A Friday Farewell

This morning the scene from our balcony was one of perfect weather marked by the presence on the bay of an approaching armada. Sailing vessels of varied description silently filed beachward then veered to the right to form an extended turning wheel upon the water.

The procession was sufficiently slow to make us wonder if it might be a funeral procession. Was some poor soul about to be buried at sea? Not this close to the beach, we hoped. When a speed boat pulled a hang glider with a chute of riotous color through the formation's center this possibility seemed much less likely. In fact it was an annual regatta.

At 10:03 am our door buzzer sounded. It was a woman whose business includes ironing shirts. I recall the exact time because her appointment was for 9:00 am. There being no iron here we were glad to find someone who performs this task at a reasonable rate.

A little later the door buzzer sounded again. It was the real estate agent bearing an iron and a small ironing board. This was an unexpected and considerate gesture from the apartment's owner. Naturally it was received with sincere gratitude and appreciation although, in Carol's case, it was of less warmth than the discovery of the woman who does ironing.

We attended our meeting this evening. It was another refreshing session of excellent scriptural instruction that included a five minute Bible reading by a young boy, possibly 7 years old. He did remarkably well, reading dialogue with sense stress, as it was probably spoken in the first place.

A couple with a restored Volkswagen, one of the classic original beetles, offered us a ride home. Since none of us had eaten supper yet they suggested we go to a restaurant in Ixtapa, which we did. We met others from the hall and enjoyed a few hours of fine food and conversation.

The brother in front, Jerry, and his wife Diane (center wearing black), leave for home tomorrow. They have been here since January 4th. They have been coming here annually for many years and plan to return next year also. It has been pleasant having them as neighbors.

And so it goes.