Coming soon....

 My son and his companion are coming soon on their way back down the east coast. They stopped on the way north (I mentioned that in a post) and are now headed back to Baltimore.

Today is his birthday. I won't tell you how old he is since it would reveal how old I am! But he's past the half-century mark and I was 28 when he was born--there, I did it anyway.

We have some gifts and an amazing cake ready but we don't know if they will spend the night.

I like his companion a lot--more than I liked his soon to be 'former' wife.

But enough about that.

Bridget is barking at the front door.

Maybe they're here....

Keep going Bible Study....

 Before anyone else got there, Bill and I decided to cancel Bible Study until late September.

As the session was ending, I went to the bathroom while Bill told the six people there about the plan.

When I came back, he told me we were meeting next Wednesday for Bible Study.

I got home and emailed him to ask what happened and to tell him I was fine to keep going.

He emailed back that everyone screamed "NO!" when he told them.

I actually feel good about that since I love to do it (though a few Wednesdays off wouldn't be bad....)

But why do I need that, I only work three Sundays and the Wednesdays each month. I have plenty of down-time.

That those people want to keep digging into the Gnostic Gospels is, after all, wonderful!

Let's go, Gospel of Phillip!

The woman I met

 I took cans back to Big Y today. But when I got to the machine, there was a receipt in it for almost 6 dollars.

I went and found the woman who I thought it belonged to and gave it back to her. She thanked me for my kindness, and I thought that was it.

But later, she somehow found me in the store and gave me a dollar bill.

"It isn't much," she told me, "but I wanted to reward you for your kindness."

I'd like to meet more people like her.

Kindness on my part represented itself in kindness on her part.

That should be the norm.

But it isn't.

I have that dollar bill beside me as I type.

I may frame it along with "Kindness from kindness--too rare."

Thank God for her and others like her.....

 

Voting, Shopping, Killing Ants

I voted in the primary today--there were only 2 offices up for voting on the Democratic ballot. I'm a 'Yellow Dog Democrat' (a term a friend of mine gave me meaning if the ballot was for a human on the Republican side and a yellow dog on the Democratic side, I'd vote for the dog).

I also talked to 'the boys' as Bern calls them, on-line for an hour and a quarter. They are all Episcopalians (clergy and lay) except for my brother-in-law, a Roman priest in West Virginia. That's where I got the 'yellow dog' line, on that call from Michael.

Dan is coming to visit in a few weeks and we decided to get into the Episcopal Church (one of us is an important member there) and have communion before going to lunch.

That's how the group started, when I was Rector of St. John's in Waterbury and we'd have communion in the chapel and then talk for an hour.

When I retired from St. John's we had to stop that (a former priest is to be out of the way for a year). Eventually, after a few more spots for communion, we went on line and have been for years.

I also went grocery shopping for dinner tonight--my amazing salad!

I also killed some of the dozens of ants in my little office.

I let them live for days but there were so many today I had to kill some of them.

I don't like killing anything and have repented...but if they stay around, they are doomed....

 

 

Lazy Monday

 I got up a little after 8 a.m., about the time I get up every day except Sundays when I have to go to church.

I ate multi-grain Cherrios with blueberries and little round chocolate things that claim to be milk-chocolate covered cookie dough (I kid you not) with 2% milk, as always and iced coffee with lots of sugar.

That's my normal breakfast--weird as it may sound.

Then I read a Quinn book about a private detective and his dog Chet so I could take it back with 4 other books to the library.

I go to the library twice a week because I read almost a book a day.

I found a book by my favorite author, David Rosenfelt that I don't think I've read before and four others I look forward to.

I've fooled around on line for an hour or so, played Hearts and won, read some stuff about Trump and felt a little ill from doing that.

Not much else to do today that can't wait until tomorrow. Tuesday I fix a big salad for dinner that we both enjoy--lots of stuff in it.

I'll watch Jeopardy after dinner and read in bed for an hour or more when I go to bed at a little after 9 p.m.

Quite a day, huh????

Sunday Eucharist and Healing

 It went very well.

Our wondrous musician, MF was back for the first time in a month.

He even let me anoint him for healing after all he's been through.

My sermon was well received, as was the healing after communion.

I had EL anoint me and pray for my healing to give the congregation an understanding that lay people can do the anointing. I hope, over time to have lay people do it each Sunday.

(There are two very active and generous members of the congregation who won't receive communion. I'm working up to talking to them about why they don't. Maybe next week....)

Coffee hour was great and several folks told me not to worry driving home because in my sermon I said something about 'being afraid' driving up Route 8. Great of them to wish me well.

I've loved every congregation I've served in all these years--4 one-on-one and three in a cluster ministry. But Trinity is becoming my favorite.

I can't tell you exactly why, but I'll try soon.

(I did get home safe and sound!)

Backing up

I don't know much about cars.

I did fill up my windshield wiper fluid yesterday--a big accomplishment for me!

My car failed it's admissions test a few weeks ago. I have to got get tested again soon. What if I fail again?

The testing guy told me I hadn't driven enough miles since my check engine light had been turned off. I didn't even know how he knew that had happened. My car fixers told me to drive a hundred miles before getting tested, but I didn't. So, they were right.

Besides that, though I drive fine and carefully, backing up is a challenge for me.

Josh and his significant other are coming today at 3 and Bern told me to back in so I could pull out when Josh's car was behind me in the driveway.

I did it somehow--good for me!

I have to leave for church at 8 a.m. tomorrow and I don't know how long Josh's car will be in front of me.

We'll see, I guess.

At least I won't have to back up to leave....