff.

Fine dining

2008-07-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

In the fancy restaurant on the cruise with Chuck, Astrid and Mom

After a relay

2008-07-17T11:05:00.002-05:00

Kip swam the 800 meters in the lake, Annette biked a zillion miles and Donna (uncle's wife) ran in the Jefferson relay. They finished!

Shad's family

2008-07-17T11:02:00.003-05:00

Shad, Hayley, Annette and Kristen - The Mama and her 3 "Fish"

And what is that Kristen is wearing on her head?

golden retriever puppy

2008-07-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Hanna playing fetch the frisbee

2008-07-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

Hanna and Mo enjoying the sun and the pool.

Longview pool fun

2008-07-17T10:43:00.002-05:00

4 out of 5 grandchildren (missing the elusive Michael)

Kristen, Hanna, Moshue, Hayley and Torin at Aunt Kip and Uncle Shawn's 2008 Hicks Day Camp (Mo was the chief camp director and the all the grownups were lifeguards.

our summer vacation

2008-07-08T11:53:00.003-05:00

The elevator in the hotel in Barcelona was rather quaint and very tiny. We had fine dining every day at the fancy restaurants on board the Norwegian Gem. Brenda and Astrid enjoying Charlie's Birthday on July 5

Tonny Membora Tagua Wounaan

2008-03-30T12:06:00.003-05:00

This incredible art work is made from Tagua, known also as "vegetable ivory". The seed of this palm gets hard as ivory when ripe and is worked by the Wounaan indigenous peoples of the Darien rain forest area of Panama. Tonny is himself an artisan and a really neat guy. We really loved the work and the fact that it is a very earth friendly product as well as beautiful art work. Tonny can be reached by tmembora@yahoo.com.

2008-03-24T13:25:00.001-05:00

Moshue's visit to Costa Rica

2008-03-24T13:06:00.003-05:00

Restaurant by the sea, road to Parviz', and sunrise from Paul's Rancho

2008-03-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

Moshue in Ann's new improved kitchen in El Progresso

latest trip to Rio Celeste

2008-03-02T13:18:00.002-06:00

This otherworldly picture is from the hiking club's trip to Rio Celeste Feb 23, 2008. Volcanic waters mix and create this wild color - they swim in it but...maybe they're going to glow in the dark now?

2008-01-25T01:27:00.000-06:00

Had too much fun in the market at Masaya! They had hammocks too

2008-01-24T20:49:00.000-06:00

Ryan and Lydia in the "bride" and "groom" caps at the pre wedding dinner

2008-01-24T20:47:00.000-06:00

This is the cathedral on the town square - it is beautiful

2008-01-24T20:45:00.000-06:00

This is the church where the wedding took place - looks rather "thin" to me.

2008-01-24T20:43:00.000-06:00

Granada seems to have a church on every block. Some are not in such good shape any more but once were magnificent.

granada wedding

2008-01-24T20:40:00.000-06:00

This is the group of us who went to Granada from Blue Valley School - except Liz who is now from Virginia (she's next to Ryan)

2007-12-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

2007-12-20T20:57:00.000-06:00

wildlife! hiking buddies

Osa trek

2007-12-20T20:48:00.000-06:00

Old man and the ocean...

Jere McKinney .. in memorium

2007-12-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
mary elizabeth frye - 1932

2007-10-09T18:33:00.000-05:00

our living room garden

2007-10-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

2007-08-28T08:25:00.001-05:00

http://jamesandaria.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned to James and Aria's blog for the latest updates on our dear friend Jere who is in Florida for medical treatment.

Kip and Shawn enjoying the sunshine

2007-07-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Kip and Shawn were working most of the time - they work hard, saving up for Shawn to go back to school...but we caught them

Dick's first Triathalon

2007-07-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

Got to watch shad run and swim and bike...

2007-07-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Got some new duds, I'll be ready to go cruising next time we're invited - Astrid! We are really sorry we missed being with you this summer.

Walking on water

2007-07-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

So it would seem, anyway.

Happy Shad and his support team

2007-07-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

Shad and his whole family are into eating healthy, exercising ruggedly and doing triathalons. It was great to see them and see how well they are doing. Shad is such a cheerleader he is trying to get the whole world into exercising. Did he choose the right profession or what!

hiking in the Orosi valley

2007-05-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

We found out after ward that there are some hotsprings around there somewhere so I guess we'll have to go back to find them. It was definitely a jungle trek..

2007-04-23T08:15:00.000-05:00

2007-04-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

Albert Einstein once wrote that "if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

2007-04-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

A caterpillar left this on our storage door. The bright dot was gold, and it sure looked like a rolled up leaf.

It mysteriously disappeared way before it should have hatched (we have active little boys next door).

