Day 8 of summer break

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s the second week of June and I’ve had 8 days of total rest and ‘do what I want-when I want’ leisure. I have to say I think my favorite part of summer break is the morning coffee time, which extends to 2 or 3 hours. I live waking up before dawn, doing my disciplines and devotionals unhurriedly, and then reading or watching something edifying. I started watching Mike Riccardi’s Devotionals through Pilgrim’s Progress, and they are delightful. This, after finishing HB Charles’ “Blessing and Praise, Benedictions & Doxologies in Scripture”. It was a course through Ligonier nd it was excellent. More edifying than I even thought it would be.

I finished reading through the Blessings & Doxologies book, as well as the book “This Outside Life: Finding God in the Heart of Nature” which was slightly too liberal for me. Not horrible, but irritating. I dont’ read books to be irritated though. I re-read Harry Potter #1. I’d read it when it first came out in 1999, and that was a long time ago. I want to finish reading the series so I thought it’s better just to start over. I also was no saved at the time and I know this will make a difference.

In the screen entertainment area I have been going thru White Collar again, a smart, good looking show. The scenes of NYC are stunning and the set design of Neal’s apartment is one to drool over. I love looking at apartment (sets) and how it fits with the character. If I was going to live in a city it would be in an apartment exactly like Neal’s.

I enjoy Marina Coates set design tours at Mockingbird Lane. She does CGI of famous homes and apartments on TV and movies and with her expertise shows you all about them. Or this, how Mary Tyler Moore’s apartment was the epitome of the single girl, the apartment and the character one and the same. Was the show ever really the same after she moved into the high rise apartment? I think not. Or the famous ending of Newhart (the one where he and his wife ran an Inn in Vermont) and the moment he turned on the light in the finale and the audience recognized the old Bob Newhart bedroom, we knew this was gonna be a genius ending. The audience didn’t start yelling when Suzanne Pleshette sat up in bed, it was before that, because of knowing the SET. see: https://youtu.be/ZgdUWXf8jJk?si=cRsevlvxUE7smAlH&t=24

Yes, I watch or don’t watch TV show or movies because of the beauty. For example, I am conflicted and sad that I won’t watch any further Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Yes, Capote was a homosexual but his flamboyance is too much to bear when brought to live screen. But the dresses! The sets! The writing! Wonderful wonderful beautiful phrases coming one after another. But sadly I must let that beauty go.

Speaking of beauty…I went to Athens yesterday. I’d been given a gift certificate for a massage place, and I selected the one where they focus on arms and hands. My arthritic fingers needed loosening up. Though as you probably know I love to stay home, I do enjoy seeing new things. On the way to Athens I look around and find vignettes…moments…scenes. So, picture this. I live in a place where men pause in their hot work to tip their necks to the sky to take a long cool drink of their soda. I live in a place where two pickup trucks passing on the road, when the men recognize each other, they stop in the road to chat through open windows. And the people behind them don’t mind.

While I was out I got my oil changed and fluids checked. I forgot to take my camera with me so no pictures from my trip into the city. I had wanted to snap some cityscapes. I don’t often cross town like I had to from the massage place to the oil place. Maybe next time.

On the way home back in my own county, I saw three large turtles on the log in the pond and I wished them well as I passed by. When I got home I took the trash out and watered the plants in front of the apartment. It was late enough in the day I felt not-too-guilty about firing up the TV (which is my laptop) and watching a few shows. Almost Paradise on Hulu is good. Ex-DEA Agent retires from the force and settles on a Philippine island only to find it’s not so relaxing, as there is a lot of crime to help clean up. Crime near a beach, a perfect cocktail. AKA bad guys get caught while I watch nice scenery.