Ramblings of a sentimental old duffer.

1.  When I look at my dog Penne and call her name she wags her tail with enthusiasm. 
 
Sometimes I do not have to say a single word to evoke her tail wagging -  a look in her direction is more than enough to make her happy.
 
But I get teary eyed at the thought that she was deposited at an animal shelter just over five years ago. 
 
 I think "who were the damn idiots who left her there, why did they not appreciate her".
 
My thoughts move on.
 
"Wow", I say, "what god-incidence led to Penne being left at Sarasota's Humane Society just at the time when I decided to adopt a dog?'
 
Penne brings so much pleasure to my life.

2. "God willing and if the crick don't rise" I'll be in England a few weeks from now, there to enjoy my 70th birthday.
 
It will be a blessing to be with my eight siblings.  Most of all I will rejoice to see our "big sister" Maureen.  She is a fabulous woman who, with her husband Bernard, brings joy and blessing to so many of their family members and church friends,
 
Maureen and Bern, together with my beloved youngest brother Martyn and his wife Wendy will join me on a cruise from England to Norway and back.  Whoope-dee-doo!
 
The prospect of this time with my big sister and my little brother (with their spouses) also brings tears to these old eyes.
Location: Europe

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