Povey Prattle

I’ve been feeling quite logy today (my blood pressure shot up), so I have been putzing around. Apart from a quick visit to say “hi” to Ben, and to get some juice at the market, I have stayed at home. I slept a lot. I had time for inner reflection, and that was revelatory. I wonder why I am often so prickly, so defensive. And I set that alongside my “public” cheerful and funny self, and my habit of being spontaneously generous. It is so odd to be human. Odd, I think, in the sense of our self and world awareness; and of our self critique. Maybe the cats have it better, but I am not sure if they appreciate Beethoven! My minor activities (cleaning the cats’ litter boxes; washing some sheer curtains; doing some ironing) left me quite tired, so it’ll be an early night, dosed up with a sleeping pill. I seem to remember that we used “logy” in England. I am not so sure about “putzing” So I looked up “logy” and “putzing” in an internet dictionary. (See below). The origin of “logy” did not s...

It was very cold here on Thursday (Thanksgiving). Nonetheless I took myself to downtown SRQ and took the following photo’s of our public art and public buildings, plus a few other downtown sites . Here are my pics.

Thanksgiving Day dawned cold and misty. That seemed right for one whose previous Thanksgivings have been in cooler Massachusetts. I took the above photo' this morning, just outside my back door. Later I went downtown to photo' some public art and public building. These will be featured in my blog tomorrow. Some 30 of us met for Thanksgiving Dinner at "Frugali" a local restaurant. K was able to be there despite his terrible illness.

The biggest Supermarket chain in Florida is "Publix". I was so happy to see that their stores were closed on Thanksgiving. I wrote Publix to express my appreciation for this enlightened labour policy. Here is their reply: Thank you for your email. We appreciate our customers taking the time to contact us.We are happy to offer Thanksgiving Day off for our employees because we realize that they have families, too. We want them to pause to say "thanks" as well. Thank you for your nice comments, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. If we can be of any further assistance regarding this matter, please either call our Consumer Relations toll-free number at 1-800-242-1227, write us at the Publix Super Markets Corporate Office, PO Box 407, Lakeland, FL 33802, ATTN: Consumer Relations, or contact us at our website, publix.com and mention your reference number, # 579504.Sincerely,Leslie Spencer

A dedicated volunteer gives back By JENNIFER SHEACORRESPONDENT Published: Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. Once a client, Jessica Lines now volunteers 30 hours a week at Resurrection House, a resource center for the homeless. Lines, 27 -- a single mother to Kyle, 7, Jayde Green, 5, and Markeyl Green, 4 -- battled drug addiction and homelessness. She conquered both in the past 23 months. "Resurrection House really helped me; they put me in a hotel, helped me get an apartment, and helped me with a deposit for lights. They gave me clothes and bus passes so that I could go on job interviews." Lines credits Resurrection House and Season of Sharing for enabling her to provide the recent stability that allowed Kyle and Jayde to achieve honor roll status at Booker Elementary School. Markeyl is enrolled in Head Start. Kyle, Lines explained, is old enough to comprehend the hard times that his family has endured. "Kyle knows what is important," she said. "He has ...

Thursday 27th November 2008 is the holiday called “Thanksgiving” in these United States. It’s a good holiday. It is non-religious and non-sectarian. It brings us all together. We enjoy each other without religious or gift bearing pressures. Homeless people are fed well at Thanksgiving. I know of at least five Thanksgiving dinners for my homeless friends. I am sure that they will get tired of “Lady Bountiful” (homeless people are supposed to be well versed in the art of gratitude), and of Turkey. I’ll be at an Italian restaurant of all places. My friend “K” is dying and he wants to be with all his pals before he passes. We’ll be there to honour him, and we “pray” that he will be well enough to join us. Happy Thanksgiving – my dear American friends. Think of Americans with kindness if you live in another land. And if you pray, please pray for K. ============================ Then check your history. Maybe the "first Thanksgiving" was French and not English. See the following...

I was with a group of sensible Priests this morning. We talked about what people are “feeling” given the present dire state of our economies - in just about every country. I, being something of a contrarian, challenged my colleagues. I wanted to know if they were reporting “what they thought” people were feeling, or “what they knew about people’s feelings – via first hand conversations”. No-one responded in a way which satisfied me. It seemed that they were responding from “what they thought people were thinking”, rather from what people had in fact told them. So I ask you to please add a comment to this blog. Tell me (and other readers) what you are “feeling” at the moment. Please do not post economic analyses. Rather, post from your gut, your heart, your bowels. What do you feel in these shaky economic days? Please add your comment.

1. When I walk each morning I see two lovely “human made” lakes with various aquatic birds getting ready for the daylight. Most mornings I see marvellous sunrises with the lakes all golden. I see other walkers. Many are with their dogs - and they are now my friends (the dogs not the owners!). 2. When I walk on the business streets nearby I see all too much trash. You never see this when you drive. 3. If I walk downtown I see so many businesses with no customers. Life is tough for small time entrepreneurs. I wonder how they hang on. 4. When walking downtown I also see many of the homeless. This happened today. After lunch with my co-volunteers Len and Carol Higby, I walked back to my car and encountered some of my Res House friends. Leo was there. He said “Pastor Michael, you make me feel edgy”. I sat on the park bench alongside him and asked “why is that?” He replied “oh that does not matter, but I love you”. 5. As I drive around town I see many s...

There are four “Keys” in this area. “Key” is the Florida word for a barrier Island. Three of them are Bird Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key (linked to each other, and to the mainland by bridges and causeways). The fourth is Siesta Key - with its totally lovely beaches. I now attend Church, and am an affiliated Priest at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key. This Key is linked to the mainland by two drawbridges. “Boniface” was born in Crediton, Devon as Winfryth. He was named Boniface (Good Deeds) by a Pope. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Boniface St. Boniface Church is a wonderful parish. It has good music, very fine preaching, and excellent liturgy. It is a parish Church which is open to ALL God’s people. The Revd Andi (Andrea) Taylor is one of the full time Priests. I knew and adored her when she was in Lexington, MA. I’ve also gotten to know the Revd. Jack Chrisman, and his wife Donna. Jack is both a retired Priest and a retired U.S Navy Captain. I had a fabulous lunch with Jack...