Week Ending 19 de octubre

Here's my contribution to


This weekend didn't have much of a story to it in comparison with last weekend, but it was sweet nonetheless. Friday was the Pirate's birthday. I treated him to breakfast at our neighborhood cafe, and as we were walking there (it's two blocks from our house), our neighbor passed us in his car, waved and said "Feliz Cumpleanos!" That was odd - we rarely see him and have never had a real conversation with him. How did he know that it was the Pirate's birthday?

About 2 hours before we were due at the church for the Friday mass, one of our friends texted me saying, 'tell David feliz cumpleanos from me'. How did she know? I hadn't told her, and David certainly hadn't.

At the end of mass, Padre called out to the Pirate just before he recessed into the sacristy, "Feliz cumpleanos, David! Muchas felicidades!" Now that one I can take credit for since I had told the church secretary that it was the Pirate's birthday and asked Padre to include him in the prayers at the mass (which he did, but I don't think David heard his name). BTW, the church secretary is very discrete and wouldn't have spread that news around; besides, she doesn't even know our neighbor, who is American. Mysterious!

On Saturday we decided to go to the nearby swimming beach for a treat. As those of you who read this blog may remember, our local beach, though lovely, is too dangerous for swimming. The nearest beach where you can swim is about 7 miles away, beyond the next town. The area around the beach is being developed into a tourist spot: luxury condos & beach houses, inns, and a "private beach resort" which consists of an outdoor restaurant and offers surfing lessons. That's where we headed.
We usually only go there when our grandkids are visiting, so this was a rare event. We spent a lovely day hanging out, eating (nachos & steak) and drinking and reading.


I read "Nothing Short of a Miracle" by Patricia Treece, a book that you must drop everything and buy right NOW! What amazing stories of saints and healings that have happened recently! It's a great faith-builder, and although written by a Catholic about Catholic saints, the author is careful to explain things to non-Catholics in a way that makes these stories a blessing to any reader. In short, it's a great read for anyone who would like a faith boost.

And of course, we went in the water. That was the first time I had ever been in the Pacific when the water was bathtub temperature! In Alta California the Japan Current runs down most of the length of the state and makes the water quite cold, and even in SoCal, where people can go swimming and surfing without wetsuits, there's still that initial shiver when you hit the water. Not here, not this month! The temperature was absolutely perfect.

I know this post might stir up some wanderlust, or longing, or (heaven forbid) even envy, but context is everything. The Pirate and I lived through the years of wrangling kids, working at less-than-ideal jobs, having more bills than money, living in unfinished houses, etc. that most of the bloggers I read are dealing with currently. I'm older than any other blogger I know, and I'm here to tell you that there's abundant life after all the struggle. Hang in there, and keep your focus on the giver of all good gifts, and He will delight your heart as He has ours.