JIM,
Thanks for reminding us of Florence and her vintage as of TODAY: 108
Her only daughter helped me with these remembrances:
I wonder how her spirit body is keeping busy?
Is she still washing dishes and did she ever get out of heaven's kitchen? (Heck, if there's a "Hell's Kitchen," there's gotta be one upstairs...Hmm, wonder if the prices are "higher"?
Is she playing cards with Frank and Nor?
Is Chip with them?
I'll bet he has more "top cut choices" than the easy-to-dispense canned "Liver Patties...
Does he still chase squirrels and cats or has St. Francis cured him of that habit?
Armed with coupons, is she still pulling her shopping cart throughout heaven’s aisles?
She didn’t like the store bargain brands and paid more for Del Monte. Wonder if there are top shelf “bests” like Chock Full O Nuts “The Heavenly Coffee”?
Since she can fly now, she won’t need her chauffeur Francis.
Is the Happy Hour still 5:00…or is it an all day…and night Happiness Fest?
And, considering her altitude, is she enjoying a new level of “highball”?
And, FAMILY, if you’re planning on sending her a card, you have to do it “on the day”
"108" - Life's a Beach
The number “108” has several connotations in my life:
In my 20's, Beach 108th Street in Rockaway Beach was a great bar scene. For you “outsiders” that didn’t grow up in Queens, Rockaway was affectionately known as “The Irish Riviera.” There's more about this in an article at the end of the post.
And when I rented a room in a bungalow there for one summer - so I could be closer to my surfing beaches, the color GREEN was also prominent. We called it “Mildew Manor.” Anyone remember this historic establishment?
A place where “Everybody knows your name…”
And they had none of this new beer for sissies known as “Craft Beer”…
--great piece on it's history and folklore...
Houses like this contained upper floors with a "widow's walk."
Many references to Rockaway's reputation as "The Irish Riviera":
"108" - A little further East...Halfway around the world...
And, from my explorations into the East - no, not Montauk Point…
”108” is a pretty amazing symbol.
The following article unpacks a few of these symbols through the lenses of science, mathematics, numerology, spirituality, philosophy and religion. And, yes, a Stonehenge reference is included. We still don’t know 🤔 See "Mystery" article at end of post for a reflection on "knowability"...
Last Call
"Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread his (her) lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He (she) left the past year’s dwelling for the new,
Stole with soft step its shining archway through,
Built up its idle door,
Stretched in his (her) last-found home, and knew the old no more."
[from opening paragraph] How do we live the contradictions? Live them—not just endure them or relieve ourselves from the tension by quickly resolving them. The times where we meet or reckon with our contradictions are often turning points, opportunities to enter into the deeper mystery of God or, alternatively, to evade the mystery of God. I’m deliberately using the word mystery to point to depth, an open future, immense freedom, a kind of beauty and truth that can’t be fully spoken or defined.
Closing Number
Florence, Eileen found another Frank to sing this for you...
Comments