Povey Prattle

LUNCH TODAY A mixture of Mustard, Turnip, and Collard greens (with Spinach),   (graciously packed and ready to cook via Trader Joe's),     steamed for twenty minutes,  with a handful of Sugar Snap Peas added in the last three minutes to provide a bit of "crunch", Together with some broiled wild Salmon (about 3 oz.), and a few slices of broiled Tomato - (using  up some  "love apple"   before it went bad) Of course, a splash of Malt Vinegar on the cooked  greens and peas before eating them. Darned good food, and I venture to say: - "darned good and healthy food "

Loving God I pray that your grace and mercy may precede, follow, and be around me this day. I pray that this grace and mercy may also be within me. Save me, I pray, from anger, from despair, and from bitterness. Set a watch on my tongue, so that my words may speak only of grace and mercy. This I ask through Jesus, my Saviour and Lord.  AMEN Copyright, J. Michael Povey, 24th April  2015

This  morning my friend and former colleague, Fred Emrich and I  enjoyed lunch  at the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armand's Circle,  Sarasota, FL. The "Columbia", founded in Ybor City, Tampa FL  has a great history, see: http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/fl_oldestrest.asp I have twice been to the Ybor City restaurant  (it  takes up a whole City block)  and is gorgeous. See this: http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/gallery_ybor.asp How wonderful that it has not been "improved" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred and I enjoy each others' company.  His wife Diana  (who is blessed to be English!), stayed at home so that the guys could natter. Fred and I each ordered the same lunch: a half Cuban sandwich, and a cup of  Gazpacho:   The menu describes them thus:  Gazpacho Andalucia Spain’s famous cold soup of puree of ripe tomatoes, green peppers, onions, ...

From Shakespeare.   This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in a silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings, Feared by their breed and famous by their birth ...

Yesterday (20th April 2015)  I went to the Plymouth Harbour Retirement community in SRQ to share in conversation, coffee, and prayer with  a St. Boniface parishioner "L". L and her late husband F were regulars at the "early service"  at St. Boniface on Siesta Key, Sarasota FL., (the service which I most frequently attend). They took a wonderful three week trip to France last August.  Within a few days of their return to SRQ,  F. began to feel unwell. The un-wellness was serious.  F had a ghastly cancer, which led to his death, just six months later. I attended his memorial service.   There I learned that F. was a remarkable man (not just a man with whom I shared greetings each Sunday) , but a man who'd had a storied career; who was a devoted and beloved father, who had a curious mind; who was a skilled photographer, hunter, boatsman, and fisherman. At that service I was saddened that I had not known him better, and that I had not been ab...

On my way home from Vietnam a couple of years ago I clambered into my business class bed on a United Airlines flight from Tokyo to L.A. As I was settling, in a flight attendant walked by, and as she did so, she tickled my left foot.  So strange. Last Wednesday as I was awaiting surgery (much delayed because the clinic had run out of oxygen), the Surgeon passed by, and as he so did, he "shook"  my left foot, as if it were my left hand. A bit later, the O.R. nurse also grabbed the same foot as she passed by. OHMYGOODNESS  It seems that I have a very attractive left foot. Should I set up a booth at the Saturday Farmer's Market in SRQ with a sign reading "grab, shake, or tickle my left foot for $5" ? I await your wise replies.