Sunday 29th September

There was another Community Forum this morning between services at Emmanuel, but they threw in a continental breakfast.    This one was on same sex blessings, not to be confused with same sex marriages, not in this Republican, conservative state.

The bishop has decreed that parishes which might be asked to bless same sex unions have to consult their congregations and send a report, reflecting the opinion in the parish, with special attention to the voices of those who may be in the minority.

Father Bill opened the proceedings by inviting questions.  I piped up first and asked why they weren't talking about same sex marriages.  I knew they are not legal in Oklahoma but I like to stir the pot. 

Americans are extremely proud of the fact that - unlike us - their church and state are separate, but in reality our church and state is actually more separate, in practice if not in fact.  

Emmanuel is more liberal than the other churches in Shawnee, and I think it was all the liberals who turned out for the forum.   Trying to assess who was missing in the parish hall, I think they were mostly people who have come from the Baptist churches, who haven't yet got their heads round this shift in ideology.   It was made clear however, in the original notice that those who didn't want to speak out, could send in their comments in written form, so quite a few may well have done that.

Instead of staying for the 10.30 service I went to Larry's non denominational church.  I have missed him around the hospital and the chaplaincy and it was good to see and talk to him again.  His wife  loves talking to me because she's fascinated with my English accent, she watches all the late night British shows on the local Oklahoma channel - Last of the Summer Wine; Keeping Up Appearances; Doc Marten; the Vicar of Dibley.  

The weather is getting cooler.

As you can see, it's really quite chilly in the mornings now.

But then it warms up.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 28th September

Woke this morning to very heavy drenching rain.   I didn't have to go anywhere fortunately so went back to bed with my C-Nook, Saturday morning cookery programmes, numerous cups of tea and the cat.

It dried up later in the afternoon and was quite bright, and I went to Walmart for my goats milk.  So have not had a very productive day.   I finished putting up the autumn decorations in the living room yesterday, and photographed them as someone asked me what autumn decorations were.  I like them best, better than spring/summer arrangements, or Christmas decorations.   In this country, in this heat, fresh flowers are not really feasible.  People even take artificial ones to cemeteries.

 

It has been a while since I have posted a registration plate, I haven't seen any new ones, or not been in a position to photograph them, but this was in Walmart's car park. 

Louisiana was originally named La Louisianne after Louis XIV of France in 1682. 

The pelican is the state symbol.   A white pelican mother tears the flesh from her breast to feed her young, this nurturing action represents the state protecting the people and their land.

Louisiana is also known as the Sportsman's Paradise, this nickname pays tribute to the wildlife and the hunting, trapping and fishing resources of the state as well as other outdoor recreational and sporting activity within the state.

Thursday 26th September

I have a job.  Not a paid one, sadly.  And not one I was looking for, but Louise has been appealing for some time for a Kiwani club secretary to take over from her.   Cecil is on the board and committee of every civic and veteran organisation in Shawnee, and the Freemasons - and it runs Louise ragged driving him to all the meetings he has to go to.   Furthermore, she is not in the best of health and has been looking exhausted, so I stepped up to the plate - as they say here - and offered my services.

The District Governor is coming next Thursday to swear in the new board members and is bringing his secretary to show me the ropes.

The speaker this morning was someone from Shawnee talking about his recent trip to Cuba.  I took notes for a brief report in next week's bulletin, which I will give Louise tomorrow and hope it is satisfactory.   I have copied and pasted the report below.

Jim Smith gave us a Power Point presentation of his recent mission trip to Cuba, and it was an interesting insight into what has been a closed society for a long time.  He travelled with a group on a general religious licence and visa, which meant their travel was restricted to certain areas, and they could not stay in tourist areas overnight.

Life under the sanctions imposed upon them has undoubtedly been very hard for the people; there is for example, a desperate shortage of medical supplies, auto parts, and electricity.  There is no refrigeration at all, and it was seen from photographs taken after dark that lighting was very restricted.

Regulations have been relaxed since 2010.  Although many buildings are dilapidated  people can now own houses, and employ people – in restaurants for example – who are not family members, although 80% of the population work for the government.

