Great Days…

…deserved to be commemorated with a mosaic. Right? Of course they do! And I’m here to tell you that my lovely lady Gwynneth and I had the most spectacular day in Galveston yesterday. The weather was gorgeous, the winds were gentle, and the company was magnificent – from the one holding my hand, to the gulls admiring us admiring the beauty of the waters. Sure, there are still areas of the island that are still visibly suffering the devastating impact of hurricane Ike, but the people of Galveston are a resilient sort and they’re not gonna let a hurricane change their paradise… even though the rest of the country seems to have a singular focus on the whining over the long-since past Katrina, and financial assistance to Galveston island has been meager at best. You’ll not hear anyone whining about it. They simply rebuild and move on.
We spent a nice walk along the seawall, watching the boats glide across the horizon as the sun glistened off the waters. Then we took a short drive downtown and strolled along the famous Galveston Strand historical district. While many of the businesses are still closed for flood repairs, many others are also open and thriving. And we even got to enjoy a live band in the park as we walk, with my lovely lady catching me singing along to some of the tunes more than once! As we leisurely made our way, we noticed a black line on the walls of several buildings. It was at least a couple of feet above our heads… and turned out to be the flood level from Ike in the historical district. Startling at best, and down-right frightening if you thought about it too long.
My hat’s off to the wonderful people of Galveston, who graciously shared their island with us for a day. It was most definitely a great day – by any definition – and one that I hope my lovely lady Gwynneth and I can repeat in the near future. God’s wonders never cease… so like I said yesterday, never cease to be amazed! Please keep praying for each other, and may God bless you all!

And, if you would like to make a donation to help the people of Galveston Island, as well as all the others along the gulf coast who have been impacted by hurricane Ike, feel free to do so through the Bush Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund. Every little bit helps… have yourself a great day!

“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Victor Kiam once said, ‘What’s really important in life? Sitting on a beach? Looking at television eight hours a day? I think we have to appreciate that we’re alive for only a limited period of time, and we’ll spend most of our lives working.’ There’s a lot of truth in that comment… I just think I’d rather spend most of my life living. Who’s with me?” – Jeff Jeter