Bern has almost convinced me I need a new car or a low mileage used one.
It doesn't help that when I hit the brakes it sounds like thunder.
I'll try to have that checked tomorrow.
You have a car for sale? Or want to give it to a good ole guy?
So, tomorrow, we go looking.
I may just give my much loved car to Public Radio since I don't think a dealer is going to give me much of anything for it.
As you've probably deduced--I hate this whole thing.
But I'm a good ole guy....
...wears me out. It's only 33 miles, but on Wednesday the traffic is a lot heavier than Sunday.
I made it before anyone else and luckily remembered the code for the parish house door.
I really needed a bathroom!
There were 6 people at Bible Study--5 regulars and a newcomer.
She was very engaged--hope she'll be back.
Gnostic writings are both 'kinda familiar' and 'quite strange'.
The group is used to that by now and the first-timer was fascinated.
The conversation was so good I didn't eat all my lunch. That was fine. Talk is often better than food.
Driving home I heard weird noises when I used the brakes.
Bern is probably right--I need a new car.
But I thought this car would be the last of my life (I'm that old!) but 184,000 miles is a lot and I will most likely fail my admissions test again next week.
We'll see....
I was on my way to have my re-take my car's emmisions (which I can't spell!) test, but stopped at English Auto on the way.
If you live in Cheshire or near-by and need car work, go to English--they're the best, a family business and they are all great.
The woman who runs it told me my 'check engine' light being on would fail me out of the box. She also told me I could be late for the test and they couldn't do anything. In fact, she told me, people drive for months after failing--you just can't renew your registration.
Bern wants me to get a new car, but I've resisted so far. We'll see.
Also, took a water damaged book--a "Murder She Wrote" novel, back to the library thinking I'd have to pay for it.
But the head librarian said not to worry about it.
So, I won't.
Not a bad day so far.
And Jeopardy is on tonight--if I haven't mentioned it--my favorite show.
Not a bad day at all....
Church, as always, was wonderful. Great music, a good crowd, several kids--all of whom received communion!--and a coffee hour full of wonder (including Josh's birthday cake which we were so full we couldn't eat....)
The newsletter is already on line. A great picture of K. and S.--mother and daughter who were my assistants. S. a teenager carried the cross, gave me the elements, washed my fingers and administered the wine.
She did great and I told her mom, "S. and I won't need you next time!"
She laughed and said, "good!"
Some visitors, who came to communion--YEA!!!
I love the folks at Trinity.
Wish it wasn't 33 miles from home....
I used Prayer C 'cause I love it so.
A great morning.
Home in plenty of time for lunch.
Hope your Sunday was as good as mine....
They didn't arrive (our son and his female companion) until after 7 p.m. so they are pizza late and we sat on the back deck and talked until after 8 and then gave him his birthday cake (a really strange thing called "chocolate avalanche") that none of us had room to eat.
So, I'm taking the cake to church tomorrow for coffee hour. We'll see what Trinity folks think about a chocolate avalanche!
I got up about my normal time but didn't shower because I thought they'd be up and ready to leave in the morning.
Not so. They didn't come downstairs until nearly 11, had some things to eat (coffee and donuts mostly) and didn't leave until after noon.
So, I had a small lunch and then took my shower.
I don't like afternoon showers, I don't know why exactly.
After that I went to get gas and to Big Y for a few things.
Bern and I are both exhausted though we didn't do much while they were here. Having adult kids around is tiring, I guess.
I've said it before, but we really like her. She is so patient and kind and helpful.
I hope it all ends well.
But only morning showers for me.....
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....
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!
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.....
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....
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????
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!)
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....
I've told you how much I love Bern and why.
The list goes on and on.
I couldn't ask for more--even imagine what 'more' to ask for....
But she moves things around.
If it were up to me, every thing would stay where it was forever.
No moving around.
But Bern does it all the time.
Most recently, our back porch.
