Several weeks ago, I watched the segment on CBS Sunday Morning, about the festivities on the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill A Mockingbird. I couldn't remember ever having read it. And I loved the movie! I had gotten out of the habit of checking out books from our library, but with the ecomnomy like it is, and really not wanting to buy a copy, I marched down to the library. I had to get help finding it, but the librarian was extremely nice. She explained it was on the reading lists for schools, and might not have a copy. She did find a ratty PAPER BACK....., I asked might she have another copy. She replied "maybe in the large print section". So we looked, and sure enough, this great big RED hardback. The OLD curmudge would check out a "large print" book. I thanked her profusely, and went to get a card, and check out......
Southern Curmudgeon's story will now commence.....no not about getting the card, well partially....We went through all the rules, check out times, what they had, when she informed me that the computer was down. She kept trying, and trying.......so I thought, I'll just go find a nice quiet area, and read some till the computer was up.
Well, what was I thinking. I went down to an area over looking a nice sunken garden, and got into the book.......when all of a sudden conversations started, and not the sneaky quick whispers I remembered from highschool when we went to the library to "study". No these were loud, even across the room discussions. I wondered where the old librarian was that used to constantly shhhhhhhhsssssssssh us over the top of her readers. I can see her to this day. I saw a guard ambling through and I thought he'd certainly tell them to be quiet........HE just jumped into conversing with them!
I went to check on the computer, it was still down, so I left to come back after lunch to get my card and book. Got the book later, and after supper, sat down for a good read, and noticed in the front, a disclaimer that the book was noted to have "damage". I didn't think anymore about it and started to read. Each page seemed to be worse than the one before! Rips, peices of page missing. Major underlining and noes written in margins and around words. I know I hold books pretty much in awe. I've always respected mine and other peoples books. I hate to borrow someones books about as much as I hate to lend them. The Curmudge just got his latest "things just aren't what they used to be" reality check.
Just where is that old librarian, anyway!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Washing Feet on Maudy Thursday
Well here I go. I was brought up that it was impolite to talk about sex, politics or religion. We all know it's boring to NOT talk about those three little words. So here I go....calm down, not about sex. And I'll do politics later.......
I was brought up in the Episcopal Church. My family have been Episcopalians since it was started in 1785. I was certainly brought up not to wear my religion on my sleeve. PLEASE! Didn't the Baptists do that.
We went to church regularly, and then retreated to different homes for cocktails and lunch. All very civilized. And we always did ashes on Ash Wednesday, later towards the end of Lent, went to some services during Holy week, going to an occaisional Sunrse Easter service on some years. And ALWAYS, when we traveled, we went to services at the local, usually historic Episcopal Churches.
Several years ago, the church I was brought up in, began the practice of brining in a wooden cross towards the end of the service. That sounds very quaint, and respectful, and Holy. WELL, the church has a woman Deacon, should I say Deaconess? And her idea was to laboreously drag an enormous wooden cross, BAREFOOT, down the aisle. I was so taken aback, I quietly left. I heard from others, who could have been pulling my leg, that she flung herself down on the cross at the steps going up to the communion rail. Last year, I went thinking again I would leave after communion, when a young member of the congregation started taking pictures, WITH FLASH, of the entire service. Isn't THAT solemn. I left early to wait for friends at my private club for lunch, and let them tell me about the Cross drag.
This year I thought, well I hadn't been to Maundy Thursday in a while, maybe I'd do that instead. OMG! Everything went well, solemn, respectful, UNTIL.....the talk about Jesus and the foot washing. Next thing I know, in the oldest Episcopal Church in our little city, congregants who wished to participate, were instructed to remove their socks and shoes and walk down the aisle for the washing. And did they use something nice like a silver pitcher? Too fancy maybe? How about a nice earthernware or pottery pitcher/jug? No, it was ribbed plastic beer pitchers. And who walked up to do this? The cradle Episcopalians I grew up with? No, mostly those ex-Baptists who flocked to our doors. At the end of that, we all watched as the preists all put their socks and shoes back on. So solemn.
I had felt that this year would be the sunrise service year to observe Easter at that, my cradle Church. Thinking if they did that on Maundy Thursday, and yes the Cross dragging on Friday did happen.....what would they do Easter?
I didn't find out. A fledgling little country, carpenter Gothic Episcopal Church, that actually is older than the city church, had a beautiful, almost 1928 prayer book service later in the morning. Welcome happy morning indeed! A beautiful, respectful, solemn service, that was over just in time for bloody mary's and cheese straws at the Plantation. There stil are nice things left....sometimes you just have to look for them!
I was brought up in the Episcopal Church. My family have been Episcopalians since it was started in 1785. I was certainly brought up not to wear my religion on my sleeve. PLEASE! Didn't the Baptists do that.
We went to church regularly, and then retreated to different homes for cocktails and lunch. All very civilized. And we always did ashes on Ash Wednesday, later towards the end of Lent, went to some services during Holy week, going to an occaisional Sunrse Easter service on some years. And ALWAYS, when we traveled, we went to services at the local, usually historic Episcopal Churches.
