Excuse me for ranting....

 I heard callers on Public Radio today saying they weren't happy to celebrate the 4th of July on the 250th anniversary of our country because of the current administration.

I must agree.

So, don't get me started on all the things I despise about Donald J. It would take up too much of my time and yours!

I simply don't know what it will take to restore our country to what it should be after all he has done to deform it.

My prayer on the 4th and in church on the 5th is God to move in mysterious ways to give us back the land that we love.

What I see in Washington these days is a president enriching himself and those wealthy who support him while letting down the people who need our country's help to live well.

A Republican congressman suggested putting a stop sign in the hand of the statue of liberty rather than a torch to welcome others to the Land of the Free.

We all came from somewhere to get here but the current racist actions against immigrants is dispicable....

I told you to not let me rant.....

A free week

 Last week I had something I had to do every day--car stuff, church stuff, doctor stuff, fixing dinner stuff.

Lots of stuff.

This week, except for dinner stuff, my calendar is empty.

Even Wednesday's Bible Study is cancelled because people are away for the 4th.

A free week.

Being sort of retired you'd think it was normal--but it isn't.

I'm sitting around in the heat on the back porch or in my air-conditioned 'office' (I call it that because my computer is here and I write sermons here) figuring out what to do with the free week.

I haven't come up with much yet--advice is welcomed....

Is five years that long?

 I found out this week that Sunday will be my 5th anniversary as a retired, part-time priest at Trinity, Milton.

That actually ties Milton with the other two churches I served as I began my ministry.

Five years as St. James in Charleston, WV, a Black church though while I was there it became integrated, much to the members delight.

It was near a historically Black College so lots of Ph.D.'s in the congregaton. Both our children were born in Charleston, so they started their lives in a mostly African-American and very educated environment.

Good for them.

Next, I was as St. Paul's in New Haven for 5 more years. A very liberal, racially diverse parish with more Ph.D's from Yale. It's the only time we lived in a Rectory and my father lived with us for a while, before nursing home--where he tried to escape. He died at Yale Hospital.

But Milton won't ever catch up with my longest ministry at St. John's, Waterbury. At one point we had members from 18 different towns. I always had a full-time assistant and an Hispanic minister for the Hispanic Congregation, which was large. Plus lots of seminarians from Yale who went on to have great careers in the church.

But Milton will never match that 21 years, but will go into second place in a month or so, if I live that long.

I love the folks at Trinity--they do so much good for a tiny congregation.

It's hard to believe I've been there 5 years.

It doesn't seem that long.

But it has been a ministerial BLAST!

Thank you Trinity--I love you.....

New Zealand doesn't sound so bad

 Bern was watching a house hunter show from New Zealand and jokingly said, "I want to move to New Zealand."

After a short pause, I said, "I'll miss you.'

We both laughed.

But after watching the news at 5 on MSNBC--most of it about our so-called 'president', especially his obcessive (sp.) hatred of Obama, I said to Bern, "New Zealand doesn't sound so bad."

Honestly, if djt getting elected (twice!!!) doesn't say something about the brain power of our country, nothing does.

I still want to be an American, but there will be so much to clean up and fix when Trump leaves office it will take years to get things back in shape.

Lord help us....

 

Dr. A.

 I went to Dr. A. today.

She's my cancer doctor. I had cancer so long ago I've forgotten where it was. But she fixed it. So I see her ever 4 months or so just to be safe.

They took blood and gave me a shot I've gotten before in my stomach, for something else I've forgotten--but not life threatening.

Dr. A. is an Episcopalian.

And when I checked in, the receptionist called me "Father Jim."

I'm not happy about that--but what can I do? Renounce my vows though they keep me busy and make money?

And maybe save souls--but I leave that up to God.

So, I don't think I'll stop being a priest.

So, Father Jim and Dr. A. had a good time together and my blood tests were all better than the last time.

I may live to be 80 after all!

(Oh, that's only 10 months from now....)

Driving 'home'

 A week or so ago, I finally realized why I like driving back and forth to Milton to Trinity Church--it takes me 'home'.

Once passed Waterbury the rest of the ride is like driving in Southern West Virginia where I grew up.

The mountains and foliage is just like it was back then.

But the roads are better.

"Take me home, Country Roads..." is true.

Failed Test and other idiotic things

 So, my car failed the emissions test.

But before that I went to the wrong place and had to come home to find out where to go.

And then, I drove right past the testing place and went a mile before I could turn back.

And before all that, the folks who work on my car told me to 'drive it for quite a few miles' before taking the test.

Then the guy who failed me told me if I had driven "a couple of hundred miles" after having it worked on, it would have passed.

How many idiotic things can I do?

In a short time: quite a few.

I must be a pretty good idiot....