Povey Prattle

My friend and former colleague the Revd Manny Faria (Rector since 1999 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Beverly, MA) is in Hamilton, Scotland with his wife LouAnn. They are there for a wedding.  The bride is the daughter of a Scottish Episcopal Church Rector and his wife. The Scottish Rector will walk his daughter down the aisle.  Manny will officiate at the marriage service. Manny and LouAnn's presence in Hamilton brought back 60 year old memories. Back then, in the days before T.V. in the U.K., and with the BBC having a virtual monopoly on radio, we would, on Saturday evenings, listen to the Football results. Most football games were played on Saturday afternoons. They were announced in solemn tones by a BBC announcer. First, the English League (including two teams in Wales) with its four divisions - with the first division being the top clubs, and the fourth division being the less successful clubs.  At the end of the season promotion or relegation was poss...

If you read my Blog or Face book posting yesterday you will recall that I had a great experience with some of the staff at the Hilton Durham (near Duke University). The front desk, shuttle'bus, maintenance and housekeeping staff were terrific. They know the blessing of hospitality, that's because with one exception they were all black. The black American response to white American racism is often disarming and radical hospitality. You will be surprised to know that the management staff were all white 😬😩 What a shocker  ( tongue in cheek). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A goodly proportion of this particular Hilton's guests were black.  This caused my mind to go back in history. It is within my life time that black Americans would have been hard pressed to find a Hotel in Durham, in all of the southern States, and in many places in the north, There was de jure segregation in the former confedera...

I left SRQ on the first flight of the day at 6:00 a.m.  Delta to ATL, and then Delta again from ATL to RDU. If I have to travel via ATL  (which is almost  unavoidable when flying from SRQ) (everyone goes to heaven or to hell but we all change in Atlanta) I prefer an early flight before the skies around ATL get too busy. Both flights left on time and arrived on time.  I've had good luck with Delta and I usually pay a wee bit extra to use "Delta Comfort".  The seats are wider, the leg room is better, one's first bag is checked free, and the seats are near the front or the aircraft which makes for a speedy exit. Once in Raleigh  I picked up my rental car from I chose a Nissan Altima I have never owned or driven a Nissan.  I was extremely pleased with the comfort and ride of the Altima (once I figured out that with key-less entry and ignition you have to press down the brake before the engine will start. I decided at the last m...

For once I am grateful for the G.O.P. Senators. There is good ole Mitch He is very good at getting G.O.P Senators to say NO.   (what a destructive force he is), but he cannot get those Senators to say YES. (The politics of NO is the easy bit). And I am a wee bit grateful for the few G.O.P. Senators who will not allow the Tea Party Tail to wag the entire G.O.P Senatorial Dog. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Poodle Vice-President Poodle (Pence) was allowed to speak today. He was brilliant.  He said that Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) has failed.  But he failed to give any explanation as to why he thinks this is so. (Agreed that the Affordable Care Act needs improvement [most Acts do!]) but the G.O.P. has no vision, no plan for improvements) For the J ust Say NO G.O.P.   is hell bent on undoing any of President Obama's successes,  simply because he w...

The Estonian woman is Kadi Kool.  I am the Englishman. Here we are in 2016 Here we are in 2016, but our most recent lunch date was on Sunday 16th July 2017. After Church at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Raleigh, N.C. http://www.htcraleigh.org Kadi and I went out for lunch. So, where would a woman of Estonian heritage and and English man choose to eat in Raleigh, N.C.? At a Lebanese Restaurant of course you silly people! http://www.neomonde.com Here we feasted.  My mind took me back to my visit to Lebanon where I stayed with the wonderful Asfour family some years ago. Of course I thought of the food, and especially of the best tabbouleh I have ever eaten, made by Rula Asfours mother. Tabbouleh (stock photo') No wonder that Kadi and I enjoyed the food at Neomonde in Raleigh. After we had eaten I took myself to the restaurants' store in search of Lebanese delicacies. There I encountered an employee named Abdullah who helped me to find what I...

I had an excellent three day/two night visit to the Raleigh/Durham area. I was able to see and eat with my friends from Pittsfield days, Kadi Kool and George Blaisdell, Jr ( I saw them in Feb 2016 too). The chief reason for my visit was the consecration of Sam Rodman III  as Bishop of North Carolina. The service in the Duke Chapel was spectacular. I saw old Massachusetts friends Bishops Mark Hollingsworth, Gayle Harris and Barbara Harris; Karen Coleman, Jeff Mello. Debby Phillips et al. Aside from the consecration itself (and the powerful sermon by Bishop Gayle Harris (she wuoted Bishop Barbara Harris who at Gayle's own consecration said " there will be days when being a Bishop will be richly rewarding, and there will be other days when it will be like trying to put panty-hose on an octopus!" ------------------------Aside from that it was a deep joy to see Sam's mother Mary Jane for the first time in at least twenty years, and his sisters Mikey (Mary Kate)...