Julep Point

One of the neat things about growing old is that you can say “years ago” when talking about your own life! So . . .

Years ago on a beautiful night with my beautiful wife God’s charm filled the world around me! Down on Mobile Bay there is a magnificent hotel named the Grand Hotel and for good reason. It is on the Eastern Shore in Fairhope, AL and has an amazing romantic and tragic history. In front of it there is a very small section of the waterfront that juts out into the bay. It is called Julep Point. On Julep Point there was a gazebo that invited romantic couples to look out over the bay and revel in the glorious moon glow or sailboats or porpoises or ships in the ship channel. It may still be there . . . I don’t know since all of the hurricanes and, after all, it was years ago.

I have lived my life always in awe of the beautiful musicals in awesome ballrooms featuring Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Bennie Goodman, Glenn Miller, and so on. Born a little too late for anything but the dream. There was one particular night, though, that this dream came true! Granted it was not a ballroom, but rather a gazebo on Julep Point. It was not one of the big bands from the movies, but one that would rival any of them. Bob Schultz and his orchestra played under the moon on a glorious night on Julep Point!

Those of you who know my beautiful wife Catherine can imagine her beauty that night as we danced under the moon! In a bright red flowing dress and her long hair in a bun on the back of her head with her beautiful big eyes shining, she moved with grace and made me weak in the knees. All of this happened under the moon in a gazebo on a little piece of land called Julep Point and remains one of the most precious of my memories.

Just a little thought while in the midst of our “Pre-Anniversary Season”.