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.

Natural Born Citizen

The following is a funny and true story occurring in an AP Government class at Santa Fe High School:

In one civics class, the young adults were discussing the qualifications to be president of the United States. It was pretty simple. The candidate must be a natural born citizen and at least 35 years of age.

However, one girl in the class immediately started in on how unfair was the requirement to be a natural born citizen. In short, her opinion was this requirement prevented many capable individuals from becoming president. The class was just taking it in and letting her rant, but everyone's jaw hit the floor when she wrapped up her argument by stating, "What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified to lead this country than one born by C-section?"

They walk among us and they vote.

Hat tip to Randal.

Friday cat blogging

PuddyTat rested her head on Tommie this cold morning.

Tommie and Tim gobbled down their food. Tom will eat dry food but he loves canned food. The gals will lick the moisture off the canned food but they don't eat it.

Meanwhile PT retreated to the second story of the cathouse when I put flea stuff on Tom.

She did not like Jellico's presence however and left.

Then Jellico retreated to the driveway looking for an opportunity to get up on the roof.

While Tommie returned to the heating pad in the box still keeping an eye out for Jellico.

Friday shuffle early

1. PDQ Bach: Missa Hilarious, Yriekay
2. Crazy Creek - Bill Keith
3. Ives: Psalm 90 - Westminster Choir
4. Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson
5. Satie: Les Fils Des Etoiles Act 2 Prelude - Riri Shimada
6. Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Lang Lang
7. Moon River - Henry Mancini
8. Let's Dance - Benny Goodman
9. Burleigh: My Lord, What a Morning - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
10. Elected - Alice Cooper

A special birthday this year

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09.

At that time, I will be about an hour and a half short of being 69 years old.

Hat tip to Joan.

Please help a missionary visit home

Every Friday, well almost, Padre Mickey and his lovely wife Mona bring us Friday Mr. Red Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging. The latest episode, an historical look back, is here.

Padre Mickey is an Episcopal missionary in Panama. You can check out his work at his blog Padre Mickey's Dance Party. It's obvious from the faces that he is doing good work there. In April Padre Mickey and Mona hope to go on sabbatical for a few months. Unfortunately they exist on minimal missionary pay which gives them enough to exist but not do anything else. They plan to return to the US but have little or no savings with which to pay for a place to live.

The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton (TELP) at Telling Secrets and our beloved MadPriest at OCICBW have launched another fundraising appeal. You may remember that we raised money for a church in Rio a couple of years ago. Those of us who know Padre Mickey and Mona, albeit vicariously, would appreciate a contribution. Were they to receive enough funding, they could come east and we could have another big party and all meet in person. If you would like more specific information, including what is planned for the gifts, please go to either blog.

There are Paypal buttons on both Telling Secrets and OCICBW. Or if you prefer, you may send your checks (or cheques) or money orders, made out to The Episcopal Church of St. Paul and marked "City of God Appeal" to:

The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ (USA) 07928

Please help!

Pymatuning blue gill

My neighbors' trophy fish.
BTW this is not a fish tank. It is my neighbors' front window as seen from their deck.

Buzzard Day

Sigh and sorry. I missed it this year. On 15 March the buzzards return to Hinckley, Ohio. It has become a big deal locally. We learned about this annual celebration in the 60's when some of us in the office were looking for a cause to celebrate (party) and found a calendar with all sorts of offbeat holidays not recognized by the general population.

Spring will come

This morning when the neighbor leveled all the dirt and gravel plowed up with snow during this wonderful winter, he exposed a large patch of ice that had been preserving itself under the mound.

The silver maple is convinced that spring is arriving soon.

Integrity to Anaheim

Send your contributions to Integrity today:

Integrity USA - Anaheim Appeal
274 Goodman Street #B267
Rochester, NY 14607
800.462.9498