Life 1, conception, birth, childhood, student, adolescence, graduate university.  Life 2, commissioning, student, twenty years as a U S Navy officer, retire.  Life 3, business, theological seminary, ordination, fifteen years as an Episcopal parish priest, retire into twenty-five years as a retired interim, vicar, and helper priest, retire.  Life 4, on day two of latest retirement, casting about to discern my new ID. Realizing somewhat ruefully that my self-identity seems wrapped up in what I do rather than who or what I am. So, who &/or what am I, then? In some notion of Time, creature, earthling, human, male, son, grandson, nephew, cousin, brother, friend, husband, father, uncle, great-uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, ... .  Walking again. With my red wheels, walking confidently. A bit more each day. Now that the latest sciatica visitation seems over and done.  TJCC & K came for noon dinner yesterday, Monday: fried chicken, biscuits, lady c...

  Beginning the First Day of the Rest of My Life. Monday, 20 March 2024 is a marker day for me, first day of real retirement. But the fact is that every morning has been waking into the first day of the rest of my life. This one is different, though: what have I been anticipating, what's the POD?  To invoke this First Day, once the sun's up, push my little red convertible down to the garden level, around, and out the side gate into Oaks by the Bay Park. Alternatively, seeing the Park grounds are far from level and smooth for walking, down to the garage level and out by the pool, to the Bay side boardwalk on the west side of Harbour Village, past Amavida Coffee Shop, and to the Park by way of its new parking lot.  Either way, to the Park, and its boardwalks, to the little sitting area at the Bay's edge where I've officiated weddings, and where I can look directly up at 7H porch rail and directly out into St Andrews Bay.  The walk is obligatory for this First Morning. ...

"In my father’s house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come again to take you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”  From baptism to burial, and every celebration of life, the mission of every priest in a pulpit or behind a podium is to proclaim Christ crucified and resurrected, Jesus come to show and tell us how to live into the Godly image in which we are created; and to offer the hope of eternal life in one of those mansions in his Father's house. Depending on your understanding of the Christian faith, you may visualize this afternoon, as I do, Bill Lee at last in that heavenly mansion with Margaret Baker Lee.  You may or may not know me. Born and raised in Panama City, and growing up in St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, I am Thomas Carroll Weller, Jr., called various names over my life, Bubba as the oldest brother; Carroll Junior after my father: Tom as my college computer named me. In my Navy years, Commander Weller. For the pas...

  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and I see the most exquisite beauty here. The weather has closed in to zero visibility at the moment, but this morning's clouds gathering as this passing thunderstorm (pic above) presented a sight to behold.  Ten years ago, before The Old Place sold and while we were searching about for new home possibilities, we looked in the Cove, on North Bay in Lynn Haven, at Bay Point and two other condominiums at Panama City Beach, one on St Andrews Bay and the other on West Bay - - all lovely, but Harbour Village has an underground garage next to the elevators, and meant staying in St Andrews the place of my heart; and of several apartments we were shown here, 718 offers the exact same view as The Old Place, but higher and even better, and I was sold. It was a rainy day, and I stood in the rain and told the realtor that 718 was the one I wanted. He suggested a price offer, and we offered it, and it was accepted, and 7H opened up to us. ...

  Standing at 7H porch railing at 2:57 to flashes of lightning beyond the Pass and out over the Gulf of Mexico. Inside, my coffee is brewing, and I'm tempted to bring it out here and enjoy the gathering weather this Friday morning to live for, but the logistics are awkward and present the risk of a fall, so I settle into my sty, now in my decrepit chair at the Bay side window. Perfect hot & black; but, white almond, the bite of chocolate surprises and slightly disappoints me. Still, alrighty then, no worries, I can lay the rest of this bit aside because, at one bite a day, I've got a stash of chocolate here in 7H that will take me into the next life. Not going there this morning, maybe another blogpost about it soon after I settle into the wilderness retreat of my permanent retirement, which starts this coming Monday morning. Honestly, it never occurred to me that the Time would come when it would be clear to me that The Time Has Come. IDK, I guess I expected to be 75 forev...