Last night and this morning

 Last night a thunderstorm came through dropping gallons of rain and with powerful lightning.

Besides needing rain, it kept people in our neighborhood from setting off their illegal fireworks! Two goods at once....

This morning at church the folks at Trinity celebrated my 5 year anniversary with them--some of the best cake I ever tasted (it was mostly icing!)

Bern cut my hair yesterday and I told her I'd keep count of how many people complimented me on it.

A dozen, just a little less than the 30 folks in church.

The musician was sick, so no music--but it made the service shorter!

No one ever complains that my hair and beard are too long--but boy they make up for that by complimenting when it's cut!

Good night and great morning....

Happy Birthday USA!

 It's the 4th of July for the 250th time.

I love our country but not our administration.

I went out to stores  today and saw lots of folks dressed in July 4th clothes. I had on a yellow shirt and gray shorts--not  up to par with the others.

My 4th of July message is from a Polar Bear on a card I have called "Advice from a POLAR BEAR".

Odd, I know, but read on.

                                ADVICE FROM A POLAR BEAR

                    Live large

            Sniff out opportunities

            Learn some good icebreakers

            Be thick-skinned

            Be fearless

            Appreciate long winter nights

            Keep it cool!

Happy 4th!!!!

Welcome to the Heat

 Coming back from Big Y rather early this morning, I passed a public sign that said it was 94 degrees.

I believe it.

Being outside is like being in a sauna. 

This is New England--I thought we were the land of the cool.

So, drink lots of liquids that don't have alcohol in them and stay indoors as much as possible.

I know I complain for months about the cold so I won't complain about this, just to save my complaining for winter.

But it is hot.

Really hot....

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....

Car and rain

 This morning I took my car to English Auto, who have worked on it since I owned it.

The 'check engine' light keeps coming on for no reason they can find.

But tomorrow I have an emissions test and wanted it fixed.

It took most of the day and was raining like crazy when Bern took me down to get it.

The rain never stopped--which Bern and Mrs. English both told me was greatly needed.

I don't keep up with stuff like rain, but I drove through it for 20 miles to see how the car ran.

It was fine, but I got real wet just getting to the house.

Rain is a blessing--when it's not on you!

Father's Day in the Forest

 My son called me earlier today and my daughter will later, I'm sure.

Father's Day is odd and I live in a forest.

A great guy from Torrington's Soup Kitchen was in church last Sunday and spoke to us as the sermon.

Afterwards we talked and I told him about the 20 trees in our side and back yard.

He said, "you live in a forest! And that's what I want."

I hope he finds it.

And I love it.

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there in cyber-land.

I'm loving it in my forest and with Bern making me a pizza for dinner.

What could be better?

Wedding

 It went well!

Well over a hundred guests.

Groomsmen in white, bridesmaids in green--groom in green, bride in white--very thought  out.

They're a great couple and their families were thrilled.

I kept it short but our musician did a great job before and during and after.

God love K and C--may their lives be full of wonder.

(But I'm glad I mostly go to Milton--30 miles away--on Sunday. The traffic the last two days through Waterbury was horrific!)

Wedding rehearsal

 I'll be leaving in half-hour or so to go to Milton for a wedding rehearsal.

Back years ago at St. John's, Waterbury, I did lots of weddings.

This is my first one in several years.

There's something encouraging about weddings--two people setting off on a journey of a life-time.

However, not all of them end up that way.

I like K. and C., who are getting married. I did their pre-marriage counseling  and came to admire them both.

I'll bless their vows and pray God that it goes for them as it has for me and Bern--decades of love, change and adventure.

Best of luck, K and C!

What to drink

 A few months ago, Bern thought I was drinking too much wine and asked me to stop.

She may have been right or wrong--I'm not sure--but I stopped.

Since then I drink 6 cans of Polar Ginger Ale a day.

I may have become a 'gingeraleaholic' for all I know.

But I love ginger ale--but only Polar when I can find it or Bern can.

Most times the bottom shelf of our refrigerator is full of it.

Have a Polar Ginger Ale on me....

Straighten it out...

 I don't know if it has to do with growing old or something else, but I have become frantic about having things straight.

Scatter rugs most of all. We have lots of them and I'm constantly moving them around to look right.

I'm rigid about having things straight.

I've also started counting stuff: how many people are in church or on the street, how many books are on the table, even how many steps I take to get from the house to the car.

I'm always saying to myself, "Stop Counting!"

But it doesn't work.

Next I'll be counting how many times I say "Stop Counting!" to myself.

Both these things are driving me a little nuts.

But I was 'a little nuts' already, so it won't hurt....

I am an idiot

 Church was great! The head of the Torrington Soup Kitchen was our speaker. Michael and I tried to find a gospel hymn having to do with 'eating' and the best we came up with was "Let us break bread together on our knees", which was fine.

Everybody--including our guest--received communion. That doesn't happen often--there are always a few who don't come forward.

But that has nothing to do with why I'm an idiot.

I went to the grocery store to get small crossants (excuse my spelling--I'm a spelling idiot too). I got them at Stop and Shop, where they are available--not at Big Y where I go always. Bern and I go to different stores!

When I came out I left my cane on my shopping cart and didn't realize it until I was home and reached for it. I don't need it much, which is why I forgot it!

So, I raced back and lo and behold, the cart and cane were where I left them.

I was as over-joyed as an idiot like me can be....

My tooth

So, I have this tooth in a plastic thing that fits over 6 or 7 teeth and holds the tooth in the space where I will--some day....--get an implant.

I dropped it in the kitchen sink one day and couldn't get it out of the garbage disposal.

Bern got it out.

Then today I dropped it in our downstairs bathroom, which is tiny, but it went behind the toilet and I couldn't get it.

Bern got it for me.

I have a tooth I wouldn't have twice over if it wasn't for Bern.

Could she be the tooth fairy???

 

Appreciating Life

 Today I was walking downstairs from my office and I told myself, "really look at what you're seeing".

All over our house, where we have lived for over three decades, there are things that give me joy.

*pictures Bern created for me

*photos of grandchildren

*pictures of both our children't marriages (which I preformed!)

*nick-nacks that go back years

*furniture that has held me for decades

*Books I read and grew from years ago

*plates from places in West Virginia where we both grew up

*plants I don't know the names of but which Bern lovingly cultivates

*rugs from the past

*a bench from my childhood

I could go on and on and then go outside and tell you about the wonders of nature on our property, but I'll stop there.

Here's what to do: decide to take a stroll around your home or your neighborhood and actively appreciate what life gives you.

It's well worth a try....

Bible Study

 After a long time off, we started Bible Study again today at Trinity.

We're going to be reading the Gnostic Gospels so I should probably write "Bible" Study, since those writings aren't in the New Testament.

But some of them were written at the same time as the rest of the New Testament but were either over-looked or rejected by the early church.

They were found in 1945 buried in Egypt in a place called (help my spelling, Lord!) Nag Hammadi.

They have lots in common with the 4 gospels, but lots that is different.

Some of them bear the names of women! Possibly why those were outlawed.

Luckily someone saved them and hid them so we can read them.

I look forward to it in many ways....