Transfiguration at St Mary's, Lawrence Park, PA

This visit to St Mary's was quite different from the last. I sat with one of the same friends but had the opportunity to interact with more people. They are indeed very friendly. I was there because a friend was supplying. I just wish they weren't doing Rite I. I am not a cradle Episcopalian and I see no reason to use obsolete language which annoys me. I'm not fond of the"me" emphasis either. Is anyone in the diocese doing Rite II during Lent?

The Episcopal Cathedral of St Paul, Erie, PA

I attended the 10 am eucharist at the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania this morning. The only thing missing was bells. Otherwise it was worship as it should be in an Episcopal cathedral. Verger, dean, lots of clergy, acolytes, organ, full choir and incense. 

Our cathedral is hardly a huge imposing awe-inspiring stone structure, at least on the inside. The wood and the colors make it warmer, more welcoming in my opinion, than many churches, let alone cathedrals. I especially enjoyed hearing a really good choir and organ for a change. So many of our parishes are too small to have choirs large enough to sing and chant well. One thing bothered me and that was during the Prayers of the People.  The bulletin said "Silence" but the reader did not allow any time for private intercessions. I know too many people to say how friendly the people are.

This photo was taken during the postlude from the back of the church between the slightly raised divided choir loft. Incense lingering. It was good to see so many people staying to listen to the postlude. As you can see there is no super long center aisle. The cathedral is rather small, perhaps even intimate for a cathedral.

This is a closer photo of the cancel. It is rather large. Well, it's huge compared to the rest of the church. The "haze" is glare from the window. The sun would not allow a good photo of that.

There are more photos taken in 2008, I believe, here.

The photos are embiggenable.

Missing? on 2.16.2014

This is one of my favorite scenes but not today. This was the view from I-90 this morning. Normally Lake Erie wraps from dead ahead around to the left. Not today.

And this was the view from the road headed south toward Chautauqua Institution. There really is a lake there.

Surprise! It was snowing. As usual on Sunday lately.  Yesterday friends suggested I see the Ice Castle in Mayville, NY. There haven't been many years lately with this much ice. A drive-by would be enough for me.

Well, I knew where to attend church - St Peter's in Westfield, NY, one of my favorite parishes. No photos tho because they are here. I even took a few notes during the sermon. "Lizard's Brain" was new to me. I won't forget that homily soon. 

 Diane and Jim sat in my row. Friendly nice folks, somewhat new to the church. Hmmm. Newbies seem to be especially friendly. Remember St David's? But St Peter's folks are infinitely friendlier than those. 

Note to congregations: Everyone has to take an interest in visitors - especially ones who come back. Unless you don't want them to return. 

And while I'm at it another note to congregations: If you have a website or a Facebook page, PUT SERVICE TIME(S) WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND IT EASILY!!! At least include it with your phone message. It is right on the front page of St Peter's.

Christ Church, Oil City, PA, 9 February 2014

Perhaps this was not the best day to drive approximately 50 miles to Oil City via 358 and 60 for church but it turned out to be the best day.  As I tried to keep within the already driven-in path I thought about how I seem to choose far away parishes on snowy Sundays. Well, if I was going to be late, I could take I-79 when I got to it and go somewhere else. Google said I wouldn't be late so I kept going. I encountered two VERY slow scared people a few miles out of Franklin and thought I could spend an hour at McD's or something and attend St John's if I would be late. But Google said I was ok so I continued. As I walked up the steps the bell rang. Thank you, guardian angel! 

Christ Church Oil City is beautiful. And the overall friendliest parish I've attended so far. Of course I knew several people. But others actually were conversational after the service. They don't mix it up much at the Peace but several made sure I would go to Coffee Hour. A big difference from last Sunday! I wish the organist, who seems quite competent, would not add an extra beat at the end of middle phrases and an extra measure at the end of each verse. I didn't hear anyone else singing much but there weren't many there. They are very active in community despite their small numbers. I think I would be comfortable there. I certainly felt that way today.

The church is not as dark as it looks in some of the photos. I have to use flash to get the windows to show. Obviously the flash on my tiny Panasonic point and shoot will not illuminate large spaces.
By the way, the candles are real tho I learned they use gas candles in summer to keep them from blowing out in the wind tho I didn't ask the source of the wind. Yea.

St David's Episcopal Church, Cranbury, NJ

St David's was the closest Episcopal church so I chose to go there even tho I sort of wanted to go to All Saints or Trinity in Princeton. But I've seen those and St Davids was new to me - as well as being within walking distance in better weather. 

