Reo Flying Cloud In my growing up memory, GM was Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac (and GMC). For a while with a companion brand program there was Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oakland, Viking, Oldsmobile, Marquette, Buick, LaSalle and Cadillac. Created by and named for automobile pioneer Ransom E. Olds, the Oldsmobile was a grandfather among car brands, it was sad when GM discontinued Oldsmobile production some years ago. Dating from 1897, no automobile name was older, more historic.  When R. E. Olds left the company he founded REO Motor Car Company, which produced cars and trucks from 1905 to 1975. Reo cars were made and sold through the 1936 model (not pictured).  My father once told me the REO Flying Cloud was known as a quiet, comfortable, quality car.  The late 20s early 30s models are memorably classic designs. Tom W

Second Sunday of Easter Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The theological assertion of tomorrow’s prayer, collect of the day, is that God in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation. The Paschal mystery is the divine plan of salvation revealed and brought to fulfillment by God’s own suffering, death and resurrection in Jesus Christ, Son of God and God the Son. “New covenant” implies an old covenant, God’s covenant of unity with Abraham, I will be your God and you will be my people , sealed in the blood of circumcision. Though God is faithful, people are not faithful, and the old covenant is broken. The new covenant, sealed in the blo...

Treasure Chest Some years ago, ten or so perhaps?, a shipment arrived, a gift from Joe. He had told me it was coming, wouldn't say what it was, but said I would recognize it immediately, which I did: a car trunk. To my knowledge, nobody else owns one. Reportedly manufactured to go on a Model T Ford, it isn’t feasible for me to identify it specifically to car make and model or year, but it is a car trunk.  When I was a boy, not much was more exciting on long nighttime family drives home from visiting grandparents, aunts and uncles in Pensacola, than staying awake and watching the cars that passed us on the highway. Especially so was coming up behind a car older than ours, that had a trunk rack folded up against the back,  or a car with a trunk actually sitting on the trunk rack:     In the early days, cars did not have built in trunks, or boots. The rear was vertical, straight up and down or slightly slanted for style. If the spare tire was not “side mount” ...

iThomas   There was Easter Day of course, with baskets and bunnies, eggs, chocolate, glorious hymns, lilies, greetings and acclamations. Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! Christ is risen! Truly risen!! But Easter is not just early dawn and a fragrant garden, an angel, an empty tomb, and an elusive spiritual body (I Corinthians 15:44) who goes to Galilee; joins folks on an afternoon walk and vanishes at supper as Bread is taken, blessed, broken and given ; comes present to friends in a room locked up tight as a jail cell; cooks breakfast for them on a Galilean seashore.  If in theological retrospect, Easter dawn is the love of God returning to us after what we did to him, the evening of that same day is a desolate gathering of crushed followers with dashed hopes .  Easter embraces both joyful celebration and scoffing doubt. 16  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some ...

In School-days Some things in life are better than others, and one thing that is better unto best is time at Holy Nativity Episcopal School. Anytime, day or night. In the Bill Lloyd Building there, the hall and every classroom teams with the happiness of children regardless of day or hour, year or season. My only memories of feet that, creeping slow to school, as Whittier says, were my Cove School years 1943-44 and 1945-46, when Ruthless   Ruth made it her sole mission my third grade and fifth grade years, to show the entire class and my parents that I did not understand the math and had not done the social studies homework.  Oh! There was one other apocalypse. The sixth grade teacher finally grew so exasperated with my arriving seven minutes after the final bell every morning without fail that she sent me to the principal’s office . In retrospect, the principal had been forewarned, because she was laying for me and had a go at me. The principal’s office that April 1947 ...

Alleluia! returns to our liturgy on Easter, the Day of Resurrection and never leaves again until Septuagesima (which used to be the name for the third Sunday before Lent, the seventh Sunday before Easter). With our disuse of the “...gesima” Sundays, the Alleluia! is meet and right every Sunday except Sundays in Lent, because every Sunday is Easter all over again. Alleluia (Hallelujah) means literally “praise Jahweh” or “praise God” or “praise the Lord.” In ancient liturgical tradition the people stand and the Alleluia is sung before the reading of the Gospel as a greeting to the Savior who is present and about to speak to the gathered congregation in the words of the Gospel text for the day. The church, in fact, has a number of lovely and memorable Alleluia tracts or Gospel acclamation settings for singing before the Gospel is read.  Practice has become to ease off somewhat “Protestantly” and sing any hymn of our choosing before the Gospel; but tradition, again, is to sing the Alle...

On This Date Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, April 9, 1865 Lieut. Gen. U.S. Grant, Commanding U.S.A.: General: I have received your letter of this date, containing the terms of surrender of the army of northern Virginia, as proposed by you; As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry stipulations late effect. Very Respectfully, Your Obedient Servant, R. E. Lee, General. On This Date  BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 1939 Black singer Marian Anderson performed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after she was denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her race. 1940 Germany invaded Denmark and Norway during World War II. 1942 American and Philippine defenders on Bataan capitulated to Japanese forces during World War II. 1959 NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astro...