Povey Prattle

My condo unit is part of a triplex of single story homes. I have an end unit which means that I have more windows than those who live in middle units. But I have a neighbour who comes from a suburb of hell. She is either crazy, or an out of control alcoholic, or just plain mean. Perhaps all three. I have tried being nice to her, but this has not worked. She curses me out like a drunken Bishop when I have done something, or not done something – and displeased her. So I ignore her. We share a driveway, and there is no dividing wall between her car port and mine. Her car port is like a front garden in Knowle West (local reference for my brother Martyn in England) , or like the surroundings in the worst kind of trailer park (American readers will get this reference). Despite all the efforts of the Condominium Association, she refuses to “abide by the rules” and clean up her car port. She recently received a letter from the Condominium Association Board asking her to get rid of the junk...

I've not had a busy day. I led the Prayer Service at Res. House, and I wrote a sermon for next Sunday. But I feel so very tired. So please imagine my snores, and I'll write again tomorrow! Pove

I was in our local “Target” store on Monday (“Target” is a very upscale version of Wal Mart ) when I realised how pleasant it felt. I soon realised that this was because there was no music being blared from overhead loudspeakers. It was lovely to be free of noise pollution. We live in a very noisy world. Folks seem to be afraid of silence or quietness. It was with this in mind that the SRQ City Council tried to pass a local ordinance against loud music from automobiles. There were two problems with the proposed ordinance. First, it was perceived to be directed at a particular segment of the SRQ population, i.e. Blacks and Hispanics. Second, it had a semi-subjective provision in that a Police Officer could make an arrest based on his/her assessment that this noise could be heard from 100 yards away. (Of course the ordinance did not deal with the noise pollution coming from Police car sirens!) But, in my opinion, there is too much noise. It’s impossible to be in a drug store or ...

Memory is very strange. I woke up this morning with the words “Pip, Squeak and ???” in my mind Within a few minutes I recalled the missing ??? It is Wilfred. I’d been remembering the words “Pip, Squeak and Wilfred”. But I had no context for these words. “Google” came to my rescue. “Pip, Squeak and Wilfred was a strip cartoon in the London Daily Mirror, through 1956. (I was 12 years old in 1956). The Daily Mirror was a quality tabloid newspaper, always devoted editorially to the British Labour Party, and to working people. Its motto was “Forward with the People”. One of its great columnists was Richard Crossman M.P., who wrote a column under the title heading of “Cassandra”. My parents were Labour, so the Mirror was the morning newspaper of their choice. I was a precocious reader, and would scan the Mirror each day even when I was 7 years old. (I’d also read the local evening paper the “Bristol Evening Post” with its masthead statement: “The paper all Bristol asked for and he...

So I travelled down to Ft. Myers (85 miles south of SRQ) last Saturday to preside at their three Eucharists at St. Hilary’s Church in the absence of the Rector, Bob Hennigan, who is on vacation. The Parish had kindly offered to pay for my mileage and for an Hotel room, as well as the usual Honorarium. (St. Hilary’s has a Saturday Eucharist, as well as two on Sunday mornings, so an Hotel room was essential). I have a bit of a history with St. Hilary’s . Pittsfield Parishioners Art and Liz Harrington, together with Charles and Naoma Sammons used to winter in Ft. Myers, and they would worship at St. Hilary’s whilst they were there. And Gwen Sears’ son Charlie and daughter in law Lori (now divorced) were members at St. Hilary’s, so Gwen knew the parish very well. And thanks to Lori Sears (now Lori Uhrig) I was a candidate for the Rectorship at St. Hilary’s some eleven years ago. I took my name out of their search as I perceived the Parish to be much more conservative than I. There were tw...

Sermon for August 2nd/3rd, 2008 The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. Hilary’s Church, Fort Myers, FL Matthew 14:13-21 ======================================================================== 13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,...