Petersburg

I just got back from Petersburg. I have a friend who is dying and whom I wanted to visit. One of the White Hoods wanted to come along and so we travelled together. We had a great time talking and this morning visited the friend and he was prayed over. We talked a lot about the Big Herod and my White Hood wants me to go to Moscow in order to bring communion to somebody in the future. The Big Herod confuses my soul and puts stumbling blocks in the way. Yes, I can go to the picnic next week as it is not specificially an event organized by the Big Herod - it is a cluster event - but I am not supposed to go to the mission in fall. Had to agree. In other words - back to basics - STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG HEROD.

The latest

A parishioner from the Big Herod called and told me that she was asked to put a list of people together who bring communion to my dying friend. Conveniently, the list was almost completely filled except for a few days in September. Those days I got. By that time my friend may be dead. Never had a parishioner gotten better communion service than this dying friend.....It was a brilliant squeeze play by the Big Herod.

E-mail through the secretary

A priest friend told me he gets his e-mail from the Big Herod through the secretary as well. If I get another e-mail from the secretary, I will forward my e-mails through a variety of e-mail accounts and let my secretary respond to him. Let's see - what's her name? Joannie? Annette? LaShawna! Yes, LaShawna! A great name for a secretary to respond to the Big Herod. "Hi-ya, sweetie! My boss lady told me to tell you to go fly a kite."

The Big Herod

I have not heard from the Big Herod any more. Just as well. I heard another story about him. About a year ago, my friend Heloise had a mother in a nursing home who was still sharp as a tack. My friend went on a cruise around New Zealand and while she was gone the Big Herod visited the mother in the nursing home. When the talk came around to the daughter, my friend, the Big Herod said to the mother that he had seen her "yesterday." Well, when my friend came back, the mother did not want to believe she had been in New Zealand and even the pictures of the wild life did not convince the mother. My friend was ticked. Well, the Big Herod knows how to lie but this story made me laugh. Unfortunately, the daughter had to pay the price for the lie.

It's getting funnier and funnier

A few hours after receiving the Big Herod's e-mail that there were at least now 8 people bringing communion to my friend, another friend forwarded me an e-mail that had come from his office asking for people volunteering for Sunday, September 7, when they have the picnic because they had NOBODY for that Sunday. I could not resist and forwarded the e-mail back to the Big Herod and indicated that I would be happy to bring Holy Communion to all. I do think the man is sick.

An e-mail

The big Herod e-mailed me today. Actually through this secretary. He used his secretary's e-mail to answer me. He informed me that at least 8 people were bringing Holy Communion to my friend and my concern with infection were addressed that the friend had hand sanitizer in his house. Lord have mercy. Actually, there have not been 8 people over there yet but I guess he wanted to make sure that I was just some insignificant appendage bringing Holy Communion to the friend which is fine with me. The hand sanitizer made me laugh. A lot of infections are transmitted by breathing. We don't touch the friend anyway. I guess I am supposed to put hand sanitizer on my mouth. Well, he should try first.

Finally a miracle of sorts

There was another message from the Big Herod's office when I got home late. Very nice, apologizing for the wrong number and also telling me the nature of the call: some Mass intention date needs to be changed. Last year, I sent my friend, the nun, over to the office to request a Mass for another friend. Folks, it this is true, we are witnessing a miracle as I thought the Big Herod would complain about me taking communion to a dying friend. So far so good. I appreciate his good will. I don't want to have anything to do with the man - he has been too nasty - but it would be nice if we could cooperate for the benefit of others.

Too funny

I called the Big Herod's office as requested and the number the secretary had left me is not a working number! I have always thought that the Big Herod could not administer himself out of a paper sack. So I e-mailed the Big Herod - very nicely - and told the Big Herod to call me again and leave a message - if he still wants me.

Holy Communion

A friend of mine is dying of cancer. He is one of the Big Herod's people. I talked to the friend and the friend was appreciative that I wanted to bring him and his wife Holy Communion during the week. On Sunday, the Big Herod takes care of it. I e-mailed the Big Herod that I was going to take communion over there. After all, as I said, one of his people. No reply. Today I went to the Herod's chapel and took Holy Communion and drove over to the friend. We had a lovely communion service. He cried on and off. When I got home there was a telephone message from the Big Herod's office. They want me to call the office. I will call them back tonight. My sixth sense tells me that I cannot take Holy Communion to my friend, not from the Big Herod's chapel anyway. Well, we will see. I am no hurry to call and I will leave a message tonight that I called.

