Morning Coffee
St. Simon's Island
Deck of Condo facing golf course -- old tree with hanging moss close to deck.
Hummingbird house delivered to 'Dr. Read' from Justy Leigh is attached to the tree

Arthur the Maltese awaiting a lift to lap or chair


R -- retired professor/Reading/ Two Georgia colleges -- most recent Coastal
ME (harder to tag -- Longtime female friend):
word for the day
Dictionary.com is used for Word for the Day for several reasons -- including the link to get pronunciation, etymology, and more for interested readers. The main reason Justy Leigh (JL) uses this above some other online dictionaries (but along with them) is that there are examples of the words within literary works -- fiction and non-fiction. 

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apogee

Part of JL's philosophy of everyday metacognition -- connections between and among what we know to learn about what we don't -- is to make connections to more works every day than ever possible to read so that the communication with others is strengthened with different types of familiarity.
Also, to continue a long-standing interest between Justy Leigh and Dr. R, the 'word for the day' will rarely be chosen from the official one for the day because they both love ABC books.  We start with a:
A is for Apogee

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apogee
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Hey, R -- Thanks for the coffee -- and mostly for making it and bringing it to me.  I so love for you to bring me a cup! This is my favorite cup.

. What kind is this today?  Feels so good out here.  The Murphy bed is still comfortable after all these years... and

Camerons 

Ground - Toasted Southern Pecan

JL continues -- I loved your special tour of the books and artifacts on the shelves & the skylights -- and the remote to open and close them and ... well... everything here with you.
I am holding the paperback 'Art of Racing in the Rain' and put in a card from R. as a bookmark.
R. glances down -- 'Oh, I've read that -- It's been a long time. I liked it.'

R: The coffee is -- Cameron's Ground Toasted Southern Pecan -- we got it when we were at Harris teeters.

ME: (Looking at the cover of  The Art of Racing in the Rain). Yes, it's a favorite of mine to send to people when they are struggling with what to do as --  well, when we lose a family member.  I think the reviews quoted are pretty accurate about this writer and the main character -- or at least the narrator -- Enzo . The first description is not 'sentimental.'
One of the best descriptions is that it is funny, but I'd be lying if I did not mention that it will make anybody with an ounce of love in him -- cry.  It is written in 'First Dog.'  It's just not like a talking horse on a TV show -- not to disparage Mr. Ed -- Enzo does a lot of reflection and introspection. 
He's alone a lot -- like me.

So, time to tell me -- what are you reading?
Oh, Did you watch the Trevor Noah video I sent you about Mayor Pete?  It had something about how we all love little white dogs like Arthur.

R -- bending to lift Arthur to his lap, setting his mug on the enamel tabletop as he settles across from me.  He has the morning Brunswick News and puts it beside his cup.
Predictably, he says, "No, I've got enough videos sent to me online and clearing out the boxes. I'd rather spend that time visiting with you while you are here."
ME: Well, ok, but it's funny -- and Trevor gives me more news about the candidates than I get anywhere else.  So I am going to put it with our coffee chat in case you want to go to our blog and read it later.  I'll put it at the end of conversation. Well, I will put it in somewhere anyway -- oh & there is another one that's funny about Mayor Pete, too.  I may put it here, too.
We need more humor.  Besides, I learn most of what I know about the candidates from Trevor.  I couldn't get anything on Stacey Abrams when she was running for governor until I checked out what Trevor had about her --
That's when I realized she was really a contender and very well educated one at that -- and by the way, do you understand the electoral system and realize how the ones casting ballots for the election of the president are like cowboys out beyond the twilight zone?
I finally saw an article that explains this process, especially when the delegates do not vote the way they were chosen to do.  Things may clear up now that this is before the Supreme Court.
Maybe if both sides prepare good briefs we will have a better understanding (and better system) than all other years.

I'm serious that these videos -- I remember one by the Young Turks good about House, Senate, Presidency in Balance of powers but things change so fast --
What are you reading?
I settle in, leaning my head back -- adjusting my Rayban Wayfarers -- sipping my coffee, cracking open a protein bar R brought to me.
R. pauses and looks out at the golf course -- Every time I look at him I still think same thing as 30 years ago when we were in Decatur, GA planning an evening to have a meal together and to see someone at a cabaret or small theater in Atlanta.  Barbara Cook is one of the people I would never have known about and enjoyed without R.
Billy Holiday's albums were an extension pleasure from a long afternoon in a Buckhead movie theater watching Whitney Houston's grand performance in Lady Sings the Blues.  We both laughed when the very hot Billy Dee Williams preened in his pinstriped suit and fedora before 'Billie' with her Southern flower (gardenia) hair accessory -- and she was breathless from his charisma -- and paused -- then said, 'You ain't so hot.'
I'm thinking about all that and all the times were kind of a 'life interrupted' in a good way -- like long intermissions in the Fox Theater and strolls through museum exhibits of Monet kind of zen friendship.
***
R: I've begun  Sure of You, the sixth book in the Tales of the City saga by Armistead Maupin after finishing the first five. There are two more to go, I believe, but I only have one of them. The first five are autographed.

When you answer about what you are reading, there is always a part of what you say that makes me feel the social ties you have with me and others through reading.  It is such an exciting way to connect, communicate, enrich the sensory part of conversation or mail.

There is also something when you tell me about what you are reading that I notice also in the introductions to the pocket canon series of books of the Bible I have. It’s like a bountiful never—exhausted overflow of more books out there.

This pocket canon is is a cool series because the introduction writers always compel me to books I have never heard of before. I suppose this could go without admission of my gaps in knowledge about various authors. But there really is a surfeit of wonderful reading out there, and focusing upon certain ones with people I love and finding out about the authors, too, is exciting.

I am definitely going to look for other books by Benjamin Saenz.  Carry Me Like Water was a beautiful choice to give me. Thank you.

Hey, R -- Will you read aloud to me from Carry Me Like Water?  I have it in 'my' room.

R -- Oh, ok -- but wouldn't you like one of the children's books with the great pictures better -- I have some from authors I know or have met --

ME: Yes.  I do want that, too -- with the way we read with children about holding it up, predicting -- but, first -- could you do all that with Carry Me?

R -- Ok.  You get it and find what you want, and I will refill our coffee.

Me:  Thanks (Scurrying to fling my stuff around to uncover the target book.

Here it is --

R -- You find what you want, and I'm taking Arthur out for a quick constitutional.

Me:  I'm taking rr break, too.

****

To be continued. (Also, tune in for Wine talk in evening with M -- another long time male man to read along with a different kind of folie a deux.