There have been successes in education.  Music is one of the strengths of the people, as is the arts and games.  People were quoted as saying that they love their country, but the government is broke. 

What do you think of my foray into journalism, ha ha.    

Later in the morning I went to Communion at Emmanuel, then six of us had lunch at a nearby Asian diner.   I had to leave a bit early because - oh joy, oh rapture - a technician from the cable company was bringing me a new remote for the television.   I haven't been able since Monday, to pull up the guide to see what is on, or mute the annoying adverts.

My toe is a bit better.  It was obvious this morning that it was just one toe, it is so  badly bruised I am almost certain it is broken, but I went water walking this evening. 

Wednesday 25th September

I haven't quite finished sorting yet, but I'm getting there.  It will be tidy before I go to bed.  

In between that, and reading, and cups of tea, I made a fruit jelly for the meal this evening.  Took it to Emmanuel, wearing flip flops, and in groping for the light switch in the kitchen I badly banged my toes up on a stool that was sticking out.   They weren't too painful at first, but got worse and were too painful to go to the pool for my water walking this evening.

Fr Bill has started Evensong on Wednesday evenings, so there was quite a good crowd tonight for the meal.  My poor toes didn't make it to Evensong, but I went to the meal, which was jambalaya, a spicy Creole rice dish, originating in Louisiana.

I am deeply suspicious of anything originating in the Southern states, or Mexico, I've learned other peoples' 'little bit spicy' is way too spicy for me, and I think everyone in Emmanuel knows that now, I'm given little teaspoons to taste it, and when I sat down with a plate of lunch at the seminar on Sunday afternoon Beth murmured "Valerie, that salad is spicy".

Had to stop by a supermarket where I saw this rubbish.  I got quite mad at it, and looked at their website when I got home.   There is a form to be filled in by anyone with a 'juicy tip' (their words) asking for their e-mail address and contact information, and they will be paid.  In the space where one types the juicy tip I asked if Prince William was joining MI5, or the Cold Case Unit at Scotland Yard.



 

I took this picture last night of the Congressman.   In an e-mail from the local Democrats he was described as follows -

"Lankford is a powerful opponent.  He has a deep, mellifluous voice.  He is a facile speaker.  He is able to dodge uncomfortable questions.  He speaks in a lot of half truths. And he always is pleasant".   All the qualifications one needs to be a politician, I would have thought.

Tuesday 24th September

Have been busy.   I decided to get out my autumn decorations, and put away the spring/summer floral decorations.  It actually is autumn now, although with a brilliantly blue sky and temperature of 89, I think it was as I drove through Shawnee,  it is more like high summer in Britain.

I also decided to turn out some cupboards.  That was a mistake.   I really should focus on one job and finish it before starting another.   So now I have two rooms that look as if a bomb has hit them.   They will all be sorted out before tomorrow night though.   I hate anyone to see my house looking a mess and a guy from the cable company is bringing a new television remote on Thursday afternoon,

This will be the third remote I have had for my television.   Nothing lasts in this country - I have had half a dozen electric kettles since I've been here.   I don't know why it is that Chinese imports into Britain are of good quality, but their imports into the States are absolute rubbish.   Answers on a postcard please, or in an e-mail.

I went to fill up the car with gas and took these two photos at the filling station.

Any British beer afficionado will say beer should never be drunk cold, and they deride Americans who do so.   My Anglo-American friend, Fr Clark, says he keeps his in the fridge but takes it out to come to room temperature before drinking it.

You can't see it very well but the price of fuel currently is $3.19 a gallon.  I don't know what is happening to oil prices lately, I think it was only last week it was nearly $3.60.

This evening I had two things on.   The Republican congressman for this district was holding a meeting, inviting questions.   He talked first of all about the fact that the government is about to shut down (although I've heard that before, and they always come back from the brink).   I remember meeting this guy when he was campaigning for Congress, three years ago (makes me realise how long I've been here) and I rather like him.   I tend to keep that opinion to myself though, I don't voice it among the Democrat crowd I hang out with.    He also talked about the new Universal Health Care that Obama is trying to get through, and Republicans are fighting tooth and nail.   I can't see it working myself, as people will be required to pay insurance premiums, and not everyone can afford them.   Our system of national insurance deductions is far more workable.

