Povey Prattle

I grew up with no knowledge of  the author A.A. Milne (1882-1956). My parents never read to me  from him, and he was never mentioned in my Infants and Junior Schools. Thus I was deprived of Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger etc.   I was not harmed by this deprivation. In fact when I was at Seminary (St. John's College, Nottingham U.K.) and met men and women who were Winnie-the-Pooh devotees I began to understand that A.A. Milne's works were rather "precious" , and that they appealed chiefly to the privileged British middle classes, and not to working class folks such as I. I understand that in these United States A.A. Milne had a greater appeal and audience, but even here his followers are chiefly amongst the educated middle classes (and Disney devotees). The American author Anne Lamott references one of A.A. Milne's  bits of doggerel in her wonderful 1997 novel "Crooked Little He...

“Bidies-in” :   a couple who are living together without the benefits of marriage.  (Sounds much sweeter than “shacked-up”) “Moiety”:  a half, or a portion, e.g. “She ate a moiety of the delicious apple pie which was offered for dessert”. SOURCE:   “The Importance Of Being Seven” – the latest novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s “44 Scotland Street” series., which are set in Edinburgh.

.....  which is all too often ...... I amuse myself, and please my cats, by sprinkling some cat nip on the rug in my Lanai.  That being done: Adelaide eats the cat nip Ada rolls in it. Regretfully my camera is not fast enough to show the next move.   But after Adelaide's eating and Ada's rolling - all heck breaks out as Ada asserts her authority and takes off after Adelaide like a bat out of hell! (That's the amusing bit for me.)

When young Toby was here on his visit from England my brother and I gently teased him on account of his non-stop chattering. Of course we were two pots calling one kettle black.  Martyn and I are also talkers. Last evening my friends Ron and Charlotte stopped by my home for a social hour, together with new friends Den and Karen. They were my guests for about 1 hour and 40 minutes. I swear that I talked almost without interruption for about 90 of those 100 minutes.

I had scheduled a handyman to do some minor tasks around my home this morning. One of the tasks was to remove some old and mouldy grout in between the tiles in my shower stall, and to replace it with new grout. So I decided not to take a morning shower, so that the handyman would not have to work in a wet shower stall. I thought that I would have what we in England used to call “a lick and a promise”, i.e. . a wash down at my bathroom’s sink. But as I took a second morning walk with my dog at 7:40 a.m. this morning (first walk had been at 6:30 a.m.) I realised that I was dripping with sweat, and that a lick and a promise would not be enough. My first thought was to call my friend Ben and ask if I might take a shower at his home. Then a light went on in my mind. That light reminded me that I have a guest bedroom and bathroom, and that I could shower and shave there. DUH!

From today's London Guardian. "...  Brits bitch and moan about everything all the time. They are characterologically piss-takers and doom-mongers, fearing (and predicting) national embarrassment always around the corner. But if a non-Brit joins in the doom chorus, the ranks will close, and the anger will be intense" The "Guardian" has it right. Smart-ass Americans should bear this in mind. They should lay off we Brits....  we are not as dumb as many  Americans think we are. In fact, as a mature people,  we are much more capable of self criticism than the  "Johnny come lately" Americans..

Lunch today was at the Diocese of South West Florida’s Camp and Conference Centre, on the Manatee River up in Ellenton FL – some 18 miles from my home. ‘Twas the annual lunch for retired Clerics and their spouses -  a nice gift from the Diocesan staff to we “old farts” – the retired deacons and priests who serve  in various parishes in this neck of the woods. We were served an excellent meal. I enjoyed sitting at table with three folks I know quite well, and another four other folks who I did not know so well. Apres lunch I spotted my good friend and former colleague Fred Emrich who was seated at another table.  He was engaged across his table in conversation with another retiree. I approached Fred from behind and tickled his back. As he turned his head I said “it is great to see you here”.  He responded likewise. Then a light dawned for me.    It was not Fred .   It was another retired Priest, a man whom I’d never met before.  And he ...

