Grandmaw Jones

 

Looking in a drawer for something else, I came upon a photo of my Grandmaw Jones. (I know my computer doesn't like the spelling of her title, but that's the way I said it in my youth!)

She lived up on a long hill in Conglentown, West Virginia, across a dirt road from my uncle and aunt's house.

She had an outhouse, which I thought of today when I went to the bathroom at Trinity Church and found the heat wasn't turned on in there. At least in the outhouse, old bowel movements warmed things up a tad.

Her name was Lina Manona Sadler Jones.

The picture I found looked like a school picture, but she was at least 80 in the photo, so I don't know what it was from.

She was a great cook and a great Grandmaw.

At the end of her life she lost some of her sensibility and was out wandering around when aunts and uncles and cousins found her.

I miss her even now, all these years later.

Maybe I'll see her again if there is a heaven when we die....

I hope so....

 

Kindness and Generosity

 

Bern when to the grocery store this morning and was checked out for over $80 when she realized she had forgotten her purse.

She asked the clerk to set it aside and she'd go home ("I live close to here....") to get her credit card.

But the man behind her said, 'I'll pay for it.'

Bern told him she'd only be a few minutes but he insisted and paid for her groceries.

She told him, "I'll pass it on...."

And he replied, "I know you will".

The kindness and generosity of that total stranger was enough to thrill Bern to her inner being.

She almost cried when she told me about it.

Nothing is like kindness and generosity--we need more and more and much more of that in our world.

Be kind.

Be generous.

It will make a big difference....

 

 

 

2026 begins

 

The year began 'cold' here in CT.

The warmest temperature yesterday was 21 at 9 a.m. It went down every hour from then!

We didn't watch the 'ball drop'. We never do.

Did watch some football--Go Indiana!

Still cold today and more football to watch.

Hope your year started well and gets better.

2026, for goodness sake!

Time flies when your having fun--or even if you're not....

 

900,000!

 

Today I passed 9 hundred thousand views on my blog!

Thank you for being part of that. I appreciate it greatly.

Today, also, lots of wind and chill.

I long for June or July on days like this.

I took out the trash and re-cycling this morning, hoping they don't take New Year's Eve off.

But taking it out is part of my re-gaining what I did before my illness and surgery.

I'll also cook two dinners this week. Bern and I used to share them equally, but I'm working my way back.

Bern is scared of salt--for my sake--since I was told to avoid it.

But I'm coming back, beloved. I am!

Next year I'll be 79 years old in April. I never imagined what it would be like to be this old.

 It's not too bad, but I feel the years.

Stay young, beloved....

 

And now, rain....

 

Thankfully it's not cold enough for the rain to be snow. But it has been raining ever since I woke up and it's early afternoon now.

With all the snow on the ground--that the rain isn't melting much--the whole landscape seems wrapped in low lying clouds.

The year is almost over. A new one hovers near.

In all that, I read a hilarious interview with Steven Colbert on line.

He was asked who he would change bodies with for 24 hours.

Immediately he said, "President Trump. And I would resign."

Then he wondered if Trump--who hates Stephen like he hates all comedians--would be in his body?

Not a good thought, I'd say....

 

I've told you before....

 

Sunday without church is both a 'day off' and a conundrum.

Sitting at home on Sunday is, after so many decades, strange.

But I like a day off.

Caught between my two different emotions.

Sure, I could go to church here in town.

But I don't.

I've told you before, I keep practicing my priesthood SO I'LL GO TO CHURCH!

I'm an odd priest, perhaps....

 

Snow and more so....

 

It snowed 9 inches last night.

Bern had shoveled the walks and back deck and cleaned off my car and her truck by the time I woke up and had a shower.

She's worth keeping!

Our neighbor has a snow blower and did our shared drive-way.

Cornwall Avenue is cleared, pretty much.

That same neighbor and his wife lost their second dog, Finn, only a few weeks after their dog Daisy died.

Lost two dogs, but the wife is pregnant.

