2008 in review: the one-paragraph non-sequitur version

As per Padre Mickey and Jane at Acts of Hope: take the first line of the first post of every month in 2008 (a glorified Mad Libs, no? Or maybe akin to a Stave puzzle).

It’s always fascinating to go through family histories to see the progression of names given from generation to generation. Here's a reason why there's no Friday cat blogging: Governor orders shutdown of government 1:33 p.m. I'm dreaming of a white Easter... just like the Easters of before.... Really, we don't get white Christmases nearly as often as Easters. Poisson d'avril! Some of you will know where this photo was taken (circa 1991 or 1992). In this liturgical year that seems to be on fast-forward because of the early start of Lent, then cascaded into an early Easter, Ascension Day also lands early with some interesting juxtapositions. As I was leaving to go back up north yesterday for Naomi's birthday and come back to the rectory to write my sermon, a mile down the road from the house, I got a flat. Just take a pebble and cast it to the sea... ... as that wonderful old Emerson, Lake and Palmer song starts with its soft guitar accompaniment before launching into a wild riff. Taken entirely from the Lead: First draft of the Lambeth reflection on the bishop and human sexuality. There's too much going on to put up a decent posting. Just fifteen minutes ago... the sky to the west looked like this. I have come to love the expression, ‘thin place.’ I'd be too if I were a car... from the police report of the town from which I just moved: Theft — A resident of VT Route 64 called to report a vehicle had been stolen from out of her dooryard.

Well, this is totally incomprehensible. Had I done the last posting of the month, I might have come up with a better sequence.

Your Sunday night silly.

Mug Meme

From Rev Dr Mom — this is an open meme on mugs. Needless to say I have far more than what you'll see. These aren't good photos (I can't get good close-ups with my digital) but you'll get the gist. Don't enlarge them; they look better small.



For starters, a mug from El Salvador with the IAES graphic. I can't remember when I brought this back from there. It's not in the current rotation of mugs.


There has to be at least one mug of a cat. My sister gave this to me. It's a Tiffany mug, not able to go in the microwave so it is reserved for the first cup of coffee that comes straight from the pot.


Fundación Cristosal, a fundation that supports the Anglican Episcopal Church of El Salvador, commissioned these mugs in 2003 to sell at General Convention. I hauled a total of about 75 of these mugs back. So did a lot of other people. These are done by a cooperative, Shicali, that consists of deaf people who would otherwise be unemployed. They do a lot of other designs, too. Remember that every mug from El Salvador has had to be carefully transported. (front side)


Fundación Cristosal's symbol is a dove drawn in the style of La Palma. (back side of above mug)


This image of the fire of the Holy Spirit imposed on a primatial crozier is the Archbishop of IARCA and Bishop of El Salvador's graphic. (front side)


This mug commemorates the installation of the Most Rev'd Martín Barahona as Primate of the Anglican Church of the Region of Central America, 24 August 2002. (back side)


Finally there's my Texas snowflake mug. Since I love chile peppers, Compa's cousin from San Antonio gave this to me. I use it a lot in the winter.

My first meme

It had to happen sooner or later. Pseudopiskie tagged me with the weirdness meme, i.e., name six weird things about myself. The logical people for me to tag have already been tagged.

1. I love writing sermons. The weekly lectionary always provides me with a challenge.

2. I like to walk 270 miles in a two-week period with a 20 pound backpack on my back and I walk on a medieval pilgrimage route of which I have already walked 600+ miles.

3. I love late-spring snowstorms the likes of which we had today and may have on Sunday.

4. I make a really, really hot salsa, hot enough to make you break out into a sweat and your eyes water.

5. I am a life-long member of The Episcopal Church and have never wandered off into other denominations or faiths.

6. I love attending certain meetings, like General Convention and Executive Council. It's so wonderful to be with people equally passionate about the church.

For someone as verbose as I am, writing this thing was surprisingly hard!