I've taken to ending the day sitting out on the deck in the dark. Bern came out one night and asked me what I was doing. I honestly didn't know so I said, 'just sittin' (that's from an old poster I used to have that said, "Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits")
But I now know why I am drawn to the deck in the dark. It's the crickets. What I realize is that when I'm listening to the crickets they take away the ringing in my ears. It isn't actually 'ringing' that I have, it's crickets. I hear crickets in my head most of the time but when I h ear them outside my head the ones inside shut up.
Tinnitus is odd. When I'm really focused I am not aware of it until I listen.
Whenever they tuned the organ at st john's I'd go sit in the sanctuary though most people found the prolonged squeals and squeaks annoying. Those sounds too took my Tinnitus away.
So, if I could figure out how to have a sustained reed sound or a cricket always with me, I wouldn't hear the internal crickets any more.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
passing along information--OK?
So I was listening to a program about words that is on late at night on Sunday on National Public Radio. I love it, but it is on late and you really can't have that show as background noise...you have to listen.
They explained the phrase "O.K.'.
I was telling Bern about the explanation and told her, "you know how people say 'naught' to mean nothing?"
She told me I was the only person she knew who ever said "naught' to mean 'nothing'. I was rather proud of that--being unique and all. I do say 'naught' and will say it more often now.
Any how, back in the 18th century spoken English had an antonym to 'naught' (meaning nothing) that was 'aught' (meaning 'everything'). And a saying came into being to indicated 'everything is alright'. It was "aught correct". However (and here's the rub) spelling wasn't regularized at the time and legitimate and acceptable spellings of 'aught' and 'correct' were 'ought' and 'korrect'.
Get it? "Ought Korrect" become OK.
This is just a corrective (korrective?) to the spelling police. If there hadn't been some give and take about spelling the saying we would have to indicate that all was placid and fine would be "AC", which would cause no end of problems since people would be thinking you were talking about electrical current or air conditioning instead of everything being OK.
OK? or, if you prefer, AC?
They explained the phrase "O.K.'.
I was telling Bern about the explanation and told her, "you know how people say 'naught' to mean nothing?"
She told me I was the only person she knew who ever said "naught' to mean 'nothing'. I was rather proud of that--being unique and all. I do say 'naught' and will say it more often now.
Any how, back in the 18th century spoken English had an antonym to 'naught' (meaning nothing) that was 'aught' (meaning 'everything'). And a saying came into being to indicated 'everything is alright'. It was "aught correct". However (and here's the rub) spelling wasn't regularized at the time and legitimate and acceptable spellings of 'aught' and 'correct' were 'ought' and 'korrect'.
Get it? "Ought Korrect" become OK.
This is just a corrective (korrective?) to the spelling police. If there hadn't been some give and take about spelling the saying we would have to indicate that all was placid and fine would be "AC", which would cause no end of problems since people would be thinking you were talking about electrical current or air conditioning instead of everything being OK.
OK? or, if you prefer, AC?
Monday, August 2, 2010
the hysterical district
Five years ago, much against my better judgment, I voted to become part of the Historic District of Cheshire. Then I forgot about it, ignored all meetings of the neighbors, etc.
Sunday, Paul and Allison down the street had a meeting to discuss the problems. One of the neighbors who is unhappy with the whole thing actually works for the Town Council. What I didn't realize is that after the vote--the two churches in the district, 1st Cong and St. Peter's Epis voted no, having some idea of the mischief that could occur--the Town Council passed an ordinance establishing the district and appointing the people who had done the preparation and vote taking to the Commission. That group--some of which didn't live in the district--has simply perpetuated itself for the past 5 years. Now only one member lives in the district and she is the self appointed Historic Police.
The depths of the problems were outrageous to hear about. One guy, who built his own house just before the district (and it is geographic) has had to appear before the commission several times and his house is only 5 years old....People can't get approval to put in those double paned windows that save so much in heating and air conditioning costs unless they have them covered with plastic so they resemble single pane windows in the way they reflect light. First Cong added a porch to one of the houses it owns on the green and it was all approved. Six months later they wanted to add the same porch to another house--same design, builder, materials--and were turned down! It was a hysterical crowd and each story was more ridiculous than the next. Certain kinds of paint are forbidden and Peter, a home builder, said those forbidden were the highest quality. The Historical commission thinks those paints are too thick. Window air conditioners--much to my surprise--are forbidden though we have four!
