Monday, July 11, 2011

Today is Joe’s last full day with us, tomorrow he goes home to Winston-Salem, flight leaves ECP at two-thirty. He arrived July 3, we see him about once a year, and don’t remember ever having had a better visit. Mostly quiet, peaceful time here at home. Relax, read. Joe has been reading “Flotsam and Jetsam” by Robb White. FIFA soccer on TV. Tass, Jeremy, Caroline and Charlotte were here for the long Fourth weekend, and Malinda and Kristen came over from next door. In charming English style, the little girls say “Auntie Lin” and “Uncle Joe.” 

Tuesday the twin-masted schooner Annie & Jennie was in St. Andrews Bay for the first time since January 1918. Bay was a bit choppy and windy but good. Wednesday  to Pensacola, visited graves of ancestors in St. John’s Historic Cemetery and enjoyed a seafood feast at the Fish House. Thursday, Walt and Betty came over and we had lunch together at Bayou Joe’s, then went to their beach condo for steak dinner that evening.

Friday we drove over to Tallahassee to exchange “left behind” items with Tass and Jeremy, visit at their house, have lunch at Food Glorious Food; the girls were in day camp at Holy Comforter Episcopal School. 

Saturday morning we sailed the Annie & Jennie again, perfect bay and wind and she sails beautifully. Malinda and Kris came over and we had a noon birthday gathering for Linda. Saturday afternoon picked ripe figs off the tree in the back yard at Holy Nativity parish house/parish office building. We have two large fig trees here, nothing but tiny green nubbins last summer, same again this summer. On the lawn they get far too much water. Joe once lived in our house across from SABYC on Bunkers Cove Road, used to ride his bicycle all over the Cove, and likes to drive through for a tour each time he’s here.

Sunday Joe and Linda came to ten-thirty service at Holy Nativity. I was the preacher, something about Abraham and Sarah Standing on the Promises of God, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Esau. Great sermon support from Holy Nativity Choir!! For cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic, tubes were run up and down my throat, damaging the vocal cords and changing my voice. From strong to soft, lower to higher. We noticed it soon as surgery was over and thought it would return to the Ordinary Time voice but it hasn’t and may not. Don’t like it, but Joe said everything costs something and this was pretty cheap: alive and an octave higher in +Time. Sunday was Linda’s birthday, and after church we went out and had lunch at Chow Time, favorite cheap restaurant. 

This morning is my first cardiac rehab session at a gym: stay tuned. 

TW+