We spent the last two weeks of our journey at a home on the beach in Townsend’s Inlet. The inlet is at the south end of the island, which also contains Sea Isle City and Strathmere. It was the last street on the island. With just a short walk across the Inlet Bridge we could be back at Windward Harbors, Avalon where we had spent many summers (and falls, springs, and winters too). We planned on the middle-weekend of our stay to visit June’s daughter, Tracy, and her family who were staying in North Wildwood, NJ. On one of the evenings there we walked on the boardwalk to have a special dinner of Pizza and “Curley’s” French fries. The French fries are freshly made and remembered by apparently any and all who have ever eaten on the boardwalk in Wildwood.
The “we” included June, daughter Mary Lou, our sixteen-year-old twin-Grandson, Dave, and Grandson Eric, a 45 pound, 5-year-old bundle of energy. Eric was on and off his brother David’s shoulders. Then I became his keeper for a while and he once again decided he would like to ride. So up he went. We had some discussions about choking Pop-pop with his hands around my throat. I had him move his hands up across my forehead. I got a firmer grip on his legs. As we bounced along amidst a cacophony of sounds, such as music blaring, barkers hawking, a tram passing bellowing “Get out of the way!” and gulls squawking overhead, I thought of a short piece I had read that morning. It was one of C.S.Lewis’ famous “Screwtape Letters” in which the head devil writes to his nephew and student about not letting the patient slip away to a quiet brook with his favorite book. It is better, says the boss devil, to keep him near noise, which is called “entertainment” so his mind is on worldly things. Otherwise, the boss warns, your patient might get into the quiet and begin to think about the Enemy, heaven, or spiritual things, so keep his mind on the world. These philosophic musings were suddenly brought back to the reality of the Wildwood’s noisy boardwalk, when I found myself being choked once again by the bundle on my shoulders. We had another discussion about where the hands needed go and he moved them up to my head and then into the bit of hair I had. He ran them thorough the hair and suddenly the little dynamo gave out a pronouncement that stopped us all, “Pop-pop you’re going bald!” Everyone roared at his observation, myself included. I tried then to explain that it really wasn’t so. I was just ‘thinning’ a bit on top to make it look like the monks of old who had their heads shaved on that spot. He was unconvinced, and exclaimed once again, “You’re going bald!” About that time I decided that my shoulders and its supporting muscles were having a tough time, so I brought Eric down to the ground. He then rejoined his brother amidst much laughter. He and Eric then headed towards the famous “Curley’s” French fry place, which was just ahead. My philosophical musing then turned to that old maxim, “Out of the mouths of babes…”
The view from our temporary home in Townsend’s Inlet was magnificent. We were about 20 feet up, with a large porch, and had an unobstructed view of the beach and the water, where the Inlet met the Ocean. It was a great comfort since beach time the first week was almost nil due to rain or threat of rain. June I did escape one of the biggest rain days by visiting the Casino in Atlantic City. Unfortunately the rain did not bring her good luck. I did have one of those “Isn’t it a small world?” experiences. I have a lawyer friend, Dave Balcer, whose office in just outside the city limits. I visited him, since a client of mine had recently died and I was going to handle her estate. So on one of my jaunts over to the big City, I made it a point to call and stop to pick up some forms and say hello. This occurred on July 12th. We visited the casino on July 26th. I was walking from the casino, Tropicana, to the parking garage attached to it and who do I meet coming the other way, Dave Balcer! One more time before we left, on the trips back and forth to the car I saw him! The client who died was just shy of 101 years of age. She had lived in three different centuries. She was born in 1899 and died in 2000. She was single lady who began working for AT&T as a telephone operator in 1920 and retired from there as a Supervisor in 1965. She was an active member of the Church of Jerusalem with a its magnificent Gothic Cathedral in Bryn Athn, Pa. I learned, at the sharing after the service, that she was such an active member, that since she was without transportation, she didn’t drive and busses did not proceed out Huntingdon Pike to the Cathedral, that services were held in her home in Philly. She and I became client and lawyer in l980’s. We then became friends especially when she moved from her home to the Paul’s Run complex. Over the years she had taken into her home her mother, then a sister, and when both died she decided she didn’t need the big house on Naple Street. She moved to the Paul’s Run complex with another sister, Ruth. I visited them usually once a week and played the piano in their dining room at lunchtime. Ruth died while she was in the nursing home part of the complex. Her name was Edith Hansen. I shared with all her friends that Edith was of such a feisty nature that she would have St. Peter agreeing to admit her shortly after their first meeting. They all smiled and agreed.
