Date: 16 April 2021. Alex Moody's Carafe.
©
janice142
Recently I decided to begin a new category called the
Channel Markers of Life. In it I will bring to friends and readers the "little
things" that make a difference in life. This might be a product that
has stood the test of time or another may be a way of doing
something that is slightly askew from the norm. In any event,
welcome to the first in the series,
Alex Moody's Carafe.
Side Note:
I will be going back over the past articles and adding them to
Channel Markers of Life
category page. Thus, some will
eventually predate this piece.
A
couple weeks back I was speaking with my friend Cap'n Tom.
Tom and his dog Gus are companions. They take
rambling walks about the city making friends regularly.
Five or
six years back I met Cap'n Tom when I passed through Apalachicola,
Florida.
Tom's a mariner from the old days of sextants before electronics
became the norm. He is a character with
interesting tales to tell. Those of us who were on boats more than a
half century ago experienced life afloat in a far more primitive
state than occurs today. We share a camaraderie of sorts.
Tom landed in APALACHICOLA ↓ and
continues to travel via sailboat, kayak and canoe.
While
chatting the topic came up about things that are
seemingly inconsequential yet make profound difference
in an aspect of our life. Tom had an immediate response.
Eons ago his friend Alex Moody
showed Tom the benefits of a carafe.
This ↑ is not just any carafe.
The carafe shown in the previous picture has a glass liner and is insulated. That is the key
according to Alex Moody, via Tom. Neither plastic nor stainless
steel keep the contents hot like the glass vacuum carafes.
Who was Alex
Moody?!? He was a
character in the finest sense of the word. Tom relayed to me that they were
nodding acquaintances for years before becoming friends in Alex's
back yard. Besides fishing and boating, the men enjoyed the outdoors
while shoreside. They both grew plants, trees, and more.
Tom raises orchids, tomatoes and flowers. This is one of his larger
hibiscus flowers.
Memory
Lane: When I was
younger I would love finding wild hibiscus flowers such as the one
shown above. They grew in profusion with at least fifty flowers on
each bush. I would pluck the flower and suck out the nectar. It was
a yummy sweet treat for me, and one I remember with fondness to this
day.
Tom was
walking about town (Apalachicola) and spotted the white bearded Alex
sitting in a back yard, feet up, fishing hat on, relaxing over a cup
of coffee. Tom said he was invited to join Alex in the fruit tree shaded
yard. There was a tiered fish pond, a small table, and a couple of
chairs out back.
Then,
according to Tom, the
epiphany: Alex's wife
Laura came outside bringing Tom a coffee mug. A carafe was on
the table beside Alex. He poured a steaming hot cup of caffeine for
Tom. The secret for the hot coffee? That glass-centered carafe would
keep coffee hot for six to eight hours. Wow!
Having a cool coffee cup is
essential for all. I found the Grumpy mug
shown
above
at a thrift store and bought it for a friend. Yes, that gifted cup
was a hit.
Having the
ability to keep liquids HOT for hours on end is a treat. What I did
not realize is that glass is the better insulator. It is superior to
the more common stainless and plastics we have today. Thus, I am now on
the lookout for an old thermos with an unbroken glass interior. Wish
me luck!
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As told to me
by Tom, more about
Alex Moody: Alex
had a long history in Apalachicola. During Christmastime, a shrimp
boat would deliver Santa Claus to the docks. Santa would then drop off
gifts to youngsters. The white-bearded Alex had
a red suit he donned each year for the celebration. Alex
enjoyed being Santa to his community. |
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One
year a not-so-young man in his mid-20's received his first ever
Christmas presents courtesy of Santa. The man had grown up as the son of a dirt poor oysterman. He looked up to the poverty line, dreaming of the day
he would have that much money!
With
the help of Tom who gathered together some fishing gear (new and
used) plus a few other gifts the guy could enjoy, Santa Alex
arrived at the shack where the young man resided. The gifts were given and Santa left to
make further deliveries. |
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This was
the first time the kid (an adult by this time) had ever had a
Christmas present. Alex along with Tom made that happen. Tom
shared this detail when describing how good a person Alex was.
To me this epitomizes yet another reason why I admire Tom.
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Folks
along the riverfront years ago did stick together. They helped one
another. For the most part this continues to be true. The only place
where one should be trepidatious or worried and apprehensive as a
coastal cruiser is
around boat bums with alcohol or drug problems. Those people cannot
be trusted.
As for me, I am
happy as can be. Life proceeds. I have been dumping cash into my
Seaweed
and Jesse has promised that he's got me in his List. I'm happy for
that too. You read about Jesse in the
Lightning Strike series Summary
(parts 1 and 2)
series.
Thank you for being a part of my world. Thanks too
for reading.
What seemingly inconsequential thing makes you happy?
And, how did you discover your special item?
Regarding the Comments Section,
found at the end of every article:
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sure to hit the backspace key. Coding inserts a space in every box.
Your email address will come back as malformed unless you remove
that space. (You don't have to include your email address.)
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Categories:
Channel Markers of Life,
Characters,
Comfort,
Locations,
Memory Lane,
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Inexpensive Fan Option
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