Beck and Bay

Up early, quarter to three, to mark my sermon notes. Peek outside 58F 78% not a bad Florida winter morning. Coffee black chocolate dark for wakeup. Last time, two weeks ago, I ran out of time, did not mark my sermon notes. It went okay at the eight o’clock service, but at ten-thirty in the pulpit my mind muddled from Sunday School and mixed with worry about my Tassa (she is fine, ask Linda), I could not keep the mind on the sermon and kept ad-libbing, wandering off, and losing my way and my place in my notes; most disconcerting, and the consternation increased the stumbling. So for this morning I gave myself plenty of time, three o’clock to four o’clock to “mark.”

This is Sunday, morning for a foolish old man’s “custom.” Read habit if not fetish. Five years ago this month, in the Ohio motel on the campus of Cleveland Clinic, I overheard Tass and Linda discussing a shampoo that I like because it smells nice (which stirs a memory from long ago), and because I first found it in the toiletries kit in our staterooms on Disney cruises. Labeled ~H20+ spa Sea Marine revitalizing shampoo. I bought a couple tubes or bottles in the ship’s shop each cruise, last time on our 2007 50th wedding anniversary Disney cruise with all our children and grandchildren. Tass and Linda were discussing it for some reason, I don’t remember. Linda was telling Tass that it was only available from Disney Cruise Lines (because that’s what Disney's note said, not even available at DisneyWorld, only aboard ship) and Tass was saying, “Mom! You can buy anything online!” so they looked it up. I pretended not to hear. Sure enough. A small bottle or a large bottle? Linda said, “Order him a large bottle.” It was delivered at the house about the time we arrived home from Cleveland, first week of February 2011. Sentimental, I still have the bottle Tass ordered for me, and I keep adding the spa brand from a tube and adding water to the bottle. So I’ve not run out, and I use it Sunday mornings only, a pea-sized bit, which with my hair anymore, is plenty. Every Sunday morning it smells nice, and memories intrude on my years.

Picture above was last evening’s sunset, which I’d thought was going to be a loser but I got a shot anyway. Picture below is a few minutes ago from the sidewalk outside our Beck door. Bay last night, Beck this morning, I can even see the green traffic light at Beck Avenue and 11th Street. Life Is Good.

Baptism this morning. Victoria Thomas Catherine Cole. And my chance, afterward with the holy water, to get everybody in the church all wet.

Hoping you are the same.

Thos+ in +Time+