Ba-Ba-Ba, Barbara Ann

Summer’s officially over, but tonight as I came out of mom’s house the temperature was still the 70’s. One last night of nice warm, and yet cool night air. And so I started the car, rolled down the windows, and put in a Beach Boys CD --- and turned the music up loud. The first track was Barbara Ann; for me that’s summer music.

As I slowly drove through Plymouth (the speed limit in town is 25 miles per hour), the music switched over to Little Deuce Coupe, and I sang along. The last words of Help Me Rhonda were playing as I entered the chapel parking lot, and I let the song finish before rolling up the windows and getting out. (I wondered briefly if Jesus liked the Beach Boys music?) In the chapel I said my rosary and night prayers, and then skipped my usual reading of one of Newman’s Sermons in favor of a few pages of, of all things, Peter Kreeft’s latest book. I think this one I’ll have to read all the way through to be able to consider how to review it, but the beginnings are a treasure, like fine wine, to be slowly sipped and thought about, and talked about --- with a friend, of course. And who better to chat with about my thoughts and feelings than Jesus, there on the altar.

Now this book, I know He would have liked.

Going home, driving through town The Sloop John B, and then Catch a Wave played. There were few people on the streets of Plymouth, so alive during the summer nights but now just quiet. The indoor clubs and bars were still active; I could tell by all the cars parked on the streets and in the lots, but by 10:30 even they were winding down on this weekday night. So You Wanna Dance was playing as I turned into my subdivision. I wondered what the neighbors were thinking. I was one of those people who played loud music as they rolled down the quiet subdivision streets at night --- or at least on this night.

This last warm night of summer end was a good night, even for the few minutes I rolled down the street and sang with the radio. Isn’t that a good part of what makes summer enjoyable? Good music, good wine, good reading, good company, the things of good times. Life is good.

I think I’ll stop here and go sit on the swing on the back deck, and have that glass of wine.

It’s supposed to rain later tonight.