That’s all, on this tipsy-turvy day. Hasta mañana…
Current mood
Virtual Costa Rica: Park your kids in front of the Sloth Ironman
If you’ve never sat down to watch the Sloth Ironman, a delightfully whimsical sloths-doing-slothy-things video series from the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica, now is most definitely the time.
Events like the 1-Meter Dash, the Poop-Off, and Hibiscus Eating actually have a purpose: they showcase whether these rescue sloths have mastered abilities they’ll need if they are to be reintroduced into the wild. What’s more, donors vote during the Games to raise money for the nonprofit project that takes care of these animals. However, the videos are also just very cute and immensely watchable. Here’s the trailer for the 2019 Games:
So just subscribe to The Toucan Rescue Ranch YouTube channel, cue up any of the orange-labeled Ironman videos (the others on the channel are really cool, as well), and put yourself and your kids in front of it for awhile to enjoy Costa Rican wildlife. If you like what you see, consider donating to support the Ranch’s mission of rescuing, rehabilitating and re-releasing wildlife. They’re open and active but will surely be affected by COVID-19, since educational tourism and volunteers are an important part of their model. Connect with them and help them continue to take care of sloths, toucans and other animals!
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! During the COVID-19 crisis I’m focusing on slices of Costa Rican life that people can enjoy virtually during these tough times. If you see a great Costa Rica cam, FB Live, online class, photo series or other gem being shared from Costa Rica, let me know!
Give yourself a hug like this today
All I can manage today is a baby sloth, so I figured I’d make it an extra-cute one.
If you’re frazzled, as I am (and/or reading too much about politics, as I have been), please join me in figuring out how to wrap some arms around yourself like this today – whether they are someone else’s, yours, or a fluffy blanket.
Photo by Henner Damke via Shutterstock.
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! Each month in 2020 has a monthly theme, and March’s is women’s rights, so stay tuned for posts focusing on this issue.
Meet Sol the sloth – and her amazing caregivers
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to meet a very resilient baby sloth and celebrate her rescuers – and to remind you to call 911 if you see a sloth on a power line, or any other animal in distress. (There are different entities in different parts of the country that assist authorities with animal rescue, but what I’ve been told is that if you simply call 911 no matter where you are, they’ll know how to coordinate in your area.)
The Toucan Rescue Ranch writes:
Sol’s mother was fatally killed due to electrocution. Her mother likely was using power lines to move across fragmented canopy when she was zapped and fell to the ground. Sadly, when rescuers found her mother, she was likely killed instantly. Fortunately, Sol was still hanging on, alive.
Sol was quickly recovered from MINAE (wildlife police) and brought to the Toucan Rescue Ranch clinic for examination. It was soon discovered that Sol received some of the shock and had a limp arm as a result. Our vet staff made a quick decision to amputate to avoid further infection.
Thanks to our amazing vet team, the surgery went extremely well. Sol quickly woke from anesthesia and proved to be a survivor. She is still in critical care and in the sloth nursery. She has become pals with Luna, another three-fingered sloth in our care. Both will go through the Saving Sloths Together program where they will be provided 24/hour care and a rehabilitation and liberation plan, which will hopefully result in a life #backinthetrees, once old enough!
Support Sol by donating to our medical costs http://bit.ly/donatetotrr
Thank you, Toucan Rescue Ranch, for all you do! Here’s a video about Sol:
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).
Catching up and moving on
I’ve got some big plans for the Daily Boost in 2020. I’ll be sharing a different theme every month – one close to my heart and a critical issue for Costa Rica’s development – and celebrating inspiring leaders, travel tips and even a cool online contest related to that theme. I am starting a bit early this month because my mother’s fabulous visit just ended this past Tuesday, and if Costa Rica has taught me anything, it’s: family first! But I can’t wait to tell you about this month’s theme on Monday and starting to share the conversations I’ve been having with people making a difference in that area.
In the meantime, too many days of 2020 have elapsed without a sloth. Here’s one who captured my heart with his soulful, pensive gaze.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of deep thoughts.
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).
Day 55: Happy Slow Friday
What do you say? Shall we make this a thing?
If there were ever a day made, NOT for shopping or rushing, but for contemplating one’s navel, it’s today. If there were ever a day when we might realistically pull bits of food out of our hair like a sloth, it’s the day after Thanksgiving.
