Povey Prattle

Moses and Jesus did not live in a condominium complex. It was easy for them to say “love your neighbour as yourself”. It’s hard for me! The single story condo. in which I live is part of a triplex. I am at one end, my good pal Dave Foster at the other. In the middle is E.T. She and I share a drive way. Her car port is filled with junk. Old food, trash, styrofoam coolers, overflowing ash trays, empty plastic bottles, a computer key board, etc etc - you name it - it is there. I have nine pots filled with shrubs to shield me from the view. She simply ignores every warning from the Condo. Association. She will not clear up. She will sit outside for “ages” scrutinising every guest who arrives at my home. I think of her as Madame Defarge, sans knitting. When she is mad at me, she is out of control. Once, when I asked her not to use my water hose without asking me first, she sat outside for hours. She sat outside and she sang, in a loud voice, and for a long time She sang “He ...

The following is not by me. I "stole" it from a Blog entitled "Let me tell you all about it sweetie" ====================================================================================== A couple of days ago, a co-worker mentioned a few words that I pronounce differently than they do here in Central Missourah. Here, they spend "qwahders", ride "hahrses", and worship the "Lawrd". See, I grew up in Southern Ohio, and I quickly learned upon venturing outside of the area that the dialect is peculiar to that part of the country. Contrary to what you may think, Southern Ohioans are NOT “hillbillies”. Hillbillies live further south. We are “hilljacks” and proudly so, but not uppity like Northern Ohioans. I came across this list of Southern Ohio expressions that I thought you’ns might like. I have to admit that they are painfully accurate. Enjoy! Piller: Soft cushion used to rest the head, as in, "I sure am tarred… can you'ns git me...

I’ve entitled this series “School Misery”, for when I was attending Fairfield Grammar School, it indeed was a miserable time. But my memories sometimes belie this. Other Old Fairfieldians have told me something similar. They hated F.G.S. whilst they were there, but look back with fond memories. I suppose that we chiefly remember the teachers, an odd, but mostly dedicated group. I have previously mentioned “Gadger” Gay and Dot Worthington. F.G.S. pupils delighted in the nick-names we assigned to our teachers. Senior Master, Mr. Jervis, was of course “Jerry”. I seem to remember that he walked with a slight limp, and that he swanned around the School wearing an Academic Robe. He was never one of my classroom teachers, and I haven’t the slightest idea of his teaching subject, but he seemed affable enough. Mr. Parrott, who taught Geography, was one of my favourites, (don’t ask me why!). He, of course, was known to the students as “Polly”. I can even now see him teaching u...

By Michael A. Scarcella Published Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 4:30 a.m. Last updated Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 2:31 a.m. BRADENTON — Justin Terrell Claudio was just walking down the street Tuesday when a Bradenton police officer drove up. The officer tried to question Claudio, according to a report, because the 18-year-old was walking the wrong way down the street. A chase resulted when Claudio ran, and the situation ended with Claudio getting arrested and the officer cutting his hand while climbing a fence in pursuit. The case has raised questions among some in the Manatee legal community who wonder why police are stopping people for something as minor as simply walking the wrong way on a residential street. They say the police crossed a line, harassing a teenager who had not committed a crime. Wrong-way walking is a civil infraction in Florida that would have gotten Claudio a ticket, if anything. Several defense attorneys said they doubt many people know the rare law that requires pe...

My brother Martyn was explaining the “six degrees of separation” idea to his son, my nephew Sam, (soon to be 12 years old). Martyn told Sam that I had met Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He went on to ask Sam to think about all the “famous” people who had also met the Archbishop. Two degrees of separation for me, via Desmond Tutu, to so many humble, or notorious, or brave people. And I’ve also met former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey when he was a teacher at my Seminary - St. John’s Theological College, Nottingham, U.K. Just think of all his contacts, from whom I also have two degrees of separation. Come to think of it, my first Director of Ordinands, the late Canon Geoffrey Paul, was the father of Jane Paul, who is now Jane Williams, wife of the present Archbishop of Canterbury. Now here are some multitudinous degrees of separation twixt me and the world! Some years ago I met Senator Edward Kennedy. He was the speaker at a graduation ceremony for students of the Berkshire Com...

It rained here today. “So what?” you may ask. Except in the case of those who live in the Atlanta, GA area. They understand drought. And we are in our second year of much less than normal rainfall in South West Florida. It has not rained in two months. So we needed rain. May is our driest month, and there was no rainfall in the forecast. Nonetheless I was awakened at 3:45 a.m. today by a huge thunder and lightning storm. I went outside, simply to enjoy the rain. (I discovered later that just about everyone I met during the day had been awakened by “a blitz” of a thunderstorm) And rain it did. Heavily for two hours, and then a more gentle soaking rain for another nine. It will not make much of a dent in our drought, but how good it was to see and feel rain! ----------------------- None of my blog readers are likely to mistake me for a Repuglican! So the following (courtesy of my “cousin by marriage” (Kippy) will not surprise you) Here are some pertinent observations most Americ...

I was at St. Boniface Church on Longboat Key for the Eucharist this morning. The preacher was A ndrea Taylor, a good friend of mine, We knew each other in Massachusetts. Her Trinity Sunday deserved an A+ I sat with A drian and A nno. I got to know Anno at Res. House. She and Adrian are a delightful couple. It’s great to simply sit in a pew with good people - Bueno Hente. A delaide (Noble), and A da (Happy) continue to bring me much joy. It’s been an A -O. K. Day.