Povey Prattle

My Cambridge friend Sarah F encouraged me to get together with Philbert Kalisa, an Anglican Priest from Rwanda who had recently been a guest in her home. Philbert has a ministry of reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis in his home land.  He is in Sarasota to visit  family members who live here. So he and I had lunch together today.  It was a delightful encounter. As we talked we found many connections. *  He did post ordination training at Trinity (Theological) College in Bristol U.K., my home City. * When in  Bristol he spearheaded outreach ministries at Christ Church, Clifton  -- the very parish which I attended in my early Anglican days.  Christ Church was where I was confirmed, and was the parish which set me on the path to ordination. He and I both remember the Revd. Paul Berg who was the Vicar of Christ Church when I was a Theological Student.   Philbert served at Christ Church after my time there, so our paths ne...

Cindy, Wes and I  enjoyed being together  for lunch today at Brassiere Honore. No, it's not a fancy French place, instead it is the Cafe within the humongous Whole Foods market at University Parkway and Honore Ave in Sarasota. Wes and I had the Lamb Sausage sandwich (in a baguette), with Frites. I was not impressed. The sandwich had all too much baguette, and all too little sausage (which itself was very dry, and had perhaps had but a passing acquaintance with lamb). The frites were good! Food aside, it was so good to be with these good friends. I am not too fond of Whole Foods.  I believe that their success has been a triumph of marketing over substance - a place for the professionally liberal middle classes, but not for the hard scrabble and hard working working classes. The Company has now been acquired by AMAZON  -  this gives me pause for rueful thought.  (The University/Honore store even has a special check out for Amazon Prime...

Dain Perry, Bishop Perry's grandson reminds me that the good Bishop died in 1947 not 1946 as I stated. Dain and I were born in the same year which means that I will be 74 soon, just a week before he attains that age. Dain also told me that his father, the Revd. DeWolf Perry had a seat in a corner at King George VI's coronation, from which he had a great view of the King and Queen. Many Episcopalians, lay and ordained,will be familiar with the book.  It was very frequently to be found in Church sacristies. It was the semi authoritative text for Altar Guild members.  Edith Weir Perry was the wife of Bishop James DeWolf Perry. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traces of the Trade.(Dain Perry far left) Dain and some of his cousins knew that their extended clan was rooted in the wealth of their common ancestor James DeWolf 1764-1837 a notorious slave trader from Bristol R.I. Yes, the American north ...

James DeWolf Perry was the (Episcopal Church) Bishop of Rhode Island (1911-1946), and the Presiding Bishop in the Episcopal Church (1930-1937).   He was the last Presiding Bishop who was not required    to leave his Diocesan  Episcopate upon becoming Presiding Bishop. I never knew him (he died in 1946) but I own something which he owned (see below). I knew, loved and respected his oldest son, the Revd. DeWolf Perry.  More about that later. Presiding Bishop Perry got to know the C of E Archbishop of York William Temple  (later of Canterbury).  Their friendship led to the younger Perry (my friend) becoming an Honorary Chaplain to Archbishop Temple at the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. Get that current Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.  A Coronation trumps a wedding! Young DeWolf Perry's honorary role in the 1937 Coronation became newsworthy in the U.S.A. press. He was described as America's most eligible Bachelor! ...

........ spoil my dog. He's the only one I've allowed to sleep on the sofas  until now...  but .....his drool is not good for the leather. I've taken preventative measures. I am sure that my human guests will be happy to sit on the floor. P.S.  I've discovered that my Furminator works well to remove dog hair from the car mats.

Bought a couple of  Samosas at Whole Foods Market today.  Utterly delicious.    ----------------------------------------------------------------- Saw some decently priced caps at my local Publix today.  I bought one since my Bergen, Norway cap was in poor shape, The young man at the check out had no idea of the meaning of SRQ, so he asked me. It's simple.  At one time the identification letters for our Sarasota Airport  were simply SR.  When it was decided that airports should be identified by three letters the Q was arbitrarily added to Sarasota , just as the Los Angeles Airport's LA was made into LA X, SRQ has become a shorthand reference to the the City as well as to the official F.A.A airport name.   Zion was not overjoyed to wear my new cap.