Piffle and Other Matters.

 Every Thursday afternoon I am part of a Zoom conversation which was initiated by my friend Dr. Grace Jones.  As well as Grace there are six of us, having one thing in common -  we are all Friends of Grace -  hence the group is named FOG.

We've been doing this for more than a year.  Our conversations were at first rooted in the conviction we have in common: that Black Lives Matter and that reparations for the descendants of the enslaved are long overdue.  

As our weekly conversations have continued, we have each come to the same conclusion:  that our FOG conversations via Zoom have become one of  the highlights of our week.

We can be serious, we can ask questions, and we can be silly.

Yesterday (12th August) as we reflected on the political response to the COVID pandemic, rather than on medical wisdom I blurted out "that's just piffle."  "Piffle" a word that I had not used in so many years.

Here is what it means in British English: talk or ideas that are silly and full of nonsense.

Much nicer that "b-ll sh-t" don't you think?

OTHER MATTERS

1.  Lunch today, using leftovers.


A green pepper, stuffed with an excess of ground pork and beef from the meat loaf I made the other day.  NOT BAD


2. My beloved Zion sleeps as I am immersed in the internet.  Every now and then he opens one eye just to make sure that I am nearby.  I like that!  What a joy to have him in my life. And I do believe that Zion is rather partial to me!







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not remember the words “ar
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were able to get together a few
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur
Read more