Two dogs for a child.

Lots of folks would make that trade.

Not sure I would.

I won't figure that question out until the snow is long gone.

I'm a slow decider....

 

The day after....

 

I was right about the Christmas Eve service--we had 80+ attendees. Where are these folks on Sunday mornings?

Christmas was very simple at our house. We opened gifts Christmas Eve night so we didn't have to get up early.

We drove to New Haven to pick up our friend J. for Christmas dinner. It was low-key but great fun. We then drove him home.

Left-overs from a great meal for dinner--no JEOPARDY this night...football instead. I stayed up watching the Chiefs/Bronchos until 9:45 then to bed.

Not a lot going on in our lives--which is great!

 

Silent but hopeful night....

 

It's Christmas Eve.

I have a 4 p.m. service to do.

Charlie and Ann, from the church, pay a man to drive me on Christmas Eve. Very thoughtful and generous of them.

There will be a much bigger crowd than the 20 or so we average.

Christmas Eve brings folks to church.

I hope your day and tomorrow are full of wonder and joy--with some thoughtfulness and prayer mixed in.

Joyous Christmas Eve!

 

It's hard to watch the news

 

The stuff Trumpie is doing makes it hard to watch the news.

People being arrested and deported for no reason--some of them citizens.

The bombing of  'drug boats'--with no proof of any drugs.

The health costs some are going to experience next year.

Renaming buildings after himself.

Ignoring laws and not releasing all the Epstein files when ordered to by Congress.

And watching members of the administration being questioned in congressional hearings and lying or refusing to answer the questions.

It's all too much.

And that's not all of it.

At least he's gone so far that MAGA seems to be tearing at the seams.

God help us.

We need good news....

 

Here's hoping

 

Tomorrow is the day we put out our garbage and re-cycling. It will be picked up early Wednesday (unless Christmas Eve is a holiday for the workers).

That was my job for years.

But Bern has been doing it for months because of all my health issues.

I hope to change that tomorrow.

I'm hoping she'll let me try,

I'm pretty sure I'm up to it.

Here's hoping.....

 

The sermon nobody heard....

 

(I wrote this for Advent 3 but snow cancelled church that Sunday.)

12/21/2025--As Good As It Gets

    Imagine this. You woke up this morning and the sun was shining bright. It was 71 degrees and a middle-of-the-night rain left the flowers and grass and bushes in your yard well-watered and looking great.

    You have your favorite breakfast and everyone you love calls or comes by to see how you are and to wish you a great day.

    Your bank calls and tells you your investments have gone up 25% over night. Your doctor calls and says the test he did all turned out great--you're as healthy as you've ever been. Plus the TV stations have changed their offerings and all your favorite shows are on whenever you want to watch. A neighbor has washed and vaccumed your car and filled it with gas. You check the lottery ticket you bought yesterday and find out it's a winner.

    Today is as good as it gets! All is well and all is well and all manner of things are well!

    Today's collect says, "Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us...."

    Today's readings echo what God's power can do among us.

    Isaiah says: "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,/the desert shall rejoice and blossom;/like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,/and rejoice with joy and singing..../Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees./Say to those who are of a fearful heart,/'Be strong and do not fear.'"

    Then the Psalm tells us: "Who gives justice to those who are oppressed/and food to those who hunger?/The Lord sets the prisoners free./the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;/the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;/the Lord loves the righteous;/the Lord cares for the stranger;/he sustains the orphan and widowed."

    And in Matthew's gospel, Jesus sends this message to John the Baptist, who is in prison: "Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them."

    Perhaps, as we await the birth of the Christ Child, we should look for and find the GOOD in life--what is positive, what gives hope, what points to the Wonder that is God.

    Perhaps we must see the Positive and correct the negative by doing all we can to bring all people into the light.

    Perhaps we should assume that all is well, all is well, all manner of things are well...and do all we can to repair what isn't well.

    Perhaps that is our calling as the Body of Christ in the world.

