land of the pilgrims' pride
82-year-old Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger says there's nothing good about getting old.
Mick would be absolutely correct except that the alternative is to not get old, and so far, getting old older oldest is proving worth living.
We know what Mick means, of course, and he is right unless one lives on St Andrews Bay. Getting old here in 7H is the best that life has to offer. The only way it could have been better would have been spending my entire life here instead of starting at age 79. I could have done better myself by coming home to PC from UF and never leaving - - as indeed when we lived in Apalachicola we knew some folks who had never been out of town, and I almost envied them.
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Nice church today, our visiting priest was the fellow with the thick Scottish brogue, except that, strictly speaking, it isn't Scottish: he's from Yorkshire in the North of England up right on the border with Scotland. He's retired and a good man, if he could be persuaded to relocate to Panama City he could be an ideal candidate for such as the Priest Associate work in which I actually spent the most years of my ordained ministry, settled here back at home in Panama City, on the Bay.
Speaking of which, I haven't had any oysters lately, but this is my birthday month and I'll certainly make that right. As for mullet, the best place for fried mullet here is Captain's Table across the street, if I get the whole mullet instead of the filets. When we cook mullet here at home, we bake it in the oven and it's perfect. I also like fried mullet at Gene's Oyster Bar in Millville, although they tend to cook it a little too long in grease that is a little too hot. For perfection, mullet needs to be moist and juicy, nomesane?
What else is on the menu for September my birthday month? Steak, we're taking Kristen to Longhorn, maybe this coming Friday after we visit Malinda at Pruitt.
Leg of lamb. After church this morning (we went to Eight O'clock, the early service, and sat in the front row so I'd not far to walk for the birthday prayer), we drove home by way of Aldi and I bought a butterflied leg of lamb. The instructions said preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is heating up, take the lamb out of its packaging, dry off with paper towel, brush lightly with oil then season with salt, garlic, pepper if desired. Heat an oiled saucepan and sear the lamb on both sides. Then transfer it to an oiled sheet pan and put it in the 350° oven for 17 to 20 minutes. As we prefer our lamb pink to gray, not bloody red raw the way I like beefsteak and prime rib roast, I let it bake twenty minutes. It was pink perfect. Somehow, dealing with the butterflied leg of lamb was a heck of a lot easier and quicker than regular cut leg of lamb, whether de-boned or bone-in. This was seriously no big deal.
For cutting meat anymore, I often make use of the heavy duty poultry shears that I have here so Jeremy can splay the turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas; just so today with the leg of lamb. It doesn't make nice, thin slices, but this isn't a Manhattan steakhouse either, do you want a chunk of lamb or not?
Lamb product of Australia, where forty-five to fifty years ago I ate lots of lamb.
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Still not a political blog, but I'm thinking of a song - -
" ... land where our fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride - - "
In a war with careless targeting that right at first bombed and killed over a hundred little girls in a girls school, men's beloved daughters; and that last week bombed a wedding and killed folks, including a child. Here at home, Brown and Black immigrants rounded up and treated shamefully. How do we treat other people? Land of the pilgrims' pride? I'm not proud, I'm ashamed. Way beyond ashamed, I'm deeply saddened unto grief. I do not pledge allegiance to evil. This period of American history may be judged harshly by the future, and if justice is served there may be charges, trial, judgment and sentencing for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many learned at Nuremberg that "following orders" does not hold. America: who'd have thought? My Lai showed what we are as human beings after all. The history that we are currently living into is showing what we are as a nation after all.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross - -
Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
It doesn't make a damn what we say we believe and promise to do, if we don't live into our vows in this life. Is our faith so hollow?
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Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.
Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.
Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.
Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.
In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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a prayer for America.
RSF&PTL
T90