@enriquedlz is hitting the jackpot. After a sumptuous Chinese seafood lunch and a beautiful jazz concert at Sam’s First with @joshnelson_music and his band, tonight was the dinner with family.
We all went to our favorite restaurant in El Segundo, ordered all the salads we wanted: beets, burrata, grilled corn, grilled mushrooms; different pastas with salmon, truffle, grilled mushrooms; panseared sea bass, ribeye, goulash, and schnitzel.
Then, @coriput brought out the 8 layered cake that took her a whole week to make, 8 layers to symbolize her dad’s 8 decades of a maximum life lived for a social cause, for teaching, for authoring books, doing exhibits, editing journals and anthologies, including having fun and playtime with grandchildren, children and me, his spouse – the longest person he has lived with longer than his own parents and longer than his siblings.
Hubby’s smile says it all! We were in France on Bastille Day for his birthday.
Happy 80th dear Enrique, the #superlolo to my two grandchildren, their playmate in the outdoor hammock, my children’s mountaineering journey mate – in one year, climbed 5 to build up your stamina and endurance; a Camino pilgrim completing in 45 days, over 500 miles, twice now in 2 years; my concert, films, foodie, roadtrip companion – one summer we even traversed 6 states, 5 national parks driving over 2,000 miles in 21 days!
You are our mighty strong head of the household who bakes bread, who makes mighty superpower vegetable/fruits juices for 3 households; who gardens and keeps our fruit trees (avocado, persimmons, pears, figs, dragon fruit, pomegranate, calamansi, papaya, blood orange, navel orange) and lettuce, kale, tomatoes and sweet potato, repairs everything repairable in our vintage house, who builds and maintains bikes, who edits my children’s policy papers and who challenges me with perpetual questions, eats my baked goods and cooked meals, peppered with critiques and occasional compliments.
You are not perfect, and we are not, but together, our imperfections create joys, tears, sorrows, stories, triumphs and a supportive family.
I love you so much, and cherish you on your 80th birthday!
