WHAT IS IT?

 

From Nola.com:

It's Parade Sunday At Christ Church Cathedral, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, situated along the St. Charles Avenue parade route.
And at morning Eucharist that means the annual reappearance of the Rev. David duPlantier's Mardi Gras vestments, seen here. (When he faithfully describes them -- sequins, fleur de lis, purple, green and gold -- he is compelled to add: "All tastefully done, of course.")
Of course. These are Anglicans, yes?
The vestment is called a cope, basically a long cloak, with a tradition of more than a thousand years in liturgical use.
....

If you've a mind to, you can catch all this at 9 a.m. Sunday. Note the time; this week, it's a hour earlier than the usual time posted on the cathedral website.

Shamelessly stolen from Caminante. I had to have it, doncha know.

HAPPY ST. VALENTINE"S DAY!

 

Aren't they precious? Too precious? Bless their hearts.

From Wiki.

DAT'S DAT!!!

 

Amen!

From my friend in Florida (not Miami).

A PRAYER REQUEST...

From Susankay:

Mimi -- I am spreading a prayer request around the blogosphere -- my much loved Molly the WonderDog has just has a really bad seizure -- the first in almost two years and is still really freaked out. Please pray that she be well and unafraid.

We've prayed for Molly before, and we'll do so again.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH WINTER WHEN:

 

Thanks to Sue.

NEW ROADS IN THE SNOW

 

Our farmhouse is on the right in the picture of New Roads in the snow last Wednesday. The town is located northwest of Baton Rouge. When hurricanes threaten, we evacuate to the farm, which is no longer much of a farm. A nearby farmer makes hay in the field, and we harvest pecans from the many pecan trees on the property.

 

The Randall Oak is on the property next to us. Wiki says:

Pointe Coupee was home to Julien de Lallande Poydras, a merchant, planter, poet, statesman, banker and philanthropist who helped establish the state's first public schools in Pointe Coupee in the early 1800s. He likewise endowed a trust fund to provide impoverished brides with dowries in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge Parishes. Visitors will find his grave on the grounds of the old Poydras School on Main Street in New Roads, now a museum and cultural center established by the Pointe Coupee Historical Society.

James Ryder Randall, an English professor who has written the poem "Maryland, My Maryland" in April 1861, at nearby Poydras College on False River. The poem was later put to music. The site is still known as Randall Oak, though the school was destroyed by fire in 1881. The poem is now Maryland's official state song.

 

I don't know which house is pictured above, but the snowfall is visible.

 

Above is the road that runs in front of our property. A neighbor of ours in New Roads sent the pictures.

The snow is pretty, but I'm glad I wasn't there. Our neighbor, who lives in the house on the right in the picture at the top, works for the highway department, and he hardly slept for two days. He supervises the road crews who clear the snow off the roads and bridges.

I NEED HELP!

Blogger changed my layout without asking. I'm now using the new posting and editing form, and I don't know how to load pictures in the new format. However, the bold, italic, and links are easier to use.

I've discarded Firefox altogether, because it would not let me open pop-up comments at any of the blogs and took an eternity to load.

I tried Google Chrome, but I could not get the toolbar to load, nor could I get the back and forward buttons to work, so I uninstalled the program.

I am now using Internet Explorer and not much liking it, I can open comments, but I get a safety warning pop-up asking if I really want to open the comment box.

I need help.

UPDATE: I'm back in Google Chrome and making my way. We'll see. Firefox was totally broken for usefulness for me.

For the new editing format in Blogger, I guess you upload the pictures directly from wherever you store your pictures.

STORY OF THE DAY - WORDS OF COMFORT

There are days I drop words of comfort
on myself like falling rain & remember it
is enough to be taken care of by myself.


From StoryPeople

THE ENGLISH ARE FEELING THE PINCH

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes on all of their allies 'just in case'.

Canada doesn't have any alert levels.

And in the southern hemisphere...

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA". Due to continuing defence cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper airplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be al'right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!", "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Don't blame me. Blame Doorman-Priest. Equal opportunity insults?

"...LITTLE CAUSE FOR CONCERN FOR TEC OR ACoC...."

Mark Harris at Preludium posted a communication from the Rev. Brian Lewis, member of General Synod from the Diocese of Clemsford and member of the Executive Committee of Inclusive Church, UK, which I suggest that you read. The Rev. Lewis gives an eye-witness report on what really happened at General Synod regarding the original motion by Private Member Lorna Ashworth concerning ACNA's desire to be in communion with the Church of England which reads as follows:

That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America.

The Rev. Lewis's opening words in his report:

“We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language” (Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost 1887).

I was alarmed but (bearing in mind Oscar's witticism) should not have been surprised to hear that some in TEC and ACoC might misunderstand the full significance of the Church of England's General Synod's decision to reject the call to "express a desire to be in Communion with ACNA".

But let us be clear it did just that, not once, but twice or perhaps even three times.

The Rev. Lewis' final words:

I would just reiterate, I see little cause for concern for TEC or ACoC in the outcome of this particular debate, and to be frank it is beyond disingenuous or bizarre for anybody connected with ACNA to pretend this is in anyway an affirmation of ACNA.

Do read the Rev. Lewis' words in between his opening and final words which enlighten and clarify the event at General Synod even for those of us who think we already understand what took place.