Povey Prattle

The people of the United States are besotted with their Burgers.  What used to be an occasional treat, or a welcome summer barbecue item, has now become an essential part of daily eating. Note the proliferation of fast food burger joints -  not just the now old fashioned McDonalds, Wendy's and Burger King, but now (in our area) Culvers, Smash Burger, and the one which is not "Four Guys or Six Guys but somewhere in between".  This massive consumption of beef is not good for the human digestive system.  It is bad for the environment (razing ancient forests to become Cattle Ranches etc). The other day I went with my good friend A. to have lunch at the one which is not "Four Guys or Six Guys but somewhere in between" .   I ordered a BLT.  It was horrible, consisting of a lot of bacon, not much lettuce or tomato,  served in a cold and poor quality Hamburger Bun.   Maybe I was foolish to order a BLT in a Hamburger join...

With thanks to the friend who first posted this on Face Book  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I could have been here. 6:00 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs (truly) at Arlington Park. Instead I went here -  the Restaurant at Marina Jack. An early celebration of my 75th birthday  (very early it's not for a couple of months);   and a fond au revoir to friends who are moving from Sarasota. Cindy and Wes Wasdyke who will be moving to Chapel Hill, N.C. Ann Albritton who will be moving to Thomasville GA Ted and Judy Copland who will be moving to a new home, but will be staying in SRQ

Natalie Helm the Principal Cellist with the Sarasota Orchestra (and my neighbour) also plays her cello for animals at the Humane Society of Sarasota County shelter. Zion did not live there when the following photo's and video were posted, but he would have liked it! Truly the Cello is an instrument with a wonderfully rich "voice" (together with the French Horn). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is also an amateur  video of  Natalie at the Shelter. Click on the blurry picture at the top of this link to view it https://people.com/pets/watch-florida-shelter-dogs-get-culture-and-stay-calm-thanks-to-devoted-cellist/

This is a follow up to my earlier post about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the visit of my friend Kadi Kool see  https://jmichaelpovey-retiredpoveinsarasota.blogspot.com/2019/04/it-doesnt-get-any-better-than-this.html I remembered  that Natalie Helm (Principal Cellist for the Sarasota Symphony) is a neighbour. I took a chance and stopped by the home she shares with her boyfriend and manager,  to thank her for Sunday's Concert.  She was "tickled pink"! I am still on Cloud Nine with the joy of the Beethoven Nine!

..... or "that was the weekend that was"  (actually Saturday to Monday). The occasion was a visit from my dear friend Kadi Kool who lives now in Raleigh N.C. , but is a friend from my St. Stephen's, Pittsfield, MA days  (1986-2000).  There I knew Kadi, her wonderful mother the late Juta Kool, and her father Boris. Juta was  Estonians who fled that country by foot when the Red Army advanced on Estonia at the end of WWII.  She got to what were then called "Displaced Persons Camps" and in due course was admitted to the U.S.A.  Kadi loves and respects her Estonian heritage, and is fluent in the language. I (with an Estonian Lutheran Pastor) officiated at Kadi's marriage to Jorge Vasquez (from Peru).  So Kadi and I go back a long way.  Over the years we had lost contact, but we re-connected about six years ago. During those years I have twice been in the Raleigh/Durham area.  Each time I went to Church with Kadi and enjoyed her compan...