an opening for a princess

You have probably seen it coming.

For the last month, some of my essays have had an emotional and rather subtle edge to them.  The reason is easy to understand. 

Last year, Jennifer Rose predicted I would accomplish two of three things: buy a house, purchase a dog, and get married.  Well, I did only one of the three.  I bought a house.

For the moment, a dog is out of the question -- for various reasons that are not pertinent to this essay.  But I have come to the conclusion that it is time to find a mistress for the house with no name.  It is time to get married.

My brother is fond of pointing out an ancient truth: "Everything has a sequence."  And, even though it may sound a little odd in matters of romance, I have been thinking of some criteria for my long-postponed search.

So, here we go.  My ideal mate should be:

• Latina -- after all, I am living in a Latin country
• A woman of faith -- that is actually my first criterion
• 45 to 50 -- those are years for those of you who may miss my point
• A holder of a post-graduate degree -- in either a profession or liberal arts
• Financially independent -- but with a net worth less than my own; I am not a gold digger
• Interested in music -- and capable of arguing both sides of whether the oriental scale is superior to the occidental
• Fascinated with art -- especially, abstract expressionism; after all, the house with no name is filled with paintings of that style
• Well-versed in film -- willing to appreciate both Woody Allen and Mel Brooks
• "Statuesque" -- with the rest of the list, is that surprising?
• A traveler -- and willing to take off on trips at the drop of a sombrero
• A good dancer -- that could easily be the second most important criterion

So, there you have it.  I will start my quest soon.  But if you know of anyone who fits all of those criteria, I am more than willing to travel to meet the perfect mate.

Just in case you are curious, this is not one of my jokester essays.  My life is ready to take a turn for the better.