July 4

Happy 4th of July!

Although I do have some issues with the holiday.

First of all, I don't like fireworks. It may storm tonight that would lessen the fireworks--but probably only until tomorrow night.

Secondly, it's hard to celebrate "all men are created equal" when the Declaration of Independence and then the Constitution, allowed slavery and women were second-class citizens.

Juneteenth is a better  day to celebrate although the end of slavery didn't end discrimination and racial inequality--something the Governor of Florida seems to want to bring back--along with withholding rights from GLBTQ folks.

Many in the Republican Party seem to be on board with all that. Major candidates for the Republican nomination didn't even mention Juneteenth on that day.

And Juneteenth didn't become a major holiday until 1986!

How long it takes for our country to admit it's mistakes.

But have a burger and some watermelon on me anyway....

 

4th of July 2 days early

We always spend the 4th of July with the same people.

We did it today and A's and J's house with S, J, J, L, L's son, A&J's daughter and her friend.

The people were great--or we wouldn't do this every year--and the food was wondrous, lots of it and more desserts than you can shake a stick at.

They have two dogs, so Brigit sniffed us up and down when we came home.

Bern made a pasta salad like nothing I've ever tasted.

The wine flowed along with beer, liquor and other stuff.

A great time with great people.

Just a tad early.

No fireworks, thank God, I hate fireworks.

But on Tuesday we'll be bombarded by them.

Cheshire loves fireworks.

It may be the only think I don't like about the town where we live and thrive.

Happy, Happy Quiet 4th to you! 

no church this Sunday

 My contract with Trinity, Milton is that I work three Sundays a month.

I should be glad to get a Sunday off--but I will miss them!

I've really become attached to this little parish as I have to all the parishes I've ever served.

Being a priest means being with great people and serving them as best I can.

What could be better than that?

Reading Revelation

         I've ever done it before--but today we started reading the Book of Revelation at Bible Study at Trinity, Milton.

    It didn't take long to realize why I'd never done it before!

    "Revelation" comes from the Greek word, "apocalypse" which was translated that way in the early church.

    Now, in English, it means, almost literally, "the end of the world".

    And the study group was an 'apocalypse' in the modern meaning.

    It makes almost no logical sense and no matter how you choose to interpret it, it makes less sense than that.

    People had their brains burned today.

    But we're going to keep reading for the next two weeks. The group chose that over moving on to something else.

    One member said, "I want to finish it because I'll never read it again."

    How true. How true.

     

What's going on?

        The former president seems to be being hung out to dry by some former allies. I think he's in very hot water up and down the East Coast.

    But Biden/Harris doesn't seem to be doing well either. A whole bunch of Democrats want an option though I don't know where it will come from.

    News from Russia is so contradictory that it defies definition. Was it a rebellion or not? 

    The south and southwest of the country is burning up with heat while here in CT it feels like late spring.

    A lot is 'going on' but I have trouble understanding it.

    (Not a new place for me to be in!)

 

 

     

Together time

Today, after church, some of us walked the hundred yards or so to the Milton Congregational Church to share brunch with them.

The food and wine were incredible as were the conversations.

The pastor who is there is married to a woman who works at Westover school and knows my friend and former musician, Bob H.

That was a great connection.

The people at the Congo church were a lot like those at Trinity.

We had a great time.

Congregations meeting are a wonderful idea in this time where Christianity is on the wane in our country.

Great to meet with folks who are, somewhat, on the same track as you are.

 

Animals

 A friend of ours gave us some kitchen towels that had names for groups of animals on it.

It's incredible. Here they are:

"A hum of bumblebees.

A bouquet of pheasants.

A herd of cows.

A scurry of squirrels.

A kindle of kittens.

A paddling of ducks.

A parcel of hogs.

A drove of donkeys.

A mischief of mice.

A group of guinea pigs.

A peep of chickens. 

A drift of sheep.

A pounce of cats.

A piddle of puppies.

A business of ferrets."

Cool, huh?