Povey Prattle

  Sign on the door of my local  (but now sadly closed -  nothing to do with COVID) Bank of America branch.

  Back at the end of February I had a consultation with a Bariatric Doctor and her Dietician,  not about weight loss or dieting; but about sensible eating - low in carbs and starches - but high in protein, alongside  fresh fruits and veggies. Sensible eating:  I am  not dieting.  I am  eating wisely. It's been well worth while.  I feel so very well, with renewed energy.   A side benefit has been the loss of more than 20 lbs in weight. Here is my lunch for today  (and the next three days - I have no problem with eating the same lunch dish three or four days in a row). In a baking dish: Cod fillets, covered with chopped yellow and red peppers, and mushrooms. On top of which there is steamed and mashed cauliflower, plus a wee bit of grated cheese. Baked for 35 mins at 360 f.  NOT BAD! I am slightly obsessed  with mashed cauliflower, as a low starch  alternative to mashed spuds. My cousin J despises cauliflower, so she thinks that I am a wee bit loopy.  (She is  correct!)

  Sinclair Gas/Petrol  Can  (Is Sinclair is now out of business?) The Sinclair Electric Trike 1985; a a bold but unsuccessful innovation -------------------------------------------------------------------------- But what about  Sinclair (as a first or last name)? Thanks to my Face Book friend the Revd. Mark De C.  I learned that it is derived from Saint Claire   of Assisi  the friend and co-worker of St. Francis of Assisi.  I'd never before made that connection . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It makes sense. For instance,  in my evangelical background there was a  revered  Elder  with the name Harold St. John.  We evangelicals all knew  that his last name was pronounced Singin, rather than Saint John. And when I moved to be the Rector at St. James's in Cambridge, MA (2000)  the Senior Warden's name was St. John Smith. I knew well enough to call him Singin, rather than Saint  John. Contrar

  My day began with joy.   I had an appointment this with Dr Charles Stewart,  an Orthopedist at Turned out that the pain which I thought had been in my right hip, was in fact a condition known as:   Sacroiliitis:  an inflammation of one or both of the  sacroiliac joints.  It is a condition  which is intermittent and will never need surgery.  It responds well to Ibuprofen.  PHEW! Phew indeed, but long before I saw an R.N., a Radiologist, or the Doctor I was greeted by the two young women at the reception desk. Despite their masks I could see the bright and engaging smiles in their eyes. Wonderful, and energizing! A most joyful beginning to the day!    I told them so, and said that I might stop by every morning to start my day out right! I also took care to tell Dr. Stewart that the front desk staff made all the difference. ------------------------------------------------------------- And there is also beauty which can lift our spirits in this increasingly miserable world. Take this vid

  My essential friend was about to give up the ghost.  So sad. It is the A/C unit which I had installed about 12 years ago.  Enough was enough after those years of faithful service, even though I had hoped that it would outlive me. It was refusing to lower the indoor temp. below 82f. I could have opted for a $3000 repair, but it's a bit like having an old car: "when do you you decide that the recurring costs of repairs are not a good investment?" So today I invested in a new unit, at a cost of just over $6,000.  Thank goodness that I have a savings account which is dedicated to necessary home repairs and renewals. The new unit (on the roof of my single story Condo) was installed, and up and running in three hours. God willing this one will  outlive me! The workers arrive. Last time I had a new unit installed it needed a crane to hoist it to the roof. This time the workers used a sophisticated hoist. My "master bedroom"  has an access point to the loft, situated

  We can't hop on a plane to travel the world; but we can travel by taste: To Andalusia There the speciality is what was once a poor peoples' food - Gazpacho. 'Tis wonderful.  I sometimes make it from scratch.  Or I buy it at the famous Tampa based restaurant "The Columbia", which claims to have an "original" recipe. Sublime! Sarasota residents can get it at the St. Armands Circle branch of the Columbia  (call in your order and pick it up ).   If you are nowhere near to Tampa, FL you will be able to find recipes for Columbia style Gazpacho on line.   -------------------------------------------------------- It was between 2000 and 2006 that I learned to love Goat Curry,  I was the Rector at  St. James's, Cambridge, MA  where we had a goodly number of Jamaican and Bajan (Barbadan) parishioners who could be relied upon to make it for our parish pot-luck suppers.  So darned good! ---------------------------------- In 2009  I was in England for my 65th bi