Povey Prattle

  1992, St. Stephen's Parish, Pittsfield. A service to commemorate the Centennial of the Consecration of the building by Bishop Phillips Brooks of Massachusetts; one of only two buildings he consecrated in what is now the Diocese of Western Mass. (The other is St. John's Athol) I asked the "Mother Diocese" if one of the Dio. Mass Bishops would help us to mark the anniversary - hoping that it would be Bishop Barbara Harris. It was! Here she is with Bishop Denig - Diocesan Bishop at that time; with his predecessors: Bishops Wissemann and Stewart; and with yours truly. Glory Hallelujah, all well and good, except that I booked Bishop Harris in to the Village Inn in Lenox, MA, owned at that time by a gay Episcopal Priest Ray Wilson, and his partner Cliff Rudisell. They were honoured to welcome her. She was not so sure. It was a non smoking establishment!

  I do not do well when parking my car.  I find it hard to place my car immediately between the lines at a parking lot, and often find that I am parked at an awkward angle. And I often do not go far enough into the space, so that the back end of my car is protruding into the lot. As for reverse parking?   I am more likely to become a republican  than to do it well.  ( Not a big problem in SRQ 'cause reverse parking into parallel lots is forbidden.  This is because in Florida we have only one number plate/tag which is on the back of the car; so the parking enforcers don't have to dodge in and out to find the plate when issuing parking tickets. Back to my non existent parking skills.  Here see the fate of a plastic stool which I had in my home car port -  a place to rest grocery bags when I unlock the house door.

  My twin sister Elizabeth (was born thirty minutes after me in 1944 ---n very important when we were young:  "anyway I am older than you!" said I). Liz lives in Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham U.K.) so we don't get to see her often. She (and her late husband John Spence) came to Bristol, U.K in 1984. so that she and I could celebrate our fortieth birthdays together. Here they are that year, together with my youngest brother Martyn and his wife Wendy. It's the only grown-up picture I have of Liz. Wendy, John S, Liz and Martyn.1984

Jeanette Roosevelt, jmp, and Madge Buerger. When I retired from St. James's Cambridge, MA in 2006 I flew to Sarasota to complete the purchase of my new Condo., then flew back up to Boston to retrieve my car. I took a valedictory drive, visiting friends along the way. I began the long drive back to SRQ in Hanover N.H. , there to see my friends Sam and Kitty Doak. My next stop was in Greenfield, MA.  There some former parishioners from St. Stephen's Parish Pittsfield were pleased to take a drive from  Pittsfield to Greenfield to join me for lunch. Among them were Jeanette Roosevelt and Madge Buerger -  now both in glory. Wonderful women in very different ways.  In each case enriching my life. R.I.P  Jeanette and Madge 

  Robin commented on my hair in the St. Stephen's, Pittsfield photo'.    Yes, I know that it has thinned out. Thinned out a lot!   But Robin ain't seen nothing yet! The picture below is from a birthday greeting that the late Betsy P sent me -  she was a whiz with photo' shop. You'll see my first dog Penne, and my cats Ada and Adelaide.   The original Povey pic was taken in 1965 when I was 21.  You might see the beginnings of my first beard - a sad moth eaten thing.  I took the razor to it, and grew a proper beard in 1975. BUT OH THAT HAIR!

  The photo' on my first post was of Yvette Verdieu not Elvira Sterling. I edited the post to correct it, but if that correction did not take, here is the real Elvira.  She'd  had some try outs to become a Fashion Model.

More from my treasure trove of photo's.  Feel free to share these photo's with parishioners who are not on FaceBook. Tony and Cleanthe Marsh, at my 60th birthday party Our beloved Yvette Verdieu   A rendezvous in Paris.   On Aug 3rd 2002 I officiated at the wedding of Kristen Harris and James Nerich. They went off  for a wonderful three week honeymoon in Europe. On August 25th I was in Paris, near Notre Dame Cathedral. I sat down at an outside Cafe for a good cup of java.  I looked down the street, but who were walking towards me but Kristen and James on the very last day of their honeymoon. OMG summarizes our reactions.

She said it as our paths crossed last Saturday at Bayfront Park in Sarasota. I looked at her and thought  "I think that I know you too, but I cannot place you". She came to my rescue. She said "I took your photograph in Pittsfield MA for a local publication".  ( I served in Pittsfield from 1984-2000.) She added "well I was not the photographer, but I engaged someone to take your picture for a fund raising brochure in support of the local not for profit hospital". As luck would have it I remembered the photo' and found it in my "archives". It was taken inside of St. Stephen's Parish (where I was the Rector), In the brochure I had written about the value and importance of philanthropy. Here is the kicker.  I knew and recognised the woman not because of the Pittsfield photo', but because she, her husband and I knew each other at St. Boniface Church in Sarasota. We had the "chat with each other at coffee hour" level relationship...

  Some for  me, and some to share. Potato Leek Soup. Oh so good! Cream of Mushroom Soup.  It looks odd 'cause I took the photo' looking down into a "Tupperware" type pitcher. It is a bit thick 'cause I made it with heavy cream rather than with half and half.  Excellent when thinned with some  vegetable stock. Items cooked separately, but in a container for transportation. Pork Loin, with a Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce and Ketchup glaze. Roasted and multi coloured small potatoes.   Cauliflower, steamed and mashed, then infused with a home made Gruyere & Swiss cheese sauce. Obligatory Zion photo' (Feb 7th).  He rests as I read.  Don't you just love his feathered tail?

The photo' of my niece Leah which I posted yesterday is (ahem) not Leah.    You'd think I'd know my own niece.   The picture I posted came up in a google images search.  It was a Leah, but not my Leah! I think that it looks like my niece,  but she strongly disagreed! Here is the real Leah, one with her daughters Bree, Luna and Aurora; one without them.