Cats and flowers

An unhappy and very sick PuddyTat waits to go to the vet.

Jellico is keeping watch and allowed me to take this photo this close. Usually he runs away.
Missed this lily when I dug them up and gave them to my neighbor.

One of my favorite daylilies.

CMAA Duquesne University 2010

A few photos of the Duquesne University campus where I've spent the week with Catholics who love Gregorian Chant. There are more photos available here. Some even have people in them.

These bushes have three colors of flowers. Interesting.

Palms seem a little out of place in Pittsburgh.

Unwelcome daytime visitor

I do not like seeing raccoons and skunks and opossums out and about during the daytime. I always suspect rabies. I assume that this is the same raccoon who has been eating the catfood for the last couple of days if not longer. S/he has an insatiable appetite. The critter will deprive my cats of food this week while I'm gone. I am not happy about that. I could try to trap it but I don't know if the one I trap is the one who comes during the daytime. I hate to ask my neighbor to feed the cats twice a day but I will leave a note requesting she do that when she can. The critter sure chose an inconvenient week to appear. I pray it isn't rabid, just smart.

It was on the cathouse roof and descended when I appeared at the door.

It paused to make sure I was still watching before waddling off only to return again within a couple of minutes. It will stay until it has eaten all the catfood available. The cats just lie around and watch.

Why not Rome?

The writer says there could be a bloodbath in the Church of England. For the life of me, I cannot understand why those who can't deal with female clergy and want to give the Archbishop of Canterbury pope-like power don't just cross the Tiber. Do those dissatisfied Anglican clergy have ambitions on the office which might be possible in England but not in Rome? Do they believe they can perpetuate the patriarchy for their own benefit? Have they ever studied the Gospels?

I believe the men who preach against women and LGBTs do not understand Jesus at all. They are pretenders concerned with the interpretations of the "law" which benefit themselves and their peers. I seem to have read something about that this morning as I was the EM. They corrupt the people in their parishes by preaching that the Trinity must be worshipped. But to them the Holy Spirit died on Pentecost. Scripture contains the exact words we need to follow. (No matter who wrote whatever in whichever language in a setting which we can mostly only speculate about and has little relevance today.) Well, some scripture is no longer relevant but they get to choose.

No, I would not separate from those who believe they are right and righteous, who tell me I'm going to hell because I don't accept every jot and tittle of their beliefs. I can't and won't tell anyone that my faith is one they should accept. They might study it but they probably aren't interested. They don't care if it works for me. It is unforgivable sin and/or heresy and that is that. They don't want me in "their" church. I welcome them, however, to share the eucharist with me in whatever church. It is not my table.

Jesus told us to love Godde and love each other and be servants of each other and leave judgment to Godde. What else do we need? What is so difficult about that message?

Yep

Great job, MP!

Friday cat blogging

Some cat photos for a Friday.

This is Tim.

PuddyTat walks to the cathouse ignoring me as usual.

LittleOne stretches out after breakfast.

Then later rolls in the gravel.

Tommie was looking for breakfast.

Surprisingly Tommie allowed LittleOne to eat with him.

Friday shuffle

1. He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler
2. Hot Diggity - Perry Como
3. Puttin' On The Ritz - Jan Garber Orchestra
4. The Birthday Song - Mark Giroux (St Mark's Episcopal)
5. Persichetti: Love - Women of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia
6. What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye
7. Butterfly - Andy Williams
8. Bizet: Te Deum, Te Ergo Quaesumus - German Choir and Orchestra
9. Me And The Man In The Moon - Ambassadors with Frank Salvano
10. Blue Skies - Howard Alden and George Van Epps

Time to go fishing in England...

Seems to me that TEC needs to go fishing in England. Surely there are parishes hungry to hear the Gospel. Surely there are clergy who preach love and inclusion as taught by Jesus. Surely there are people who experience Godde's love and acceptance and seek a place to worship and be part of an inclusive community. Surely there are many who believe that the Archbishop of Canterbury has lost his way and are eager to reach out to the world and spread the real message of the Gospels. TEC has the hook - Godde loves all Godde's creation.

The Anglican Communion as currently visualized by the ABC has little if anything to do with its historical roots. It seems to have become a political organization responding only as dictated by certain conservative clergy and, perhaps, by Parliament. After all, some of the world's most needed resources are located in provinces once converted by CoE missionaries and now totally separated from Jesus by homophobia. While almost instant criticism results from the consecration of a partnered lesbian as bishop, nary a peep is heard when one of those countries presents legislation to kill people or advocates imprisoning people who love each other and those who are their friends.

Who knows who is pulling the strings at Lambeth? The ABC seems unaware that those strings seem to have no hooks with which to catch new Christians. They don't even have bait which might lure people back. Time for TEC to go fishing in England...

First daylilies of 2010

And still more...