Panama

2007-04-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

Next, we took a vacation over Semana Santa to Bocas del Toro, Panama where we enjoyed snorkeling a little and riding around in a boat and seeing dolphins and beautiful clean beaches and this wierd gourd tree.

2007-04-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

This is the other half of the after, although the plants have already grown a lot so it is even brighter. Since we see this all day any time we're in the living, dining or kitchen it is a worthwhile project! It doesn't get much sun only for a few minutes a day, so can't support many flowers, just plants that like shade.

We both enjoy this little garden a bunch.

2007-04-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

I forgot to put the before first

Home again

2007-04-13T12:29:00.000-05:00

After getting home and finally getting rested, the first thing to tackle was the living-dining room length "garden".

2007-01-20T16:24:00.000-06:00

taking advantage of a less horrible hair day - my hair sticks straight out usually in this dry (indoor at least) climate.

iced in for 2 days

2007-01-20T16:19:00.000-06:00

The interstates running through town were closed for 2-1/2 days - they are high in the air and took a long time to thaw/be treated with stuff - and the stuff they treated it with ended up eating the lane markers off! Sounds like Costa Rica luck!

Although it was only below freezing for a couple of days, it sure covered stuff!

san antonio visit

2007-01-19T00:33:00.000-06:00

2007-01-08T18:24:00.001-06:00

Shad and Annette

Mice

2007-01-08T18:20:00.000-06:00

3 3 blind mice

2007-01-08T18:15:00.000-06:00

Kristen, Annette and Michael

Grandchildren

2007-01-08T18:11:00.000-06:00

Granddaughters Hayley and Michael and Annette

Dec 2006

2007-01-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

Torin and Hanna ready for Christmas dinner

Favorite photo from internet

2006-10-30T07:53:00.000-06:00

I love this photo - are cell phones EVERYwhere?

volcano view

2006-10-30T07:50:00.000-06:00

This is a view out of the school window of one of the volcanos surrounding San Jose. Dick gets to school nice and early and catches some nice views.

Different flower

2006-10-30T07:46:00.000-06:00

This is a strange flower on a stick that we haven't seen before.

2006-10-30T07:43:00.000-06:00

new career

2006-10-30T07:39:00.000-06:00

Baby, our trusty doorbell and watchdog is going to learn to chase pigs for a living! She is going to the Ighani's farm in the south of Costa Rica where she will get lots of loving and have a great new job to do. She has been an excellent watchdog and I'll sure miss her.

this is not my kitchen

2006-09-03T11:19:00.000-05:00

This is Ann Ighani's new improved kitchen - she cooks with firewood - a little more work than my kitchen! I don't know if the new kitchen has walls yet or not.

the weeds easily take over

2006-08-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of rains and presto we have weeds! This guy only lasted 2 days with the weed eater but he did manage to find some coffee plants in those weeds. There are more behind him yet to be discovered.

2006-08-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

It is almost impossible to capture the delicacy of the colors on this hydrangea - it is by the back door and makes me happy when I see it.

new project

2006-08-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

What do you do all day in Costa Rica? Make arrangements. And you couldn't believe how tiring it is to have roofers here all day! But it will be nice when its done!

Beautiful and Smart

2006-07-15T14:26:00.000-05:00

Michael is planning to go to college and pursue her writing. We look forward to her first book.

Michael's smile

2006-07-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

Here is Michael's graduation picture, with honors! We are so sorry that we didn't get to see her on this visit. She is working and getting ready for college. Good Luck Michael!

My Favorite Cook

2006-07-15T06:49:00.000-05:00

Here is Shad, cooking for Hayley's birthday party. Getting invited to eat at his house is a great experience, not only for the delicious food, but for the wonderful company as well.

Beautiful Family

2006-07-15T06:33:00.000-05:00

This is the best definition of happiness that I can think of. Mommy and her "Big Girl" (Annette and Hayley) with Daddy and his "Little Girl" (Shad and Kristen). The only one I didn't get a picture of is the "Young Lady" of the family - Michael, who was out of town when we visited. She is getting ready to start college this semester and is busy working to earn her way.

San Antonio Baha'i Center

2006-07-13T18:42:00.000-05:00

While visiting Dawn and Mo in San Antonio we were able to to attend devotions in their beautiful center and then participate in the commemoration of the Martyrdom of The Bab on July 9th. It was a very moving program followed by a delicious dinner. What a blessing to share such an occasion with so many devoted friends, a few of whom you can see in this photo.

Shawn and Kip

2006-07-13T18:36:00.000-05:00

Shawn and Kip laugh a lot. They make us so happy just seeing them enjoy one another so much. Notice her Chirripo shirt?

Happy Bubba

2006-07-13T18:31:00.000-05:00

One of the very best things about having children is getting to hold their children. Here is Bubba with Hayley and Kristen on our first day in Texas. Costa Rica is wonderful, but it certainly has a price in being so far away from family and moments like these.