Trouble Shooting

My computer needs a new sound card. We installed the new subwoofer and got the same ugly noise. I really want to build another computer. It is fun and I understand hardware better than software. My two computers are cabled together and were state of the art eight years ago. They still run fine but state of the art they are not. I looked into Microsoft Expression Web today. I promised the brown hoods that I would make them a nice web page. I got all sorts of good ideas.

The Branch Office

Mrs. Fritchley interrupted our Chinese lessons today. Rather rude.....
These Chinese lessons are something that have hit the office by surprise and I am sure she can't be happy about it. She is busy enlarging her territory and I feel sorry for the branch manager. He is the last to know what goes on and Mrs. Fritchley is in charge of EVERYTHING. Such is life. Today when I said I was going into town she immediately assumed Zurich. Funny, if I ever see Mr. Seligman, I sure won't tell her. Insecure, domineering, controlling. I do like the new branch manager. How he will stand up to the pressure, remains to be seen.

Busy, busy

I videotaped our people before the staff meeting today but my Windows player keeps crashing now that I want to view the movies. I will try on my laptop. I dreamed about Mr. Seligman last night. I never have. The world is probably coming to an end now. I was in Germany in the airport (in the dream) and the waiter approached me and asked me kindly if I had taken his cellphone. I denied it but my cellphone was no longer in my purse and his was and lots more. It look a huge table to sort it all out. In comes Mr. Seligman with my cellphone and hands it to me. In thanksgiving I offered him a cup of coffee and he declined and I offered him a beer and he accepted gratefully. To get the beer we had to drive to a Wal-Mart off the airport property. As we drove through the garden center entrance there were loads of dogwood trees for sale and blooming and Mr. Seligman liked a white one. That was the end. We never did drink the beer together. I hope he got his beer after I woke up.

Winning and losing

My computer guru has moved back into the area again. That is good news. I will get together with him tomorrow and spiffy up this machine a little - spit and polish. I will need a new subwoofer installed. The old one passes on too many weird sounds. Some time ago it became defective.
The person with whom I get together twice a year to mull over my portfolio is retiring. That is really bad news. He never called me, never pushed anything to buy or sell on me and when I bought and sold something we always agreed. I do a lot of my own research but four eyes are better than two and he had become a trusted friend. There is nobody to fall back on in this small company he works for. The owner is way too hyped for me. I just have to be more dilligent on my own again.

Happy rings!

The Cardinal

I heard the other day that the Cardinal in our area, recently retired, put all the religious priests in the poor areas downtown and kept his diocesan priests for the richer suburban areas. The picture represents our white hoods asking for support. Cute!

The coffin

One of my friends is dying and he called and wanted to know what coffin we used for mother. He was very much impressed with the coffin I had picked for her. I told him it was an Orthodox Jewish coffin. Totally plain. It was not on display in the funeral home. It took a long time before they figured out what I wanted. The nun who was with me described better than I what I wanted and finally they brought out a catalogue and there it was - a plain coffin. I did not know that it made such an impression.

The Writings

I finished a six page little outline on Salvation History and Worship last night. It really looks pretty good. My stuff his half pictures, half writing. Found a nice picture for a snake. It will be presented in a month when the nun starts her sessions in her home. She is ready to battle the Big Herod but we are also prepared and calling everything "social." As one of the white hoods said to me: "You are having dinner and after dinner you accidentally open the bible." There, Big Herod. Take that!

Mrs. Fritchley

Mrs. Fritchley has calmed down. I asked someone if she was still in therapy. Apparently not. It is just such an unprofessional situation. The new branch manager has caught on that there is a difficult personality on his premises. Mrs. Fritchley gulped and told me that she was in charge of the chasubles.....they are dirty......I was going to take them to the cleaners - no way, Jose!

On you grill is WHAT?

