Thank You, Miss Kitty

 

Miss Kitty Says:

Last year I made a resolution not to wish anyone a "Purrfect New Year."  Maybe that was the problem this year.

So have a "Pawsitively Purrrrrfect" 2021.

You're welcome!

Reputed to be Worthwhile

 

If your favorite words of approval are "worthwhile" and "reputable,"  you just might be an Episcopalian.

TEST

Memories Monday From July 12, 2015

 Well. the quarantine is now at the point where I don't know what day it.  I was relieved to discover that today was Monday, since it sounds better than "Memories Tuesday" and I didn't want to wait a week to post it.  I would probably remember it on Tuesday.

Reading through some of my old posts, I saw this one, about a time that was not only interesting, but crazy and inconvenient (like all those traffic tie-ups.  In Philadelphia, it was from the Pope's visit, but there was something, sometime everywhere,)

I don't know what conclusions to draw.  Dylann Downer might say, "When it seems as if things can't get any worse, they will."

In answer to that, all I can say is, "You got that right, honey."

The past six months have been eventful to say the least.  Some of the events have been good, even joyous:  the Supreme Court’s Decision on marriage equality, Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition being met with surprising acceptance.  (The main negative comments seem to be about Ms. Jenner’s association with the Kardashians and the fact that she is a Republican.)  Here in Philadelphia, people are buying Pope t-shirts and looking forward to the His Holiness’s visit, hoping to see him chowing down on a cheesesteak and getting a blue tongue from his first water ice.  And how about a Eucharist with soft pretzels?

Episcopalian church geeks followed the General Convention in Salt Lake City with live coverage of the services and the business sessions.  There is a new Presiding Bishop (the Big Boss of the denomination), Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American to hold the office.  Bishop Curry won in a landslide on the first ballot.  It doesn’t look like it’s going to be our grandmother’s Episcopal Church.

Of course, there are the usual Dylann Downers (Debby Downer’s gender neutral, trendy cousin) who whine that there are still problems and the Casey Crazies who wail that change is not only inconvenient but evil, and at the very least a lot of people will be going to Hell.

While Dylann and Casey are upsetting, they are nothing compared to the series of scandals that seem to turn up just when we think we’ve seen enough sad, you-can't-make-this-stuff-up weirdness to last at least until the end of the year.  The Bishop and the Bicyclist in Baltimore, Josh Dugger, the president of the NAACP coming out that she is white, white police officers shooting unarmed black citizens, white cops being shot in retaliation, church burnings, a Neo-Nazi shooting members of a Bible study group, fights over the flying of the Confederate flag, and finally the revelation of tapes in which Bill Cosby admits to giving women Quaaludes in order to have sex with them.

But this is post is not about these events.  I’m too tired.  Every happening opens up new questions.  We puzzle how those who disagree with us can hold their opinions, try to determine how much guilt we should assume, and indulge in the frustration of attempting to figure out why these things happen.  Then we want to run off to some cave or at least hide under the bed.

If you’re expecting thoughts on how a Christian should handle such things, I’m too tired to do anything but point them out.  And maybe all the thoughts and advice coming from the media and each other are a big part of what is wearing us out.  So you don’t need mine.

But I will do what I can.  Please enjoy these dogs and cats.

You’re welcome.

A Woodstock Churchlady Classic. We need it!

 

 

It seems that the first sign of fall is not the school supplies in the aisles of the supermarkets, “The Urge for Going” playing wistfully on the independent radio stations, or even the turning of the first leaves. And it's not the first pumpkin spice cereal, yogurt, and limited edition Peeps. On September 2, I went to the store to start my pumpkin spice shopping. (I put it on my bucket list to try every pumpkin spice item I could find except for cat supplies.) But I couldn't find any! The real first sign of fall is people complaining, live, in print, and online, about pumpkin spice. I don't know if they think it doesn't deserve all the attention it gets or if they just want to be too sophisticated to get involved. If you told them you liked Starbucks, they would say everything there was overpriced and everyone there was a wannabe hipster.

Last year, Frank Bruni, wrote in The New York Times (“Will Pumpkin Spice Destroy Us All?” October 17, 2017), “Lock the refrigerator, bolt the cupboards and barricade the pantry. Pumpkin spice is here. . . It happens insidiously: a zombie apocalypse, if the zombies wore nutmeg cologne. And it really must stop.”  He's probably waiting for October to produce the next rant. 

There's nothing wrong with being bored with pumpkin spice or not liking Starbucks. But there is something mean spirited about trashing something you know makes other people happy. Life is hard enough and reminding yourself that you are better off than most of the world only makes you feel guilty.


JESUS ALERT!  HERE COMES THE CHURCHLADY STUFF!

If the purpose of life is to glorify God, how can Christians (or anybody) do that? One way is to truly appreciate life. Or as I read in Facebook (those people probably hate Facebook, too, except as a means to go after pumpkin spice or Starbucks) “Love the crap out of whatever you love and don't let anyone take it from you.” That's why I bought my Hello Kitty two pocket file folder.