Hayley's birthday party

2006-07-13T18:24:00.000-05:00

Hayley is now 9. Congratulations! Shad and Annette are holding someone else's baby, but Hayley is busy watching the cake being cut her grandmother, her uncle Mike and his new wife, Donna. It was a great party with her friends and relatives getting plenty of Shad's great cooking.

Brother & Sister

2006-07-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

This is Hanna and Torin, just chilling and enjoying each others company. Torin just had his 6th birthday and Hanna just turned two. We were so happy to see them in San Antonio where they now live. Torin is all ready to start the first grade while his daddy is starting the fourth.

Longview visit

2006-07-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Grandma, Shad, Hayley and Kristen in Kip's pool

2006-07-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

Dawn

San Antonio

2006-07-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

Moshue and Hanna

More San Antonio

2006-07-13T09:56:00.000-05:00

2006-07-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

Here's our trip to San Antonio - Mo got his first teaching job, teaching fourth grade! Hooray Mo! Dick got his first adult buzz haircut from Mo - it looks pretty good!

2006-06-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Hayley!

La Feria in Escazu

2006-06-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

Brenda and Mona shopping in the Escazu feria.

41 years of laughter

2006-06-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

We sure look silly, don't we? We were at a farewell pizza party for Mona when Adam took our picture with my camera. I forget what we were laughing about.

A wonderful dinner

2006-06-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

These are some of the wonderful people that shared the pieta bread feast that Brenda prepared, with the help of Mona, the young lady from Iceland that has been doing her year of service with Parviz and Anne Ighani on the Guaymi indian reservation near the Panamian border. Pictured with Mona are Anne and the McKinneys (Jere, Julie, Aria, and little Sasha). Actually Aria is no longer a Mckinney, and we are anxious to meet her James when he can come visit in CR. Parviz isn't in the picture because he is busy showing a slide presentation that the others are watching. Brenda is washing dishes and I am taking pictures. It was such a delightful evening that there are so many that I wish we could have shared it with. Maybe next time?

Declaration of the Bab

2006-05-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

On May 23, 1844 the world received the Declaration of the Bab, and the beginning of the new age began. Once again Divine Revelation would renew the spiritual life of mankind.
This is a picture of the
Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel
that Dick took when we were on pilgrimage
a year ago in January with Kipper.

grandchildren

2006-05-22T11:20:00.000-05:00

Nearly 2 (in June) Hanna and nearly 6 (in July) Torin. He's actually reading the comics - scary, huh!
We'll get to be there when Torin turns 6 - goody!

Frogs again

2006-05-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

These guys are perfectly at home in the jungles, and it is so much fun when you see one.

dogs

2006-05-14T18:25:00.000-05:00

Baby is our dog, the black and white one just came to visit for a night. Baby is a mixed breed, but mostly labrador I think. She loves to play, so come and throw the frisbee with her.

Tiny Guaymi dresses

2006-05-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

These cute dresses are completely hand sewn and perfect miniature replicas of the dresses the Indian women and girls wear in every day life. They are such a treasure and I sure wish I could find people who appreciate the work and artistry involved - quilters can you imagine? The dresses are about 12 inches in length and what looks like rick-rack is all hand done. They are for sale - all the money goes to the women - just trying to help them make a little cash in a very remote area.

rainy season has started

2006-05-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

trimming the bouganvilla is a full time job - to keep it blooming. You can see Baby, our black dog, helping.

The white flowers are lillies that burst into bloom after a few days of rain. The rainy season officially started on May 8 when there was a downpour during the inauguration festivities. After 5-6 rains everything is turning lush and beautiful..

2006-05-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

This was a couple of days at the beach when we just got away by ourselves. We stayed at Playa Estrillos in a little place with a swimming pool. We had the place all to ourselves and the beach was practically deserted.

This is just one of the things that you have to look out for.
Just getting ready to start an eight hour hike up Rincon de la Vieja, a volcano near the Nicaraguan border, with 19 teachers and students. It was a beautiful day and everyone made it to the top, some taking longer than others.

Bug Bites

2006-05-04T18:19:00.000-05:00

Would you believe that I got more bites on this trip to the Bri Bri reservation than on all of my other hikes combined? And yes, they do itch like crazy, but remained unscratched.

2006-05-04T17:44:00.000-05:00

The trail on the rim of Rincon de la Vieja

This is the Ighani family, our dear, sweet friends
from down on the Guaymi indian reservation near the border with Panama. They are in front of Layla's champa where Kip and I stayed when we visited there.

Green frog

2006-05-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

This is just one of the many beautiful frogs one can find in the rainforest of Costa Rica.

Blogger diva in the middle

2006-05-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Aunt Louise, Brenda and Ann