And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the ang...

Okay, an interesting vessel arriving in the half-light of dawn this morning, so I'll set aside the long, somewhat religious post I wrote and go here instead - - Per yesterday's Vessel Schedule, this is North Ocean 102 arriving to load spooling,  I suppose she lays cable at sea? At 442x29 she's quite narrow for her length, and I wonder how she rides in rough seas. My first ship, USS CORRY DD-817 was 390x41' and I remember my seasickness brought on by her rolls in the Atlantic Ocean as I lay in my bunk, my face against the skin of the ship for the soothing coolness, to the sound of rushing water a fraction of an inch from my ear. +++++++++ 'Tis the morning before Christmas Eve and all through 7H there is peace and quiet, with a bit of melancholy because Joe is leaving at noon for ECP and his return flights to Louisville.  But it's Christmas, and was Christmas, and will be Christmas, and here we are, my mind in a warship at sea, where I was Christmas Day 1969 - - f...

Five o'clock in the morning and pitch black dark outside: Winter Solstice with ten hours of daylight, fourteen hours of darkness, comes round this Time every December. If the cold drab darkness gets to you, this is your day. IDK, I have five pairs of my prescription eyeglasses (yes, about $500 for the first pair at the eye center where they don't take my insurance, but $10 at Tyndall with my insurance), and I keep them scattered all over the "house" so I can always find a pair when I need them, but during holiday season I lose track of everything my seemingly disordered mind tries to keep track of, including eyeglasses this morning, so this is strained and pretty squinty.  No eyeglasses, no lap blanket so a bit chilled and sneezing, and I have no idea where my ears are. WTH, I might as well end this paragraph with an exclamation point, eh?! One of many advantages a computer screen has over books, magazines, and other printed matter is that the type size can be enlarge...

  The sun can put on a marvelous show at rising and setting, is helped by clouds but does not always need clouds. Sinks into the Gulf of Mexico just off Thomas Drive to the west of 7H, and reappears the next morning just east of Callaway. Whether your new day begins at sunset or at sunrise, or technically at midnight, depends on your point of view, religious and otherwise; and it's perspective in any event, it's not real at all, only real in the eyes of the beholder. Like all other beauty and many other events in life and Time. Quasimodo a couple of days ago, hideously ugly in the eyes of everybody but Esmerelda.  "I don't care what he looks like, as long as he's nice." Sun: beautiful, nice. Not too close, though, eh? Flares angrily without notice. +++++++ Christmas Day celebration today with Joe, as he's to fly out on Saturday. Kelly family coming over, prime rib beef roast, which, following an online expert's write-up, I'll remove from the fridge...

  With the new beds (dual-king is actually two twin beds pushed together), this morning I'm not up quite so early. The beds are fine, the mattresses are firm, perfect, and Joe did the final touch by putting blocks, chair risers from Lowe's, under the legs, to raise them up to chair height.  The problem with the comfortable queen size bed that's now in my study-office-den for Joe or potentially other visitors, was that it's so high that we had to have a step beside it for Linda to get into the bed; and a SuperAger using a step is a terrible fall waiting to happen; so, the new, lower bed. Three crackers along with the last of a favorite, TJ's goats' milk creamy cheese, its slight tartness perfect with the first mug of hot & black. Unopened, the little carton is good for months in the fridge. IDK why T88&c is starting out with a wandering mind this Tuesday before Christmas.  For many years, Christmas in our house is actually the Christmas Eve service at chu...

  This Monday morning December 18th before Monday morning Christmas Day, seems like it should be the beginning of Christmas Vacation in the schools, but it is not. In my generation school might have let out last Friday so we could have this week to anticipate Christmas, put up the tree, finish our shopping, make the pies and candy, buy the turkey, make our travel plans; have Christmas Week off, and return to school on January 2. No matter, it's not that way, it just seems to me like it should be. Usual early rise, 3:22 a.m. and a mug of hot & black. Stuck my head outside but did not go out on 7H porch because it's proper December chilly. Joe arrived safely last evening, the sleeping arrangements are bollixed up from usual because the new adjustable bed (dual king, which is two twins) is supposed to be delivered later this morning. So our bedroom is empty waiting for it, our old bed is in my study-office den, and the sofa-bed we bought for Joe is out in the living room; but ...

  Don't be surprised if we do things somewhat differently in our parish - - not defying authority, but because we think for ourselves and we deal with wherever it is we find ourselves in life.  Advent is our best example: we don't thumb our nose at the church's traditional somber Advent, we just transfer our Bitter Time, if that's an apt word, from the joyously happy November December holiday season to October November because memories of Category 5 Hurricane Michael are still fresh and sharp for so many of us, and also the Covid Pandemic that for a while looked like it was going to claim all our lives.  So we exercise Advent as happy Time: Christmas is coming. There will always be theological purists who insist that Easter commemorating Christ's death and resurrection is the topmost Christian Event; but they are a somber, morbid bunch: our topmost Christian celebration is Christmas, the Nativity, that God cared enough about us in the first place to come among us as...