Thursday, November 19, 2009

Bland funeral, St Paul's, Weston, WV

A rather grey, rainy day in Weston, WV to send George Bland home to Godde.
A piper accompanied the casket and pall bearers.
Ann read the first lesson and led the psalm.
Janis read the second lesson.
St Paul's is a pleasant, rather simply decorated church.
The painting on the right and the Stations of the Cross were all created by George and donated to the church.

I tried to capture the incense but it is far too blurry to blog. It was a lovely mostly Rite I service - some of us weren't always looking at the BCP. I suspect George smiled.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Choices - corrected - and made

Thursday 19 November 2009

Weston, WV - George Bland, Janis's father - service 2:00 pm, visiting Wednesday 6:00 to 8:00 pm - funeral home had it wrong
Utica, NY - Jim Jensen, Kathy's husband - visiting 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, service 7:00 pm.

I've done some pretty impressive traveling lately but this is impossible.

Grump.

I think I like the idea of visiting hours after the funeral however.

Over the years we have known each other on the internet from the Anglican/Episcopal board on beliefnet.com thru the blogs and Facebook, Janis and I have become friends, sharing our lives usually via Instant Messaging and several times in person. I would feel like I was avoiding family if I didn't attend her dad's funeral. So I will be going to Weston, WV Thursday. And praying for the Jensen family all the way.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Say No to divorce

And now for something completely different but with a familiar flavor...

Sunday, November 15, 2009

RIP George Linn Bland, Jr: July 3, 1917 - November 15, 2009

My WV beliefnet/blogger/Facebook friend Janis's father died this evening after a long vigil. He was an artist. You can learn more about him here. I met him once. He was a fellow scotch drinker with a great sense of humor. May Janis, her mother and the rest of the family find peace.

Please Godde, don't allow the funeral on Thursday!

RIP the Very Rev. James M. Jensen 1946 - 2009

From Kathy Jensen on Facebook:
My husband, the Very Rev. James M. Jensen, rector of Grace Church Utica, NY died unexpectedly late this afternoon. We were at an ordination and he had chest pains and we went to the hospital and he did not make it. His aorta ruptured and it was all over. Nothing more I can say now. We are in shock.

I stayed with the Jensen family on the way to Montreal in June. Prayers for the family and those of us who love them.

UPDATED: The funeral will be at 7 pm with visiting from 3 till 6 at Grace Church in Utica. I hope to go.

UPDATED FURTHER: The newspaper article is here.

Please, Godde, don't schedule Janis's father's funeral at the same time!

Cathouse roof project - updated

This messy plastic cover over my cathouse has lasted since last fall. Needless to say, it will not survive another winter. The last good cover was lexan and lasted several years. I had to remove it when the house was sided. It is now a leanto against the shed that one or another cat sleeps in. This time I bought some clear corrugated roofing to try. I will add to this blog entry as I go along rather than start a new one. That is PuddyTat about to leave.
So far I have cut the 1 x 2s I use as supports and have them primed. I will get a coat of paint on them in a bit.
Eventually I hope to have a conservatory built to provide a vestibule of sorts and a better cathouse. The doubling of the cost of the garage and the decline of the value of my investments has forced me to put that off indefinitely. Hopefully this will last a couple of years as a new water pump, tanks and filters seem to have a higher priority.

UPDATE: The supports have their first coat of paint. I should have chosen different paint as this has to dry overnight. I have two space heaters going in the garage to help the drying process. I will turn them off later and on again early tomorrow morning. The forecast is for a significantly cooler day tomorrow. I hope they can raise the temperature high enough to paint!

I have received some flak about waiting so long to do this project. The primary reason is frustration. I have always used very heavy clear plastic shower curtains from Walmart. They are no longer available. The ones I can buy are far too thin to hold up under frigid cold and heavy snow. If I use anything other than clear material, I have a very dark kitchen. The cathouse is nestled between the back door and a bit of an el where the garage once was. I often open the kitchen window and pet the cats. They would like to come in but are too wary and only stick noses in fortunately. I can't have them in the house as I am allergic.

Anyhow I had some spare time in Pittsburgh after one of my ear appointments and wandered thru Home Depot looking for ideas as I had often done here. I was surprised that corrugated plastic was available in clear panels. That could solve the light problems and also channel the rain and snow which tend to ruin the usual flexible plastic.

After the insanity of running east, convention and concerts were over I measured the space and my car to make sure they would fit, got online to find where I could buy the panels and went shopping Friday. Will continue in a new post when the cover is assembled. Still don't know how I will prop up the open end.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Mid-November photos

My flags are faded. They have been up for more than a year. I need a new US one and I need to raise the pole a bit so I can use the larger rainbow one.
I hate the barberry hedge most of the year but the cardinals like it as long as the berries are there. This is an especially prolific berry year - maybe because I never trimmed it this year?
This apple tree doesn't want to let go of all its apples. The deer will eventually get a treat.
The silver maple is the only tree left with greenish leaves.
The two oaks will hold on to theirs till spring. Really nasty winds stripped the top of the one but the lower limbs are still full of dead stubborn leaves.
I know. Burning is not good for the environment but I burn paper a few times a year, usually when I have accumulated a pile of fallen branches.

Charter for Compassion

Information here.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday cat blogging

Breakfast time. Tim is the only one who eats here regularly. The others will if all the other dishes are empty.
Tommie eats his canned food first then goes to the dry then explores the places the other cats eat to see what he can finish for them. He is quite portly these days.
PuddyTat got a special treat.
Dudie dislikes it when Little One intrudes on his meals but he has had to get used to it. LO rarely eats unless he can share someone else's meal. He craves the company of other cats. They don't like him however. Poor kitten.
As usual Jellico prowls and waits. He won't eat the separate food I put out for him. He waits for the others to finish then jumps up on the cathouse roof to finish what the others leave. He isn't quite right in his head. And he is getting meaner and meaner with me and with the others. They do not like him at all.

Friday shuffle

1. Baby, It's You - Shirelles
2. Chelsea Morning - Judy Collins
3. Is Gewejn.../Jowels Freylakh - Jowel Klezmorim
4. Walton: Antiphon (Let all the World) - Trinity Choir
5. Stravinsky: Pater Noster - Westminster Choir
6. It's a Happening Thing - The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
7. There's a Moon Out Tonight - The Capris
8. Hold Your Head Up - Argent
9. Living Will - Capitol Steps
10. United We Stand - Brotherhood of Man

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My opinion

While reading the comments on a blog this morning I had a somewhat unusual word come to mind. Fortunately this website provided the image. The word is a fitting response to the following:

•The Episcopal Church has abandoned the traditional teachings of the Bible.
•The _____ church welcomes all sinners...
•The Anglican Church in North America is Anglican.
•Homosexuality is exported from the US (or the "West") to Africa.
•There are no homosexuals in Nigeria (or Pakistan or...).
•Same sex marriage will destroy traditional marriage. (As if straits didn't do that already.)
•Universal health care in countries like Canada, England, Germany and France doesn't work.
•Republicans want to work with Democrats on...
•Anti-abortionists are pro-life.
•Allowing LBGTs to be involved in their partner's funerals would harm strait marriage.

I'll probably add to this as the day goes on...