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| Let the festivities continue (a gift for Juan Carlos from a collection of Shaman Dancers at Casa de los Gigantes) |
Every year I go to the good ol´ U.S.A. for a month. This year I visited Reno, Nevada (worked there for a week) and then off to see my family (most all are North of San Francisco these days). We had a great pool party at my nieces home in Citrus Heights and it was great fun meeting even a few of my greater (as in great/great) nephews and nieces I´d not met before. We are a fabulous group and great personal diversity is one of our gifts...beautiful faces and graces to behold. SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTION, Jenn and John Holden drove up for lunch from San Francisco...I love the Holdens braving the Summer heat to come and see me! Thank you John and Jenn!
I was invited to visit Mike Glad and his wife Jeanne for an overnight visit at their main home in the San Joaquin valley. Gorgeous. Filled with art treasurers personally collected, by Mike, the well-known and Academy Award nominated photographer/producer and all-around fabulous personality. Every room a new and dazzling decor delight. Sometimes words are impossible to describe great beauty, this is one of those times. I slept, with colorfilled dream, in the Latin American room. Jeanne, a published poet who graced me with a private and very inspirational reading of one of her heart-stopping poems. Bold to the core of my being. They presented me with the gift of their talents and friendship close up....I will never forget my visit to their home. They also have a beyond-lush and stunning home in Antigua. A colonial style Spanish villa which I am very happy to report contains a few Leonardo Ricardos (large format paintings and painted furniture) along with great Latin American art treasurers from now and before now. Their grounds are park-like and manicured to perfection both up Norte and here, South of las fronteras. Wow.
Then, it was off to visit my friend Kelsie and her son Sam in Orlando, Florida. Kelsie owns one of the charming vintage homes on Lake Lancaster near downtown Orlando. I love visiting Kelsie for lots of very good reasons, but primarily it is because we have become such dear and close friends/confidants since her time at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala about two decades ago. We never parted and kept our friendship alive and well through many changes/moves/happiness/sadness and acceptances´, personal, spiritual and physical. I love my guest room at Kelsies house (it may have the all time best/comfy bed in the whole world). Kelsie is a Unitarian (Universalist) so I visited her church with she and Sam on two Sundays this time! What a welcoming and spiritual treat...may their candle burn brightly forever!
How happy I am. I returned to Guatemala yesterday afternoon and arrived home to find all my loved ones, work associates and doggies thriving. I like that. The Fuego Volcano says HOLA! All is well but, yes, it is time for a diet as I was treated, really, really well (if you only knew the festive foods I enjoyed during a months time you would do a intervention and off I would go to fat boy camp for intensive ¨retraining¨).
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| The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury |
So, there you have it, I am back in Guatemala, full of joy, thanksgiving, good energy and happy to see YOU again and don´t tell anyone but I was gifted with a Turbo-Juicer and a IPad tablet too during my travels!
Happy Birthday to Juan Carlos on Sunday.
My 70th Birthday is coming real soon. (may I hear a Oy Vey?)
Leonard Clark
Leonardo Ricardo
Sacatapeqez, Guatemala
Central America
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9 comments:
Len, you lead such an exciting life. Happy Birthday to Juan Carlos. Give the Kossoy sisters a hug from me.
Oy Vey! You look like a mere youth, xoxo
Dear Leonardo, so glad you are back home in one piece and that you have had such a great vacation.
We at Lay Anglicana are, as you can imagine, waiting with bated breath for your account of the archiepiscopal visit - I have great hopes that His Grace will absorb some good americano common sense from his time on your throne :>)
I do indeed hope that we get pictures of the bishops sitting in your chairs.
Thanks everyone. I have English blood running wildly through my veins (both sides of the family) and, oddly, I am excited about the Archbishop Justins visit. Hoping he doesn´t speak Spanish so I don´t miss a word -- English remains my Mother tongue and who knows, perhaps there will be a moment to say HOLA to His Grace (and ask him about the direction he thinks the Anglican Covenant process will be taking going forward)! I won´t get into the equality marriage issue as he, no doubt, has noticed the Queen has ascended and he need regroup (and take Ebor with him and have a little pow-wow regarding celibate Gay bishops/etc). I will try and ask a quickie if they let me close to him at all (I do have a certain reputation that may keep me safetly away from the unbearded, thanks be to God, new Centaur evolving sensibilities). Vamos a ver, love to all, Len
Liz Bell reports she is bringing a camera (so no doubt there will be photos of themselves in me thone-os). Should be fun (and hopefully hopeful homily for all).
Glad you're home, Len. Folk can tell you I was worried by your blog-silence! [I'm not on Facebook]
Thanks JCF, I like being checked on.
This morning they came from the Cathedral in Guatemala City to pick up the two handpainted thrones for the ABC and Presiding Bishop Armando...it is reported the ¨Youth¨ from various parishes throughout Guatemala are arriving to welcome The Archbishop of Canterbury at la Aurora Airport this evening. Tomorrow promises a packed house and I understand even bishop Allen, TEC Honduras, is arriving along with everyones favorite Archbishop emeritus Martin from El Salvador. Vamos a ver, I have to get up very early to meet Elizabeth Bell so we can be at the Cathedral in time to be seated. To Lay Anglicana y socios I promise to give a full report as the ABC is speaking in English with a translator to Spanish. Also, Padre Mickeys former Bishop is arriving and everyone seems fond of him (and his tallness and his voice). Very exciting weekend here in the Land of Eternal Spring.
This is wonderful Leonard! How exciting!!! --and I am glad you are home again with Juan Carlos. Birthday blessings all around --and may your beautiful chairs open gray English eyes with joy!
Eagerly awaiting photos! Hope this visit went well... and you were able to speak with the ABC and el arzobispo de corazón, Obis Martín.
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