RECAFEEINATED MONDAYS: Clearing out the Cobwebs

 

 

“We talked for hours. He talked and I listened.
It was like wind and sunlight. It blew all the cobwebs away.”

John Fowles

Well, I’m back.

Thanks to those of you who checked out RETRO WEEK whilst we were at the beach.

As I noted before I left, or many reasons we don’t need to elaborate on here, we opted to do our traditional beach week for spring break rather than waiting until August.

Not only that, our week last year was at a different beach and it just wasn’t enough to make up for The Great Unpleasantness (™).

It seemed early, but after the first three months of the year, it also seemed necessary.

You understand. I know you all do. 2020 and 2021 sucked, big time. And, rather than trying for a little redemption, 2022 began trying to outsuck the previsus two years.

Not only are we all worried about gas prices, inflation, Ukraine and the rumblings of WWIII, but almost everyone I’ve talked to has had a separate stack of problems.

We left the beach early to attend a memorial observance for a dear friend. As I was writing this last night, I found that another friend had passed from cancer.

So, yeah, we apparently needed spring break at the beach to clear the cobwebs, and to brace ourselves for things yet to come.

I know, I’ve always known, that a week at the beach won’t solve all my problems.

In fact with some of the restaurant prices we experienced have the potential to create more.

Holy Hush Puppies!

I digress.

All that to say it was a good week.

What I didn’t realize going into the week was how much I needed to just sit and do basically nothing.

The Write Side Shop

Most days I sat at the table writing, or working on my 100 Day Project, and staring at the water. Being off season meant that we could be right on the beach. I didn’t have to leave the deck to watch the sunrise.

Not to worry, I did some walking on the beach. Perhaps not as much as in “normal” years, but it was good.

Baby steps. Even on the beach.

It was about halfway through the week that I realized I was finally experiencing one of My Three Words: Recovery.

Much needed. And it continues.

I have to admit that I’m a little concerned about the fact that we went so early in the year. Again, there are reasons.

But if you want to bless us with your beach house, we wouldn’t snark at another week at the beach.

American singer and guitarist, Nancy Honeytree, was born on this day in 1952


 

THINGS YOU SHOULD READ

China Stockpiling Nuclear Weapons At An Alarming Rate: REPORT
Daily Caller
The communist nation is reportedly “accelerating” the development of “more than 100 suspected missile silos,” each reportedly able to house missiles with nuclear tips that have the ability to reach American shores, according to the WSJ report, which cited anonymous sources familiar with Chinese leadership strategy. Read More.

Gov. DeSantis explains Florida’s popularity: ‘We do believe in parents’ rights’
FOX News
“Florida has been the number one place to come, and part of it is because we’re a free state. Part of it is because we’re a low-tax state. Part of it is because we’re a law-and-order state [that] stands by law enforcement and holds criminals accountable. And part of it, quite frankly, is because we do believe in parents’ rights and we believe our education system should be used to educate kids, not to indoctrinate them.”   Read More.

Sunday Firesides: You Are a Sojourner
The Art of Manliness
If earth life is temporary and transient — a brief way station en route to a much longer stay somewhere else — feelings of angst and alienation aren’t aberrant problems to be solved, but intractable currents to be expected.  Read More.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1928 – Ethel Kennedy, American philanthropist
1932 – Joel Grey, American actor, singer, and dancer
1939 – Louise Lasser, American actress

BENEDICTION

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6

RETRO WEEK: Short Story Fridays

It’s Friday, at last. It’s also the last day of Retro Week. I’ll be back live, more or less, on Monday.

In our final installment of favorite posts, we look back at some of our favorite short stories. I hope you enjoy. I hope you have a good weekend. I hope you come back on Monday.

Designing Women
April 14, 2018
When they were gone Gary tossed the draft posters into the fireplace. He’d enjoy them watching them burn tonight with a couple of beers.

The Visitor
April 27, 2018
Inside the small sanctuary Edgar caught the scent of the Easter lilies placed on the altar by the women’s missionary group. The sun shining through the stained glass window of The Good Shepherd cast playful rainbow hues over the white blossoms.

Short Story Friday: Chapter One
May 4, 2018
In which we show some vulnerability and post the first chapter of our novel.

In the Shadow of the Mountain
January 15, 2022
Clara shuffles to the porch where the mountain spring runs through a gutter into an earthen crock. The clear, icy water spills over the edge of the crock off the porch onto the un-weeded wildflowers below.

Martha
January 21, 2022
The fire is warm, but Martha feels the chill in her body. She huddles near the stove under a quilt hand sewn by her mother.

They’ll Be There
February 25, 2022
One day, the teacher said to the class, “I am going to read a different book to you today.”

Settled Long Ago
March 18, 2022
One spring Sunday morning Frank and Gladys drove the Buick up the mountain to where their little church sat proudly on the hill.

THINGS YOU SHOULD READ will return on Monday.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1892 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of United Artists (d. 1979)
1918 – Betty Ford, American wife of Gerald Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States (d. 2011)
1943 – James Herbert, English author and illustrator (d. 2013)

BENEDICTION

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6