There were plenty of friendly greeters in the Narthex. Both regular and large size leaflets were available. I was offered and took the regular size. I noticed that the large size included the hymns. Both are comprehensive with readings and musical responses. 

It was good hear a congregation singing and be in church with a "large" group. The modern church seats perhaps 175 and it was at least 2/3 full. Speaking of seats, they and everything else looked moveable. The chairs have kneelers and are linked by places for books. There is no altar rail. A few knelt for communion but I didn't having nothing to help me get up.

The sermon was a teaching sermon on the lessons similar to one I heard last week. We are all in this together. Well, duh. I agree tho many seem to forget that once they leave the building. 

The young ones had their own "musical" presentation. I was amused by the total lack of music in the first verse with a melody appearing in verse three. They were wonderful. It was good to hear a choir again. They were ok. The organist played an introduction to the Mathias Gloria that was not what was written. He seemed to enjoy improvising a bit.

The members were not particularly friendly. While many shook my hand at the Peace, nobody talked to me after. Nobody invited me to coffee hour. The people in front of me were new so they were curious and conversational after the service. And the little elderly lady next to me was sweet.

In line to shake hands with the priest I tried to engage the woman and child behind me in conversation but I was totally ignored. The priest handed me over to Mel. They have a friendly person Mel who talks to all visitors. She was great.

I learned that their Girl Scouts pool their cookie sales thru the church so nobody has to feel obligated to support more than one or be in competition that might threaten friendships. Good idea.

I will go again when I am there on a Sunday because it is handy but I can't say I felt the congregation was very welcoming.

Cat boxes in sub zero weather

This is Tim's box. I guess it is so clean because she has not been out and about.

I wondered if Jellico was in one of the heated boxes at night. Obviously he is because those are his tufts of fur. He is a filthy cat as you can see. I should turn the blanket.

The 2nd of the 2014 Polar Vortices

There are snow rollers everywhere. My neighbor told someone they are actually aliens' eggs and if they all hatch we're in deep doodoo. 

Conneaut Lake has snow rollers and fishermen. There were geese resting in the snow in the foreground but they were too low to make the photo and there was too much traffic to slow down.

There are snow rollers in people's yards.

There are snow rollers in every open field.

There are snow rollers on Pymatuning.

The snow rollers at the foot of the dam aren't visible in the photo.

There are gulls in this photo but you can't see them among the snow rollers.

These three are in my yard.

Jellico's January Journey

I assume Jellico made these tracks. They came out of and around the barn.

Then they headed across the yard toward the pond.

They went into the weeds by the pond.

And emerged after walking over the ice.

They proceeded down to the lake. That's where I stopped following them. The tracks look like he returned the same way.

14 Jan 14 photos

Jellico had been fed but kept an eye on me. Perhaps a treat might be forthcoming. It was.

Conneaut Lake has the geese and they can keep those poopy birds. We have gulls, perhaps thousands of them, but they don't come up on the grass.

This road was tarred and chipped last fall. The plows have removed most of the chips making it feel like an old washboard road.

Sunset 1.12.14

Coming home across the dam, I thought I'd take some sunset photos. The first looks west - obviously - across the dam.

I drove back across the dam and turned around to catch the moon with the gulls that were flying back and forth.

This was the view up the lake which is finally ice covered. There was one fisherman's hut which is barely visible to the left of the island if the photo is embiggened.

The contrails stood out. I waited to see if the colors improved but they didn't so I headed home.

After feeding the cats, I looked out the front window. Wow. I don't recall ever seeing pink contrails before.

St. Peter's Church, Waterford, PA

St. Peter's Church came very close to being demolished when repairs made a number of years ago were determined to have been inadequate several years back and the church was determined too dangerous to enter. Both community and some diocesan outrage finally convinced the diocese to save the church. Hallelujah. It was a privilege to attend the eucharist in the newly reopened building today!

 It was a good thing my friend decided to call a member beforehand. She learned that, contrary to what the website says, the service begins at 11 am in the winter and usually starts late. Note to parishes: Don't bother to have a website unless the information is correct. I ran into that last summer in Sheffield, MA when I and another couple actually missed the service which even a member wasn't aware was scheduled earlier than usual. 

We were greeted by nobody and totally ignored until the peace. Perhaps the people there for the baptism were too engrossed to notice us. It was a bit disconcerting. A person who is not a member invited us to coffee hour as did the priest. My companion knew a couple of the people. I wondered if I would have been totally ignored had I been alone. It wouldn't have been the first time. I'm not finding Episcopalians particularly friendly to strangers. St Peter's may have been different without the fussing over the baptism.

It is a pretty little church which I'm happy has been resurrected. I will probably return for a more "normal" Sunday experience eventually.