We had another Journey in the beginning of September. We flew to the baptism of Owen McS Yake on September 3rd in the church of St. David the King in Princeton Junction, NJ. Owen was the 20th grandchild of June and I and our families. Owen was the third son of my daughter Mary and her husband Ron. He was born on April 22,2000 weighing in at 11 pounds 12 ounces and 20 and ¾ inches long. He has twin brothers, Alex and Aidan, now over three years ago who by the way came into this world each a bit over 7 pounds! So you can now envision this plump and nearly six-month-old Owen as he is raised in his birthday suit over the baptismal fount then lowered into the water. He fits neatly into the nearly two foot across fount and is dipped in carefully by his Uncle Tom, the presiding Deacon, each time the words Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are pronounced. He does so without objection by Owen. As he lounges in the fount with neither a clamor nor outcry some water is gently poured over his head. His becoming one of God’s children was witnessed by aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors and his two older brothers who were keeping mother and god-father, uncle, Paul, busy seeing they don’t climb in with the lounging Owen. We gathered afterwards to celebrate the occasion at Owen’s home with his Mom and Dad in Yardley, PA. It was a celebration of life. It reminded us once again of the circle of life as just a little more than one month earlier we had gathered to wish my sister Ann good bye and into eternal life. I returned to our home in Florida in the early hours of September 4th happy to have witnessed the beginning of the new life of Owen McSorley Yake.
The trip gave me more time to read than usual. So I had grand time climbing through many pages. Our grandson Matthew Golden, a ten year old, had an experience purchasing the No.4 Harry Potter Book, viz. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. He, like thousands of others, went to Barnes & Noble Bookstore shortly before midnight on the day it was to be released. He didn’t get his copy until nearly 1 AM. This and other such episodes regarding the books intrigued me, so I borrowed numbers 1 and 3 from Matt. I finished number 1 and immediately brought Number 2, and went on and finished number 3 all in a matter of two weeks (7/10 – 7/23). I am now into number 4. I took a break from entertainment to read a wonderful memoir by James Carroll, entitled “An American Requiem: God, My Father and the War that Came Between Us”, “Papal Sin: The Structure of Deceit” by Gary Wills and a few others. However, J.K Rowling’s imagination and expression of it, is entertainment to me at its very best. I was pleased to see Stephen King of the mystery genre applauding her talent but was quick to remind the readers that when they got a bit older, say reach 16, there is always “The King”. I wonder what he would say about seventy year olds being enthralled by a so-called “children’s” books? Probably not much. But I include these thoughts to let you know here is one guy over 16 who thinks they are worth reading.
I spent Tuesday September 5th once again at the Polls. I am beginning to feel at home since this time I was back at the same Polling place as before. It is a long day. It runs from 6 AM to 7:30 PM but I enjoy feeling my hand is still in that part of my past life, politics, at least a bit. We had a fair turnout but now it on to the Presidential and we should have a busy day. I read a columnist advocating people to get out to vote and the importance of voting. He is a regular in the St.Pete’s Times and has great humor. I agreed with him but I sent him a note. I told him his paper as with many, gave little or no coverage of the upcoming primary. So I suggested he advise his editor and publishers likewise that voting is important, maybe even more important than football!
Until next time and remember God loves you and so do I!