Ben, Bob and I were chatting last evening before dinner. I had been telling them about the fabulous string trio which had accompanied the service music at St. Boniface Church on 19 th February 2012. Meanwhile my cats were  clamoring   for attention. Ben asked “how old are they?” “I am not sure” was my reply, “but I think that they are in their thirties”. There was a second or two of silence before the “lights went on”. Then there was a burst of laughter. Ben had asked me about the cats. I had responded about the members of the string trio. ================================= There will be no blog entry tomorrow. I am taking an Ash Wednesday fast  from cyberspace.

Wow!  What a good day. After walking with Penne a couple of times this morning I shopped for some good produce (parsnips, green peppers, sweet onions, egg plant, parsley, tomatoes, spinach etc.) at our local Mennonite owned fruit and vegetable market. Next I took out some old and tired shrubs from my garden, planted some new hibiscuses, thinned out and transplanted some oyster plants, then dug in some good cow manure, and spread some mulch. After lunch (a bowl of my home made cabbage and tomato soup) I settled down to listen to the Metropolitan Opera’s live production of  Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” broadcasted on our local Public Broadcasting Station. Even as I listened to the Opera I continued to read John Updike’s 1974 novel “A Month of Sundays”. Opera over I made another batch of Baba Ganoush – a healthy enough snack which I will munch on a bit of sliced and toasted baguette. Dinner was a stir fry with onion, green pepper, parsnip and carrot (these two first pa...

My friends Laurie and Patrick give me a Christmas gift each year.  It’s a monthly newspaper of humour called “Funny Times”.. Funny Times never ceases to amuse me. I always chuckle as I read it. One of my favourite columns is entitled “Ruminations” Here are a few entries in “Ruminations” from the February 2012 edition. 1.       We are most likely to ask for advice when we know the answer but want a different one. 2.       I only say “that makes sense” because I refuse to say, “you are right”. 3.       Change is good as long as I don’t have to do anything different. 4.      “Why did you lie to me?”  Clearly because I didn’t think I’d be caught. 5.      I am not the most creative person, but when it comes to rationalising doing something that’s bad for me, my imagination knows no limits.  See  http://www.funnytimes.com/

Venice, Florida. (pop. 20,000), (median age 62), (96% white), (median income for households $37,500). (15 or so miles south of Sarasota FL where I live). Home of the Venice Theatre. That’s where I enjoyed the show  “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” this afternoon.  The revue featured the music and lyrics of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Maybe you’ve never heard of them. But surely you know songs from the 1950’s and 60’s, such as “Fools fall in love”, “On Broadway”, “Yakety Yak”, “Teach me how to shimmy”, “Hound Dog”, “I’m a woman”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Fools fall in love”, “Spanish Harlem”, and “Stand by me”.   They are all Leiber/Stoller songs. These songs (and many others) were sung with skill, verve and energy by the nine singers, backed up by a six person ensemble.  It was a toe tapping event. Those who know me well will wonder why I (classical music and opera fan) was at such a show.   To be sure it was outside of my comfort zone. (1) Well, I was there...

I've had such an exciting day! Here is one of my cats, Ada,  as she slept. Here is the other cat Adelaide (also sleeping) Wow!  They are both so full of life! The thrill of watching Penne eat her mid-day meal A tiny Anole Lizard (yes they are "Anoles"[not Geckos]) crept into the house. Cat Adelaide sprang into action and played with this little Anole.  (She later decapitated it, but I spare you a photo' of a headless lizard)

1. I listened last Thursday, to an NPR (National Public Radio) call-in programme. The caller had words of praise for the actress who was being interviewed. But he started his comments with “me, myself, I am in the military”. Granted that he may have been a bit nervous, but why “me, myself, I”? He should have said “I am in the military” This caller was probably nervous about using the personal pronoun “I”. That’s a common trait in the current use of the English language. 2. A bit later an NPR announcer, in a commercial break, advertised a programme which was to be aired on Saturday 1st October. She said: “listen to this at 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the morning”. Excuse me – but I cannot imagine 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. in the evening. 3. A friend sent me a text message the other day. We’d enjoyed lunch together on September 25th 2011. His text message read “let’s meet again in the not too distant future”. I liked his sentiment. I also thought that “soon” would have been simple...

