Sunday

I was away Friday, and came back yesterday, Saturday, in the late afternoon.  I went to St Crispin's to an Episcopal Church Women's Retreat on the subject of  "Personality and Spirituality: Their Relationship in our Lives",  looking at the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory which was created to help people gain insight into their personalities.   It was led by a lady priest from Tahlequah, Mother Deborah, on the other side of the state, I have been to her Retreats before and like her very much.

 

I thought it might be a bit over my head because I am not terribly good at grasping things like this, and I am not quite sure I have entirely grasped this, I need to go into it a bit more.   And if any of you know anything about it, I am personality type ISTJ.

 

If any of you are interested you can find the inventory online at http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp£top (the £ sign is a hash tag, which I don't have on my computer, so I am wondering how I managed to print it off).

 

Mother Deborah (we don't have this in England, we call women priests by their Christian names)  anyway, she also talked about spiritual journaling, where we spill out our souls in our journals, and I am not sure about that either.  I wouldn't mind if it would self destruct, but I don't think I would want anyone reading the deepest secrets of my soul after I am gone.

 

And although this might all sound a bit negative,  I did actually enjoy the weekend.  I went with 3 other people from Emmanuel.   Mother Deborah  also put on a movie 'Calendar Girls' which was very good - about a group of middle aged women who posed nude (or nearly nude) for a calendar to raise funds for their WI.   It all took place in Yorkshire so I loved the scenery, not just the dales but the fields and hedgerows which they don't have over here.  You may know that some of our hedgerows are nearly 900 years old, so maybe it is not surprising.   There was some discussion about issues raised in the film, afterwards.

 

It never occurred to me but the other three from Emmanuel brought bottles of wine - they're quite close friends so had obviously discussed it - so we partied on Friday evening.  I took some photos, but unfortunately the film card in the latest camera is very tiny, and I couldn't get it into either of my card readers.  I will go to Staples tomorrow, and will display the photos when I am able.

 

There was also another group, quite a big one, from Emmanuel holding an event of their own, but we mingled after the sessions.

 

It was a lovely, warm sunny day yesterday and the other three from Emmanuel were keen to hike along the trails at St Crispin's,  when it was over.  I played the old lady card and sat in a comfortable patio chair reading.

 

I have spent today getting over it all, as it were.

Tuesday

Woke up this morning to high winds and very very, heavy drenching rain which continued all day.  I was out at the hospital at usual on a Tuesday, and had lunch there.

 

I also went to Walmart and got very wet indeed, normally I make a mental note of where I am parked but for some reason didn't do so today, so I was walking up and  down all the rows of cars looking for mine.  Just when I thought someone must have stolen it, I spotted it.   I won't do that again, not take note of where I'm parked.

 

The Presidential candidates have moved on from South Carolina to Nevada for another of those caucus things.   I thought they'd have a rest, they have been hard at it for days, holding meetings, making promises, hurling insults - the main insult hurler being Donald Trump.   I have a sneaking feeling that he is going to win the Election, be the next President.   I can't imagine why anyone would vote for Hilary Clinton.  It is not just her e-mails the FBI are interested in, it was mentioned today that they suspect some shenanigans involving the Clinton Foundation.

 

Bernie Sanders would be a good candidate but he is too socialist for the US, I don't think they are ready for it, maybe by the next election.  

 

I remember in my childhood people who were very right wing, devoted followers of Margaret Thatcher for example, thought that socialism was akin to communism.  Something VERY BAD, to be condemned, and I am hearing that over here by those on the Right.

 

I think the next wave of caucuses takes place next week, on what they are calling "Super Tuesday" and I think Oklahoma will be in that. 

 

Sunday 2nd in Lent

I was awake early this morning so went to the 8 o'clock at Emmanuel, then to Fr Bill's confirmation class - although I am not a confirmation candidate his classes are always very interesting.  I said I wish I could be confirmed again, I was only 12 at the time and  I've practically forgotten it.   He said I could 'recommit' myself.   I might think about it if I could stay in the Church of England, I don't want to be an Episcopalian, even if they are in the Anglican Communion.

 

I spent the rest of the day finishing the afghan I made for the Senior Centre.    I'll press it tomorrow and drop it in.

 

The television programming is still all politics.   Trump is fuming and outraged because the Pope said  he wasn't a Christian, he should be talking about building bridges, not walls.  Trump's response was something along the lines of how dare a religious leader judge someone on their faith.  Who does he think should judge his faith - a plumber?   And since when has the Papacy taken upon itself to interfere in a nation's politics - I thought they gave that up in the Middle Ages.

