LECTOR LATER

This morning, when I first left for the Carmelite meeting, it was very cold but by the time I got out it was like a spring day. Unfortunately it's supposed to start snowing again late tonight. Only a few other people showed up. Sister Catherine wasn't available because she's recuperating from an asthma attack after a stay in the hospital. After it was over I got yet another ticket for next month's St. Patrick's Day contest. Tomorrow is Beatle George's birthday. He would have been sixty six years old. Monday is my cousin Mark's birthday & Wednesday is my cousin Gary's birthday. I have to lector at 5:00 Mass later today but nothing else is on my schedule this weekend. I read more of "A Confederacy Of Dunces" yesterday. All the excessively small print gets me crazy but I've been learning to get used to it as I keep going along.

COLD

Today is an especially cold day so far. At least it's neither raining nor snowing. Last night, amazingly, I managed to stay up to watch "Burn Notice". It's a pretty good show. I'll eventually be able to get used to staying up that late. Tomorrow morning I'll have to go over to Wilkes_Barre for yet another Carmelite meeting. There's nothing of any especially big significance going on with them this month, as far as I know. Uncle Frankie has been a little ill lately so we haven't seen him in quite a while. I've always gotten the distinct impression that my last name was quite distinctive & rare. Lately, though, on Facebook, I've been finding all sorts of people with the same name. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever who any of them is. So far the ones I've met are all from Italy. Officially I'm supposed to lector on Sunday at 10:00 Mass but Laura always wants me to switch with her so we've traded places. Now I have 5:00 tomorrow & she gets my turn on Sunday.

MORE SNOW

Surprisingly, although I took it for granted that we'd get rain yesterday it turned out to be snow. It didn't amount to much although I'm now back to wearing my boots again. The neighborhood neurotics are all out in full force in this kind of weather. I've never subscribed, unfortunately to the magazine, "Homiletic & Pastoral Review" so I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to have gotten a complimentary copy in the mail. It was an even more interesting jolt when I noticed that Msgr. Daniel S. Hamilton, retired pastor of O.L.P.H. over in Lindenhurst, had contributed one of this issue's articles, "Ravenna & The Roman Primacy". This Saturday morning I shall have to go back to Wilkes_Barre for a Carmelite meeting. I most certainly hope we can count on a few people to show up. We always seem to be missing quite a few. Shall I be able to stay up tonight to see "Burn Notice"? Only time will tell but I suppose it's always worth a try.

RAINY DAY

The weather today will most probably turn out quite miserable. When I went out this morning the sky was all one huge rain cloud. It may even end up snowing. Yesterday I saw "The Devil Wears Prada" with Anne Hathaway. It's a really nice comedy. Meryl Streep's character was a real monster. I don't usually bother with recent stuff but sometimes I cheat & break my rule. Today is Yoko Ono's seventy sixth birthday. She was the second Mrs. John Lennon. Michael called last night. He's getting really excited lately about the car he'll be getting very soon. It's not new but it's in really good shape. I've had the same 1992 Saturn since January of 1996. It's really nice to have a car that works that well & can be counted on to last such a long time. Yesterday I read some more of "A Confederacy of Dunces". Because I've already read it at least once before a lot of it comes back to me really easily.

PRESIDENT'S DAY

Yesterday was President's Day. There were a lot of shows on the History Channel & news channels that covered the presidents of the past. Not surprisingly, George W. Bush is way down at number thirty six. William Henry Harrison died a month & James Abram Garfield only lived for six months because of his assassination so they weren't even in the running. As always the people who did the voting ended up voting for the more recent presidents, leaning too heavily toward the ones they can remember. Historical myopia's always been among mankind's greatest afflictions. Yesterday I finished "The Violent Bear It Away" & started re reading John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy Of Dunces". It's quite an eccentric book & has become a cult classic.

NICE WEEKEND

The month is more than half over by now. Yesterday I saw "Analyze That" with Billy Crystal & Robert DeNiro again. It's been a long time since I got a chance to hear so many people with New York accents. Unfortunately I've still never seen "Analyze This". I'm hoping to see "The Devil Wears Prada" with Anne Hathaway one of these days. As of yesterday I have only very little left to read of "The Violent Bear It Away". Fortunately the weekend was very nice & quiet with no major catastrophes to show for it. The weather was mild. I didn't have to bother with any lectoring. One of these days I shall most certainly have to get a haircut. My hair's been getting seriously hard to control lately. Lots of people are extremely violently ill these days with the flu. Father Walsh, now that he's back, has a cold. I have nothing more serious than a scratchy throat so far. John, from the lay Carmelites over in Seaford, N.Y., has joined my Facebook friends' list. Yesterday in the Times Leader I read an article that pointed out the major surge of popularity that Facebok has been experiencing these days. Everyone most certainly seems to be enjoying it.