and to all a good night.

With coffee this morning, half a maple glazed donut from Donut Hole across US98 outside the window where I'm sitting to type. Jeremy and Charlotte went over and got a box of mixed donuts just before they left yesterday, including two of my favorites so far, blueberry cake donut and a maple glazed donut. Their regular glazed aren't up to Krispy Kreme's glazed, but then nothing is. Sometimes, John Hutt brings those to church for coffee time.

However, KK was closed down by Hurricane Michael and was still closed the last time I looked while driving on 23rd Street. I used to take six or eight large boxes of mixed KK donuts to Wednesday morning chapel at HNES for the students. But sometimes they were from the donut place across the street from Bay High.  

A memory from ten and more years ago: sticking my head in the mathisfunandgood classroom and hearing a student shout, "Father Tom! What's for snack today?" Life's best years. Best of all, I realized it at the Time and treasured each moment. 

Another favorite memory, Sunday mornings 2004 to 2009, stopping at Thomas' Donuts on Front Beach Road on my way to conduct services St. Thomas by the Sea Episcopal Church my years as priest there, and taking them into the back of the sanctuary while the congregation gathered, to share with my crowd of young acolytes. "Time" magazine was correct in an issue twelve or fifteen years ago that said a box of donuts would attract teenagers like flies. They weren't all teens, some were twelve, eleven, ten. We had donuts and split up the acolyte tasks for the day and Jesus never cared what noise they made.

I guess Christmas proper is over when my four children are not here anymore? Malinda and Joe are here. Joe goes home to NC tomorrow. Tass, TJCC left yesterday, home to Tallahassee. Kristen lives just this side of Hathaway Bridge, at PCB and comes often. TJCC had a Christmas tree that in my joy they were here I forgot to get a picture of. Our Christmas tree is still up, IDK when it comes down, but I hope not soon, 12th night is fine with me.

Yesterday Joe, Linda and I had lunch at Stinky's on 30A. Joe a mix of appetizers, fish tacos. Linda the salad with delicious grilled grouper. Me? a taste of Joe's and Linda's and a dozen oysters half-shell and one of their rotating draft beers with, a dark amber.

Christmas at Rosemary Beach: a feast of good things to eat, prepared by many and overseen to perfection by Chef Ray.

What now? Trip to PC today for a couple errands, pick up some family art that Joe wants, stop by HNEC for my glasses and a Sunday bulletin. Years ago my eye doctor suggested, I've told this here before, that my eye problems are negligible and I could choose to spend seven hundred dollars for a nice pair of eyeglasses in their store; or I could just as well go to Target and pay ten bucks or less for reading glasses, which I've done these ten or so years now. The pair I left at church after Christmas Eve service was a favorite, so I'll stop by for them while we're in town today. 

What else? Christmas is two things to me: Christmas Eve service, and my beloved ones being here. Comes round once a year in every lifetime.

T

pic: thanks, Atlanta Mike!!