 

Hilary Clinton is still campaigning hard, looking radiant and serene.   Appearing totally unconcerned that 150 FBI agents are still combing through her thousands of e-mails.   It is all going to get really interesting if they recommend indicting her, Obama would have to sign off on it and if he didn't I think the populace would be taking to the barricades.

 

Bernie Sanders, the Social Democrat, seems to be doing quite well.  He is particularly popular apparently with younger voters, who seem to be embracing socialism, which is all  very new over here.

 

I was thinking today that it is like watching my own national history repeating and unfolding itself before me.  I was a child when socialism took off in Britain with the introduction of the National Health Service - which I understand is collapsing - I wonder how long it will take to collapse over here.

 

 

 

Quick Update - Sunday morning

Now there are 5.   Jeb Bush has just dropped out of Presidential race.  I made a mistake I think the other day, when I said Dr Carson had dropped out, but he is still in.

Who I want to win is based on who I can stand to see on television every day for the next four years. And Donald Trump doesn't make it.   I think I favour Kasich - or has he dropped out?

Saturday

Woke up this morning to the news that we are having a Referendum on leaving the European Union.  Am I too late to apply for an absent vote????   I voted against us joining in the first place, they should have listened to me then, saved themselves this trouble.

 

After digesting this I settled down to watch the Funeral Mass of Justice Scalia.  I am not usually appreciative of High Catholic services, but this was WONDERFUL,  it was BEAUTIFUL, conducted by his son, a Catholic priest.

 

I reflected on the fact that it could certainly be said that Justice Scalia's was a life well lived, right up to the very end; he spent the day quail hunting, then  went to bed that night and stepped into an alternate reality.  Wouldn't we all like to go like that.

 

I know that because of his stance on controversial issues like abortion he  had critics, enemies even, but "Judgement is Mine, Saith the Lord".

 

This evening's television is all politics, heavy politics, over my head, about primaries and caucuses, whatever they are.

 

It is very warm here at the moment, I went out earlier in the day and it was 80 degrees.  Warmer than an average summer's day in England.

 

 

Wednesday 17th February

In a recent post I ventured an observation on the late Justice Scalia, mentioning tributes to him. BIG MISTAKE. I got some heat from liberals because – it was put to me in essence – that he was in fact a member of the evil rich (those who grind the faces of the poor into the dust) and a Supreme Court Justice   It must be all of 60 years since I last saw this class warfare battlefield.

This evening I did surf the internet to try and find something about him to which liberals might object, but all I can see is that he was obviously a brilliant jurist and a much loved Supreme Court Justice (at least among his peers).  I did pick up on the fact that he is pro-life which doesn’t accord with liberal thinking – but I am so totally pro-life myself  I’ve got no axes to grind over that.

 

 

Changing the subject - FINALLY, FINALLY, a US politician who has a grip, and an understanding of Islam.  Carson said he disagrees with former President George W. Bush's assessment that Islam is a "religion of peace." (and I have heard Obama say that too)   Carson said "If you accept all the components of Islam, including Sharia, then it is not a religion of peace, it is a religion of domination. You are so right Dr Carson and it is a shame you have dropped out of the Presidential race.   I think I have quoted this before but perhaps it bears repeating – “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war”. (Koran 9-5).
 

I just went out this evening to the Wednesday meal at Emmanuel, and the discussion group afterwards, which was interesting, so I've not done a lot.  Working on an afghan for the Senior Centre.  I leave it to Kate to decide what she wants to do with it.

 

President's Day

A holiday weekend, celebrating Washington's Birthday which was February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12th.   I think of it of course as a bank holiday, but they call it a Federal Holiday meaning all Federal offices are closed, but apparently - and somewhat to my surprise - some banks are open.   I don't think mine in Shawnee was though.

 

The last entry I did yesterday vanished into cyberspace before I could hit ‘publish’, to my chagrin.  I was all over the place thinking I must be able to retrieve it somehow.      Anyway, I went to the 10.30 service at Emmanuel and read the prayers.   When I got home Mark and his lad Daniel had just finished laying the new water line, and were packing up.

Mark gave me $300 to pay the water bill, which was $200 - I asked if the extra $100 was for my 'trouble', but he thinks the next bill might also be a bit more than usual, so I thought that was generous of him.

The big news story here has been the sudden death of a much loved, very popular Supreme Court Justice, a conservative Republican, so there are obviously going to be considerable ramifications. There were 4 liberal and 5 conservative justices.   Now Obama will have to nominate a replacement, who more than likely will be a liberal, and the Senate will have to confirm - or not - his nomination, and therein lies a great deal of  potential unrest.  Republicans are demanding that the next President should make the appointment, but from Obama's tone I don't think that is going to happen.