The chair I sat in for years was moved to the corner by the door. And the trash can for bottles and cans (worth 10 cents when returned) still sits beside my chair but on the wrong side of the door. I can't just open the door and toss in a ginger ale can, I have to go on the porch and shut the door to hit the can.
OK, a little thing I know.
But I don't like things moved. Never. Not ever.
(Am I an idiot? Which is what she thinks when I complain....)
Don't move things around is my motto.
I got a lot done today.
Washed me clothes and put them away.
Wrote my sermon.
Deposited my check from Trinity Church.
Bought some windshield washer fluid. (Tomorrow I'll try to figure out how to put it in....)
Erased the dumb stuff on my email.
Read 50 pages of the David Rosenfelt book I'm reading.
Even relaxed some.
Well, for me, that's a lot! I'm not a workaholic!
The sermon is about Jesus walking on water, which I can't do. (You can't either, I'd bet.)
I don't even swim well. I'm mostly ok in a pool but put me in the ocean and you'll never see me again.
It's hot and humid, but I don't complain since I hate the cold winter so much. Besides we have air-conditioners.
I'd better rest up for Friday....
So we met today--only 4 of us, it's summer after all.
And we never got to actual 'study' of the Gnostic Gospels.
We had communion and then talked about my idea to have lay folks do the healing service. Why not? We let lay folks administer the chalice and take communion to folks who are stuck at home.
The bread and wine are blessed, so they can do it.
I think it might be against church law--but why not try and tell the Bishop "I'm sorry" when he or she tells me to stop.
But there were concerns because lay folks aren't under the rule of secrecy that priests are.
Anything a lay person tells me in private stays secret, it's part of my vows.
You could tell me you robbed a bank and when the cops came I would tell them what you told me was between you and me.
I would refuse to testify against you.
So, if you told someone anointing you for healing that you had a disease from an out of wedlock sexual encounter and wanted to be healed, a priest couldn't tell your spouse but a lay person could.
So, I get it.
We'll have healing Sunday but I'll do the oil.
We'll talk about lay people doing it later....
We're reading the Gnostic Gospels. Some are fascinating and some are just dumb!
Anyway, there's usually 8 people or so there and they are great to talk with. I appreciate their insights and humor a great deal.
You get to know people sitting around a table, sharing communion and talking about spiritual things...among other things.
We've had to miss a few sessions so I hope they remember where we left off, I don't.
And I'm the priest!!!!
They know a lot more than me about a lot of things.
Bless them....
It's rained like crazy in Cheshire the last day or more.
That's fine with me (besides getting wet going out!) because much of the country has heat waves and/or forest fires.
So, let it rain.
I had a great night's sleep--not always true.
I went to the library and checked out as many books as I could get in my blue and gold West Virginia bag.
I love reading almost as much as sleeping.
I haven't been hungry for several days. I eat what I can and leave the rest (much to Brigit's delight!) I looked on line to try to figure out why and got nothing that made sense.
Causes went from minor things (slowed down aging metabolism) to serious things (depression and cancer).
Maybe I don't move around enough--that's true.
But we shall see how my apatite goes the next few days before I panic.
I don't like to panic more than I don't like to sleep well....
Haven't posted for a few days.
Not like me.
I've been 'lost' since a tooth cleaning that wore me out. And I go back to get my implant on Tuesday. Yea! Maybe I'll be able to talk better after that.
But I'm typing now, not talking.
I got a long reply to my most recent post from MM a friend since high school and college.
He was telling me what a great country we live in. He went on and on--a great American.
I agreed with most all he said.
But I think the nation he accurately described is being threatened in many ways by the current president and his 'yes' men and women.
The cost of so many essentials is making life so hard for so many.
Health Care is being hurt badly.
Immigrants are being deported who are working hard and being law abiding. And we all came from somewhere (unless you're Native American)--immigrants made this country great.
The war goes on and on--the one he promised would be very short.
There's more and more, but I'll stop there.
People like MM and me and you have to do whatever we can to push back to the President and keep our country the best place to live in the world.
Let's get busy....
