Winter musings


1. It was (by S.W. Florida standards) quite chilly this morning (46 f,/7.7 c).  For my 6:30 a.m. walk with Penne I donned a top coat, scarf , and gloves.

46f in Massachusetts on December 22nd would have seemed to be almost balmy.  After six and a half years in Florida it feels cold!

Is it true that our blood “thins”, (that’s the lore), or is there an alternative explanation as to why differing temperatures change our bodily reactions?

---------------------------------------------------

2. The cooler weather has its upside.  I was able to walk five miles yesterday, and about four and a half miles today. Penne was so happy!

-------------------------------------------------

3. She has been so happy that she dragged me out for a walk at about 4:45 p.m. today.

There was a method in her madness. Somehow she knew that my neighbour, the recently widowed Sophie would also be out and about. She was correct,

So Penne encountered Sophie this afternoon, and  Sophie met Penne.

Mutual joy abounded.

 --------------------------------------------------------------

4. It got better. Yesterday Penne and I came across Alison who was in the neighbourhood to visit with her parents for “the holidays”.  Alison was entranced with my entirely lovable dog.

Unbeknownst to me, Alison urged her mother to take a walk this afternoon, saying “maybe we’ll see that lovely dog again”.

The timing was right this afternoon. As we walked Penne countered Alison, and Alison met Penne.

 Mutual joy abounded.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------

5. O.K. –  So I boast!  But the truth is that my Penne (I adopted her from the Sarasota Humane Society 4 ½ years ago) is truly a fabulously people friendly dog.

I love her to bits, and both friends and strangers respond with joy to her friendliness.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Cooler weather calls for soups.

So today a made a mess of black bean soup.

Finely chopped sweet onion, garlic, red pepper and celery as a base – simmered in vegetable stock for ten minutes,

Half a can of undrained black beans added, with half teaspoons of salt and cumin, then simmered for about another five minutes, and  then pureed with an immersion blender.

1 ½ cans of black beans added, with a bit of cornstarch and the juice from half a lemon,  the  whole mess then  simmered again until it thickens.

Oh my!  Zesty and nutritious soup for the next four suppers!

----------------------------------------------------------

7. On the cusp of Christmas.

In my book I do not get too bothered that Christmas is a cultural as well as a religious holiday. I am glad for any religious/secular holiday which brings people together and helps to create loving community.

With that in mind I spent a few hours this afternoon in telephoning dear friends to “keep in touch”.

That’s as good a reason for the Christmas holiday as is the Christian celebration of the myths which surround the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Location: Glen Oaks, Sarasota, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more