As Black Friday becomes nuttier and nuttier, I say we make this day a holiday for conservation in both the virtuous and the fun senses of the word: conserving not only financial and material resources, but also energy. Like, let’s move as slowly as possible. Carefully click the remote to watch “Elf” – you don’t want to sprain a finger. Ease ourself from one soft surface to another. Turn our heads at the pace of the tortoise from “Kung Fu Panda” as we crane to gaze out the window.
Gaze. We should gaze quite a bit today. And we should, like this sloth, watch the world go by. That’s something my dad used to say. He loved to pull up a chair on a porch or lawn, find himself a cup of coffee or bottle of beer, and say, “I’m just going to sit here, watching the world go by.”
It’s a dying art, but we can rescue it. The Turkey Trots have been run. The big dinner has been pulled off with a flourish. The sweatpants are stretchy. Our books and windows and ceilings have been missing us. Calls not to spend money on Black Friday can sound restrictive; I think the marketing would be sexier if they focused on the utter decadence of inaction. (My mouth is literally watering at the thought. What does that mean, when your mouth waters at the thought of doing nothing?)
Let’s make this sloth, high above the crowds, oblivious to long lines, our spirit animal for today. I think that Slow Friday, at least in my mind, might be here to stay.
Here’s this week’s recap:
Monday Motivation: An oxcart bonanza.
Tuesday Beauty: Taking life one butterfly hour at a time.
Wildlife Wednesday: One of the most incredible sea turtle videos ever shot.
Thanksgiving: A TBT to an essay on slang, gratitude and the oddities of language.
Have a great weekend!
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).
Day 40: Time for my yearly viewing of Kristen Bell’s sloth video
Man, I just realized that today, day 40 of the Daily Boost, is the day of my current age, and therefore a great opportunity to reflect on the (pretty insane and numerous) life lessons I’ve been taught this year. But man, it’s Friday, my brain is tired from all those life lessons, and this photo of a happy sloth is giving me life.
“Why are people so obsessed with sloths?” a friend asked this week. “Aren’t they kind of smelly?” Yes, smelly and eating gross things out of their fur. For me, that’s part of the appeal, I think, because then when you’re on the couch with Cheetos crumbs on your shirt, you know that your spirit animal is an internationally loved icon.
You know who loves sloths more than all of us? Actress Kristen Bell, and even if you have no idea who she is (in which case you do not have kids who are practically catatonic with excitement over “Frozen 2”), I guarantee her retelling of her encounter of a sloth will make you laugh. I go back to it at least once a year – not kidding. Watch it here. You’re welcome.
And here’s a recap of this week’s Daily Boost. Wishing you a slothful weekend covered in Cheeto crumbs (or maybe kale chips are more your scene – but eat them messily, and in sweatpants).
Monday Motivation: A true badass came to Costa Rica for the world’s toughest mountain bike race.
Tuesday Beauty: A message of galvanizing hope from climate action icon Christiana Figueres.
Wednesday Wellness: Let’s talk about anxiety.
Thursday Travel: Baby turtles set off to sea.
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).
Day 5: Love for September babies
In Costa Rica, it sometimes seems like everyone was born in September (or October, which I just found out actually holds the record). My husband, three of his four siblings, his mother and an awful lot of her grandkids and great-grandchildren were born in this month, and plenty of my friends as well. If you’re a September baby, happy birthday. And if you’re a baby sloth, well, thanks for reading. That’s a lot of effort for a sloth, and I just want you to know I appreciate it.
Every Friday I’ll publish something on the lighter side to get the weekend started right – slothy, funny or cocktail-y – and list the previous days’ posts in case you missed them and feel like some weekend boosting. Thank you for joining me… I can’t wait for Week 2.
Launch Day: Boots on, ready to roam.
Day 1, Monday Inspiration: On the learning curve of freedom.
Day 2, Tuesday Beau-tay: My first challenge of the year is to learn artists’ stories.
Day 3, Wellness Wednesday: In which I sat down meaning to write about why I should transform myself and ended up writing about how self-improvement can stuff it.
Day 4, Thursday Exploring: A little poem about volcanoes and, you know, the #metoo movement.
Wishing you all a slothful weekend filled with good coffee and many other pleasures!
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook!
katherine stanley obando 