More travel

I am just off to Lynchburg VA  (think the late Jerry Falwell!) for the marriage of Zhera Asghar to Noah Bonsey,   Noah and his family were/are parishioners at St. James's, Cambridge, MA

I was last in Lynchburg in 1975.  My then girl friend Anne and I were on the second leg of what turned out to be a 9,500 mile trip around the U.S.A. and Canada by 'bus.

We stopped in Lynchburg for the 'bus to be re-0fuelled and/or cleaned.  There was time for breakfast. Since this was my first foray into the South I decided to have grits  (for the first time)

They were about as exciting as stale bread in warm milk.

It was maybe six years ago that I was driving from Sarasota to Beaufort SC to spend Christmas with the Hauler family.  With me was my Brasilian friend Gabriel.

We had an early start, and cut across the State, avoiding inter-states.  My breakfast time we were in the aptly named town of Stark, FL.  (There is a State prison there - the venue for judicial executions).

We had few choices for breakfast so we went in to an IHOP.  The food was surprisingly "more than O.K.".

The menu featured grits.  Gabriel asked me what they were.  I tried to explain, then I gave up.

"I can't explain them to you" I said to Gabriel, "so let's order some to share".

They were about as exciting as stale bread in warm milk. 

Much better will be a joyful time with Noah and Zehra and their families, together with other guests from Cambridge.

Back in touch on Sunday

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There will be grits in Lynchburg, so I may have a "memorial" serving.

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