May on Saint Croix

DEO on STX #28
28 May 2010

Returned to Saint Croix on April 28th
We returned to Saint Croix on Wednesday via the Delta non-stop Atlanta to STX. We overlapped with the Hays who were at the departing lounge waiting to board same plane back to Atlanta we arrived on! We talked thru the glass windo on cell phones; they were excited about their stay; we were excited to see them and return to STX!

In our absence: Atlanta Clergy couples
Fred and Julie Northup came for two Sundays supply at St. Peter’s; and Spurgeon and Judy Hays were on Saint Croix for one Sunday; both couples stayed in our Condo, separately and enjoyed their stay; the congregation liked the experience of a new face and new voice as celebrant and preacher. Both Priests did a great job and the people responded enthusiastically to their time.
It was a Good supply-exchange.

Nancy Forrest visited for L-O-N-G weekend
Our dear and long time friend, Nancy Forrest, across the Cul-de-sac, neighbor and original “mother” of our cat Chelsea, came to Saint Croix at our invitation for a four day weekend; we showed her all that time would allow; she wanted to be a “beach bum” and she kept her toes on the sand and Ocean the whole time! I took Nancy to the famous Isaacs Beach, the Sun rise at Point Udall; the three oo us drank rum and laughed about the changes in our “old neighborhood,” in Cumming, GA. When she departed, Babs and I were exhausted; we both said we couldn’t keep up with her energy and go at things full blast! Nancy is younger than our daughter, Robin! We love Nancy as our own daughter. She is a fine young woman of disciplined stature and strong moral posture; she hasn’t had all that a good experience with men; but that is just who she is! We can’t keep up with her! Nancy has temporarily re-adopted our cat and will keep her until I return in July. Then Chelsea moves to Clarkesville. Thanks, Nancy!

Babs got restless and “flew the coop.”
Returning to our “new home, Babs went back to Clarkesville on Monday, May 10th; she had had it with the Island life and missed precious Grand-daughter, Phobe who lives around the corner from our residence. So Babs packed up and went home early; really board being on Saint Croix. Like a hen roosting and nesting, she is happily back in Habersham County.

Nightly and dawn swim in The Reef Pool
I continue to jump in the pool and relax before going to sleep or take the plunge and awaken near dawn with the moon still shinning; it’s a climb up and own the 100 steep steps; I get the heart pounding before relaxing! I will miss this luxury!

Alone but not Lonely
I am batching-it thru my final days of Interim ministry with the good people of St. Peter’s. There is always something to do; I keep busy reading The Daily Office, study holy scriptures, lots of quiet time/prayer; and in projects of preparation, study, writhing, house cleaning, and walking. I have loads of friends in THE REEF Condos; Babs and I talk on the phone DAILY every morning before 7:30am and evening before 9:30pm. I keep myself occupied packing and cleaning up after myself. The Daily beach walks keep me rejuvenated.

Half Penny Beach and sea turtle tracks
My favorite beach is Ha’Penny Beach; a long stretch of uninterrupted deserted beach off the South Shore road; it’s thru the pink stone pillars; this week along the beach, I observed 12 sea turtle nests; and three newly marked tracks where she came ashore during the night to lay her eggs; the “tank-track-trail” revealed a slow climb from surf to dunes, digging a pit in the sand; laid her eggs and returned to the sea. The giant sea turtles return to the same beach, near the exact place where she was hatched! Amazing how “mother nature,” in her divine plan and the way creatures exist and the life cycle goes on; and death lingers around the corner of survival.

People of St. Pete’s very gracious about Babs
She is missed, already! What is part of the driving force Babs return to Georgia is her brother who is very ill in Savannah; Babs is one third of the care-team; her sister from Jacksonville and niece of Roswell; they divide up the weekends and mid-week “nursing” time with my brother-in-law, Tom. All these facts make Babs absence from St. Peter’s more acceptable. I still miss her!

Confirmation Class on track
Our blended group of teen and adolescents are rapidly growing into their faith;
I have spent most of the classes teaching the Book of Common Prayer as a resource and reference for our faith journey. We meet at 8am until 10am on Saturday morning; there is one adult who sits at the table with the teens; one sixteen year old; all the others are 12 to 14 years old.

Confirmation Lay Teaching Team
Before beginning the Confirmations Class, we established a Lay confirmation teaching team who will continue the process after I depart; next year the Confirmation teaching will not be dependent upon a Priest in Residence for confirmation preparation.

Paring down; living “without”So I have limited my surroundings and doing without a lot of the extra pleasures comforts! It’s amazing how little one can exist with and without!

Packing and shipping Flat Rate boxes
USPS personnel know my name and face! I am beginning to forward mail and change addresses; I pack up “stuff” we want to keep and mail home all the things we don’t want to carry aboard the plane of check the luggage. Why do I have so much junk/’stuff”?

Pentecost Sunday
“Whitsunday” was a day of red and excitement with two children for Baptism.
An attractive ten month old male all dressed in a white suit; and an eight year old girl dressed in a white princess dress with crown. Our numbers ran 180 with 100 communions.

The Bishop requested clergy referrals
Names, names, NAMES. The Next Interim will be different. The healthy process of continuing the Interim Ministry leadership during this transitional time will be a positive step for St. Peter’s. It is time for another leader/pastor/Priest to take the reins and work with the vestry and parish leadership.

All is focused on the 40th Anniversary
St. Peter’s Church is being spruced up; she is no longer delaying repairs and over due fix up projects! The Church is looking better! More cared for. The Parish maintenance and Interim Goals our top priorities during final month of ministry together.