I suggested we have a sit-down demonstration at the town council--back to the tactics of the 60's, I say. But after over an hour of moaning and complaints, the group decided to begin with a petition to repeal the ordinance establishing the district. Obviously, the people at the meeting were in favor of repeal, but each told of 'others' who would join the effort. This is the kind of thing you can get involved in if you are retired. A chance to stick it to The Man! I'm already thinking of making a placard. Maybe the Tea Party folks who demonstrate in front of Town Hall would join us since 'all government is bad government' in their minds.
On a different note: One of the Proofs of the Existence of God that St. Thomas Aquinas neglected--Hummingbirds....
Sunday, Paul and Allison down the street had a meeting to discuss the problems. One of the neighbors who is unhappy with the whole thing actually works for the Town Council. What I didn't realize is that after the vote--the two churches in the district, 1st Cong and St. Peter's Epis voted no, having some idea of the mischief that could occur--the Town Council passed an ordinance establishing the district and appointing the people who had done the preparation and vote taking to the Commission. That group--some of which didn't live in the district--has simply perpetuated itself for the past 5 years. Now only one member lives in the district and she is the self appointed Historic Police.
The depths of the problems were outrageous to hear about. One guy, who built his own house just before the district (and it is geographic) has had to appear before the commission several times and his house is only 5 years old....People can't get approval to put in those double paned windows that save so much in heating and air conditioning costs unless they have them covered with plastic so they resemble single pane windows in the way they reflect light. First Cong added a porch to one of the houses it owns on the green and it was all approved. Six months later they wanted to add the same porch to another house--same design, builder, materials--and were turned down! It was a hysterical crowd and each story was more ridiculous than the next. Certain kinds of paint are forbidden and Peter, a home builder, said those forbidden were the highest quality. The Historical commission thinks those paints are too thick. Window air conditioners--much to my surprise--are forbidden though we have four!
I suggested we have a sit-down demonstration at the town council--back to the tactics of the 60's, I say. But after over an hour of moaning and complaints, the group decided to begin with a petition to repeal the ordinance establishing the district. Obviously, the people at the meeting were in favor of repeal, but each told of 'others' who would join the effort. This is the kind of thing you can get involved in if you are retired. A chance to stick it to The Man! I'm already thinking of making a placard. Maybe the Tea Party folks who demonstrate in front of Town Hall would join us since 'all government is bad government' in their minds.
On a different note: One of the Proofs of the Existence of God that St. Thomas Aquinas neglected--Hummingbirds....
Sunday, August 1, 2010
next time call me before you do the study....
Ok, tonight, while fixing dinner, I listened to an excited researcher on some medical show on Public Radio explain how his study had ascertained that people who got normal amounts of sleep were more able to perform their jobs than people who had been allowed to sleep only 3 hours a night.
Well, I'm stunned, I don't know about you.
It was like a study I heard about a few years ago that concluded that homeless people had more podiatry problems than the general population. Duh! My father, after 4 years of 'living outside" during WWII came home with a zillion more foot problems that I've ever had, since I've had almost none....
And gosh, isn't it a shocker to know that children who aren't read to and don't grow up with books test lower on reading tests than children who have bedtime books and grow up surrounded by books. Geez, what am I missing here?
Here is the open invitation to all funders of research to call me before paying someone to undertake a costly study to determine if people who take crack cocaine regularly are less likely to be on the Supreme Court than those who don't. I'll take half the grant and tell you what's so....
I'm a PBS junkie, but some of the reports I hear about what people spent money to prove--people who keep their weight down, eat well and exercise regularly live longer, for example--drive me to distraction.
Next time, just call me with you research questions....
Well, I'm stunned, I don't know about you.
It was like a study I heard about a few years ago that concluded that homeless people had more podiatry problems than the general population. Duh! My father, after 4 years of 'living outside" during WWII came home with a zillion more foot problems that I've ever had, since I've had almost none....
And gosh, isn't it a shocker to know that children who aren't read to and don't grow up with books test lower on reading tests than children who have bedtime books and grow up surrounded by books. Geez, what am I missing here?