I found that meeting quite interesting, but had to leave early to get to another at Emmanuel.    This was a group discussing a book about a young Muslim growing up in America.   It was the fourth ,and final, meeting and I hadn't been to the previous three, so it was a bit over my head.

Finally, a bumper sticker which always makes me smile.

Saturday/Sunday

Saturday morning was the monthly AARP meeting.  Phyllis, who is President, is back from Tennessee, and bless her heart brought me some Oxo.  I hadn't said I missed it, or wanted any, but it is not available in Oklahoma so she thought I might like some.   She had been holidaying on the Tennessee/Georgia border, and was telling us she couldn't understand a word they were saying.  I was pulling her leg over the fact that she's not one to talk about accents,  her Cockney accent is so strong she sounds as if she just left the East End that morning.   I don't know how she has kept it for 50 years.

I wasn't wildly excited about the speaker, I prefer it when they have some live music, but actually it was quite useful.  The manager of the hospice where Phyllis volunteers talked about end-of-life decisions, and she brought us all the appropriate forms.   I am not good at forms.  I can't even complete a tax return, and much as I wish I could just put this lot in the post to Jeremy I think I've got to fill them up here.

They included a 'Do Not Resuscitate Me' Consent form.   A Durable Power of Attorney (With Health Care Powers Only) and an Oklahoma Advance Directive for Health Care, also known as a Living Will.

Their provisions are (and I'm paraphrasing)

1.Do everything you can to keep me alive.   A ventilator, and artificially administered nutrition and hydration (tubes down me) - the whole nine yards, just don't let me die.

2. Don't bother with the ventilator, but give me nutrition and hydration.

3. No ventilator, no nutrition, no hydration, just let me die, I've had my four score years and ten, and the rest.    This is what I'm opting for.

The speaker said that at the end of life we don't want to be worrying about bits of paper, there are only four things to say that are important.
1. I love you
2. I forgive you.
3. Please forgive me.
4.Thank you.

I think I will ask Mark and Mary to help me fill the forms out.  

I felt after a morning of all this heavy stuff I needed a reward.  I went to IHOP and ordered a stack of blueberry pancakes.  Obviously I couldn't eat them all, I brought half home in a to-go box.

Sunday I was at Emmanuel.   I couldn't see the donuts anywhere - shock, horror, panic, was I supposed to get them, is this the 2nd Sunday.   No it isn't, relief.   

I was reading the lesson from the prophet Amos.   I remembered that the very first assignment I ever did at Chichester was a thousand words on the 'political background of Amos' prophecy'.   I don't know how I did it, I couldn't do it today.

After the 10.30 Service there was lunch, and compulsory attendance - because I am a lay minister - at a seminar on 'Safeguarding God's People'.    I am not going to bore you with its content, it was more fun stacking the dishwasher.

Friday update

I did my chaplaincy round this morning.   Went to the Senior Centre to see Louise and while I was there learned that one of the homeless guys who frequents the place most of the day, has been allowed to have an ironing board and iron there, and he is making money ironing.   I hotfooted back home to my overflowing laundry basket and pulled out ten tee shirts which he ironed for a dollar each.    Marian, the staff member who negotiated all this, told me he learned to iron in prison, he worked in the laundry.  I thought "oh, bless".

I had to go to the Mall and was very excited to discover a big craft store is opening there on the 4th October.  I have always had to go to Norman or Mid West City for any craft supplies, so that is good news.

The weather has been lovely today.  Mostly grey, overcast, and 68 degrees.  A very welcome reprieve from unrelenting blue skies, heat and sunshine.  I was water walking this evening and the sky was breathtakingly beautiful, what Oklahoma lacks in scenery it certainly makes up for in its beautiful skies.

AGAIN....AGAIN.....Just how many times can you report a couple's divorce.

I just took this picture of Bubbles who is waiting for me to turn in.     I'll scoop her up, put her at the bottom of the bed, and when she thinks I am settled she'll climb into my arms for a cuddle.