Why I go thru lotsa bird seed

Yes, that pole leans like that. Someday I need to fix that.

Friday shuffle on Saturday

1. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies
2. Barber: Violin Concerto, II Andante - Stern, Bernstein
3. Black Mountain Rag - Doc & Merle Watson
4. Just My Imagination - Temptations
5. Elgar: There is Sweet Music - Finzi Singers
6. Summer Wind - Monte Alexander
7. Schoenberg: Friede auf Erden - Westminster Choir
8. Suicide Polka
9. Polka Dots and Moonbeams - Ray Brown Trio
10. What a Difference a Day Makes - Dinah Washington

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

I think Tim is lonely. She is very vocal with the strangest sounds I've ever heard from her. She sat in the cold there for quite awhile. She could get some warmth from one of the holes in the annex that you can see but she won't. She hasn't been in her foam bed since it got really cold so I assume she has been under the neighbors' house. When she is in the garage she will talk to me but she won't let me near her.

I haven't seen Dudie so he may be next door also. Tommie comes and goes. He has been sharing the box with PT all afternoon. She was in her box when I got home last night but had gone by 3 am and didn't return till late this morning. I worry about the cats when the weather is so cold. But they all seem to be surviving and healthy. The worst problem is feeding them. The food freezes so I try to put bits out when they are around. The temperatures are supposed to moderate overnight and tomorrow. I hope. It would be nice to have my furnace working.

Church planting?

There seems to be lots of impetus for planting new Episcopal churches in the US to stem the declining numbers. I suppose there are places where new parishes could grow and be healthy. But what about those of us who already exist and are basically limping along unable to afford clergy? Or find clergy who can work part time? Or find supply priests?

Who pays the people who try to start new Episcopal missions? Are they volunteers? Or "working" priests? Might they be better used to grow an existing parish somewhere rather than start competition?

Is it better/cheaper to start anew without the encumbrance of a building? Should those of us with historic structures be forced to leave the buildings? Seems a peculiar idea since TEC is suing to retain many probably useless buildings which may just be a money drain.

Much of what I read on the blogs and the HoB/D list relates to urban situations. What about the rest of us? We seem to be expendable. Nobody cares about a parish with ASA of 50 or 20 or however many Episcopalians.

The problems with TEC are not how to deal with homosexuality or whose interpretation of scripture is right or wrong or even declining membership. The problems are all these small parishes who carry on the traditions and are now struggling to exist as seminary education creates massive debt for graduates, when students can even be recruited, and clergy salaries and benefits are simply not affordable.

Personally I would prefer seminary trained clergy because they tend to have broader experience and are more interesting. I'd give that up just to have a reliable supply priest who will be there a couple of Sundays a month for the eucharist and take care of weddings and funerals. I'd be happy to have a deacon. I know many find the idea repulsive but perhaps we need to have vocational education for priests for situations like ours?

Weather oddity

I have a barometer which belonged to our parents. It has been amazingly accurate for a decorative item. It has a pointer which I set years ago when the barometric pressure was particularly low. (I wasn't home when the tornado went thru and didn't think to look when I got home several hours later.) Last week, our pressure went below the marker to 29.46. Today it is almost as high as I've seen it at 30.42. I know that doesn't mean much to most people but it is interesting to me.

Reminder to self

Self: You need to add more insulation to the attic and you need to install heat tape to get rid of this ice buildup.

Widgets

I never get tired of feeding the "fish" in the widget on my blog. Scroll down to see it on the right.

I like to lead the penguins around on Sharecropper's blog too.

How mindless can we be?

Why I like to put suet out

A downy

A titmouse

Adam

My sister-in-law sent an update on her nephew Adam who was in a horrible traffic accident before New Years Eve. My original prayer request is here.

No changes on the MRI from the last two catscans so he is not getting worse. Today was good. He moved his arm and scratched his chin and squeezed his hand when we told him to do it. Small steps. Tough trip back and forth for 2 hrs each and then talking to the docs and trying to get Medicaid. My sister is still strong but tired tonight. Tomorrow is another day.

