You Can’t Keep a Pisces From the Water

The Great Missouri Compromise I was referring to in the previous post involved my husband and a boat.

After much back and forth, I threw in the towel on the matter, and yesterday he signed the paperwork for the boat and trekked down to Table Rock Lake. However, once he and the fellow who delivered the boat to the lake got the thing into the water, there were problems. The engine started, the boat moved forward about 50 feet and then the motor sputtered to a halt. A line was thrown back to shore and the boat with my husband onboard was pulled back. No amount of puttering by either of the two men could start the engine. After several calls to the marina receptionist who patched dropped calls through to a repair shop, help was finally secured and the boat was carried away for attention. My husband joked to the receptionist, “You were so much help with the calls I ought to give you a tip. Here it is: Don’t buy a used boat!”

Today, brought news that there had been water in the tank that apparently came in through a faulty gas cap, and my husband went down to finish the job of docking the boat at the marina slip. But first he took the boat out onto the lake and called a while ago to let me know that indeed he was on the lake and had just finished a swim. Pisces found his element and was, for this moment, at peace and happy.

Throwing Caution to the Wind

Is it a wise thing to do? A smart financial move? No, I don’t think so, but I understand.

My husband and I have been married since 1971—that’ll be 36 years come this June 29. Lots of water under the bridge. Although not literally, we grew up together, graduating from the University of Alabama a year apart and then both of us returning in rather short order for graduate work—him, a Masters in secondary education and me, my law degree. I was a month shy of 19 and he was 21 when we were married by a United Methodist minister in Montgomery. You don’t stay together this long without figuring out that compromise is the key. This time I fought and reasoned, stewed a bit, and then threw caution to the wind.

I trust Zephyrus will carry this venture along as he long ago carried Aphrodite (Venus) to shore.

Tune in later this week to see what the Great Missouri Compromise is, and I assure you, it has nothing to do with either the U. S. Constitution or the original Missouri Compromise.


Note about the painting
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli is my favorite work of art in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.