I got into Fort Lauderdale in the evening on Saturday. Maria and Sherod were waiting for me and we had a good evening. Four AM came awfully early but I had two sermons to write and laundry waiting as well. Then my regular two services, a quick run back home to put on my prettiest preacher girl outfit. We were burying beautiful Muriel and it was a small way to say thank you to someone who always dressed to the nines in the prettiest way imaginable. For the first time in my years as priest, I almost didn’t make it through the sermon without just sobbing. As it was, I needed both pieces of Kleenex I slipped in my alb pocket before the slow walk down the aisle reading those magnificent lines, “I am Resurrection and I am Life, says the Lord”. Some farewells are so very hard. But the funeral was the celebration we had planned, the reception lovely. I got home in time to help with a bit of pick up and then have dinner with the friends who had kindly agreed to keep Boo and Daisy for the week. I fell into bed and woke up for long spells three times in the night.

Up at five, packed, had my coffee and Sherod and I hit the road headed for Selma. I’ve worked a lot of the way and been on a video call; now we have driven through Dothan. Tomorrow we will meet a realtor in Selma. We are going to see old friends and new in Selma and Montgomery. And maybe, by the end of the week, When we are driving back to Fort Lauderdale, I will have caught up with myself…