Povey Prattle

We become our parents. Yes indeed. When I look into a mirror, I look just like a bearded Mum. I have her cheek bones. My formerly red hair has faded, just as hers did. I have that jowly loose skin around my neck, which only plastic surgery could put right. And I do not have enough “plastic” to afford plastic surgery. When I am at ease, I realise that I am holding my head just as she did. She gave me a love for immigrants. Mum was the only person on our Street to welcome some immigrants from Pakistan with a gift of food. And there were gifts from Dad, He loved Irish people. Unusual for an Englishman. He was a bit of a loner - so am I. He spent many by listening to “classical” music on the radio. That’s my deal too. But it is not “all the same” I grow much more liberal as I get older. I have no patience with conservative crap in Church or State. I think that Mum and Dad were much more conformist. I suspect that they both admired Winston Churchill. I believe that he ...

1. Post breakfast nap on my bed, for both cats. 2. Adelaide - inquisitive as ever. 3. Ada, sleeping - her favourite "activity". It’s been damn hot here, maxing out at 91F during the day. ‘Twas even to hot to walk this a.m.. besides which, I wanted to do some planting. I did so just after morning twilight. I am choosing Florida friendly and drought resistant plants - some of which I’d never heard in Massachusetts - viz Jatropha and Porter Weed. Ben and I had lunch at a new Italian restaurant nearby. I ate 2 ½ slices of Pizza - my first in three months, and I immediately felt fat. In fact I have lost 34lbs through eating wisely, and walking each day. But I felt fat! I thought about joining a local Health Club, where I could exercise in air-conditioned comfort. Then I remembered that we have a exercise room in the Glen Oaks Ridge Clubhouse. So, after bowling I took myself there and walked 1 ½ miles on a tread mill, at 3.2 m.p.h. After which I forgave myse...

My friend “Pru” recently wrote a marvellous meditation on Psalm 131 You may read it at: http://pru-meditations.blogspot.com/ And another blogger (whom I do not know), also wrote about this Psalm: http://anglocatontheprowl.blogspot.com/ (see entry for May 28th) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is the text of Psalm 131 from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 131 Domine, non est 1 O LORD, I am not proud; * I have no haughty looks. 2 I do not occupy myself with great matters, * or with things that are too hard for me. 3 But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother's breast; * my soul is quieted within me. 4 O Israel, wait upon the LORD, * from this time forth for evermore. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are to hard for me” But of course I do! I fret and fume about the ghastly regime in Washington, D.C. I worry...

Another Povey Pun. Not many people know that the Virgin Mary was a stickler for diction. So many of us refer to her as "Our Lady of Consonants" And the pictures are via my friend Rosemary Lee

I made this (joke) up yesterday. “I have a friend who has a very short fuse, and he gets irritated very easily and quickly. He suffers from premature exasperation” ================================================= This truly happened at Resurrection House today. A guest, unhappy that I would not give her special privileges, called me an “asshole”. I told the other volunteers: “this is true, but I don’t want to hear it from her”. ======================= Tra la-la Jmp

First Presbyterian mixing faith and U2 in its service A trend that has captivated churches across the nation since 2004 will come to Sarasota on Sunday when First Presbyterian Church holds a worship service built around the music of the rock band U2. The "U2Charist" will feature the band's recordings of its own music, and First Presbyterian's live band performing some U2 songs. It will be accompanied by not only U2 concert snippets, but also images from the Qatsi series of documentaries about life in war-torn and industrialized countries. And as important as the U2 theme, said associate pastor Clay Thomas, is a call to "active discipleship," which he describes as discipleship that "takes into account the suffering of the world and tries to do something about it." Attendees will be asked to sign up for three different community service projects. Thomas coordinated the service with the help of a church worship team and his former seminary colleagues,...

So I attended the U2Charist today, at the invitation of Pastor Clay Thomas. It took place in First Preby’s Fellowship Hall. The Hall was crowded, with what I would guess an attendance of 200+, maybe 250. I’d also guess that the median age of the worshippers was 50 or 55, but with enough children, youth and under 50’s to make it feel less geriatric. The seats were comfortable, and the audio-visual presentations were outstanding. It was clear that much hard work had gone into the planning of the U2Charist. U2 music is great and the lyrics are powerful, and this helped to make the message clear. Yet it was hard to get away from the thought that this was a “performance”, rather than an act of participatory worship. Some of the music was followed by applause, when hearty “Amens” might have been more useful. And this was clearly a non-singing congregation. Nor would the worshippers “boogey”, which I desperately wanted to do! We needed a non U2 song which would have us on our feet, si...