leftovers
A day of dreams and thoughts and memories, a day of perusing the library of a man who died recently and, at his son's invitation, selecting a few books to bring home, a day of stopping by Tally Ho on a tip, for the fried chicken livers and bringing the package home for a late noon dinner.
IDK, maybe it's a Southern thing?
A day for a pleasant nap, then awake to do several things on Linda's prep list for Thursday's annual Thanksgiving Day family feast.
Contemplating Wednesday breakfast of hot & black and a leftover chicken liver sandwich: should I use butter or mayonnaise?
My sister would have had the answer, but I've asked my brother, because this is entirely a family matter. My family that liked peanut butter and butter sandwiches prefers our chicken liver sandwiches with either butter or mayo, I can't remember which. My family that always ate our cottage cheese in a bowl with milk and sugar. My brother will know whether my chicken liver sandwich should be with mayonnaise or butter, or he may suggest one of each.
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Israel and Lebanon are reaching a ceasefire agreement. It may work until rockets start being fired from Lebanon into Israel again, then all bets will be off. In the meantime IDF will be able to focus on Hamas and Gaza, with the government of Israel playing for Time until the U S administration changes and conquest with annexations can go forward in both Gaza and West Bank. The war was bound to happen, and Israel may never have peace as long as the totalitarian regime in Iran exists to fan, fund, and arm antisemitic hatred.
East and West, Russia v Western Europe & the United States may never have peace as long as Pres Putin is so paranoid about Western intentions. As a KGB officer in East Germany he acquired certainties that will not change. "How to get along without nuclear war?" is the question. For God' sake, look out into the Universe, you idiots, we are one planet in a galaxy of billions of star systems, in a Universe of trillions of galaxies, and we can't get along? Jeepers.
Germany may never have peace now that Merkel's immigration policy has served to overwhelm and challenge German civilization. This bringing the rise of extreme right wing nationalism in Germany was entirely foreseeable and avoidable. The same seems to be progressing in the USA, a whipped up migrant frenzy, fear of losing control, fear of those who are different. An animal, including human, characteristic.
Day One exorbitant tariffs on incoming from Canada, Mexico, and China? The economists I studied with at both U Florida and U Michigan only hesitantly and reluctantly favored such protectionism for the infant industry argument only. Prices will rise for consumers, and/or demand for products from those countries will fall, and there will be tariffs against us in retaliation. A trade war is for morons. No economist, I don't see how such tariffs can help the US. Economic interdependence among nations is a good thing, with each nation taking advantage of what it does best, and with all nations dissuaded from war with each other because it's not in anyone's interest. Rabid nationalism is a danger and threat to world peace. Rabid nationalism fueled by religious certitude is the world's greatest evil.
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Our turkey for Thanksgiving is almost sixteen pounds, off by half from my goal of a thirty pound turkey in my lifetime. There's two extra leg and thigh pieces to go with, but it doesn't solve the problem of white turkey meat sandwiches on Black Friday, so I'm cutting ham slices for that.
Wednesday will be my prep day for the oyster dressing. Ingredients this Time include an egg or two, and an ounce or two of heavy whipping cream. It doesn't matter what kind of experimentation I do, see, because nobody but me will even look at it, much less taste it. This year I do seem to have enough oysters, two quarts if needed. I intend for it to be slightly pudding-ish, vibrate like jello if I shake it instead of being still; and seeing that no one but me will be eating it, I may eat half of it as soon as it comes out of the oven and cools a bit on Wednesday. Stay tuned for a taste report.
What's your favorite holiday? When I was at theological seminary, students who wanted to get an A lied and said "Easter." I was honest and said "Christmas" and got marked down. It's Christmas and Thanksgiving, a holiday season that includes everyone and goes from the last week of November through the first week of January. Easter is a Christian specific weekend that has evolved from spiritual to secular, the Easter Bunny anyway.
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Here's a couple of the lectionary Proper readings for the upcoming Sunday, Advent One, Year C. In year C we focus primarily on Luke, and it starts now. Notice the End Time theme:
The Collect
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
The Gospel: Luke 21:25-36
Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these thanings that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
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The gospel of the End of Days, with the Son of Man coming on clouds of glory with the holy angels, heralding the general resurrection of the dead (how many dead are there since the first human?**), the Day of the Lord's judgment in the clouds, and the establishment of the kingdom of God on Earth (not off in heaven above the clouds) is a peculiarly Jewish and Christian phenomenon that may seem bizarre to scientific-minded folks who study the heavens. But hey, okey-dokey, I'm sticking with it.
My reading these days: The New Yorker magazine and Genesis.
RSF&PTL
T89&c
** AI Overview
According to estimates from demographers, around 109 billion people have lived and died throughout human history, meaning roughly 109 billion people have died since the beginning of time.
If AI says it it must be correct, eh? I've even taken to getting my medical information about CHF from AI online.
109,000,000,000 people in the general resurrection lifted into the clouds for judgment along with, as St Paul figured, 8,025,000,000 those of us who are still living if it happens in my lifetime. 117,025,000,000 is a lot of folks to be judged in one day, may go into overtime, some folks may be late getting home for supper so to speak, nomesane? And with so many folks in the sky, the sun may be darkened, eh, shutting down flights worldwide.