Povey Prattle

Ridiculous I have trained my dog Penny to go to the dictionary, look up words, and then tell me what they mean. The cats, Ada and Adelaide are also in training. This is for next year’s Sarasota Marathon. They are already excellent sprinters, particularly when they hear the sound of a can being opened. You probably did not know that I have bought five goldfish. They are in a nice bowl, and I have taught them to sing. Whenever a guest peers into the bowl the gold fish, (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), swim to the surface and sing “Five go-old fish” (adapted from a Christmas Song). Next to be adopted will be snakes. I’ll get four of them, and teach them to hiss in harmony. I’ll take them on the road when they have mastered the Hallelujah Chorus. (No, I am not on hallucinogenic drugs. Yes, I should “get a life”.) Fun, if not sublime. Adelaide, the junior cat, loves to come and stare at me when I evacuate my bowels each morning. She stares up at me in my enthroned sta...

I hear that there have been 20 million hits on the YouTube video of Susan Boyle’s performance on the T.V. show “Britain’s Got Talent”. It’s a nice enough video. 48 year old Miss Boyle is a homely woman from Scotland. She sang a more than decent rendering of a song from “Les Mis”. It is fun to see and to hear. Now “the world” is getting dewy eyed as folks view the video. But let’s be honest. Miss Boyle is NOT the next Elaine Page. She is simply an apparently dear and sweet woman who can “belt them out”. So why all the attention? Maybe because this represents the very ancient ugly duckling/lovely swan myth. Maybe because many of us think: “this could be me”. Maybe because she seems to be a “very decent woman”, in our most indecent world. We believe that we’d rather have a cup of tea with her, than with Gordon Brown or Nicholas Sarkosy. My cynical side comes into play. I believe that the “judges” on “Britain’s Got Talent” had been briefed in advance. “Someone” let them know tha...

April 15th was the deadline for filing 2008 tax returns in these United States. (I had filed my tax return long before this date). All over America there were “Tea Parties”: - gatherings of people to protest taxes. The protests were allegedly spontaneous. These people were ignorant, wilful and misled. They were ignorant of history. The original “Boston Tea Party” had to do with taxation without representation. It was not about the very notion of taxation. They were wilful . They are not against taxation for the military, for national security, and for local protection (police, fire-fighters, courts, prisons etc). But they are opposed to taxation for health care, public education, the arts, relief of poverty, assistance to the mentally and physically disabled .... etc. They were misled . The protests were not spontaneous. They were carefully arranged and crafted by Republican operatives who are determined to derail any actions by our President. The anti-tax lunacy may mean that Sar...

I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car. Corduroy pillows are making headlines. Red meat is not bad for you. Fuzzy green meat is. I am having an out of money experience. Don’t sweat the petty things. Don’t pet the sweaty things. When you work here you can name your own salary. I named mine “Fred” Money isn’t everything. But it sure keeps the children in touch. Dyslexics have more nuf. I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. Welcome to Utah. Set your clock back 75 years. In just two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday. Mississippi: 8 million people. 15 last names. Reality: An illusion which occurs due to a lack of alcohol. My short term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. My short term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. My short term memory is not as sharp as it used to be.

It has been raining today: Sometimes with a heavy and drenching rain. At other times with a gentle and soft rain. It’s a big deal. The land is so dry. We need days and days of rain, but this is a good start. Folks are so happy with the rain. Living in a drought stricken region makes most of us us long for rain. And it reminds me of those Psalms which rejoice when the early and later rains come to parched earth. A thunderstorm has lingered over our area for hours. This is good. And merciful Lord be praised, Penny is not a bit afrighted by thunder and lightning. I stretched out on my sofa for a mid-afternoon nap. I could hear the gentle rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance. My two chiming clocks added their comforting tick-tocks. I felt so much at peace, so very comforted. The radio and T.V. were off ( they almost always are ). These lovely sounds – rain, thunder, and clocks were all I needed. The animals added their benediction. Ada asleep. My lovely Ad...

IN SARASOTA The sewers work well. There are reliable supplies of fresh water. The streets and roads around here are well paved. The traffic lights work. As do the street lights. Trash and recyclables are picked up every week. Sarasota also has police, fire, education, planning and library services (to name but a few). I am glad to pay taxes in a free republic: - taxes which enable these “essentials”.

The celebration of Easter is by very definition on a Sunday. So it was not Easter Sunday today. Today was Easter Day. In the Church Calendar there are Seven Sundays of Easter, in a Church season, which lasts for 50 days. So there! ===================================================================== Easter Day 2009 saw me in a parish which shall be nameless. It is a good place to be at any time of the year. My attention was grabbed: 1. By the 9 years old acolyte. She knows every word of the Nicene Creed. 2. By the woman in front of me who was wearing a gorgeous hat pin. I have not seen a hat pin in years. 3. By a lanky 16/17 years old young man, visiting SRQ with his grandparents. Whenever his face relaxed, it relaxed into a smile. His smile made me grin. I told him so after Eucharist, much to the delight of his grandparents. 4. By the little girl (aged maybe 2), with a gorgeous shock of blonde curls. She was entranced by the music of the bell choir. Her ve...