Povey Prattle

I went to my other Church this morning (17th January 2015).   It is known to the public as "Trader Joe's". My plan was to buy no more, nor less than their high quality canned dog and cat food. Sinner that I am,  I allowed my eyes to wander over the cheese section. I gave into my food lust and bought 1lb 10oz of "Cave Aged Cheddar Cheese".  I could hardly resist, for the label stated "Aged in the famous Wookey Hole Caves".   Wookey Hole is a village near Wells, Somerset, U.K.  Although I have visited Wells and its splendid Cathedral many times, I have never gotten to the famous caves at Wookey Hole (even though the village is a mere nineteen miles away from my natal City of Bristol).   But I have been to Cheddar, Somerset, U.K. many times; to enjoy the famous gorge, (and as a school-boy on a field trip)  to enter the limestone caves with their marvelous stalactites. (I have seen similar caves with stalactites in Lebanon).  ...

1.  So there they were today in the White House:  President Obama, pretending to be Franklin Delano Roosevelt,  and David Cameron, pretending to be Winston Churchill. (The Employers' "new clothes?") 2.  CNN  (Cable Network News) used to be a trusted source for international news (remember their splendid coverage of the massacre  in  Tiananmen Square?) Now CNN is no more than a shill for governmental propaganda regarding "terrorism".  Their coverage today has consisted of a hashing and re-hashing of so-called news (with a ton of opinion and speculation)  about so-called terrorist cells in Belgium and France. I used to respect Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper of CNN, as faithful and honest reporters. Now I have come to understand that they are no more than propagandists for the powers that be. 3.  The public/popular  media in the U.S.A. (and probably in the U.K .)  wants us to believe that the human race...

A huge flock in a nearby tree, chattering up a storm.   They descended onto the grass at the back of my condo., and fed furiously.   Then, off they went.   I am guessing that they were starlings.   Here are some photo's, which are not as clear as I would wish, but I had to take them through windows from inside.    If I had opened the door to get a better "snap"  I am sure that they would have bolted.        

On the other hand... YESTERDAY I was assailed by that ill-tempered man who claimed that Penne had "crapped" on the grass behind his Villa. TODAY I went to the back of beyond in Sarasota County at an outfit called Lincare to get some filters for my CPAP machine. I was helped by a employee named Tina who asked "And how is your dog?" I had previously met Tina when she came to my home in March 2014 to help me set up the CPAP machine. Now, almost ten months later she (with fondness) remembered Penne. That made me feel good. On the other hand... YESTERDAY a hapless neighbour drove his Jeep SUV into our pond. TODAY "pondside" I spotted two Roseate Spoonbills. I've seen these gorgeous waterfowl in the shallow waters of Florida's west coast intra-coastal waterway, but never before in my neck of the woods. I stood to admire and enjoy them for about two minutes. Then they took off in flight (a first for me, I had...

He moved into our neighbourhood about two years ago. I can see his home from my front door. "He" is a sixty-something military retiree. I have never cared for his behaviour. He struts around wearing gym shorts, whilst shirtless. (It is not a pleasant sight.) He does push-ups on his driveway, even more unpleasant to behold. He drives a throaty and noisy Camero, and also a loud Hog, revving it up and over as he cruises our street. I think of him as an ageing teenager with too much testosterone (real or faked). I have never spoken to him. He arrived at my front door, all un-announced at 12:20 today. Without a word of greeting he yelled "the next time your dog craps on the grass behind my villa, pick it up". I protested (with vigour) and said " I have never walked behind your villa (true), and I always pick up my dog's poop (also true). As he retreated down my driveway I said (with even more vigour), "please make sure of your facts be...

"One skillet meals" are perfect for those of us who live alone So I made a "one skillet meal" for lunch today. I started by sautéing five or six stalks of asparagus (cut into 3" pieces), and a heaping handful of edamame (soy) beans in a tablespoon (American size) of butter. Then I added a three or four ounce portion of lean sirloin steak, and continued the sautéing until the steak was medium rare. The prep. and cooking time was no more than ten minutes. The one skillet meal itself was delicious. It was most probably a reasonably healthy meal. It was certainly a quick and easy meal for a bachelor who lives alone. (and the "clean up" was simplicity itself. ) : one skillet, one plate, one knife and one fork!

1.   Sermons are essentially oral presentations.  So when we read a sermon we do not see:   (a)  The body language of the preacher ( I "dance" and move my arms about a great deal when I preach).  I could not preach were my hands tied behind my back.   (b)  The variations in tone, speed, and volume of the preacher's voice.   (c)  The ways in which the preacher looks (or does not look)  at the congregation as she/he preaches.   (d) The pauses between sentences and phrases which the preacher uses.   (e)  The connection (or lack of connection) between the preacher and the congregation on any given Sunday.   2.  The preacher has no idea of what will be "heard".  It will most likely NOT be what he/she thinks is the main point of the sermon.   For instance, re my sermon at St. Boniface Church, Siesta Key, FL this morning.  This is what I heard after the service:...