Here is the open invitation to all funders of research to call me before paying someone to undertake a costly study to determine if people who take crack cocaine regularly are less likely to be on the Supreme Court than those who don't. I'll take half the grant and tell you what's so....
I'm a PBS junkie, but some of the reports I hear about what people spent money to prove--people who keep their weight down, eat well and exercise regularly live longer, for example--drive me to distraction.
Next time, just call me with you research questions....
sometimes the dog eats the couch....
I just read on line that the Jonas brothers visited the White House to sing.
My problem is, I have no idea who the Jonas brothers are. Life is passing me by and leaving me behind in the dust....
Years and years ago, before some of you were born, Bern and I lived in Morgantown WV on the 3rd floor of this great house on a brick street. We were on the 3rd floor and had the attic at our disposal. That's where St. Gabrial's Mission--a house church--met. About 30 people, all under 30 except for Snork, the priest and Mariah who was 82 and just liked young people better than the 3 piece suits and ladies in hats at Trinity Parish.
We met on Wed. nights, up in the attic. If your birthday fell in that week, Snork let you celebrate communion--no kidding. He did what he called the "manual acts" and told us it was fine. We had no idea how against the rules it was. Five of the undergraduates at St. Gabe's went on to be priests, if you can believe it. Snork letting us celebrate is what hooked us.
(I have the sneaking suspicion that I've written about that before--if so, chalk it up to my slipping mind.)
At any rate, the people on the bottom floor had a big black lab names Bysshe, after Percy B. Shelly. Everyone we knew were students and had secondhand furniture. One day Bysshe's owners came home and the dog had eaten the couch. They were just about to kill him when they noticed that underneath the upholstry was a piece of furniture that looked older than they thought. It was an antique and worth $4000. They kept bringing home secondhand furniture hoping Bysshe would do it again, but he never did.
What I was pondering is what if the way God works sometimes is like the dog eating the couch--like something that is initially a problem verging on a disaster 'unconceals' God in the moment.
Or when something that is so outside the lines, at first glance--like Snork letting people celebrate communion--turns out to give the church 5 very good, out-side-the-line coloring priests.
Stuff like that. I guess we can't replicate such events--Bysshe never ate another piece of furniture after all--and if I invited people up to try out celebrating I'd be defrocked by days end because someone would turn me in. (I bet only Mariah knew Snork was breaking about 14 hundred canons, but she wasn't squealing.)
They can't be replicated, but maybe we should keep our eyes wide open all the time in case some metaphorical dog starts eating the couch. Take a deep breath and look for God....
My problem is, I have no idea who the Jonas brothers are. Life is passing me by and leaving me behind in the dust....
Years and years ago, before some of you were born, Bern and I lived in Morgantown WV on the 3rd floor of this great house on a brick street. We were on the 3rd floor and had the attic at our disposal. That's where St. Gabrial's Mission--a house church--met. About 30 people, all under 30 except for Snork, the priest and Mariah who was 82 and just liked young people better than the 3 piece suits and ladies in hats at Trinity Parish.
We met on Wed. nights, up in the attic. If your birthday fell in that week, Snork let you celebrate communion--no kidding. He did what he called the "manual acts" and told us it was fine. We had no idea how against the rules it was. Five of the undergraduates at St. Gabe's went on to be priests, if you can believe it. Snork letting us celebrate is what hooked us.
(I have the sneaking suspicion that I've written about that before--if so, chalk it up to my slipping mind.)
At any rate, the people on the bottom floor had a big black lab names Bysshe, after Percy B. Shelly. Everyone we knew were students and had secondhand furniture. One day Bysshe's owners came home and the dog had eaten the couch. They were just about to kill him when they noticed that underneath the upholstry was a piece of furniture that looked older than they thought. It was an antique and worth $4000. They kept bringing home secondhand furniture hoping Bysshe would do it again, but he never did.
What I was pondering is what if the way God works sometimes is like the dog eating the couch--like something that is initially a problem verging on a disaster 'unconceals' God in the moment.
Or when something that is so outside the lines, at first glance--like Snork letting people celebrate communion--turns out to give the church 5 very good, out-side-the-line coloring priests.
