Point South Mexico - Real Estate and Lifestyle Magazine

The Library "F" Word

Recently the New York Times carried an article about the non payment of library fines, and for some library patrons, the consequences when fines are consistently ignored. The old dime a day fines are a thing of the past. A quarter a day is the going rate in most libraries. (Note: The Lake Chapala Society library recently raised their fines to two pesos per day.) The investment a library makes in a book does not end with the purchase price. There is a considerable amount of time and some money spent by personnel to process the book before it can become part of the library collection. With book prices being what they are, and inflation, it is no wonder fine rates have increased.

It is the time of year for lists, the best of this, the worst of that. I do the same thing. Perhaps my credentials aren't any more persuasive than Paris Hilton's although I haven't seen any list from her. However, again this year I'll list some good books culled from the many I read in 2007. My reading habits are eclectic at best. I read for entertainment, enlightenment, education and by necessity, for a day is not complete without by daily dose of the reading drug. Herewith the year's group of books I'm glad I read. The mind candy has been winnowed out.

Ever so often new ancient, lost documents are discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gospel of Judas are well known examples. My friend, Melvin, an internationally renowned archeologist has been in on many of the digs uncovering startling new biblical findings. He claims the version of Bible stories we all read have been tampered with. According to him, biblical censors deliberately expunged a lot of material over the millennia.

I guess I am progressing in the Spanish language because my gardener Juan chewed me out on Monday and I understood every word. He was upset because I did not tell him that I had injured myself recently, even though he had worked two days after the accident and I'd tossed him a wave from the window sans a word about it. His wife Lola saw my stitches on Saturday while she was cleaning the house and she asked about it, so I told her. She informed Juan about it on Sunday while they were having a family dinner with brothers and cousins.

First time for everything. I'm doing some house- and dog-sitting for a lady named Stella, who is taking a few days off to visit family. She is also the "Mommy" of Freda, a knee-high poodle that comes with three legs plus a gray and perfectly groomed coat. I do hope Freda is not allergic to male and bald seniors, in which case we will get along just fine.