a celebration of sorts

We are off to Manzanillo this afternoon for two days of R & R ~ not that we don't get plenty of that right here ~ and to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  Fifty fun-filled years!  Nary a cross word in all that time.  We're planning a couple of nice out-to-dinners; one at an Argentinian place we found last year and one at Toscana's, a gorgeous up-scale place on the beach.  We'll stay at La Posada, as usual.  And do a little shopping, too.

For one thing, we need two more clay light fixtures to hang in the newly constructed overhangs in the back.

 The old ones were partly wooden and got infested with termites,.  They also had tile roofs (tejas) which acted as condos for iguanas and rats, so over the summer Fernando demolished them and built two sturdy  cement structures with hanging lights (now hanging bare bulbs).

We'll go up to Santiago to the Artisianas to look for the bell-shaped fixtures that hang throughout the terazzas.

The last time we were there, albeit some years ago, there were none, and I don't know where else we can find these things.  Even something vaguely similar will do the job.  Let the next owner worry about matching perfectly!

Speaking of the next owners, the gentleman who looked at the house stopped by to introduce himself.  He and his wife both loved the place but have decided to rent for a year, a house waaay out in the colonia right on the beach.  The first tidal surge of the summer will fill the pool with sand, but that's something you just have to learn the hard way!  Meanwhile, the real estate office reports lots of hits on the web site but no expressions of interest.  I guess we can plan on returning next year!

CURRENTLY READING:  "Paris" by Edward Rutherfurd.
JUST FINISHED:  "Going Clear:  Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief" by Lawrence Wright (he of "The Looming Towers").  See also:  "Apostate" by Lawrence Wright, the New Yorker, February 14, 2011.
SATURDAY LISTENING:  Madam Butterfly by Puccini from The Met.

Meanwhile, the weather is glorious, the pineapples and watermelons are sweet and juicy, and all in all, life is good.