What I don't get.   They are very proud here of their separation of Church and State.   I think myself it would be more to the point to have separation of Judiciary and State.   How do 9 unelected Supreme Court Justices get to wield so much influence, I ask myself.   One could criticise our unelected House of Lords, but somehow because there are so many of them it doesn't seem quite as undemocratic as 9 Supreme Court Justices holding so much influence.

I have spent the day mostly reading.  I started a Bill Bryson book, a favourite author.  He is an American travel writer who spent 20 years in Britain but has now come back to the US so his children could experience American life.

Friday 12th

I thought I'd already posted this, but found it in the draft folders.

Yesterday my lovely neighbour, Dale from across the road dropped in for a little chat, she is going away for 2 - 3 weeks in March.

 

She mentioned that the pit bull across the road had left home, and I told her that a little while ago I pulled out of my drive and it had broken free, it was running down the road alongside my car.  And I kid you not - it looked JOYFUL, it was barking and we were smiling at each other all the way down the road.  When we got to the corner and I turned, it stopped and looked round, I thought it would turn back, but obviously not.    I just hope it has found a good home.

 

I did explain to Dale that pit bulls are illegal in Britain because they are classified as a dangerous dog, so there was no way I was going to get out of the car to do anything with it.  But she looked a little strait faced, I think she thought I should have done.   But actually, I really hope it has got a good home.  I used to look at it, tied up on a too short leash, and sometimes thought of ringing Animal Welfare because I didn't think the leash met the minimum length requirement.  So I really hope it is in a happier place, and I am not talking doggie heaven.

 

 

Thursday

Where to start?   Thursday is a day of no responsibility, no chaplaincy round.   I thought I would get myself into a nice little Lenten routine - I tend to leave reading until bedtime, but think the morning when I am casting about like this, would be better.   I'll start tomorrow.

 

This morning I took myself along to Fr Bill's session, which was a video of a rabbi talking about Maimonides - and you will have to take my word for it that it was a lot more interesting than it sounds, he was an absolutely excellent speaker, and I have got the 'credentials' to find it interesting, viz. a degree in theology.   Musing for a moment - you never know what life is going to throw at you, so take a degree, it doesn't have to be theology, then when you are pushing 80 you will find Maimonides - or whatever - interesting.

 

On Thursdays in Lent the local churches get together, taking turns to host a service, followed by an ecumenical lunch.  So far so good, but I was the only one from Emmanuel, so I didn't bother with the lunch, and hope that the ensuing weeks will be better attended.   I missed Pattisue, she would have gone to that.

 

Not long after that I took my crocheting along to the Senior Centre, feeling all of pushing 80, to listen to the country and western group.   I came to the conclusion that it must be a lifetime spent in the Baptist churches here that gives them all such wonderful singing voices.  

 

There were quite a few octogenarians hop, skipping and jumping on the dance floor.   Bless.   We are all 19 inside.   I even vaguely entertained the notion of putting my crocheting down and embarking on a lively little dance routine of my own (I can see your raised eyebrows, loved ones)  But decided that before making such a major fool of myself I had better decide if I wanted to go there again.

 

Then it was time to take myself home and see how much of the front garden Mark has dug up looking for the water leak.  He informed me that the pipes are 60 years old, so there is no point in repairing one leak, it would be better to replace it all, which is what he is going to do.   So far there are just two holes dug in the ground, I think something more dramatic might happen tomorrow.

 

I am feeling just a little uneasy that he is looking so happy and cheerful about it, bearing in mind that he wants me out of the house, and until a little while ago he was quite uptight about it.

 

So that has been my exciting day.........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ash Wednesday

I hope you all, dear friends and loved ones, enjoyed your pancakes yesterday.  Ours made by the youth of the church were very good.  Pancakes here are much thicker than ours, more like big drop scones rather than a thin crepe, but I think I've come to prefer them - there's more substance to them.

 

This morning I went to my friend Donna's little coffee morning on the other side of Tecumseh which was very good, she had two other women friends there, and there was a lot of chat and laughter.

 

I've got a problem with a water leak which I have passed on to Mark to deal with.  My monthly bill is always just under $60 (£41) but the last was $200, which somewhat freaked me out.   Putting it right seems a much bigger deal than I would have thought it was.  I was under the impression one just had to find a pipe that had a hole in it and patch it up.  But Mark had to get the electricity and internet/phone company to come out and mark with little flags where their service lines are.    Then tomorrow I believe he is having to bring a rotavator to dig up the front garden to find the offending leak.    Do we ever get leaks in our pipes?   I can't ever remember anything like this. 

