Povey Prattle

    The following (after  ***)  is a tender and accurate Boston Globe story about the death of my Bishop, the Rt. Revd M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE. (Click on the link, or read the text). First, my comments: (For those who are not Episcopalians/Anglicans – yes there are monks and nuns [ spiritual brothers   and sisters]   who are members of various monastic and conventual “orders” in the Anglican Communion.   Bishop Shaw was a monk in one of those orders “The Society of St. John the Evangelist”, hence SSJE.. When I was appointed to be the Rector at St. James’s, Cambridge, MA in August 2000, Bishop Shaw welcomed me with open arms.   Although I had never served under his leadership he somehow knew a bit about me, and he was delighted that I would serve St. James’s. Bishop Shaw became the Bishop of a divided and fractious Diocese of Massachusetts in Jan 1995. His servant leadership led to deep unity within the Diocese, and a renewal of God’s mission through the Church:   t

Golden Rain Tree with gorgeous and abundant seed pods 1   Golden Rain Tree with gorgeous and abundant seed pods 2   Golden Rain Tree with gorgeous and abundant seed pods 3   Fabulous Live Oak, now sadly stressed   Autumnal grasses 1   Autumnal Grasses 2   Bismarck Palm  (my favourite of all the Palms)   Neighbour across the street is quite the artist     Penne checks her pee-mail   Just before sunset 1   Western sky clouds just before sunset 1   Western sky clouds just before sunset  2   Western sky clouds just before sunset 3

Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can. If I were to identify some of the characteristics of my soul, patience would not be at the top of the list. I would describe my chief characteristics as "anxious", and "worrisome". But I have learned to be patient.  That learning is rooted in the very many flights I have taken in which things have gone wrong, leading to endless delays at various airports, and several diversions of my flights in progress. Each time I have been comforted by this thought: "you have never NOT gotten home, so relax and stop fretting".    That's a learned patience. ----------------------------------------------- I took my car to the local car-wash the other day.  The world and her husband had the same idea.  So I had to wait, and wait, and wait for my car to be washed and detailed. When all was done the car wash manager said "thanks for your patience". I responded "I was not truly patient, but I faked

I am to undergo a nuclear stress test on Tuesday 14th October 2014 at 9:45 a.m.   see  www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/nuclear-stress-test/basics/definition/prc-20012978   (My test will not be at the Mayo Clinic but at the office of the Heart Specialists of Sarasota).   Nowadays such tests are almost routine.  Nonetheless I am a wee bit apprehensive about this.  I am not sure if my apprehension is because I will not be able to start my day with good coffee (!!!), or because there are risks associated with the test.   (My youngest and dearest brother had a very negative reaction to his Nuclear Stress Test -  leading to a scary visit to the Emergency Room).   So, I am apprehensive and fairly nervous.    Under the canon of "Belt and Braces"/ "Belt and Suspenders" my friends Ron and Char will stand by to take care of Penne and the Cats should there be complications on the morrow.   No news will be good news tomorrow.

According to our local newspaper ( the Sarasota Herald-Tribune)  we are supposed to be breathless with excitement as we await the opening of a new  "upscale" mall in Sarasota later this week. The unimaginatively named "University Town Center"  is the first new mall to be built in these United States since 2012  (now ain't that something?"). It has cost $350 million dollars to build, it covers 888,000 square feet  (about 73 acres), and it will have some 4,000 parking spaces. The paper has been giving UTC much free advertising during the recent few weeks under the guise of "news reports".  Message from Mall Developers  to Newspaper:   " You scratch our back and we will scratch yours". The Mall is situated in an already crowded area, with four other shopping plazas, and a multitude of pricey and soul-less  residential communities.   (Siberia with  nice lawns, fancy street lights, and golf courses). As for the Mall itself -  well,