Here is the latest from the Wall Street Journal - I love this exotic stuff:
You can buy Fossil Farms Ostrich Burgers from
http://www.fossilfarmsostrich.com. Go ahead! You don't want to be the last one - do you?
There are Salmon Surfburgers from http://www.capecodbayseafood.com.
It gets better: Chateau Royal Wild Boar Sausage with Cranberries. Ship me the cranberries. The review said that the flavor of the boar was "great." Well, now you know what to expect. Anyway the boar comes from the same people who will ship you the ostrich burger.
Then we have a High Plains Bison Bratwurst from http://www.highplainsbison.com. Wonder how the low plains bison bratwurst tastes. Is there a difference?
No I have not tried any of these. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. After all, people have to eat and other people have to earn a living.....

The Triathletic Event

This morning I went to see my friend Hermione at the Starwucks. First I took the U-Bahn (metro), then I took the U-Boot (submarine) and then I paddled like hell over the creek but still was 15 minutes late. No medal. It was fun as ever and I got revieved with a wonderful large latte and a superb dog bisquit. We just talk and talk and then we talk about the talk. Finally, it was time to go to the store and head home. Some chicken legs looked good and I came home with them and marinated the lot. Now they are frying in the oven. I think I will be eating chicken for the next three days. Sometimes I really think I should become a vegetarian or somebody who eats just eggs and bacon - ooops there is a catch to everything.

Mrs. Fritchley

Mrs. Fritchley threw a small fit because we had closed the office - a spur of the moment thing - and we all went to lunch to an employee close by. Of course with our luck she came by when we were all gone. She crumbled up the note that said the office was closed and then stuck it back to the door and left a note at the secretary's desk that made sure we knew she had been there. She should have gone on vacation with Mr. Seligman. I gave my first Chinese lesson to Pastor Hennessy today. We will do 1/2 hour lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays. The secretary was going on vacation starting Wednesday and Mrs. Fritchley was going to fill in. Now we are not sure if Mrs. Fritchley will get over her attack by Wednesday. I told the secretary that I could fill in if need be. I just hate this oversensitive and at the same time very controlling personality.

The Conquistador

I am reading this good book by Buddy Levy how Mexico got conquered by Hernan Cortes. There may have been a different outcome if small pox had not arrived with the Spanish. The human sacrifices by the Aztecs were brutal but the Spanish were hell bent to get their hands on all the gold and a lot of the good looking women.

The Pastor

The pastor is back from vacation and gave a nice homily this morning. We also had a baptism. The cantor's sister's baby. Cute little girl with lots of black hair. The Deacon did the baptism. The pastor was watching. Two of the angels came in with their companion. I had not seen them for a while. I was told they had been on vacation - whatever that means. I am always glad to see them. I asked the pastor if he was ready for his Chinese lessons. He said he was. Looks like I will be teaching him Chinese. Funny. I am the only one who speaks fluently Chinese over there and the pastor wants to learn. If he is serious, I will put it on his calendar: 1/2 hr each Monday and Wednesday morning.

The Interview

I watched the interview last night of both candidates. Here is my take:
McCain gave quick answers which made him sound good.
Obama was more mouthy.
Obama obviously wants to be everything to all people.
McCain is pro life. Obama is pro choice. However, both candidates are for embryonic cloning which makes you wonder about McCain's respect for life. I will watch for the vice presidential candidates and see what they stand for.

My heroes

A picture tells all

I looked at some of the Olympic pictures this morning on the official Olympic site. There were three overly obese, homely looking women who had won Gold, Silver and Bronze in weightlifting. My kind of picture. After all the skinny, good looking women pictures, it was a relief to see "heavy" and "homely" in the medal stand. One of these women could probably lift the whole Chinese kiddy floor exercise team with one hand.

The Seniors

This morning my support group met and this afternoon the seniors met. It was nice to see everyone. Can't wait to start the prayer group again. We take a break during the summer. I am reading a fascinating book about the conquest of Mexico. I loved it then when I learned about it in school waaay back when. I had forgotten that the Spaniards imported horses to the Americas. The Catholic Faith was not practiced faithfully by the conquerors. I rarely is - but it did stop human sacrifices. Today, through abortion, we have human sacrifices again. Our temples of feel good and consumerism and me, me, me.

Running on

I am watching the Olympics. The preliminary trials are on for the 100m race. It is amazing how these feet fly and great to see flying feet in slow motion.
My cucumbers are plentiful in the garden - they have runners too, and I am preparing great cucumber salads. The tomatoes I am getting are donated. I planted mine so late that it will be a very late crop. All the tomatoes in my garden are still green.
The office forwarded the Day of Obligation schedule for All Saints and All Souls. "....the obligation to attend Mass is commuted to the Sunday, following November 2, 2008." Sounds like a jail sentence that got commuted.