Feeding the “sugar birds”
Bannaquits live in the tree and bushes on our front sea side patio; I purchased raw sugar which goes into a dish feeder every morning and evening attracting “the sugar birds.” These long beaked yellow and black tiny birds are fun to watch and encourage. They are God’s creations in flight and wing; chirping each morning before sun rise; happy in the rain and washing themselves in the bird bath. All a flutter!

Winds have shifted and blow in from the South
Weather patterns have now changed; visibility has reduced to a haze; seas are flat; overcast clouds prevail; it’s more humid and still; nights hot and muggy;
During the day it often rains. The haze is high humidity and NOT African Dust.

Lost power: It gets HOT!
WAPA is the Virgin Islands utility company; periodically we loose electric power;
Usually during the night; one feels the still air when the over-head fans cease.
One knows the electricity is off when one sees the blinking clocks as evidence of a power outage. Take off your shirt and sleep in the skives. Open the shutters and pray for a cross breeze!

Friends come and go
Mark and Vickie Baker Vickie returned on Friday, Bob left on Monday; both to check-on and assist with an ill adult son in Canton, Ohio; they live next door in Condo #432; Babs’ close friend, Vickie a nurse and neat lady; good buddy for Babs! They are responsible for the introduction to the owners of our residential Condo #433! Bob and Charlotte Dendtler who live across the fair-way; are here and gone again! Charlotte returned last week, Bob departed this week; they are/were responsible for the referral for my ministry introduction at St. Peter’s. Soon they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary here at The Reef; it should be a nice party/affair. Robert and Leeslie Christmon returned from Kentucky; retired Fire-fighter, Robert and Nurse, Leeslie are back!

Soon will close out local bank account
Upon arrival on Saint Croix, we established a local bank account; which we really could have done without; it did make check cashing and Church deposits faster;
In the next few weeks we will close out the First Bank and conclude our financial link here on Saint Croix. Thanks for the Wachovia (Wells Fargo) bank-by-mail- deposit-system; we usually mail checks back to Georgia and Bank by Mail.

Clarkesville Home closing
Sent to Law office my “Power of Attorney” assigning Babs to represent us both at the final closing yesterday, for 125 Betty Street on Thursday, May 27th; we are home owners again! Mildly in debt; we doubled our living floor space and cut our mortgage payment in half! Life is good; thanks be to the God of all clergy; we have been taken care of by the Church and attempted in the process to be good stewards of all we have received as a Gift from God.

Nissan dealer in foreclosure
Still NO metal license plates for the Church auto; we have paper window sticker (temporary plates)! The Church owned car still is not registered even though the church paid all the tag fees and taxes. The dealer spent the money collected on other stuff! We are waiting out a judgment of foreclosure. The bank has our license plates. Lawyers.

Hike to Isasic’s Beach
Isolated and deserted; private and desolate; naked tourists; some show their “Cotton tails” with pink buns; they run and hide or prance and show it all! I keep up my drawers and still have my tan lines!

Give it away!
Fans and kitchen gear; food stuffs and can goods; “tackey gifts,” and excess “stuff” is being shared with friends, Church members and neighbors. It’s amazing how much “stuff” we have acquired since arriving in February 2009! Attemping just to get rid of the gear; share the abundance; don’t hoard; and unload! Get ready to move home.

Early morning SUN Rise at Point Udall
Lately the over-cast skies have blocked spectacular sun-rises; but the prelude before the big red ball rises on the horizon is a colorful sky of red, pink, green, blue and gray; the clouds are illuminated with back light; the sea squalls are visible all directions from Point Udall @ day break; I usually arrive at the Eastern point in the territorial US before first light; it’s a religious moment of unity with creation in the eternal cycle of day light; the Sun also rises! See Psalm 8:
“O Lord, our God, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou care for him? … the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea.”

Final sail on The Roseway
She returned to Boston via Bermuda then up to the Great Lakes for summer.
The red sails schooner departed on Sunday, May 23rd at 6am; her final “sun set sail” for the season on Saint Croix was Friday, May 21st; I signed on and enjoyed the swift winds and big waves; she took on the rough seas and as if just really getting started; full sail ahead; crew worked hard to manage the sails and keep her on course; a few passengers got sea sick which was not pleasant for them; the rail on the down wind side was their kneeling place of relief and prayer; I enjoyed the seat on the bench at the main-mast; lots of sea spray and some wave wash; lots of misty breezes and wet glasses. I loved it! Babs would NOT have been happy! I am thinking about signing on for the South bound voyage from Boston to Bermuda to Saint Croix in November????? Ahoy,Roseway!

More “windscreen titles”We continue to see autos, trucks and taxi with “names” on their windshields;
So here are some recently observed vehicle titles: Humble & Wise, To God be the Glory, Category 5, What’s up Doc?, Only One Life II, Rockers #1, G9Deva,
Female Baller, Tap Out, Traumatize, Let dem Wonder, The Intiminator, The Sunnami, Out of My Way, Victorious, Mean Green, Sea Flight, Albino Rhino,
Givenchy, Petoly Oil, Jimmy in Paradise, A Son of the King, and White Angel.

Five weeks today
I return to North Georgia on July 1st! In the mean time, there is still time for anyone wanting/needing a visit to STX; there is a nice quest room available. So,

Come see us Mon!
La Paz y Buen Camino!
DEO+