Sunday

We awoke early this morning to sunshine streaming boldly through all the windows.  It is difficult to "sleep in" on mornings like this!  The sky was bright blue and cloudless, as it always is when a front has moved in, but the temperature was still only 22 degrees with a brisk southerly wind.  I went outside for my Tai Chi but it was still too icy to safely walk on the wooden walkway to the beach, so I stayed close to the building; birds were singing in the holly bushes near the walkway, optimistic that warm weather will come soon.  And that brilliant sun!

Our condo is facing south so the sun rises between the houses next to us; I would have had to go all the way down to the big, wide beach to see it rise.  But still, it is wonderful to see all of the houses around us in their seaside pastel hues suddenly burst into color at dawn.  Our balcony is bathed in sunlight by 9:00 a.m., and I may brave the freezing temperatures later today to simply sit in a chair, sipping in the delicious mixture of bright sunshine and frigid air.

We had some good seafood chowder Friday night courtesy of Friendly Market, our go-to place for seafood and sides here.  Last night we had our first "real" seafood dinner; the photo does not do it justice with its one-note earth-tones, but the roasted brussel sprouts, pan-seared scallops, and macaroni-and-cheese exploded with flavor.  No fancy sauces, just a little salt and pepper and char; Martha has learned that all the scallops need is a little butter and olive oil before placing them in the skillet and then walking away before turning them over one time.

The windows were covered with salt spray, so I got out the Windex I had bought last year (still under the kitchen sink) and went to work.  I also got both TVs working perfectly last night, although as readers of this blog will know we do not watch TV here, especially while on Sabbatical.  What a sacrilege!  But we have often stood out near the ocean at night here and in Duck and seen through the tall windows of our neighbors' houses TVs shouting and flashing at full tilt.  "Come out and look at the moon!" we feel like crying out.

I was reminded that it was the Sabbath and that I had possibly broken the Fourth Commandment (although surely cleaning windows at the beach is an exception) when Rev. Powell Osteen Jr. preached on the the Ten Commandment later this morning at the First United Methodist Church in Morehead City, which we also attended last year.  "I know you, don't I?" Rev. Powell asked as we entered the sanctuary.  I am sure he did, because he seems to be the kind of Pastor who never forgets a face or a name.

The church contains one of the warmest, friendliest congregations with whom we have worshiped.  We like visiting other churches, and this one has a beautiful sanctuary, a wonderful choir (with two or three exceptional soprano voices), a fine organist, and hymns sung at a lively tempo (a pet peeve of mine in other churches).  Rev. Osteen is an excellent preacher, too; he knows his scripture and is very well-read, but his message was skillfully delivered and clearly illustrated - a perfect sermon.  An especially nice touch in this church is the Bread Stewardship; first-time visitors are given a loaf of delicious, sweet, home-baked bread.  We enjoyed this bread last year and had been tempted to claim the status of first-timers, but Rev. Osteen seems to have a long memory - perhaps for this very reason! - and I suspect he would have "sussed us out."  (Number Nine - bearing false witness!).

Now we have returned home to our clean windows and brilliant sunshine, ships slowly sailing south out on the bright horizon, and left-over seafood chowder.  I plan to spend the rest of the day immersed in The Moons of Jupiter, which Martha gave me for Christmas after carefully checking my shelves and deciding it was the only book by Alice Munro I had somehow overlooked.

But first for an invigorating walk on a windy, 24-degree beach!  I bundle up in Gore-Tex and gloves and head down the walkway, one of those big freighters out on the horizon, the wind biting sharply:

And suddenly I see beside me in the surf the gleaming arcs of dolphins leaping and playing (or perhaps merely looking for dinner!) just a few yards off-shore.

Upcurving in the glistening air, like the top

Of a dolphin wheel poking just above the surface

Turning round and round in this sunny realm.

 And as if this beautiful sight is not enough, this Sunday afternoon I am rewarded even more by finding this sand dollar half-buried in the cold surf.  A priceless coin.