Busy Busier Busiest

Busyness

Busy week, extra busy: two or three busynesses every day, busyness overly busy for a couple in late seventies, busy and fun. Yesterday after Linda took Jean, an elderly friend who doesn't drive, for her two-weekly Publix shopping trip, we busily drove to Pensacola to visit a place in East Hill called “Celebrations,” a busy, sprawling, working florist with incredible flowers that we haven't seen since our Harrisburg years, and plants and potted plant arrangements, and an impressive gift shop. As we went through the florist’s busy working area where magnificent flower arrangements were being constructed, Linda pointed to two brass vases obviously from an Altar. The welcoming head florist explained, “Christ Church. Those belong to Christ Church, Christ Episcopal Church, we do their arrangements every week, and several other large churches, can’t remember all the names right now."

"Celebrations" large old house next door was closed, busily being stocked and decorated to open next Wednesday as the Christmas Shop. Will we return? Undoubtedly unless we are too busy. As long as we stop for lunch. Next time across the Cervantes Street bridge over to East Pensacola Heights, which my grandfather called "East Heights", to the seafood restaurant down on Bayou Texar (t'-haar), where there are lines marking how high various hurricane tides came in past years, where we've always had good mullet. Speaking of which, October is roe season, got to go to Gandy's.

Seeing that the placemats Linda had on her list were not "out" a "Celebrations" shop hostess went to the warehouse out back and got them for us.

Before going to Celebrations we stopped for lunch at the Fish House, a favorite seafood restaurant in Pensacola. Linda had grouper, I had oysters, enough on my plate for breakfast oysters today. And grouper for Linda's breakfast.

Conference this morning. Grandfriends Day later at Holy Nativity Episcopal School, back there this evening for my Cove School class of 1949 reunion with a seafood cookout. Timed to coordinate with tomorrow’s sixty years reunion of my Bay High class of 1953.

Years ago a favorite physician warned me, “never retire. If you retire, you die.”

No worries: retirement becomes busier than the busyiest of the busy years.

Sunday? TS Karen on Sunday morning? No storm prep as long as there's no wind only rain. Adult Sunday School: bit more on the "P Creation Story" to bring in the Egyptian element, then on to the Flood Story, separating out the "P" and "J" narratives and perhaps the Gilgamesh Epic.

Heads up, gangway, Regular Navy coming through.