Prayers for Adam and all those caring for and working with him appreciated.

A curiosity

Sometimes I mix an egg with some milk, heat it slightly then give it to the cats. Tonight the stuff they didn't lap up froze almost immediately. When it is frozen, it is almost transparent. The next time a feline comes around I nuke it and it turns white again. I wonder how, why, etc.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 4 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

One of them is a Facebook friend. I believe she is a college student in Maine. There is another in Beatrice, NE. I was tempted to try to call her years ago when I passed thru the state but I didn't stop anywhere. The fourth is in Phoenix, AZ.

This time everyone will be included

The Right Reverend Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, will give the invocation at the first of the Inaugural Week activities at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, January 18, at 2:00 pm. The Concord Monitor article is here. You can read the note +Gene sent to friends at the Episcopal Cafe among many other places. I wish it were being broadcast by someone other than HBO which would be a stupid investment for me since I almost never watch movies.

Why I don't like to put suet out

You know I dislike photos, Mom

Sometimes the church...

drives me nuts. There are reasons why only certain people have certain privileges in certain religions. I'm not inclined to think very highly of most of those reasons or restrictions. To me, most seem to insure prestige, power and wealth for the privileged few, mostly white males in so-called western societies.

This morning, the third time in six weeks, the weather kept our Episcopal supply priest away. It is not easy for us to suddenly change to Morning Prayer because we rarely do it and only a couple of people are licensed. And few like it. So we do what we have begun calling the "third setting" - simply omitting the homily and the eucharist.

What bothers me is the insistence that only properly ordained priests can properly bless the elements. Even deacons don't have that privilege. I believe I and most other lay persons are perfectly capable of presiding at the eucharist in an emergency in God's "eyes". I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I respect the rules even tho I suspect Jesus would roll his eyes and shake his head and wonder how he can possibly reach some people. Actually he probably does that constantly, especially in many institutions which claim exclusive knowledge of him.

I believe that the ELCA suspends the "rules" in emergency situations but I have no idea if our situation would be considered an emergency. It certainly is for us.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want to be an Episcopalian. Oh well, I want to try to help the parish so why not? God cares how I live, not what what dogma I believe is God's true word literally.

Side yard birds

They haven't found the suet yet as I just put it out. The feeders are wearing band hats of snow.

As I was posting the above, it started to snow. All the birds disappeared. I had to use the little ladder last night but so far the satellite dish is still functioning. The one early red bract on my 40 year old poinsettia is visible. It never blooms this early. Weird.

Birds are hungry

Hurry up!

Thanks.

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

The cats stayed away yesterday.

PuddyTat spent most of last night in her box but left early.

Tim gets her water from licking the dripping icicles.

Suet

My "productive before noon" project today is suet for the birds. The weatherpeople have predicted extremely cold temperatures next week. I make my own suet for the birds. I do not use seeds because the fat makes them slippery and difficult to grasp and hull. I use shortening, peanut butter and cornmeal. The shortening has to be the kind that will set up, not hydrogenated or it will be runny which will only make a worse mess. I'm not sure the proportions are important.

Soften the shortening and peanut butter then mix in as much cornmeal as you have the strength to move. Put it in a pan to harden. Make sure you don't make it deeper than your cages are. When it sets up, cut it into the size blocks you need. If you line the pan with waxed paper, you'll have an easier time getting the suet cakes out.

You can add other items like raisins or cranberries. I usually don't. The only problem with this is the blackbirds. Once the starlings find it, they mob the place and keep the other birds out.

Friday shuffle

1. It Ain't Me Babe - The Turtles
2. Walk On - Reba McEntire
3. No Beer in Heaven Polka
4. Take Me Back to Happy Valley - The Bailey Brothers
5. In navitatum Domini nostri - Taverner Consort
6. Twenty-five Miles - Edwin Starr
7. There I've Said It Again - Bobby Vinton
8. The Touch of Your Hand - Alexander/Brown
9. Barnwell: No Mirrors in my Nana's House - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
10. In a Mellow Tone - Ernestine Anderson