Best Christmas Present!

Four blissful days ago, my sister arrived to spend a week with me, and I have been foolishly happy for every blessed minute!

23 Dec.: We hopped a bus west to La Boquita beach for a swim and a beer and a sumptuous lunch at Samoa del Sur of red snapper (me) and TWO lobsters (!) for Mary Mary. Afterwards, we stopped at my former digs and had a chat with my former landlady and friend, Beth, and I was silly glad to see Brynn's old gang of three-- Roxie, Rasta, and Lukie. MM snapped some nice beach photos.

24 Dec.
Saturday, we visited with my neighbors to again thank Fatima and Solomon for their quick assistance when I was so sick two weeks ago. And off to the mercado in Diriamba for some last minute Christmas shopping! MM loved it, especially the sheer overload of STUFF...

and the distinctively refrigeration-free butcher shop...

We had hired Ernesto, a moto (tuk tuk) driver to collect us for Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) Mass at the beautiful church of San Sebastian in Diriamba. His son Osmond showed up instead, right on time (!) and we entered a packed church for one of the most glorious and weird experiences I have yet had in Nicaragua.

That Latin tradition of cherry bombs and cuetes I mentioned a post or two ago added the weirdness to the devotional proceedings. The homily was punctuated by huge bursts of explosive reports. The obvious religiously-inspired congregation did not blink an eye. It was simply part of the Christmas Mass. When the small (and youthful) chorus chimed in, Mary and I were stunned at the sheer beauty of their sound. Perfect harmonies and a director who conducted from an electric piano created a rich, simply splendid effect that resounded throughout the church. I thought of the  gorgeous choruses in the opera Orfeo of Monteverdi.  Here are more photos from MM:

Rather tragic pose for St. Sebastian in his niche, sporting gold lame!

Poe John Paul II visited the church in 1983, commemorated thusly:

This little guy slept through even the most violent explosions outside!

The altar was much photographed after the Mass.

The church was adorned with tons of blinking Christmas lights that made me feel slightly epileptic. The local sense of decor is somewhat different than mine, but hey, it should be! We loved every moment. We were greatly moved by the outpouring of wishes for peace by many people and children!

25 Dec.
Merry Christmas to one and all! We went to Managua to spend this day and night with my friends in Ciudad Sandino. Maria José, her husband and two little boys stayed here with Brynn and Suzy, and enjoyed a roast chicken dinner, the makings for which I bought yesterday in Diriamba.

First thing Xmas morning, MM snapped a selfie of us in our jammies, smiling through our disappointment that I have no chimney and Santa passed us by. Note the extravagant Christmas lights behind us!

Suzy with a new toy from Santa Tom in Florida!

As I entered the gallinero to feed my biddies, Barbie, the alpha hen, hopped onto my shoulder!

So happy to have Mary Mary here. Tuesday, off to Masaya and the volcano. Wednesday, we're going to go fishing in the ocean with Harold. Merry Christmas to us!