Travelling through Nineveh

I went to one end of town for a funeral reception. Yes, it was very nice. No idea were the body was. Then travelled in the opposite direction for Mass. We are not having Mass today or tomorrow in our parish. The pastor is new and on vacation and anyway "we decided...." I am never part of the "we." Just as well. Now I am home and watching the Olympics. I am getting tired of beach volleyball.

The accountant

The accountant was here. It was a friend's accountant. The friend has terminal cancer. I help out a little. I need to get my own paperpile in order.

Lord, give me a good horse

One of the oldest Olympic competitors is a retired 67 Japanese executive who competes in dressage. So, folks, all you need is a good horse and stay young at heart.

The Knights of Christ

The Franciscan Monastery came out with a neat brochure. It describes the history of all the warrior monks: The Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights. There even were the Leper Knights of St. Lazarus. Bet you did not know. For more information you can write to the The Commissariat of the Holy Land, 1400 Quincy Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20017. Phone 202-526-6800. Their website is www.myfranciscan.org. A subscription is $19.95 as of this writing. It is a great history resource.

Wow

My new driveway is done! It looks beautiful. There must have been a dozen men working outside at one time and a few hours later it was quiet and I looked out and they were all gone and the old cracks have disappeared under a new layer of blacktop. It certainly is a company I would recommend.

Driveway

I am getting a new driveway. I have been looking at it and looking at it and it did not improve by looking. Then I wished the whole thing away. Recently I noticed an asphalt company in the neighborhood. Big equipment, no little paint brush hitch. Today I got an estimate. No payment whatsoever until they are done!

Back to work

I went to the branch office today. Everyone is back from vacation except the branch manager. Someone came in and reported that Mr. Seligman had taken them up on their offer to occupy the chalet in the mountains. Mrs. Fritchley needed to know all the details. Yes, now we know he is going to take his mother along and a friend for the mother. I don't know what to think about the office now. I think the branch will be run by a few office people in the future. It happens so often. It had never happened here but is going to happen now. Our branch manager will be the last to know what is going on in his own branch. If I'd be younger, I'd be an extern at that place with Fr. Wolfgang.

The Olympics

I am watching the Olympics. The Chinese have gotten five Gold Medals as I am writing this but there are exotic Golds out there as in "air rifles." I don't even know what an air rifle looks like. Do they start at age five shooting at each other? Then there is Zimbabwe. A white woman who was born there but lives here got a medal in swimming. Does she get her farm back? Will her white face be on every bus now in Zimbabwe? The Lord has a sense of humor. The house hold name is Prapawadee JAROENRATTANATARAKOON from Thailand. She also won a medal. Say it at least once real fast and you will get a Gold for that. The Germans have not gotten a medal yet. The East German Communist drills are gone and see what the decadent West will do for you! Who wants to practice swimming up and down a lane or shooting each other with an air rifle when you can go to Karstadt and buy a Schnaeppchen. I'd rather would just sit myself in front of the Tele (that's TV over there) with a good wheat beer and a wurst with senf and watch somebody else killing himself or herself.

Guten Appetit! Go ahead you Chinese.

Slow Day

I am opening my mail and sorting all sort of things. Slow day but all this needs to be done or I will go crazy. Need to go and get some of my meds. Ran out on the trip. New Jerusalem was happy to have me around again as I give her a nice rub along her spine and she loves it. The Olympics started today. I will watch it a little this evening. Saw some pictures on the net. Very colorful. Trying to figure out which books to give away to one of the brown hoods tomorrow. They get my worldly history books when I am done. The Catholic books I keep. Wished I had the money to build a library.