Stuff like that. I guess we can't replicate such events--Bysshe never ate another piece of furniture after all--and if I invited people up to try out celebrating I'd be defrocked by days end because someone would turn me in. (I bet only Mariah knew Snork was breaking about 14 hundred canons, but she wasn't squealing.)
They can't be replicated, but maybe we should keep our eyes wide open all the time in case some metaphorical dog starts eating the couch. Take a deep breath and look for God....
Saturday, July 31, 2010
dumb crooks
I've reached the point that most of the news I hear comes for "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me'.
A woman had an job interview at a store and on her way out she shoplifted some items. When they caught her, the store manager who had just talked with her realized the dress she was wearing was one she shoplifted the day before.
When asked, she said, "I needed something nice for my interview."
She didn't get the job.
I just counted 9 butterflies on the butterfly bush in our back yard. It is truly remarkable, our back yard.
I'm going to St. John's, Bristol tomorrow and next Sunday. Their former rector was one of the priests who left the church a few years ago. Maybe this is my supply priest niche--going to churches who used to have ultra-conservative Rectors. Go figure.
I've been writing daily on the ms. called "Farther along" about my experiences as a parish priest. I'd love to share some of it on the blog but I don't know how. Anyone out there know how to do that? (I just the other day realized I could print out stuff from castor oil tree.)Email and tell me if it is possible to put a word document on a blog. Otherwise, send a stamped, self-addressed manila envelope with a note on a $50 bill and I'll send you a hard copy of some of it....
A woman had an job interview at a store and on her way out she shoplifted some items. When they caught her, the store manager who had just talked with her realized the dress she was wearing was one she shoplifted the day before.
When asked, she said, "I needed something nice for my interview."
She didn't get the job.
I just counted 9 butterflies on the butterfly bush in our back yard. It is truly remarkable, our back yard.
I'm going to St. John's, Bristol tomorrow and next Sunday. Their former rector was one of the priests who left the church a few years ago. Maybe this is my supply priest niche--going to churches who used to have ultra-conservative Rectors. Go figure.
I've been writing daily on the ms. called "Farther along" about my experiences as a parish priest. I'd love to share some of it on the blog but I don't know how. Anyone out there know how to do that? (I just the other day realized I could print out stuff from castor oil tree.)Email and tell me if it is possible to put a word document on a blog. Otherwise, send a stamped, self-addressed manila envelope with a note on a $50 bill and I'll send you a hard copy of some of it....
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
stuff I'm doing
I noted I haven't written here for a week. I've been writing other things. I've spent 4-5 hours each day writing about my years as a parish priest. It is part of a manuscript called 'Farther Along'. I also sent a synopsis of my novel to an agent--fascinatingly enough, she is the person who read the very first draft of 'the Igloo Factory' over 30 years ago. I was researching agents and there she was, with her own agency now. I remembered her name but not the agency she worked for back then. So I sent it to her, hoping she'll be willing to read the whole manuscript.
Our back yard is a remarkable menagerie this time of years. I encountered an opossum on the deck a couple of days ago. There are chipmunks and several kinds of squirrels and dozens of kinds of birds...plus, I killed a Brown Recluse spider today. I saw it and googled it and found out, by the picture, that it was one of the poison kinds of spiders and I killed it with a paper towel. I hate to kill spiders since they do good and wonderful things. But one that could harm me...I didn't feel quite as bad.
Writing has taken over my retirement--but I do try to get out each day and do something. I cook a lot more now than I did. And I'm obviously trying to find something to write about. What I really want to do is go watch the rest of the Yankee game or work on something I've been writing about.
I'll try again tomorrow.
Our back yard is a remarkable menagerie this time of years. I encountered an opossum on the deck a couple of days ago. There are chipmunks and several kinds of squirrels and dozens of kinds of birds...plus, I killed a Brown Recluse spider today. I saw it and googled it and found out, by the picture, that it was one of the poison kinds of spiders and I killed it with a paper towel. I hate to kill spiders since they do good and wonderful things. But one that could harm me...I didn't feel quite as bad.
Writing has taken over my retirement--but I do try to get out each day and do something. I cook a lot more now than I did. And I'm obviously trying to find something to write about. What I really want to do is go watch the rest of the Yankee game or work on something I've been writing about.
I'll try again tomorrow.
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