and all shall be well
shall be well
Almost every Sunday afternoon is a joy. Large ship leaving port. Sunday lunch with Malinda and Kristen. Glass of red wine, yesterday the bottom of the zinfandel bottle. After, a nap, then wake to look out just as another large ship leaving port heads out to sea.
No secret I've detested television, especially what some call “sound” but to me is static between me and possibilities for peace. Weather is the exception, or a major news item. But now with no potato vine to pull out of the azaleas, I’m checking out movie channels. An evening last week we watched (something) Destiny from 1941, an unmemorable cast of nobody we ever heard of, rated about four stars and we resolved never to watch a 1 or 2 star movie, it was terrible, terrible. But keep checking. The late thirties and early forties cars are usually worth the watch. End of one movie last week starred a 1940 Buick Limited limousine.
For lack of a TV channel movie, after Sunday nap I found a movie on YouTube where one can see whatever one chooses. General Galland reminiscing for six minutes. Then Wings of the Luftwaffe a three-quarter hour story of the Me-163 Komet, Messerschmidt jet fighter plane that, along with the Me 262 Düsenjäger, had Hitler the vision to listen to General Galland, we would have lost the Battle of Britain and eventually the war. The U2 was a farce, a noisy, scary, terrifying absurdity, but the German jets were formidable. Bracketing military jets, Celtic Woman, and Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman singing “Time to Say Goodbye” and other wonders of the world.
Late afternoon early evenings we sit out on the porch trusting a breath of breeze will come, but with a plastic box fan going anyway. Loving life in this presence, the full stretch of St. Andrews Bay. Glass of wine. Linda likes a Barefoot sweet reisling, I like if a bottle of malbec is waiting for me to finish off the last three ounces. Not so last evening, so one finger of Lagavulin, one of several favorite Islay single malts, with an ice cube. For supper, two stuffed egg halves. In my lifelong weight loss program I've lost thousands of pounds, so obviously a success.
Sunday evening call from Tass, highlight of every week. All manner of things shall be well.
Lightning to the west and south far out over the Gulf of Mexico as dark falls. O Lord, support us all the day long until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by ... Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh, shadows of the evening steal across the sky. .... Jesus, give the weary, calm and sweet repose and He has, and does, and we are gone. Bishop blesses, stand, brush off sand, walk away from campfire.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by ... Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh, shadows of the evening steal across the sky. .... Jesus, give the weary, calm and sweet repose and He has, and does, and we are gone. Bishop blesses, stand, brush off sand, walk away from campfire.
This morning, walk somewhere in the Cove.
Sunday School fun yesterday as ever, full table by the time the usual suspects round themselves up and trickle in.
Every day I’m realizing more and more the relieving goodness and my gratitude living here. One is the distancing from when Kristen was growing up in the house with me and never out of my sight and I long for every second of those years. Another is that all those years I lived in Alfred’s house, it could never have been mine. Alfred’s house, Alfred’s bedroom, Alfred’s porch. Alfred’s stairs and bannister: every time I went upstairs it was with Alfred. Every time I walked downstairs I followed Alfred on the way out the door to Annie & Jennie to sail into eternity. It was even my ICU psychosis that day or two in intensive care at Cleveland Clinic. Stories about Alfred that Mom told me when I was a boy. After him, the sadness never departed the house, never left and never let me be. Understanding Pop’s telling me about The Old Place, “I can’t go there because of Alfred.” Now I know. Mom & Pop sold The Old Place. So have I and there is a sense that all is well. That all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.
TW+