Prayers requested

In Binghamton of all places, I have a Wonderful Friend who is having a tough time. Her sister-in-law died recently and her husband learned he has a very aggressive form of prostate cancer. Please pray for WF and WFH. Godde will know whom you mean.

A few photos from Emmanuel

Emmanuel Episcopal's altar dressed for Lent.

Jimbo

Dawn. I'm so sorry she is blurry. I was too.

The Heaths and Cathy

Lee's ashes are behind the slightly darker square to the left of the topmost marker next to his friend Mike's. Click the photo to enbiggen.

Friday shuffle on Saturday

1. In the Still of the Night - Five Satins
2. Bernstein: Mass, Gloria tibi - Norman Schribner, etc.
3. I'm Just a Lonely So and So - Bill Mays
4. Oyfn Veg Shreyt A Boym - Jowel Klezmorim
5. There's a Moon Out Tonight - The Capris
6. Stravinsky: Credo - Westminster Choir
7. Hot Smoke and Sassafrass - Bubble Puppy
8. Bach: B minor Mass, Confiteor - Rilling
9. Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer
10. Something in the Air - Thunderclap Newman

You'll have to look them up yourselves on YouTube. Other stuff to post this morning. Maybe tomorrow...

To Bristol

The last time I visited Emmanuel in Bristol, I had a great tour guide. Tomorrow we will say Goodbye to him. Looking forward to seeing friends and making new ones but not to the occasion. Prayers for safe travels for all who join me on this sad voyage.

Outside the box

I worry about Hildy

Ours are about the same size but they don't come to say Hello like Hildy did.

I feed hawks too

A sabbatical reminder - give PLEASE

Padre Mickey and his wife, the lovely Mona, are Episcopal Church missionaries in Panama. They are taking a well-earned sabbatical beginning in a couple of weeks and traveling north to visit family and friends in their home diocese. In case you aren't aware, you need to know that missionaries are paid subsistence wages which cover the necessities but provide little for anything else. Our friends in the blogosphere are raising money to help them pay for their travels. If you have received your tax refund and/or have a few extra shekels, please help us provide the funds they need.

MadPriest and Elizabeth Kaeton+ have Paypal donation buttons on their blogs OCICBW and Telling Secrets. Look on the right side. You can also send a check or money order.

In the U.K. cheques (made payable to "St. Francis Church") should be sent to:

PADRE MICKEY APPEAL,
St. Francis House
18 Cotswold Gardens
High Heaton
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE7 7AE

Please write "Padre Mickey" on the reverse of the cheque.

In the United States, cheques (made payable to "The Episcopal Church of St. Paul") should be sent to:

PADRE MICKEY APPEAL
c/o The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928

Please write "Padre Mickey" on the front of the cheque.

Thank you.

(HT to MadPriest for the graphic.)

When men do coffee hour

Lots of cookies. Big delicious muffins. Bagels and cream cheese. Lots of juice. Real coffee. No frilly stuff here.

Canon Martha update

From the diocese:

We are praising God for a miracle!

Canon Martha is now home and on the road to recovery. The doctors are still not sure what caused the bleeding, but they can find no residual damage.

We thank you for your prayers and well wishes over the last few days. They have meant a great deal.

And colt's foot

Spring is here even if we might have snow tomorrow.

Finally, daffodils

Finally the daffys next to the house have bloomed. They will get their blossoms frosted tomorrow night and may see a little snow.

But it will be awhile yet before my daffodil "fence" blooms.

Friday cat blogging

The reason I have to keep replacing PT's box.

The clan assembles for breakfast.

Jellico waits and watches as usual.

Dudie gets some special warm egg and milk. He still has a very bad foot but the hair on the side of his face is growing in again.

Friday shuffle

1. Mozart: Requiem, Introit - Berlin Radio Symphony
2. Elgar: O Wild West Wind - Finzi Singers
3. Missa Pro Defunctis, Kyrie - Cisturcian Monks
4. Heroes and Villains - Beach Boys
5. Love Will Find Its Way To You - Reba McEntire
6. One of a Kind - Spinners
7. Jam Up Jelly Tight - Tommy Roe
8. Praise to the Lord - Concordia Choir
9. 16 Candles - Crests
10. Spill the Wine - Eric Burden & War

Obscene salaries and bonuses

I have great difficulty understanding why anyone needs more than a million dollars a year to be happy. I don't grudge those who are lucky enough or clever enough to earn obscene amounts of compensation but I wonder about those who are forced to live on ten thousand a year. Philosophically I'm embarrassed by the disparity between the compensation of corporate officers and the people they employ. The AIG/AIU people who are being "kept" to unravel the mess they have created had better do just that. The folks who have vacated the premises should not get any form of bonus. Period.

Anyhow. I would like to propose a tax change which would not limit the amount of money a corporate exec could earn. It would simply transfer the responsibility.

In any corporation, the amount of salary plus benefits plus bonus paid to any individual up to one million dollars US would be deductible as employee expense. Any money or benefit beyond one million dollars would not be deductible for tax purposes. There would be no limit to the compensation but anything beyond a million would have to come directly out of stockholder's equity.

Happy birthday, ++Katharine

More prayers requested

In the post below I asked for prayers for our Canon to the Ordinary. She seems to be steadily improving. Please continue praying.

A problem at least as serious is the parish she served until she became the canon less than two years ago. There was a funeral there last Friday for one of the men. I'm not sure how many funerals there have been in the last few months but I know there have been at least four. I also know one of the women has cancer. And Martha is in the hospital. It is a small parish, a close-knit family parish. Please, please, please keep the members of St Clement's in your prayers.

Prayers requested

The Reverend Martha Ishman, Canon to the Ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, was life flighted to a Pittsburgh hospital this morning with a bleed in the back of her brain. We do not have many details as of right now, but the bishop is with her and her family and we will update you when we have more information.

Please keep Canon Martha, her husband, Dale, and their children, Sarah and Jacob, in your prayers.

Oh, Joy! Oh, Gladness!

There used to be a cottage where my barn now stands. Every year I've lived here (almost 41) several croci have bloomed. They were planted by the lady who built that cottage. These are the regular croci, not the tiny ones that have been blooming for weeks. I've been watching and hoping the earth moving didn't totally destroy them. Today suddenly there are three which were not there yesterday. I'm soooooooo happy!

And the daffys are starting to bend their stems. And a possible priest candidate is being interviewed tonight.

Life is good at the moment in spite of a nose which wants to compete with Niagara Falls.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

creeps in this petty pace from day to day while waiting for the daffodils to bloom.

Meanwhile Tim sunbathes.