Bonnie

Note that questions about the Rodny Direct plan will be addressed tomorrow at La Villa between noon and 3:00.

5 hours ago, Admin_01 said:

Hil, your words are indeed correct. This is your blog. You are in control. Blog owners have great leeway in what they post and whether they allow others to reply, etc. See Rule 22. What you have posted here is in full compliance with CL's rules.

We do appreciate your postings and are happy that you use CL. One of these days we would like to meet you in person. (And we owe you a huge thank you for helping us find a great Mexican restaurant in Volcan.)

Keep up the good work.

I've gotten several of these emails from people I know. I've deleted them immediately. According to the Rodny Direct newsletter, there were any number of ways our addresses could have been compromised.

I had problems with the MBE website this morning. I just figured it was on their end.

Roberto does excellent work. Be sure you have Anouk groomed short before leaving her with Kris when you go away. It's much warmer there than she is used to.

Roberto is also a very big-hearted business owner. He does a first time FREE bathing/grooming of all dogs rescued through local animal welfare organizations. And his is more than a business; he truly loves animals. 

Marcelyn, the complete business logo reads "Where Dogs Hang Out and Cool People Chill." I've always found this amusing.

That's wonderful. BTW, I found that I had to buy a second (big) dog bed for the cat.

Marie, here are the blood donation guidelines on the Hospice website: http://boquetehospice.org/blooddonors.html

This is the best news I've heard lately. I can't imagine that it wouldn't be available to whoever needs it; we got blood from Hospital Regional several years ago when there was an immediate need for my husband. We were lucky that they had it on hand in that instance. Assuming that this move consists of establishing facilities for the testing and  refrigeration of blood and that that will be accompanied by periodic blood drives, I for one will rest easier. If you haven't experienced an emergency need for blood in Panama, you can't imagine the agony involved in the waiting that accompanies the location of a donor, the often long time it takes that donor to get to David, and then the further wait for the blood to be tested and delivered.

If that is the case, Hospice has changed its policy, and I'm glad. I had spoken with the President of Hospice, Betty Landis, when a good friend was unable to donate to my husband because a couple of days earlier she had donated to an expat living in David, as had at least one other person. Betty defended the policy of being responsive to calls for blood  from David. 

I ask because there have been instances of potential blood donations from Boquete expats being unavailable to other Boquete expats in need because the eligible donors recently had given blood for persons living in David. David is a much larger area than Boquete and, I feel, should be responsible for developing its own blood donation network rather than relying on the good graces of Boquete. I recognize that this is not the policy of Hospice, but, having been affected adversely by ts policy, I respectfully disagree with it.

There are a limited number of donors for particular blood types. I, personally, would like to know that any blood I donate is going to a resident of my  community, the community  that developed and maintains the blood donation network. Other donors may feel differently, but I think everyone deserves to know-- if not the name, at least the location--of the person who will benefit from their blood so that they can choose whether or not to donate to that person at the risk of their blood not being available to a friend or neighbor here in Boquete.

Is this woman a resident of Boquete? Do we know her?

I've never seen one, Marcelyn. I'm afraid you're going to have to put your pots where she can't get them.

I used to give my dogs raw beef bones. But Dan Evers, the highly respected veterinarian who comes to Boquete two or three times a year to participate in the clinics and sees dogs for special problems the following day, advised against it. When he was here full time a few years back, he rented the house next door, came over often, and observed me giving the dogs raw beef bones. He said that in his practice in the States he did many, many surgeries to remove bones from dogs' intestinal tracts. Most were chicken bones, he admitted, which are the worst, but a significant number were raw beef bones, he said. As much as my dogs enjoyed those bones, I gave up the practice. I respect your experience and opinion, Dottie, but I respect Dan's more. My dogs now get only Nylabones, which last a long, long time. Occasional chewing just doesn't do it for some dogs. In the absence of a safe chew toy, they start on household objects.

Marcelyn, you also may want to order her some Nylabones for chewing. Whatever you do, do not buy the local rawhide (or other synthetic) bones, which are made in China. When Skeeter was a puppy and was chewing everything in sight, I bought some in desperation. He had the worst doggie diarrhea I've ever experienced with a pet.

She's a beauty. All three of you are lucky.

Thanks, Bud. I now see the small "RIP Mort Rabkin" at the bottom.

I'm not seeing anything here.

I don't understand. Are you saying that if two jubilados order one dish, the discount doesn't apply? How is the discount being "transferred?" It is my understanding that a jubilado cannot order two dishes, one for himself and one for a non-jubilado, and expect to receive the discount on both meals. But one meal and two jubilados? I would be interested to know on what part of the law you base your interpretation.

This ad appears here three times, twice by the poster and once by News Boquete. Plus, I received the same ad on News Boquete this morning. It's becoming more and more common for folks to advertise by posting here and advertise by posting on News Boquete, which sends it to Chiriqui Life.

Thanks for the observations, Phyllis. From my own perspective based on over nine years, I have observed that new arrivals are mesmerized by the climate, views, and slow pace of life for up to the first three years. After that time, many are worn down by the power outages, water problems, inconsistent access to Internet and television, time-consuming shopping, and poor customer service. While some do indeed return home for medical and family reasons, I’ve come to suspect that these are used as excuses by many who just could not adapt. There also are those who came here with unrealistic expectations of costs.

If I were asked for advice about expatriating to Panama, I would strongly suggest that potentials closely examine their budget, including costs for health insurance, travel, and the always-lurking miscellaneous. It has not escaped my notice that more and more folks are arriving under financed, some woefully so. Also, I think there is a better chance for long-term happiness if there is a “handy” person in the household. Being able to handle your own electrical, plumbing, computer, and other problems goes a long way toward eliminating frustration and expenses. Add to all that a laid back attitude, as you suggest.

I confess to having experienced my own set of frustrations that have tempted me from time to time to consider abandoning Panama. But then I remember the wonderful sense of community, the languid pace, and the natural beauty surrounding me. Only tonight, while sitting on my terrace, a lone coatimundi casually strolled through the back garden (inducing hysteria in the dogs).

Absolutely, Phyllis!