    Perhaps....

Shalom and Amen.

     

Almost Christmas

 

Less than a week now.

I've written my sermons for Advent 4 and Christmas Eve.

I still haven't heard back about the gifts I bought from WorldVisions which is where I gave animals for those in need for Bern and our children and grandchildren.

I hope it comes before Christmas so I can show them what I donated in their names.

We shall see.

At least, no snow.

Yet...

 

Being cold

 

I probably told you this already--but I'm always cold.

I think it's because I grew up in an apartment in Anawalt, West Virginia that had a coal stove in the living room, but no heat anywhere else.

It was over a grocery store, so the floor was warm until the store went out of business and our apartment got colder.

Our bathroom had only a small electric heater. Cold there too!

The year I went off the college my parents moved to Princeton, WV and bought a house with central heat.

Ask me if I've forgiven them....

So, my chill factor is from childhood.

I have a heater beside me as I write this and one by my side of the bed.

But chill follows me wherever I go....

 

Maybe I'm getting old...

 

Who am I kidding?

I am old! 78, I think, if I did the math right.

But what bugs me is watching kids walking home from school looking at their I-phones and not the traffic.

I see it all the time.

A young teen almost walked in front of my car today because he was watching his phone and not the road.

I have a 'dumb phone'. It takes calls and I can make calls, but not even a way to leave a message.

I like it like that.

And I only look at it when it rings--not all the time.

Maybe I'm getting old--but smart phones are a threat to us all....

 

I was wrong

 

The snow did come and more than I expected.

Our street hadn't been plowed and our driveway needed shoveled and the snow was still falling.

Phone calls ended it all.

Church was cancelled.

I was sorely disappointed.

I had, what I thought, was a good sermon.

I'll try to blog it later.

No church breaks my heart....

 

Snow is coming?

 

The forecast is for light snow tonight stopping at 7 a.m.

First of all, I don't believe weather forecasts--they are off at least as many times as they are on.

But the folks at church are worried about me having to drive in snow.

First of all, 27 of the 31 miles are roads surely plowed and the last 4 miles may be.

Second of all, where do they think I've been? I grew up in the mountains of West Virginia where snow was frequent and I've lived all my life either there or in New England with only 2 years in Alexandria, Virginia. 

I know how to drive in snow.

We agreed to wait until tomorrow and talk then about driving in the snow.

 

The dog gets mail

I went out the door this afternoon and there was a package addressed to "Brigit Bradley".

I laughed, thinking they had gotten Bern's name wrong.

But while I was driving (waiting for the car heater to start pushing warm air!) I realized the package was for our dog!

I got home and shouted for Bern. "Brigit got a package!"

It was indeed for her--some treats in a car sent by Bern's brother.

Even dogs get mail....

 

Weird Wednesdays

 

With Christmas so near and so many things going on for folks, we canceled the Wednesday Bible Studies at Trinity Church.

Wednesday's always revolve around my drive up to Milton and the time we spend talking about whatever comes up that day.

So, from around 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays is set in stone.

Until now.

It feels good not to drive the 30 miles to and from, but I miss the people sitting around the table, having an informal communion service and talking with each other--sharing ideas and wild thoughts!

Today I worked on my sermon--a day or two earlier than usual because there was no Bible Study.

Wednesdays are weird without it....

 

Talking about sermons

 

I'm on a conversation every Tuesday with 6 or 7 others--all male (Bern says, "are you talking to the boys..."--all but one are Episcopalians though we came from other places to get there. There are usually 4 priests (plus my brother-in-law, a liberal RC priest) and we often talk about our sermons.

Today, one told us about preaching and having no one mention the sermon to him afterwards.

I'm on the other end of that. Sunday at least 16 or the 20 or so folks at church wanted to talk about my sermon.

Not that I think I'm a better preacher, it's just that some congregations really relish the sermons and others, not so much.

Kind of odd, I think.

Maybe they come for the bread and wine and not the words.

Who knows?