Slow Starts

This morning I have the opportunity for a slow start to my day. This is a rarity in a life subjugated by the business of being a father to a busy high-school sophomore. My approach to morning is really a tale of two lives, both involve hectic and busy daybreaks. On the one hand, during my seven days of working as a midnight shift hospital pharmacist, the early morning hours from O-dark-thirty until shift change time at 0700 are usually dominated by the preparation of pre-op meds, early rising pulmonologists rounding in the ICU and a rush hour dash against the traffic on scenic highway 61 towards the home front and a slightly overdue rendezvous with my pillow. While, on the other hand, on my seven days off, my daybreak hours are spent serving as a school bus driver taking my turn in the White Gables to Northwood Academy carpool. I might add that the carpool riders consist of a 4-year old kindergarten student, his second-grade sister and my usually tired and grumpy sophomore. Leading up to the stint as driver of the bus, I get to play drill-sergeant as I wrangle Noah out of bed and remind him a thousand times not to forget his lunch that is on the counter nor his one-hundred pounds of football gear for after-school football practice. So this morning, thanks to a day off from school so that the Northwood Academy Staff could attend a SCISA conference I enjoyed a rare slow start to the day.


It was somewhat soothing and reinvigorating to slowly savor a cup of freshly brewed coffee in the recliner while listening to the classical guitar playlist on my Ipod and perusing my daily blog list (you should visit some of the blogs on my list, you will enjoy them for sure) in the warmth of the dimly lit family room.

As the sun started to peek through the clouds I decided to move to the front piazza for a little front porch sittin'. It is a cool and breezy morning here in the Lowcountry so my fleece felt especially good this morning, and a little lap blanket was fine as well. One of the books I am currently reading is a novel of historical fiction, "Ashes of Roses and War" a story by a West Virginia novelist that commemorates the spirit of pioneering women who survived the Civil War by nurturing and nursing their families in the Allegheny Mountains before, during and after the War. The songbirds were busy this morning, visiting the feeders that I have recently began to stock for the season with sunflower seeds and other little delicacies for my feathered morning visitors, so I mightily enjoyed watching and listening to them as I cruised through a couple of chapters of my book. I completed this scarce, but propitious respite by quickly scanning one of my favorite periodicals, Charleston Magazine.

Noah will be out of bed soon, so I am sure that my "slow start" will turn in to a slightly quicker pace by mid-morning, but hey, I can't complain. I am actually looking forward to spending the day with him before dropping him off later this afternoon to catch the football team bus to Thomas Sumter Academy for some Friday Nite Lights, SCISA playoff style. His sophomore football season could end this evening with a playoff loss, or it could continue for yet another week, such is the uncertainty of high school football in November. One thing is for certain though, I am prepared to face the day, thanks to a slow start, some hot coffee, a little classical guitar and a good book. Ahhh, the livin' is easy From The Land of Palm Trees.