whew

Back in the office... after about 10 days out.

I headed out to the immunization clinic on the 20th...got a "seasonal flu" shot in one arm and a life-time's worth of pneumonia immunization in the other, and figured I might defy augury...

That was Tuesday. Wednesday I drove to Outlying Community where I'll take up honorary post-retirement duties in January -- about 50 km. one way (30 miles). Had a good chat with the Incumbent there, including fine fish-n-chip lunch, and a drop-in at the Yarn Shop (woot!)--but oh, on the drive home I could NOT get warm again.

And I thought, "Well, drat; this is undoubtedly flu of some sort." Coffee with Youthful Colleague turned into supper with YC, of which I think I ate six bites before giving up and going home.

I was still amid what I was counting as a week's holiday time...but by Thursday I decided that I was going to extend that period. Wonder Curate dealt mightily with the events of the weekend and early week, including absence of Wonder Secketry, also with flu...

He is having some down time now...and although still coughing annoyingly, I am back, as is Wonder Secketry.

The rummage crew seem to have organized themselves all week without benefit of Rectorial Soop for once. The Visiting Archbishop came, preached, was lunched, and flew away again. This is all most consoling.

Time for me to creep back to Tether's End and more nugatory television...

eternal questions

or perpetual questions, I'm not sure which.

Can we get the kneelers in the front pews made serviceable before our august visitors commit themselves to that space?

Can we get the chain-link fence along the lane behind the church replaced or repaired before the august visitors are affronted by the sight of its semi-collapsed condition?

Do our ushers/sidespeople possess raiment sufficiently posh to allow them to pass the collection plate, with confidence and aplomb, to our august visitors?

Will the city do something about the ghastly pot-holes in front of MH & U before our august visitors or their light-cavalry escorts injure their precious ankles therein?

If the Rambler continues to have kittens every 3 minutes between now and the august visit, at what point will her office be completely full of kittens?

And then what will we do with those kittens?

Would our august visitors like one each to take home for a SOUVENIR?

And, incidentally, is there a factory somewhere producing uglies for the abundant stocking of rummage sales?

Answer comes there none.

onward

NOT THE STOCK-POT IN QUESTION
They are once again all full of soup...and I have at last found the ideal stock-pot amongst the miscellaneous batterie de cuisine in the big drawers in the big kitchen.

You have noticed perhaps that all church pots, like all church knives and all church locks, are basically crap?

Church pots are most notable for the thinness of their bottoms (unlike church ladies, a quite different phenomenon), so that all food cooked in church pots no matter HOW carefully one adjusts the simmer and "stirs constantly"....ALL food, sticks and scorches. INVARIABLY.

Most particularly thick soups such as today's treat, split pea.

But this particular stock-pot, although conforming to type in other respects, when it COOLS DOWN, automatically releases the scorched patches, without scouring. It's just plain aluminum, not "no-stick" in any way. But oh the difference in the clean-up is just amazing.

I may have to leave a note taped to it, for whoever next fills the role of Soup Nazi in this place. "Use this pot and no other -- heed the gypsy's warning!"

Meantime domestic artefacts of great ugliness and dubious utility continue to ACCRUE on the tables of the rummage sale.

Breaking news: the display tables in the Lower Hall have been arranged in a chevron pattern this time around, in lieu of the usual rectilinear arrangement. SOULS ARE AT STAKE HERE FOLKS...stay tuned!

The weather is quite beautiful. For Friday evening and Saturday morning, during the actual sale --we are promised -- you got it -- more snow.

yet again!

In loving memory of Johnny Hart, may he rest in peace, and in honour of the clam chowder that is about to be concocted for the Rummage Crew. Peace on them, too--PLEASE! They have already consumed beef-tomato-vegetable, turkey-and-rice, split-pea-and-ham. Either I'm getting sharper about the quantities, or we have more folks working...minimal left-overs, DG.

It's been a good week for rummage: tons of stuff, and hordes of sorters and pricers. Plenty of pretty good fellowship and a minimum of outrage and hard words. Only one vast mystery at this point -- who stole the exercise machine that was left outside our back door, and how and when they managed it?

Now if anybody needs a set of 5 wine glasses, we have several styles to choose from...