I looked out the back door and saw Tommie looking back at me. "Mom, it's dinnertime."

I put out some tuna for Jellico but he seems to be saying, "Really for me?"

The penultimate storm knocked down one of the cherry trees. I'm grateful it fell away from the house.

There are lots of similar trees which threaten my little hovel all on the neighbor's property.

And more...

LittleOne

Tim

PuddyTat

And the lily that survived the attack of the bird feeder pole.

And now for something more pleasant

The bluebirds are in their house in the front yard again. This male doesn't eat at the feeder. He uses the perch to wait for bugs to pass by.

Who represents?

Do appointed bishops represent anyone?

Why do I think of this when the ABC comes to mind?

A new Archbishop of Canterbury

Bishop Clumber

Bishop Maya Pavlova, the theologian

Rowan, bishop of playing

I apologize to Bishop Airedale for whom I have no photo.

Abandonment

To my way of thinking, the Archbishop of Canterbury has abandoned Anglicanism and, perhaps, the Gospel. By reducing The Episcopal Church to "consultant" status because we choose to follow Jesus's teaching to love all and leave judgment to Godde, Rowan Williams has assumed the position of Anglican pope and abandoned the historical big tent. (Americans, at least, know what "assume" means.)

I don't know what their travel plans are but I wish Susan and Louise would cut the Paris trip short and do some evangelizing in England. Maybe they could begin with St. Paul's Cathedral? If it is ok to sign up our parishes and dioceses, it is ok to do likewise in the CoE. And what do we have to lose now?

Meanwhile we need to maintain the relationships we have around the world, especially financial assistance. We should revise the TEC budget to reflect our new status which should free up resources needed here and in more friendly places. And we need to bill the new Anglican Church for our time at their meetings. Aren't consultants paid quite well?

Friday shuffle

1. Sister Kate - Jan Garber
2. On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
3. Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
4. Sky Pilot Pt 1 - Eric Burden and Animals
5. Skylark - Scott Hamilton
6. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny
7. Sleepy Eyed John - Lewis & Rozem
8. Smile a Little Smile for Me - Flying Machine
9. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
10. Snoopy vs the Red Baron - Royal Guradsmen
Odd that so many S's came up in alfa order. Wonder what I did to get that. Maybe I'll do another.

Friday cat blogging

Dudie was talking this morning.

Tommie looks out from under the plastic on the middle shelf of the cathouse.PuddyTat is sick.

Lady is hungry.

LittleOne looks up at Tom.

Tim, Tom and PuddyTat trying to decide where to go.

Meanwhile Jellico looks on from a distance as usual.

And Presiding Bishop Katherine responds...

Good on ++Katharine! No waffling. No exclusion. Just straight forward telling it like it is. Lots of places to read her letters to both the Archbishop of Canterbury and President Obama. First the very misled, misinformed, mistaken ABC's stuff.

His lecture is here.

Her response.

Some comments on her response, with her letter, are here -
The Episcopal Cafe
Thinking Anglicans
Preludium
Telling Secrets
among others. I will not link to the hate sites. I don't go there. They have little or nothing to do with Jesus.

A comment on the exchange is from Diana Butler Bass.

And she had words for President Obama on the Gaza situation as well. Her letter to him is posted on ENS.

How fortunate TEC is to have an articulate, firm but gentle follower of Jesus as our leader!

My opinion on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost, um, message

Invite everyone to the eucharist. Those who come and share are Anglicans in communion. Those who don't or won't are something else. That should settle the property disagreements too.

Seasonally maladjusted?

This is the first time this poinsettia has bloomed for me. Like the plant with the new leaf below, I brought it home after Mom's funeral. It didn't have much outdoor light so I turned the pot around awhile back. It gets only the light from the door now so it follows a natural schedule.

The large leaves on the top left actually belong to my ancient 40+ year old red poinsettia. It only had a few tiny red bracts at Easter this year. It usually "blooms" around Valentines Day. I think is is too exposed to light from the TV now that I turned the pot. It has also grown quite tall so it gets more light at night from my lamp. I need to give it a severe haircut again.

Friday not cat blogging

There are at least three of these critters. I don't mind their eating the catfood. I do mind when they throw things about. I need to get the trap out and either give them a new home or have my neighbor "take care" of them.

The are getting too comfortable. They were fewer than 6 feet from me. The last was much closer.

Friday shuffle

1. Schubert: Mass in Eb, Sanctus - Shaw/Atlanta
2. Sincerely - The McGuire Sisters
3. Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
4. Girl of My Dreams - Blue Steele Orchestra
5. In the Sermon - Rev. Mark Giroux
6. Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
7. The In and the Out - Garrison Keillor and Frederica von Stade
8. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly
9. Elgar: O Wild West Wind! - Finzi Singers
10. Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend - Lobo