It's one thing to rain on someone's Trick or Treat night about pumpkin spice or Hello Kitty. But the real rainer-oners are those people who say God (any god; they just aren't after Christians) and Heaven (or any life after death) don't exist.

Why do they do it? Are they trying to save believers from their gullibility? If a worn out target would say, “OK, you're right. Now that my belief system and my lifestyle are down the tubes, what can I do and what are you going to do about it?” Maybe they can recommend one of those trendy atheist churches.

But if they don't want to save us from ourselves, why do they bother? Do they enjoy confusing people and taking joy from their lives?   

I think they are, as we used to say as children, “Just jealous.” Since this is a Christian blog and should set a good example, I won't add “Nah, nah, nah!”

How can we respond to the rainer-oners, or to use a blunter word, haters?

I'm too tired to argue religion anymore. As the old song says, “Haters gonna hate.” We can pray for them. Frankly, I try to avoid them and limit myself to asking God to straighten then out.

 

So love the crap out of your pumpkin spice M & M's, hedgehog collection and The Hallmark Channel. Just don't forget God, your neighbor and yourself.

 



2020 Update:  

Dunkin Donuts announced it would be selling pumpkin spice products starting August 16. When I went to get  pumpkin spice and apple cider donuts, they didn't have any.  I got vanilla cream with chocolate fudge frosting.   It wasn't the same.

Oh, my, my!

Miss Kitty says:

I never believed The Rapture existed, but now I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm ready to go!

The Best Advice About Christmas Stress -- Ever --In the Universe!

 



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In order to reduce my stress load this Christmas, I am reposting last year's Christmas Stress post instead of writing a new one.

Do you feel that Christmas is a disruption in your life?  Are you overwhelmed by trying to provide the best Christmas possible?  How do you feel when you read an article or hear a discussion on a talk show telling you that you shouldn’t try to create the “perfect” Christmas?  And don’t forget all those movies about a burned out parent (usually Mom) who has a revelation and cries and berates herself for not seeing the meaning of Christmas.  Do you feel guilty because you would have been satisfied with just “real nice”?  Or are you shooting for perfect and feeling guilty not only for not making it but for even trying?

No matter where you turn, someone is saying something about the stress of Christmas.  I stopped reading articles about how to avoid stress, since reading them and trying to put them into action just took up time and led to more stress.

Maybe we just ought to accept that fact that we are going to strive for “the best Christmas ever,” no matter what we read or see on television and hear in church.

But I have a thought.

Christmas disrupts our lives, just as it has disrupted the world.  Mary and Joseph had their lives disrupted; so did the shepherds and wise men.  When we decide to follow Jesus, our lives are going to be changed and change is disruption.  It is a miraculous disruption.

But wouldn’t it be nice to find a little peace?

Maybe on the 26^th or the Saturday after Christmas, we can enjoy the leftovers, watch the DVD’s we got, and really read the Christmas cards and newsletters.  I’m going to keep the 26^th in mind tonight as I wrap presents and worry about whether everyone will like them.

 

Pastor, I Have this Friend

Well, several friends actually. They can't decide whether they are living in a dystopian novel where everyone is either crazy or miserable, one of those historical dramas that take place in some opulent but corrupt court, or a Marx Brothers comedy.

And they have the sinking feeling that if they did know, they wouldn't know how to handle it.

At first, it was terrible. They would wake up in the morning depressed or even more depressed than usual with the state of the world piled on top of their own problems.

Then it got worse. The talks about collusion and impeachment increased. (Of course they had been going on months before the election on both sides.) One very liberal friend says that she supports impeachment, but she doesn't want to hear any more about it. For awhile Trevor Noah started every Daily Show shouting, “And Trump is getting impeached!” and the audience went wild. For Joy Behar's birthday, The View presented her with a rendition of “Joy to the World,” about impeachment and a special birthday cake shaped like a giant peach with a mop of yellow icing hair and a spring of mint on top. (By the way, remember Testa-mints that come individually wrapped with Bible verses? Now, you can get “Impeach-mints.” The flavor is peach and mint. Not your grandmother's after dinner snack..)

Then things turned absurd. Last time, Bernie Sanders, that favorite uncle your parents disapprove of, was the major (perhaps the only Socialist). Now, the New Socialists, proclaim, “America wants Socialism.” Venezuela wanted socialism too, once. Some of it sounds great: free college, free medical care, guaranteed jobs. But then some Dylan Downer (Debbie's gender neutral-cousin) will want to know who is going to pay for it all.

I'm not going to comment on any of the leaders of the movement for fear the PC police will come after me.

On top of everything, candidates too numerous to keep track of (about fifteen) are competing to see  who is the most socialist, the most politically correct, and the most honest. Apologies are flowing, some for indiscretions committed years ago, some for mere existence, none of which will be good enough. 

But who can stay mad at such lovable transgressors?  After all, they are just folks, having a beer in the kitchen, riding skateboards, dancing, getting a flu shot. That might be worthwhile as a public service announcement. Getting an haircut not so much.

Well, Pastor, that's the way it goes.  There's more, but I don't have the energy to go into it.

It was good talking to you, Pastor. I'll pray for you, too.