Povey Prattle

I am off to Punt a Gorda on Sunday December 5 th 2010.   Whoops: -  “Punt a Gorda” sounds like a sport on a river in Oxford or Cambridge, U.K. In truth I will be driving sixty or so miles south of my home, to the City of Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, FL.  There I will be at the (Episcopal) Church of the Good Shepherd. http://goodshepherdpg.com/index2.html It will be my pleasure to preach, and to lead the congregations in celebrations of Holy Communion at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Four and a half years into retirement I find it more difficult than ever to prepare sermons.  I suspect that when I was a Rector I “knew the people”, and could bring that understanding to my sermon prep.  It’s much harder when I have to write a sermon which will be addressed to strangers. But “I have written what I have written”.  I trust that what I say will be faithful to the Gospel, and will “speak” to God’s people at Good Shepherd. Here’s a bit about Punta Gorda itse...

Retirement has brought for me a rediscovery of fruits and vegetables.   I am not, and probably will never totally eschew meat (it’s hard to eschew something I love to chew!).    But I am eating far more fruits and vegetables than ever I did whilst working. Yesterday I took myself to Yoder’s produce market on Bahia Vista Street. I bought: A green cabbage, weighing almost 2lbs, for 96 cents A head of celery for $1.29 2lbs of carrots for $1.39 1lb of parsnips for $1.79 A pound and a half of honey crisp apples for $2.24 A pound and a half of bartlett pears for $2.10 A pound and a third of beets for $1.37 A pound and three quarters of sweet onions for $2.27 Just over a pound of tomatoes for $1.51 Two large guavas for $2.21 Two small guavas for 52 cents Two green peppers for $1.30 Total cost = $18.95.    These fruits and veggies will serve me for at least 7 days, as I eat them.  Fruits for breakfast. Veggies for lunch. And some...

A couple of days ago I was in our local “Publix” supermarket to pick up three or four necessities. The cashier (assistant in the U.K.) was a young woman in her late teens or early twenties.   So was the “bagger”. This cashier, seemingly oblivious to me presence, chatted with the bagger as she scanned my purchases.  Clearly they were both part-time employees at "Publix", and   part-time students at a local Collge. I heard the cashier say something about her professor (teacher or instructor in the U.K.) .   He had given her some instructions.   Her tone of voice expressed scepticism about what he had said. The bagger responded with “he said the same thing to me” .   Then she added “whatever” .   The cashier echoed this and she also said “whatever” . This was my time to enter the conversation. “That’s amazing” , I ventured, using a strong but gentle voice. Both young women looked directly at me.  They heard me say: “Whatever” .  ...

I often think that had I married and been blessed with children, I would have been a dreadful parent. I suspect that I would have attempted to “remake my children in my own image” – and thereby would have been a dominating and controlling father.   But I probably would also have been blessed with a wise wife – a woman who would work with me to curb all my worst instincts; and to develop and hone my better nature. Such things were not to be, for clear and obvious reasons. But here is my take on my three charges - the cats, Ada and Adelaide, and the dog, Penne. Junior cat Adelaide is the demanding, “in your face” child.   She knows what she wants, and is far from shy in making those wants known.   “Feed me” she demands.   “I want to go outside” she insists (I reply “no my darling, it is far too dangerous out there.   There are hawks, foxes, possums and my mean next door neighbour out there” ).   Adelaide comes near me seeking attention, but as soon as...

Bayfront Park is on wee peninsula which stretches itself out from downtown Sarasota into Sarasota Bay. It’s a gorgeous little park. There is a fabulous play area for children; some neat sculptures; a small restaurant and Tiki Bar, and lots of benches where folks can sit and chat, or read, or admire the views. The perimeter walkway of the park is marked with 1/10th mile signs, indicating that one peregrination equals a half mile walk. I took myself there yesterday afternoon to get a breath of sea air, and to “people watch”. Indeed there were people! In my half mile walk I saw all that is wonderful in multi-ethnic and multi-generational America. There were folks of Hispanic, Asian, African-American, and Caucasian heritage. There were babies in “strollers”, and toddlers, and three to four year olds who raced around and chased each other.  There were loners, sitting under a tree or on a bench, lost to the world in a book.  There were “courting couples” (now ther...

I know a fabulous woman from Oldham, Lancashire.  Her name is Muriel.  She is a member of St. Boniface Church, Siesta Key FL, which is also my parish. Muriel always dresses up for Church.  She wears the most fabulous suits or dresses, and always looks like a million dollars.  Above all else (literally and metaphorically), when Muriel comes to Church she is always adorned with a most gorgeous hat.  Those hats are the crowning glory of her beautiful outfits. Muriel is not making a fashion statement.  Rather, she “dresses up” in honour of the occasion.  She knows that to dress well is to honour her host/s.  I like that. With that in mind I dressed up a bit for last Thursday’s Thanksgiving dinner which was hosted by my friends Elliott, Janet, Jesse and Maggie. I had noticed that on such “semi-formal” occasions the women guests would often wear their finery, whilst the men might opt for a Hawaiian shirt, and shorts.  In my wish to honour my h...