Povey Prattle

And, sitting down, they watched Him there, The soldiers did; There, while they played with dice, He made His Sacrifice, And died upon the Cross to rid God’s world of sin. He was a gambler too, my Christ, He took His life and threw It for a world redeemed. And ere His agony was done, And before the westering sun went down, Crowning that day with its crimson crown, He knew that He had won. Geoffrey A. Studdert Kennedy  1883- 1929.    Priest and Poet, British Army Chaplain in World War I,   Christian Socialist. 

All I needed to repair a chair was one bolt, one nut, and one washer. Fortunately I had an alternative to those Big Box  DYI stores where nuts, bolts, washers etc are sold in clamshell containers, each containing about a dozen of the articles. Yes, I went to ACE hardware.  In that store there are scores of small drawers, each carefully labelled, where you can buy all manner of nuts, bolts, screws, washers etc – in whatever quantity you need, And ACE provides cool little brown paper bags in which you place your purchases, and on which you write the quantity, and the price. Is that cool?  You’re darn right it is. I bought one bolt, one washer, and one washer for the princely sum of 81cents, (plus tax). No waste!  Good stewardship.  Thank you ACE.

I, with you, do not understand the male  prerogative  to rape.  It's all very odd, and skewed in the direction of male erections. I mean " 15 seconds of ejaculatory bliss for a MALE.....      followed by a lifetime of misery for a FEMALE".   Shit   --  that's so frigging unjust.  WTF

Outside my backdoor (20 Outside my backdoor ,(1) Once in a while I am graced by the visit of some Sandhill Cranes.  They (in my opinion) are amongst the most beautiful and elegant of birds/water fowl.  Sandhill Cranes mate for life. When they have a chick they take care of it (male or female) for a long time.  So we often see these fabulous birds in companies of three (never in flocks). Earlier today I heard a grating, almost hoarse, and quite unpleasant call near my home. It attracted the attention of my two cats and my dog. Yes indeed it was the calling of two Sandhill Cranes who were just outside of my back door. Lord above, they are beautiful. Lord above, they have ugly calls. It’s a bit like meeting  Britney Spears, and discovering that she sounds like Phyllis Diller. But I rejoice in the beauty of these Cranes.  Thanks be to Evolution/ ”God”. Photo via my friend Bill Byers

At the behest of my good dermatologist  I will have some Blue Light treatment on March 25th in the hope that some of my precancerous spots on my pate will be destroyed. The treatment is simple and painless  (look it up).. However, after the treatment I will need to stay inside,  and away from direct sunlight for 48 hours. I can live with that, but it is not so easy for my beloved pooch Penne. She will need to get out and about to pee and to poop whilst I am in semi-purdah. My dear friends Ron and Charlotte Thompson  have come to the rescue..  Penne will stay with them until the 48 hours are  completed . I can live with that!

It was five years ago today that I adopted Penne from the Sarasota County Humane Society.   That was one of the best decisions of my life. The County issued  license said that she was seven years old. My vet, when he first examined her said that he thought her to be younger, based on the condition of her teeth. So I am choosing to say the she is ten years old  (although perhaps she is twelve). Penne has given me such wonderful companionship.  I have given her a home where she is secure, and where she is treated with loving care. She rarely lets me out of her sight, and I love it when all I have to do is to look at her -  and her tail will begin a-wagging. . Penne will not sleep on my bed overnight.  But very soon after I have arisen she takes to my bed.   There she rests until our  first morning walk