The trip

The trip was really fabulous. I went to see Fr. Wolfgang and his gang. I lived with the nuns while I was there. The nuns are Old Testament Catholic and so keep kosher and cannot meet people. They are behind a grill. There are two shabbes goy nuns who can meet the gentiles and they are the go-betweens. Those I met. I slept in the gentile wing and was the only gentile in residence. The whole experience was pretty neat. There were all sorts of up and down staircases and doors and doors and this morning I locked myself out and Fr. Wolfgang had to rescue me. Why did I go? Well, Fr. Wolfgang wants to make an honest woman out of me and wants to get me off the street and so he gave me a little job. I also helped fix two sandwiches which we gave away to persons knocking at the back door. Cool, cool, cool. I had a wonderful discussion with Fr. Wolfgang's WWII radio operator who lives in the attic. I told you this place was wonderful! Br. Disney took me to see his place and I love a good operation and this was it! What was not good? Well, I still mess up with the prayers and I think I frustrate Fr. Wolfgang at times. He thinks it is easy but he has done it for zillion of years. So it starts: "Today is a feast day and we start on page 25o, followed by 1385 and the rest comes from the common" - whatever that is - and then we have that little insert and I have no clue where it is in the book. Oh, yes, it is in the book but WHERE? I love praying the psalms back and forth when I am on the same page with the rest of them. They should get Br. Disney to organize the prayer book. Now there......is a brilliant thought. Well, I will blog some more. Oh, the church: Beautiful, English Gothic landhaus architecture. Queen Victoria would have been pleased. It has German windows and lots of wonderful statues. Also the Eucharist is exposed before and after Mass and one can see the Old Testament Catholic nuns through the grill. Just a little....

Which animals?

My friend Hermione and I always try to improve the world, if not save it. Lately we have been wondering how we are going to propel us down the highway without gas. My idea was chickens. Yes, tie 12 chickens together and run them like the Iditarot races in Alaska. We could name them after the twelve tribes of Israel. My friend wondered about the eggs. No problem, pull-up pantyhose. Protects the feet as well. I am sure we would get 60 miles to a chicken. However, Hermione brought up ostriches. I did not like her idea. They give you the feather and they can kill you with one sharp kick. Who would want to read in his or her obituary that they were run over by an ostrich! The eggs are too large as well. I would not want to eat egg all week long, morning, day and night. We went on the discuss the merits of camels and elephants. Camels can store up a lot of water and we would not need too many camel stations to fill up. However, camels bite and I have enough trouble with mosquitoes who like me when I am outside. I would hate to be attacked and bitten by a herd of camels. Now elephants! Ah! Great animals but a lot of dung. Hermione thought we could dry the dung and sell it as jewelry but I thought cannonballs would be better. I even have a target.

How much?

My friend Hermione thinks the Saudis and the Kuwaities owe us zillion of dollars and have never paid their share of the Gulf War but when I pressed her for specifics she could not answer. I thought it is probably good if they owe us something because, otherwise, they might not feel inclined to ship us any oil. We might have to purchase it retail from China. Hermione is just hilarious with her e-mails and her blogs and I am somewhat proud that I talked her into blogging. She also forwards some really good "forwards." Yesterday, obviously not from Hermione, I got an e-mail that asked me to pray immediately certain prayers and I was informed that this prayer chain had never been broken. How would they know? Well, it is broken now. I hate stuff, no matter how religious, that tells me I have to do something immediately and times three or times seven or times nine, whatever. It sounds that if you don't do it, there is some curse going to descend. The benefit of the prayer is only there if one submits to the coercion of the emailer. It is more blackmail than anything else. I just don't go for religious superstitions - even borderline religious superstitions. I run. This e-mail yesterday came from one of the Big Herod's people. Is anyone surprised?

The morning

I drove around the water this morning. It had rained and usually when the sun shines the water is very shiny and blue. Today the sky was cloudy and the water looked dark and dull. Thought how God's Glory is reflected in everything with nature: shiny or dull it does not matter. Don't know why but I changed my breakfast order at the Diner. Well, God's Glory wasn't there. Please Lord don't let me forget to never order sausages again. Dog food is probably better. Usually I stick to bacon. Time to read the morning news. My red crepe myrtle tree is in full bloom. It is gigantic and looks fantastic. The red crepe myrtle is not an early bloomer like the white one but now that it is blooming - what a sight!

The Bus

Our branch manager's bus was vandalized during the last 24 hours. Right behind the premises where we work. So he had to come in from out of town and move the bus today to somebody else's commercial yard where it is more secure. I just happen to be there because our secretary wanted to go to West Virginia and I filled in for her. It was pretty quiet. The lady who waters the flowers came by. Mrs. Fritchly's plant is dying and our flower lady was upset because that is "not her job" to water personal plants. If I say something to Mrs. Fritchly she is going to be upset at the flower lady. So I guess the poor plant is going to die one of these days.