Povey Prattle

I was with my pals Ben and Bob last night and "all out of the blue" I remembered Battenberg (or Battenburg) cake. It was one of my favourites when I was a child.  I think that I enjoyed the marzipan wrapping more than the cake itself. The "cake authorities" are divided as to the origin of the name "Battenberg Cake" (they cannot even agree whether it should be Battenberg or Battenburg!). Some think that the cake was made for the wedding of one or the other of the two children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who married into the (German) Battenberg family. Others think that after the marriage of Vicky to Albert the British cake makers copied the German style of making cakes, and that Victoria Regina asserted that British makers of the marzipan encrusted  and other cakes were as good, if not better than German bakers. Battenberg cake looks like this (Damn, it's so good  -  at least  in memory). Here is the recipe   http://www.bb...

Don't forget to fall-back on Saturday night or Sunday morning. We are returning to standard time  (thank goodness)

1. A couple of weeks ago at the Prayer Service which I lead at Sarasota's "Resurrection House" one homeless man prayed "for those who are less fortunate than we are". An amazing prayer from a homeless man. 2. Last Wednesday at "Res House" a man prayed a long and rambling prayer which concluded with the words "so God, do the best you can, which I know you will". What a delight.  Asking God to "do the best she/can".  Funny and touching. 3. S.P. is one of my friends.  He is a forty-something African American and a solid family man.  (He and his wife have two children).  S.P. works as the circulation manager for a New England small town newspaper. Earlier  today, as part of his job, he was emptying a coin operated box from which locals can buy a paper. (We have them in many American towns). S.P. was immediately set upon by an older white man, who accused him of stealing money from the box.  The man refused to believe that my...

Halloween used to be a bit of fun and nonsense in American culture. It has now been commercialised and exported to the four corners of the earth. So be it.  The "market" is in control. But the market"  has also determined that a bit of harmless fun and nonsense has been transformed into a celebration of the dark side. I hate this , with the "zombies", the "living dead", the shocking faux-cruelties etc. What in human nature favours the dark side:  cruelty, misery, fear and the like? Is our culture acting out a collective death wish?  I suspect so. I wish to God that the "market" would pay more attention to the celebration of joy and life which is Easter , than to the misery, death, darkness, and  hopelessness which Halloween highlights.

I had a fine late lunch/early dinner at the Hillview Grill in SRQ today. My choice was a spinach salad which was excellent. Dining with me were Pittsfield and St. Stephen's Parish friends  Kay and Barbara Dohoney (year round in S.W.FL.) and Tom Dillon (part time here and part time Pittsfield). What fun! ====================================================== Bob and Virginia live in the neighbouring Glen Oaks Garden Condominiums. They are snow birds who spend their summers in West Virginia. In other seasons I encounter them in our daily morning walks. Bob and Virginia (in their 80's?) walk for five miles each day. I used to call them "Mr. and Mrs. Pickle Face"  for they always looked so stern and stiff.  Once we started chatting I discovered that they are delightful and charming folks (don't judge a book by its covers). Given their age I often wonder if they will be back come Fall.  Well they are back and we rejoiced to see each other last Sunday mor...

Before alarm clocks, there were knocker-uppers.  Mary Smith earned sixpence a week shooting dried peas at sleeping workers' windows.  Limehouse Fields, London

Some of you will remember that earlier this year I spent a great weekend with my neighbours Ed Green and Eddie Palmer at their second home in Hendersonville, N.C. The two Eds  told me that they planned to spend two weeks in October at a time share in Hancock MA. -  in Berkshire County. I gave them a list of  "must sees" including the Clark Art Museum in Williamstown, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, the Hancock Shaker Village, Tanglewood in Lenox  ( grounds worth walking even when the Boston Symphony Orchestra is not in residence), Chesterwood in Stockbridge (home of Daniel Chester French - sculptor (amongst many things) of the Abraham Lincoln statue in Washington D.C.) I also suggested a visit to St. Stephen's Parish in Pittsfield (where I was Rector from 1984 - 2000) perhaps merely to see the fabulous windows by Tiffany and by Mary Tillinghast, but maybe also to be present for the Sunday Eucharist. They took up my suggestion and were present ...