My dear wife, Carrie, made me the best pan of grits ever consumed today around noon.  I ate them for “brunch”?  I don’t know if I have ever had brunch before today.  If I have, no one ever told me that was what I was eating.  Brunch, that is.

Carrie and I got up about 6 AM this morning.  Neither one of us was hungry.  Looking at the Atlantic Ocean churning at 7:16 when the sun rose, I am sure, behind miles of clouds and darkness.  It was not a great sun rise.  It was a great morning nonetheless.

I wasn’t hungry this morning because before I went to bed last night I ate a bowl of ice cream.  I don’t do that very often.  I think the last time I did was along this very coast the last time we were here.  Before the ice cream I ate some barbecued ribs.  The crab dip was good too.  Should I go on?

So we didn’t eat breakfast.  I filled up on the Star-News of Wilmington, The News-Observer from Raleigh, and the Jacksonville Daily News.  Three good Sunday papers.  So I just got through one of them before we went to church.

Our church away from home, Faith Harbor United Methodist Church.  Rev. Duke Lackey is the pastor.  He spoke this Palm Sunday.  He reminded us of Jesus’ edict :COME, FOLLOW ME. Kids came through the sanctuary carrying palms.  The songs we sang we awesome.  We celebrated confirmations of about ten young people.  The service lasted nearly two hours and it seemed like we had to leave about them time we sat down.  That is some good worship.  Amen indeed.  When we walked out we lamented that it would be a long time before we would be back for another service.  The place is special to us.

We came back to our place and it was time for breakfast.  Carrie poached me an egg.  We had toast, ham, and my awesome grits.  It was a great morning.  It may be 47 degrees along this piece of North Carolina coast right now…but our hearts our warm and thankful.  Having a home away from home is a special thing to be a part of.  Carrie and I found that here many years ago.  Thanks in part to our old friend, Tim Krekel, we found this little strip of “Happy Town” that we are blessed and fortunate to get to visit now and again.

So what gives the rest of the day?  NCAA basketball tourney watching is probably out.  Anything after watching the Hoosiers defeat the Wildcats yesterday afternoon is anti-climactic.  I have a John Fogerty autobiography to read.  I have a great deal to write about.  And thankfully, I will be checking in here again sooner rather than later.

Grits for breakfast in the morning, to be sure.

Speak the Rights.

Danny Johnson