Povey Prattle

  Christmas Socks and Slippers. A new adventure into fashion by me.  A gift from my sister in law Angela, presented to me when I was in Bristol, UK. in November 2021.  Thanks Ange! Thus, having been introduced to the world of Christmas Foot  Fashion, I consulted my Hatter regarding Christmas Head Gear  (foot to head so to speak).  Here I am with my Christmas Chapeau, with my famous  "so what?" look.

 

  Do they not know that the Holy Family were Middle Eastern not Western European? Or do they know it, and choose to ignore it?

  So many Two Twos, and on a Tuesday! If only I had made the appointment for 2.22 p.m.

  I've been the Christmas Day guest of my friends Fred and Diana for the buffet lunch at their Club on Longboat Key,  FL lo these many years. The food was always terrific, an occasion for me to gorge on Oysters. There was no banquet in December 2020 because of Covid.  And I was not able to accept their invitation in December 2019. So I was charmed and delighted to accept their invitation for 2021,   until I began to worry about the Omicron strain.   I foresaw a level of risk in the long buffet lines amongst those who chose not to wear masks. I voiced my concerns to Diana and Fred.  They shared them -  gosh and begorrah. PHEW  they had already decided to change the venue to the Lanai at  their LBK home.  Hurrah. There will be just four of us  (plus two dogs). Fred and Diana offered me a choice for the entrée. This will shock you!  I opted for I opted for Rack of Lamb! What a shocker!  Lamb twice in one week. And why not!

  Oh dear, I forgot that 17th December 2021 was the 45th anniversary of my ordination as a Priest  at the now (sadly closed) Church of the Good Shepherd in Fitchburg, MA If it had been my wedding anniversary my forgetfulness would have been unforgiveable. But my ministry has changed. Forgetting is fine! \No more preaching.  No more presiding at a Celebration of the Holy Communion.  No more weddings (thank goodness!) No more baptisms of precious wee children  -  I miss that so much. These days my ministry is in partnership with my dog. You'll know all about that if you are a regular reader of this blog. My memory failed me .  That's O.K.  but I confess that my heart was warmed because  my Bishop, the Rt. Revd. Alan Gates did not forget! The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist at the (Episcopal) Cathedral of St. Paul, Boston MA

  My good friend Ashley and I summoned all our courage  this morning as  we left the safety of Sarasota FL.,  to travel north to the wild frontier territory of Bradenton in Manatee County.  I thought that we were heading to a See-Food Festival.  Turns out that it was a Sea-Food Festival. Did that bother me?  Not a snowball's chance in hell when I saw a stall which was selling all manner of sea -food sandwiches    And Lamb Gyros. My heart beat fast.  Why settle for fish when I could eat lamb! So I relished the best Lamb Gyro I've had since I left Cambridge, MA, and the storied Lamb Gyros at the GREEK CORNER on Mass. Ave. Today's  Gyro was great. But what a task to eat it sans a plate, or cutlery. Here you have it. THE THREE STAGES OF EATING A HUGE LAMB GYRO at a Festival OH     SO   G OOD Please don't tell my Mum that you saw me eating lunch sans plate, knife, and fork.!

  He often sits or stands at the side end of my local 7/11. Many cars pass that way to get onto 12th Street.  He waves and smiles at every car, never asking for anything. I drove past him last Friday.  The I stopped, thought, and backed up to where he stood. I handed him $4 from the $14 I had in my billfold. And then there was a moment of sheer bliss, as we looked at each other, we both smiled, and we both laughed out loud for the utter and sheer joy of our brief encounter. When I arrived home I thought "but what about the ten bucks still in your wallet?"  I drove back, got out my car, smiled again, then handed him the $10.  I was at a Holy Place. With his permission I photographed the shrine. I did not photograph him, for how can you photo' the fruits of the Spirit. As I walked back to my car. As I did,  he wished/prayed for the peace of the Cosmos to be with me.