Povey Prattle

It’s the shedding season. Junior cat Adelaide doesn’t lose much hair. She runs and hides when she sees me with the brush. Senior cat Ada sheds, and sheds, and sheds. She loves to be brushed. Unlike her "sister", she runs towards me when she sees me with brush in hand. She mews and purrs as I brush her. The brush gets filled with clumps of black cat hair. I throw it out onto the grass from my back door. The crows land, then  take off with huge clumps of cat hair in their beaks to build their nests!

I read the following  on an entry from a Facebook friend (The Revd. Jennie Anderson), 'tis good stuff. jmp --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jennie's Facebook entry read as follows: "Indian priest Anthony de Mello told this story: "A rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find a Southern fisherman lying leisurely beside his boat. 'Why aren't you fishing?' asked the industrialist. " 'Because I have caught enough fish for the day,' said the fisherman. " 'Why don't you catch some more?' " 'What would I do with them?' " 'You could earn more money,' was the reply. 'With that, you could fix a motor to your boat, go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats... maybe ...

Yes indeed, I have become the sort of old codger who lurks by his kitchen window so that he can bring the trash barrel and recycling cans back from the curb within thirty seconds after the contents have been collected by the city trash collectors.

I go to the movies/pictures, (do they still say “going to the pictures” in the U.K.)  about once every other year. So far be it from me to recommend a “Moving Picture”. It’s all about seven Brits who retire to an Hotel in Jaipur,  India, Despite my movie ignorance. I recommend “The Exotic Marigold Hotel” which I saw at Sarasota’s Burns Court Cinema today.  I saw it with my fellow “Brit” the wonderful Muriel Quinn. I laughed. (‘Twas wonderful to be in a cinema where many attendees laughed out loud with me) I got teary eyed – there were some poignant scenes. And I was in awe at the skills of many actors - especially the well known- such as Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, and the less well known, such as Penelope Wilton and Dev Patel. (In fact I think that Penelope Wilton excelled in her role as Jean Ainslie) The film is funny. It is also truthful in its portrayal of British middle class retirees and of modern (Asian) Indians. The Indian actor Neena Kulkar...

The “very different” world of the Amish  (some of whom live here in Sarasota FL) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBoeXP1q_nU&feature=related (Cut and paste this link if necessary)   http://youtu.be/zBoeXP1q_nU

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...

(Even if the following (sent to me by my friend Gordon) is not "true", it makes for a good read) IN A PURDUE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM, THEY WERE DISCUSSING THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. IT WAS PRETTY SIMPLE -- THE CANDIDATE MUST BE A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN AT LEAST 35 YEARS OF AGE. HOWEVER, ONE GIRL IN THE CLASS IMMEDIATELY STARTED IN ON HOW UNFAIR WAS THE REQUIREMENT TO BE A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN. IN SHORT, HER OPINION WAS THAT THIS REQUIREMENT PREVENTED MANY CAPABLE INDIVIDUALS FROM BECOMING PRESIDENT. THE CLASS WAS TAKING IT IN AND LETTING HER RANT, AND NOT A FEW JAWS HIT THE FLOOR WHEN SHE WRAPPED UP HER ARGUMENT BY STATING, "WHAT MAKES A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN ANY MORE QUALIFIED TO LEAD THIS COUNTRY THAN ONE BORN BY C-SECTION?"