Seafood lunch

In this cute, out of the way restaurant on CB Hwy, Fish Bites. This is the view from my booth. A frosted case of cheesecakes is actually the big blue thing, but I didn't dare take another pic. I ordered something I had to ask how to pronounce, sriracha shrimp. The cute server with the curly hair just brought it so I'm diving in.

From a novel

According to my thinking, one important thing to do when one moves to a new place is to join the library as I did last week. Being in this temporary setting and without obligations gives me time to get into a good book. So after the trial period to prove my trustworthiness by checking out and returning two, I am over half way through with my next, one that I grabbed off the shelf at closing time because I liked the cover. Sometimes I like the insight and wisdom of writers as they tell about their characters, which I am sure are facts they have discovered about themselves. This quote spoke to the girl/woman I am. "...you are a girl as long as you allow life to happen to you. You become a woman when you start living according to your own instincts, intelligence and desires. You're a woman when you take hold of yourself." From the mind and pen of Natalie Brown in her first novel "Lovebird."

The First Week

So far, Wilmington is even better than I imagined. Perhaps next week when the closing of the Greenville house finally takes place, and I pray it will, I will begin my new blog about being back at home in this sunny little Southern city near the Atlantic Ocean. But for today, I will just tell you about returning to the church of my early childhood. It is First Baptist with the tall copper steeple that still reaches to the sky and the ancient doors where we greeted Mr. Gregory before leaving for home at noon. Probably my daddy had something funny to say to him.  For decades I have wanted to sit inside that church again, to revisit that part of my life, to see the massive pipe organ, to walk through those doors. I was not disappointed. Although it seemed smaller now that I am bigger, it was not so different from my memory, and I felt gratitude for the ones who maintained its architectural and historical integrity. The first hymn of the morning was the old favorite Holy, Holy, Holy. I thought how the first time I probably ever heard it was right there, sitting between my mommy and daddy, listening to them sing. I was a squirmy child during sermons though, but  my daddy wisely kept me quietly occupied by playing with my fingers and letting me twist and tug his. When today's service was over, I waited by the big, dark doors to greet the current pastor, a really nice fellow. I told him how I went there when I was a child, and I felt quite small as the words came out.

Wilmington Cupcakes

At Whole Foods. Cute!

Last cup of joe

In this fondly remembered mug in this old house. Goodbye to much. 

Moving

This time next week, Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, I will be a resident of Wilmington. I have been wanting to move there a long time, especially for the last five years, and recently everything has come together nicely. Today only a small percentage of work is yet to be done, and that is up to me. great... After discarding, planning and paring down for so long, I find there is still so much stuff whose fate I must decide. Big, medium and small stuff. In fact it seems that all the stuff has some sentimental attachment and hard to part with. I think I have spent too much effort in laying up for myself treasures on earth.

A quotation for Independence Day

from founding father Patrick Henry.

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government, lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."

On the way to where?

My old plug in GPS has seen better days. Apparently somewhere in its life cycle, it was programmed to take me to an end point, home perhaps, but I am not sure where that home is as I have not been the sole owner of this GPS. Every time I enter an address, I hear Gypsy, the female voice ask,  "Do you want to go (for example) to 123 Elm Street "via your final destination?" At first I found it creepy. I didn't know the final destination was she referring to. Now when I use it, I am reminded of all the places I want to go before I reach my final destination of Heaven, and yes, whatever I type in will be one of them. When I have reached that place I most recently entered, I hear, "You have reached your via point." I hope to have many more "by way of" places to go before reaching my truly final destination.