This is an apple.   It's a "Ginger Gold" apple.   I placed it atop the toaster. I bought this apple yesterday.  It's from the 2011 New York State crop. Guess what?  It's not been waxed.  It's not been polished.   It's not been refrigerated. It's been brought down to Florida just as it is.  Why  -  there's even a leaf attached. An un-waxed, unpolished, recently harvested apple with a bit of the leaf left on!   Who'd have thought it possible to buy such an apple in Florida.  I like it! (Shhh  -  don't tell a soul that I bought this at Wall Mart) (from one who misses very  many good things in the north eastern United States, especially in autumn the proximity of apple orchards).

Those labels! 1. On a carton of whipping cream: “Contains Milk”   (you don’t say!) 2. On the packing of an ink cartridge: “Designed For Excellence”, AND “Better Products For a Better Future”, AND “Epson Exceeds your Vision” (I cannot imagine how I survived all these years without Epson!) 3. On a pack of cigarettes: “Craftsmanship is in everything we do at Doral”  (Yeah for those good old fashioned cigarette craftsman.) 4. “Over the top” on a box of Publix brand tissues:   “Publix Facial Tissues are soft enough for the tenderest nose, yet strong enough to handle the mightiest sneeze. Rely on them to be there for you when times are tough, from tears to smears to stuffy snuffles”.   (Block that prose please - for goodness sake they are simply tissues.) But to move from the ridiculous to the amusing . Anne Hyde, the first wife of the Duke of York, (later to be King James II of England), not only managed his financial affairs, but she also influenced his po...

Denise worked at the local car dealership at which I get my Hyundai serviced. She is one of the most friendly, helpful and honest service clerks I have ever met. She left there last Friday to move to Brandon, FL some 60 miles. I saw her on Friday and was able to wish her all the best in this new part of her life. When I retrieved my car the next day I was attended to by Bob, her manager. I ventured that I would miss Denise. “Not as much as I” he said, “she is one of the finest people I’ve ever worked with”. What a lovely tribute. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I am reading biography of Queen Elizabeth I (it’s by Alison Weir, and was published by Ballantine Books in 1998). Weir recounts that the Earl of Oxford broke wind when bowing before the Queen. He was so ashamed that he went into a self-imposed exile from the Royal Court for seven years. Upon his return, Elizabeth warmly received him, then said, with a mischievous twinkle, “My Lord, I had forgot the fart...

It was probably more than four years ago that I last ate fried chicken: that is until yesterday .  I’ve abstained for two reasons. First: because friend chicken is not a very healthy food.  Second: because it is hard to find truly excellent fried chicken.  I have been eating very healthily all this year (and have lost more than 45lbs in weight), with lots of good fruit and vegetables, white meat or fish, and next to no rice, pasta, bread or potatoes: that is until yesterday. Yesterday at dinner time my body revolted against yet more stir fry or roasted vegetables, and grilled fish. It cried out “I want fried chicken”.  Now I can scarcely pass a KFC without gagging. The smell from the exhaust pipes of the fryers is vile.  But a friend had asserted that “Popeyes” had good stuff, so off I drove there to get my three pieces of fried chicken, with a side of coleslaw, a biscuit and a soft drink thrown in. (Two of the pieces turned out to be nothing mo...

I read a word the other day which I had never before seen. It's a terrific word when used to describe the statement of  politicians, preachers, and errant spouses. The word is "tergiversation" . (Look it up). If I could remember how to to spell and pronounce it,  I'd use it more often. Nonetheless, I know how to practice it.

Diatomaceous I had never heard of DIATOMACEOUS EARTH until a few days ago.  It was then that I learned that diatomaceous earth, mixed with “borax”, and with boric acid might be an efficacious antidote to the fleas which frequently plague my cool cats – Ada and Adelaide, and my darling dog – Penne. Randi, a friend from a neighbouring community, having heard of my “flea problem” gave me a recipe for mixing the three products, and for spreading the mix around my home. She assured me that this would take care of the fleas. I trust Randi.  She has a lifetime’s record of living with dogs, and training them. I followed Randi’s recipe, and dusted my home with the mix today.  I am keeping my fingers crossed in favour of success since my beasts have been cruelly afflicted by fleas. I do not expect that you will care very much about my flea problem. But I wanted to impress you with the word “diatomaceous”.  Look it up and throw it into conversation someday soon!!  I’ll...