 

The television has been wall to wall coverage of the Presidential campaign - the Election isn't even until November - and so far they seem to have only covered two states, and are just moving on to the third.   And there's another 50 odd to go!!!!

Shrove Tuesday

On the political landscape (is there any other in this country I ask myself) voters are turning out in New Hampshire to this caucus thing, which looks like an election, but isn't - or at least I don't think so - but people seem to be casting votes.  Whatever it is, I can't get my head round it.

 

Personally, I am waiting for something interesting to happen.  Like Hilary Clinton being indicted, but apparently lying doesn't count, and if she is indicted for allowing the Chinese and Russians to hack into her unsecured server, placing the nation's national security in jeopardy (which the FBI have said she did) she warned - very loudly and forcefully from a dais - that there are others involved and they had better be indicted too.    I don't get that.   Either she is innocent, and has nothing to worry about, or she is guilty and so are others, and they had better get their just desserts as well.   I am still trying to figure that.

 

Anyway, back from the political scene to Shrove Tuesday.  I went to Emmanuel this evening where the Youth of the church were making and serving pancakes in aid of their summer camp.   I'd mentioned to Beth the other day that in England our supermarkets would be piled up with lemons and sugar, because that is how we eat them (and I put a lemon in my pocket) but when I walked into the hall Beth led me over to the table and showed me a plate of cut up lemons "just for me".   Wasn't that kind?    There was also lots of different fruits, and maple syrup, and sausages and bacon.  

 

 

 

Friday

Goodness, I have been getting behind with my posts, I need to get out more, get a life so I have something to blog about.  But you must pretty well know my routines by now, and I am sure you don't want keep hearing the same things over and over.    Like I went to the hospital this morning but didn't see anyone from the chaplaincy, Bill is in Florida taking a turn at looking after his mother who is recovering from a bad fall.

 

I didn't stop for lunch there, I picked something up and came home to the Presidential Campaign which is all that is on the news at the moment;  even the weather and the places where there is heavy snow have taken second place.

 

Trump came second in the Republican debates in Iowa, and he was a gracious loser for all of five minutes before saying Cruz had stolen the victory and he - Trump - wants a 'do over'.   However, absolutely no one was countenancing a do over.   

 

What I just can't fathom about Trump - and I have never heard anyone else even challenging him on this - is that he repeats over and over again, every single time he is on a podium, that "he is going to bring jobs back to America, back from China and Mexico, they are ripping us off" and he is going to put a stop to it.   It really doesn't need much grasp of economics to understand that goods from China and Mexico are very much cheaper because labour is so much cheaper, and if Americans were producing these goods in the US no one would be able to afford them.   And as I say, I just don't know why SOMEONE doesn't point this out to him.

 

Tomorrow the candidates and their followers are moving on to New Hampshire.   I guess all this politicking is going to carry on until the Election is November, which seems ever such a long time off.

 

I feel like saying they should be like us and do it all in six weeks.     But then there is more area to cover here.

Saturday/Sunday

Yesterday Saturday, Bruce and Rosalyn invited me to lunch and we went to the China Buffet, a restaurant I used to frequent with Pattisue.   It is very nice there, with a big buffet choice, and I appreciated them inviting me.

 

Today, Sunday, I went to Emmanuel, first of all to Fr Bill's adult Sunday School.  It is extraordinary because I am not all that riveted by his sermons but his classes are absolutely excellent, and practically with standing room only.

 

It was the Annual Parish Meeting with lunch after the 10.30 Service,  the church provided the brisket and the pulled pork, and people took side dishes and dessert.   I knocked up a pear and chocolate trifle.

 

The rest of the weekend I spent watching television and knitting.  The whole weekend's television has been about a caucus - whatever that is - and all broadcast from Iowa.  I can't quite figure it out.  It's not an Election, but the Presidential candidates are all fired up, and  the talk is about the winners and losers.  I think they are trying to pick the Republican candidate for the next election in November, and this is the first stage in the process.

 

Donald Trump, and other candidates, are all talking about "Making America Great Again".   But ever since I've been here - for the last eight years - almost every day, somebody on tv has said how great, how wonderful, how generous, how this is the best country on the planet;  so I am confused and wondering just when it stopped being great, so that it now needs the likes of Donald Trump to make it great again.   

 

I've noticed too that religion plays a big part in politics here, something else which confuses me.  Do we even know - or care - what religion our MP is???   But here it is all important.   Ted Cruz is said to be going after the 'Evangelical' vote.  

 

I think most of the candidates have pretty sound religious credentials, but Donald Trump - not to be outdone - has been showing everybody the Bible his mother gave him, with his name and address she'd carefully written in the front.    How ridiculous is that.