Several years ago, the church I was brought up in, began the practice of brining in a wooden cross towards the end of the service. That sounds very quaint, and respectful, and Holy. WELL, the church has a woman Deacon, should I say Deaconess? And her idea was to laboreously drag an enormous wooden cross, BAREFOOT, down the aisle. I was so taken aback, I quietly left. I heard from others, who could have been pulling my leg, that she flung herself down on the cross at the steps going up to the communion rail. Last year, I went thinking again I would leave after communion, when a young member of the congregation started taking pictures, WITH FLASH, of the entire service. Isn't THAT solemn. I left early to wait for friends at my private club for lunch, and let them tell me about the Cross drag.
This year I thought, well I hadn't been to Maundy Thursday in a while, maybe I'd do that instead. OMG! Everything went well, solemn, respectful, UNTIL.....the talk about Jesus and the foot washing. Next thing I know, in the oldest Episcopal Church in our little city, congregants who wished to participate, were instructed to remove their socks and shoes and walk down the aisle for the washing. And did they use something nice like a silver pitcher? Too fancy maybe? How about a nice earthernware or pottery pitcher/jug? No, it was ribbed plastic beer pitchers. And who walked up to do this? The cradle Episcopalians I grew up with? No, mostly those ex-Baptists who flocked to our doors. At the end of that, we all watched as the preists all put their socks and shoes back on. So solemn.
I had felt that this year would be the sunrise service year to observe Easter at that, my cradle Church. Thinking if they did that on Maundy Thursday, and yes the Cross dragging on Friday did happen.....what would they do Easter?
I didn't find out. A fledgling little country, carpenter Gothic Episcopal Church, that actually is older than the city church, had a beautiful, almost 1928 prayer book service later in the morning. Welcome happy morning indeed! A beautiful, respectful, solemn service, that was over just in time for bloody mary's and cheese straws at the Plantation. There stil are nice things left....sometimes you just have to look for them!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
CASUAL FRIDAY February 19, 2010
For the life of me I can't understand why people want to come to work dressed as slobs. And sometimes to pay money to a charity, to do so. The Southern Curmudgeon remembers as a child being put on a plane in a coat and tie. And there are pictures of us as children.....YOUNG.....in coat and tie at grandparents and great-aunts and uncles for Sunday Dinner (early afternoon). Sometimes I feel undressed not to wear a tie, and casual, to this old Curmudgeon, is a button down and blue blazer. What has happened to society.
Now at home on the plantation, yes we do live on one, we DO dress down....sweats....even putting on p.j.'s, with robes, to watch t.v. with our cocktails. But if we need to run out......khaki's and maybe a knit shirt. And I'm not against casual dress or dressing down,
but only in it's place.
Friday, here they pour in , blue jeans, collar-less shirts, SWEAT shirts.......and it's the people that should NEVER wear jeans ANYWHERE in public that always wear them. I threaten to take a picture from behind some of these full figured girls and boys to let them know how truly casual they look! And tight shirts on these full figures......AGH! The cute bodies always wear the chic loose fitting tops. And some of the jeans look like they're pick up off of the floor, and ripped! One rather formidable girl once came in a tee shirt and cut off overalls!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh well. I just turn away like I have to do for a lot of things.........poor old curmudgeon!
We are professionals in the office (I thought) , well read, studied, passed exams, registered. Why want to look like you live in a trailer, excuse me mobile home. Pleeeeease!
For the life of me I can't understand why people want to come to work dressed as slobs. And sometimes to pay money to a charity, to do so. The Southern Curmudgeon remembers as a child being put on a plane in a coat and tie. And there are pictures of us as children.....YOUNG.....in coat and tie at grandparents and great-aunts and uncles for Sunday Dinner (early afternoon). Sometimes I feel undressed not to wear a tie, and casual, to this old Curmudgeon, is a button down and blue blazer. What has happened to society.
Now at home on the plantation, yes we do live on one, we DO dress down....sweats....even putting on p.j.'s, with robes, to watch t.v. with our cocktails. But if we need to run out......khaki's and maybe a knit shirt. And I'm not against casual dress or dressing down,
but only in it's place.
Friday, here they pour in , blue jeans, collar-less shirts, SWEAT shirts.......and it's the people that should NEVER wear jeans ANYWHERE in public that always wear them. I threaten to take a picture from behind some of these full figured girls and boys to let them know how truly casual they look! And tight shirts on these full figures......AGH! The cute bodies always wear the chic loose fitting tops. And some of the jeans look like they're pick up off of the floor, and ripped! One rather formidable girl once came in a tee shirt and cut off overalls!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh well. I just turn away like I have to do for a lot of things.........poor old curmudgeon!
We are professionals in the office (I thought) , well read, studied, passed exams, registered. Why want to look like you live in a trailer, excuse me mobile home. Pleeeeease!
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