Ancient Monday Musings

Happy!  Happy!  Joy! Joy!  My work compatriots, along with Alison and her mother, and Benjamin, surprised me with a lunch and cake at Blackshear's Garden Cafe!  It was for my birthday and for my 15 years at Higginson & Paulk.  It was a genuine surprise and I was deeply touched by it.  I had not worked any other place much more than five years, so it has been wonderful to have that kind of level of stability and friendship.  Thank you!

Grace Episcopal celebrated Pentecost, one of the major occasions in our faith, on or near the same level as Christmas and Easter. The church was decorated in red balloons, symbolizing the breath of the Holy Spirit.

In some cases, the breath of the holy spirit rose to the ceiling of God's house.

We went to the funeral of a dear friend Thursday.  Beth Archer passed, and her and husband, Bob Archer, have been friends to Alison and her family for many decades.  The funeral was officiated by Rev. Riley Covan, the same minister who officiated our wedding.  He lives in North Carolina, and it was the first time we had seen him since the wedding ceremony.  Beth was a wonderful woman, generous and caring, and a first rate cook.  She and Bob did our rehearsal dinner at their house.  Bob assisted us in building and remodeling projects at both our current house, and at our first home in Blackshear, on Church Street. Beth will be loved and remembered.

We had another passing recently, Jaime Oglesby, a young wife and mother, whom I did not know personally, but whom I know many of her family and friends through Flying Dragon.  Our hearts go out to you all in this difficult time, especially to the children.

My son had his friends over, and they gave me an opportunity to be a dungeon master for a Dungeons and Dragons game.  I don't know the rules really well, so I kind of winged it, creating a game spun from my own fantasy world, Pazoria, and even if it what we were doing wasn't quite D & D, they still loved it anyways.  It is a great joy to me to help participate in my son's creative imagination.

My foot pains continue, although I think they may be starting to slowly diminish.  A parishioner at church saw me limping and asked what was wrong.  I told him it was just something that happened once a year or so, and that it would go away soon.  He shook my hand and offered me wishes for a continued recovery.  It wasn't until a bit later that I noticed that he had an artificial foot and ankle.  It kind of put things in perspective for me.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait