It is hard Penny. I know someone who felt loved by God, only to be judged and rejected by the first church he tried to attend. I am sure Jesus cried. It is hard for me to reject their actions and still try to love such people. I struggle.
FedEx. If they can't deliver by 12, they shouldn't say that's when it wll be delivered by. I am still waiting at 1.15, the plans for the afternoon are almost certainly all to pieces. All I can find online is that it is on the van.
All electric power went off for our whole neighborhood this morning for five hours. I called the electric company and they told me that it was a pre-planned outage for repairs on the system. I said if it was preplanned why would they not notify us so we could also preplan to be without power. The answer was they are sure "someone " was notified. Really 50 people are without power but that is alright because someone knew about it? None of my close neighbors were the one privileged person receiving the message. I think they forgot to notify us and that was the quick answer that came off the top of their heads. Either way a screw up. Thank goodness I now have a gas stove.
Anyone in serious need of power for medical reasons?
Non that I know of, and if so I hope they had a backup system, for emergency shutdowns. As many people here are of retirement age I would not be surprised if some have medical issues.
After a death due to a power cut here all companies now regularly send out a questionnaire regarding medical need for power. It shouldn't have needed a person to die for this to happen.
TICTTH the far too naive (read: criminally foolish) pastor who placed a newly-released middle-aged male sex offender with an eighty-year-old woman friend of mine in her upstairs apartment. My friend lives alone.
She's all right--if you count frightened, financially victimized (he trashed and nearly burned down the duplex) and unable to attend church (because she fears running into him there) as all right. He's out of the apartment now. But why the fuck did this idiot set both of them up to fail?
And he endangered the ex-con as much as he did my friend. If she had been the sort of person to make false accusations or even exaggerate, God help him with his credibility against an old lady full of rectitude who had generously taken him in because she thought the pastor's request was God's way of giving her a sign.
About the only thing I'd consider placing in an apartment like that would be a fluffy bunny rabbit. Maybe, just maybe, an adorable young married couple with no kids who are attending seminary. Maybe.
But the pastor in question is over six feet tall and 200 pounds, and probably played football in college. No doubt it never entered his mind that this pairing was dangerous for both of them.
Even with the best will in the world, some people just. don't .get. it. Not long after I was raped a friendly, well meaning work colleague questioned why I didn't want to visit the street where my rapist lived. I said, "Bill you are 6ft 4 and built like a brick shit house..."
"Oh", he said, looking at me. End of conversation.
Later we talked more meaningfully because he actually was a nice guy and open to learning.
@Lamb Chopped Indeed what questioning said. Although my experience with pastors and offenders has me not at all surprised. There was a pastor who wanted me to talk to a judge and get the wife-beater out of jail and back with his family because," He was a good provider and if only she did not provoke him all would be well." His third arrest by the way. Neighbors had called the police the first two times, she called the last time after he broke her arm and blackened both eyes. I do have to wonder what kind of training these pastors are getting? I know not much if any in this area. Wake up seminary there is more to being a pastor out in the real world than being able to quote Bible history and preach a good sermon. Sorry for the rant LC but you hit a sore spot with naive pastoral care and offenders.
TICTTH the far too naive (read: criminally foolish) pastor who placed a newly-released middle-aged male sex offender with an eighty-year-old woman friend of mine in her upstairs apartment. My friend lives alone.
She's all right--if you count frightened, financially victimized (he trashed and nearly burned down the duplex) and unable to attend church (because she fears running into him there) as all right. He's out of the apartment now. But why the fuck did this idiot set both of them up to fail?
And he endangered the ex-con as much as he did my friend. If she had been the sort of person to make false accusations or even exaggerate, God help him with his credibility against an old lady full of rectitude who had generously taken him in because she thought the pastor's request was God's way of giving her a sign.
About the only thing I'd consider placing in an apartment like that would be a fluffy bunny rabbit. Maybe, just maybe, an adorable young married couple with no kids who are attending seminary. Maybe.
But the pastor in question is over six feet tall and 200 pounds, and probably played football in college. No doubt it never entered his mind that this pairing was dangerous for both of them.
"if she did not provoke him"?
If someone used that sort of argument in my presence I might be provoked, and only if very lucky would avoid imprisonment myself. And I'm not 6 ft something and muscular.
Might the pastoral training perhaps have included the idea that women are supposed to be submissive to their husbands? There are, are there not, churches which have that idea?
We (female) admin staff were obliged to take turns staffing the switchboard which lived in a cupboard at the back of reception with only one door. One of our number was abused and threatened by a man coming into the building (the security guard having gone walkabout). The reaction of the office manager as we comforted the shaking woman? 'She must have provoked him'.
I was >this< close to punching his fat red face on the grounds he was provoking me.
TICTTH the far too naive (read: criminally foolish) pastor who placed a newly-released middle-aged male sex offender with an eighty-year-old woman friend of mine in her upstairs apartment. My friend lives alone.
She's all right--if you count frightened, financially victimized (he trashed and nearly burned down the duplex) and unable to attend church (because she fears running into him there) as all right. He's out of the apartment now. But why the fuck did this idiot set both of them up to fail?
And he endangered the ex-con as much as he did my friend. If she had been the sort of person to make false accusations or even exaggerate, God help him with his credibility against an old lady full of rectitude who had generously taken him in because she thought the pastor's request was God's way of giving her a sign.
About the only thing I'd consider placing in an apartment like that would be a fluffy bunny rabbit. Maybe, just maybe, an adorable young married couple with no kids who are attending seminary. Maybe.
But the pastor in question is over six feet tall and 200 pounds, and probably played football in college. No doubt it never entered his mind that this pairing was dangerous for both of them.
Fuck that.
It's the time honoured misbelief that if somebody has 'served their punishment' then we should forgive and forget, and that forgiveness implies pretending that something never happened and everything can be normal again in the way that things used to be.
NO forgiveness does not mean that, and we certainly do not say what you did is ok as we forgive you.. what they did may never be ok even with forgiveness.
With forgiveness we have to be aware, that what somebody did will always matter and being sorry does not mean that a person will not do it again,
Forgiveness certainly does not mean putting the offender in a position where they can offend again or putting people at risk
Not reacting to "provocation" is a learned skill. Lots of kids haven't learned it, which is why kids often end up getting in to physical fights over stupid things. Some adults haven't learned it either.
It's strange how often a woman manages to provoke a man who hasn't learned the skill, isn't it? Women should not have to go through life being careful in case some random man hasn't been taught it, should they?
@Lamb Chopped Indeed what questioning said. Although my experience with pastors and offenders has me not at all surprised. There was a pastor who wanted me to talk to a judge and get the wife-beater out of jail and back with his family because," He was a good provider and if only she did not provoke him all would be well." His third arrest by the way. Neighbors had called the police the first two times, she called the last time after he broke her arm and blackened both eyes. I do have to wonder what kind of training these pastors are getting? I know not much if any in this area. Wake up seminary there is more to being a pastor out in the real world than being able to quote Bible history and preach a good sermon. Sorry for the rant LC but you hit a sore spot with naive pastoral care and offenders.
I don't think we can blame the seminary for this one. The guy in question is a well-meaning ... innocent? Which seems odd to say of a man retiring in fall, but there you go. After a certain age and in certain jobs you have no business being innocent.
As for the hold he had over my friend, she's considerably distressed financially, and he made her a deal that if she'd take the guy on (who was joining the church too), that the church would renovate, replumb, etc. the relevant bits of the duplex, plus she'd be receiving badly needed rent money. Which they did, though the man's subsequent behavior has made that apartment un-occupyable.
What's more, the pastor has been to see her since and ask her to accept ANOTHER ex-con. I mean, seriously?
The NHS vaccine-booking site. Or rather, the locations it's suggesting I can get to. Seriously, I'm meant to get to Buckingham, Milton Keynes or Reading? Apparently there should be a vaccination site within 10 miles of over 99% of the population. Not here! (Or possibly not with any slots bookable online...)
TITCH fuckwits making excuses for a child having been inexcusably let down (well - one fuckwit, who is winding me up no end). TITCH myself for getting so pissed off about it it's counter-productive.
The NHS vaccine-booking site. Or rather, the locations it's suggesting I can get to. Seriously, I'm meant to get to Buckingham, Milton Keynes or Reading? Apparently there should be a vaccination site within 10 miles of over 99% of the population. Not here! (Or possibly not with any slots bookable online...)
They seem to put slots on in blocks, my husband had trouble getting a slot near us last week, sometimes because second slots weren’t available (you have to book both). This was despite there being several sites in town when I booked a month ago. After a couple of days of checking in slots came available in another part of town. So keep checking back in.
Thanks @Heavenlyannie, will do. Think some of the grump was due to little sis already having her slots booked - she's generally more organised than me, and lives in a different area!
It might also be worth calling up if you are able. When booking my Mum's appointment the website only offered sites miles away and at least one city over despite there being sites in town. I called up and the first offer was for the supermarket car park within 10 minutes' walk.
I took Mr. Image to the doctor today, post cancer check. All appears well, but even though he has had his first shot, he is not someone who should be exposed to the virus. We had to update some of our insurance information. . There was one other woman in the waiting room. The medical Assistant was wearing a mask and standing behind a large plastic shielded window. I was having a little trouble hearing the assistant. I said to her, "Sorry would you repeat that, I am afraid the glass and our masks are making it hard to hear, even with my hearing aids." The other women waiting spoke up and said, " I just whip off my mask when I talk to people so they can understand me." As she said this she took off her mask and smiled. So, The Organist, it does appear that more than one Moron walks among us.
Afraid not I immediately turned away from facing her and stepped between her and Mr. Image. I know nothing helpful really but it was an auto reflex. I am sure all is well, just rude and unnerving.
LinkedIn emailed me with the name of a job which sounded perfect in every way for me.
However when I clicked the link it said "job not available" It then suggested an alternative job - Santa at Dobbies Garden Centre in Suffolk.
Wtf?? Are Dobbies really recruiting Santas in April? Plus Suffolk is hundreds of miles away from North East Scotland.
Are LinkedIn suggesting that the best possibility for someone with my qualifications is being a Santa??
It then suggested an alternative job - Santa at Dobbies Garden Centre in Suffolk.
Dobbies in Suffolk? 'Tis an Outrage! Suffolk is Notcutts country ... and William Notcutt (1672-1756) came from Somerset to Ipswich to be Minister of the last congregation I served, which is how the family ended up there.
I don't think he (or his son, also a Dissenting Minister) were really into gardening though!
The people round here who keep their cat out at night and do not have a litter tray at home. It was in again last night and totally ignored the capsicum granules, dug through them, and, if like yesterday (when it moved dried rosemary prunings aside) has left a mammoth deposit in what was to be my root crops bed. When it's been Jeyes fluided to deal with any parasites, I will only be able to grow leaf crops. I've probably enough soil left for the beetroot, onion and carrot, but will have to be very careful to protect it. Rose and bramble prunings, I think.
My garden is dug up by foxes in search of bulbs & worms (and whatever else they think is edible), or to bury eggs stolen from elsewhere.
Three cats also visit, to hunt the sparrows living in the neighbours hedges (more easily accessed from atop our garden walls) and to relieve themselves in my nicely friable veg beds.
Then there are the herring gulls who pick at anything interesting sticking out of the ground - plant labels, and especially newly emerged plants. They also like throwing small plastic plant pots around, emptying out anything that happens to be growing in them. Finally, the aforementioned sparrows, who descend in flocks to shred the leaves of my chard, beetroot and salads.
All my veg is now grown under netting, mostly in raised beds. Flowers just have to survive as best they can under the onslaught.
I'm going out with a staple gun to a) fix plastic trellis to the access routes, b) fix the same over the veg beds after putting the plants in. That should fox them. (No foxes. - my sister had badgers digging up worms.)
TICTH the US healthcare system, and in particular, this new plan I'm now on (my job decided to offer it, so I no longer qualify for the "tax break" on the plan I had since January, which was a pretty good plan). This new plan DOES NOT COVER MENTAL HEALTH CARE. Until you've paid your full deductible for the year, then they pay 80%.
I'm going to have to start shelling out about $120 each session to talk to my therapist (online). I hate to think about getting the meds adjustment I probably should get. Psychiatrists are expensive, and it would be 100% out of pocket for me!
I'm not sure yet what my prescriptions are going to be costing me.
Comments
She's all right--if you count frightened, financially victimized (he trashed and nearly burned down the duplex) and unable to attend church (because she fears running into him there) as all right. He's out of the apartment now. But why the fuck did this idiot set both of them up to fail?
And he endangered the ex-con as much as he did my friend. If she had been the sort of person to make false accusations or even exaggerate, God help him with his credibility against an old lady full of rectitude who had generously taken him in because she thought the pastor's request was God's way of giving her a sign.
About the only thing I'd consider placing in an apartment like that would be a fluffy bunny rabbit. Maybe, just maybe, an adorable young married couple with no kids who are attending seminary. Maybe.
But the pastor in question is over six feet tall and 200 pounds, and probably played football in college. No doubt it never entered his mind that this pairing was dangerous for both of them.
Fuck that.
"Oh", he said, looking at me. End of conversation.
Later we talked more meaningfully because he actually was a nice guy and open to learning.
Muscle between the ears
If someone used that sort of argument in my presence I might be provoked, and only if very lucky would avoid imprisonment myself. And I'm not 6 ft something and muscular.
Might the pastoral training perhaps have included the idea that women are supposed to be submissive to their husbands? There are, are there not, churches which have that idea?
I was >this< close to punching his fat red face on the grounds he was provoking me.
It's the time honoured misbelief that if somebody has 'served their punishment' then we should forgive and forget, and that forgiveness implies pretending that something never happened and everything can be normal again in the way that things used to be.
NO forgiveness does not mean that, and we certainly do not say what you did is ok as we forgive you.. what they did may never be ok even with forgiveness.
With forgiveness we have to be aware, that what somebody did will always matter and being sorry does not mean that a person will not do it again,
Forgiveness certainly does not mean putting the offender in a position where they can offend again or putting people at risk
There is a thread in Keryg about this. It is called "Love keeps no record of wrongs".
Not reacting to "provocation" is a learned skill. Lots of kids haven't learned it, which is why kids often end up getting in to physical fights over stupid things. Some adults haven't learned it either.
I don't think we can blame the seminary for this one. The guy in question is a well-meaning ... innocent? Which seems odd to say of a man retiring in fall, but there you go. After a certain age and in certain jobs you have no business being innocent.
As for the hold he had over my friend, she's considerably distressed financially, and he made her a deal that if she'd take the guy on (who was joining the church too), that the church would renovate, replumb, etc. the relevant bits of the duplex, plus she'd be receiving badly needed rent money. Which they did, though the man's subsequent behavior has made that apartment un-occupyable.
What's more, the pastor has been to see her since and ask her to accept ANOTHER ex-con. I mean, seriously?
Some people never learn.
But she told him (politely) where to stick it.
I need the
Then Love is a slow learner
Lamb Chopped, if I didn't respect you and know you to be an honest person I would have difficulty believing this. It just totally blows my mind.
You see why I’m glad he’s retiring.
However when I clicked the link it said "job not available" It then suggested an alternative job - Santa at Dobbies Garden Centre in Suffolk.
Wtf?? Are Dobbies really recruiting Santas in April? Plus Suffolk is hundreds of miles away from North East Scotland.
Are LinkedIn suggesting that the best possibility for someone with my qualifications is being a Santa??
I'll see meself out.
I don't think he (or his son, also a Dissenting Minister) were really into gardening though!
Three cats also visit, to hunt the sparrows living in the neighbours hedges (more easily accessed from atop our garden walls) and to relieve themselves in my nicely friable veg beds.
Then there are the herring gulls who pick at anything interesting sticking out of the ground - plant labels, and especially newly emerged plants. They also like throwing small plastic plant pots around, emptying out anything that happens to be growing in them. Finally, the aforementioned sparrows, who descend in flocks to shred the leaves of my chard, beetroot and salads.
All my veg is now grown under netting, mostly in raised beds. Flowers just have to survive as best they can under the onslaught.
https://poetryfoundation.org/poems/44604/the-quangle-wangles-hat
All you need ISTM is a friendly Quangle Wangle, with a Hat...
I'm going to have to start shelling out about $120 each session to talk to my therapist (online). I hate to think about getting the meds adjustment I probably should get. Psychiatrists are expensive, and it would be 100% out of pocket for me!
I'm not sure yet what my prescriptions are going to be costing me.