Povey Prattle

The first reading at Church tomorrow is chapter 3 of the first book of Samuel.  It has to do with the call of Samuel to be a prophet.   I am preaching on this reading at 11:15 a.m. In order to understand the context of the story I read the first four chapters of first Samuel. As I wrote my sermon “spell check” had great problems with some of the names from the story, viz – Hophni, Phineas and Ichabod! ----------------------------------------------------------- About 25 years ago (I exaggerate) I gave a can of “Fray Bentos” Steak and Kidney pie to my pal Ben, with the promise that we could eat in on a cold day here in South West Florida. Today was that cold day! Ben and I ate it, together with our friend Bob. Many American friends of mine turn up their noses, or simulate a “gagging” noise at the very mention of Steak and Kidney pie.  But even Bob (no “foodie” he) agreed that it was delicious. I have two more cans of this in my larder.  I have been hoa...

http://amishamerica.com/florida-amish/#neighborhood My brother Martyn, my nephew Sam and I enjoyed ice-cream at Big-Olafs - Mennonite/Amish owned ice cream parlour. I get most of my produce at Yoder's Market - also Mennonite/Amish owned.

I dreamt the other night that one of the people in my dream was described as being “bruff”.  I knew exactly what it meant in the dream. Then I woke up, and puzzled for five or ten minutes.  I could not remember whether or not “bruff” is a real word.   It’s not, but I think that it could be.  We should use it to describe someone who is both “brusque” and “rough”. The dream reminded me of a woman I knew who often said that she was “flustrated”.  It was nice combination of “flustered” and “frustrated”. I got a bit flustrated last week when at the Doctor’s office a clerk told me (in a loud voice which could be heard by other patients) that my account was in arrears in the princely sum of $13 and unless I paid it immediately the delinquent amount would be handed over to a bill collection agency. I was not in the least bit bruff, but I reminded her that my track record is to pay bills promptly, usually within a week or receipt. I was bothered, so I wrote ...

My dog and my two cats can: See things which I cannot see. Hear things which I cannot hear. Smell things which I cannot smell. Makes me f eel dumb!

.... what a wonderful day. I was “up and at it” (as usual) by 5:00 a.m. today. By 9:00 a.m. I had walked Penne twice, had my breakfast, and fed the cats. I had also taken care of the “three S’s”:  showered, shaved and s.....  (you can fill in that word). At 9:15 a.m. I left my good dog Penne with her local care-givers Ron and Lee.  (As I let her jump out of my car she tried to run home, but once she was in their house she relaxed and settled down). 10:00 a.m. saw me leading the St. Boniface Sunday adult bible class. There were about 30 people in attendance . We’ll be reading a lot from St. Mark’s Gospel this year, so I read about six chapters of Mark aloud (without interruption), hoping that we could all hear it “anew” – i.e. as if we had never heard it before. I know that many of us heard it with fresh ears.  Some folks said that they had heard it “as if they were there”.  It all speaks well of the power of story-telling. At 11:15 a.m. I presided at the...