What Paddy Shot At

I just learned this expression, “Snow bunnies”. It refers to people who don’t come out of their house when it’s cold. I guess I am one.
I went back to the rectory on Sunday afternoon and stayed there.

On Monday, I had the 11am Mass and then went back to take a nap. I had seven young people who are being confirmed, come to my office for an interview. I really enjoy them and their comments.

On Tuesday, I had exposition at 3pm and three more interviews. Then I had the 5:30pm Mass and went home.

On Wednesday, again I had exposition and the 5:30pm Mass. I only had two interviews. I shared a snack with Fr. Percy as tomorrow, he will fly out to India and spend a month visiting his family.

On Thursday, my day off. I just lounged around my suite and went to a Chinese restaurant when I had a good meal with lots of laughter. I met my cousins, Jean Denney, Jim and Eileen Denney, and Sue Denney Rogus. We try to do that every couple of months. We always enjoy catching up on the family.

Today I had the 8am and 11am Masses. I met with a lady who is not a Catholic but feels “at home” here when she comes and wanted to talk about that. I gave her Joe’s book and we’ll meet again. I had 5 interviews and one called to cansel because she was ill. We’ll re-schedule.
I’m going over for supper (just the pastor and I are signed in) and then I’ll just relax.

I have the 11am Mass on Saturday and at 1pm, I’ll preside at the Mass for Mr. McGreevy (Mac) who died last month in Colorado. I don’t know who is coming but I hope to see a lot of the family. We might go out to eat together afterwards.

On Sunday, I have the 7:30am Mass and then I’ll give Kevin his First Communion and Confirm him. He is my fireman and a great guy. I also have a baptism at noon and then I’ll join the rest of the world and kind of watch The Super Bowl (and eat good food)!!!!

I had the 7:30am Mass today and I have 2 baptisms at 2pm; so I am just staying here in my office at the parish center. I will watch the Sunday morning talk shows and find out what is going on in the world. This last week was a blurr as I spent most of the time in my suite in the rectory. It was just too cold to go out.

On Wednesday, the 22nd, I had the 11am Mass and then I drove over and got my hair cut. It really needed it and I felt good when it was done. Then I drove out to BWI and picked up Jerry. I had to keep driving around the terminal since I don’t have a cell phone. I forgot to say that I lost it somewhere in Florida and it has just been too cold to go to Verizon and get another. I did turn off the service so if you’ve called me; I think you get a message that says it isn’t working. I hope that I can get my same old phone number. I’ll let you know.
As I was saying, I couldn’t just wait in the cell phone parking that is provided and which I really like; so I drove around for awhile until I saw him waiting in the pick up area.
He treated me to a very large and interesting asian buffet out in Lantham. It was good and filling. Then I drove him home and got back to my rectory by 9pm. I was in bed and asleep by 9:30.

Thursday is my day off and so no Mass. I did have a doctor’s appointment at 9:30am. She looked at my foot and based on her suggestion, I went online and ordered a wider shoe; so it won’t rub against the toe. We’ll see!!
I also met with Carlos and Kimberly about having their baby baptized this weekend. it’s short notice but his Mom is returning to Mexico on Sunday. They have been trying to get the baby baptized but no one seemed to have the authority to set aside the rules. Fortunately, Monsignors can do that! It one of the privledges that didn’t disappear when the Vatican stopped making Monsignors!!!
The rest of the day, I stayed in the rectory. Also I taked with Ann Marie Kinerney to get an update on her husband, Gene. He had a stroke over a month ago and has been in and out of hospitals and rehab centers since. Please keep him,her and their families in your prayers.

On Friday, the 23rd, I went to the Wood’s Academy to preside at the 8:30am Mass for Founders’ Day. 39 years ago, three men, with the support of a number of families, decided that since Ursaline school was closing, that they would start an independent Catholic elementary school. I use to say ocassional Masses there when I was chaplain at GC. It has really grown. It has 290 students and additional building and a gym. I had a great time. John Enzler was suppose to do it; but he had to go out of town. He suggested me and I’m glad he did.
I came back and had the 11am Mass. Then I went back to the rectory before the snow melted and froze again. I can pick up my phone messages from the center on my phone in the rectory, so I did do some work in the afternoon.

On Saturday, we had First Reconcilation at 9:30 and 12:30. All 5 of us priests heard confessions and it went very well. I always enjoy that experience.
I had two baptisms at 2 and 2:30. Please keep Carlo Marcelo and Ana Luz and their families in your prayers.
Then I heard confessions at 4pm. It was a very good day.
I made some mac and cheese for supper and went to bed.

I am also meeting a couple who want to have their baby baptized in California and need to have participated in a baptiamal program. Then I’ll go home and work on my Christmas letter for 2012 & 2013.

It is snowing and the office is closed, so I decided to come over to the rectory and catch up on my mail and emails. I looks like it will not be as deep a snow as first thought but the temperature is going lower and tomorrow could be another bad day and the office might be closed again. We’ll see.

Now to continue from the 18th of January:

We arrived back in Miami at 8am on Saturday and I took a shuttle with Bill and Kate to the Red Roof Inn, where we had stayed before the cruise and left our cars. Then I drove back to the port and picked up my 4 ladies (Marie, Maggie, JoAnne, and June) and we headed towards Georgia. We couldn’t stop to see some friends in Florida because the traffic was terrible and we wanted to be in Warner Robins, GA by Sunday afternoon. We drove to Valdosta (450 miles) and spent the night at a Hampton Inn.

On Sunday, we met Rick (my brother in law) and Shirley, another Shirley and Bill (friends of Maureen’s) and Timothy (Maureen’s youngest) and his lovely wife Allison and their two adorable children, Cole (7) and Ally Grace (5). We met at Cracker Barrell and had a great meal and time.
Then we headed to Columbia, South Carolina and went to Rick (Marie’s son) and Anita’s home. I hadn’t seen it since they added on to it. It has a pool, a hot tub, and a great TV room with a 54 inch screen. Anita insisted on some pasta (she says, “Italian always have some ready!”) and some soup. We had a great time and then Rick led us to a nice hotel nearby. I think I was asleep two minutes after I hit the bed!!

On Monday, which was the 20th and Dr. Martin Luther King Day, we had a great breakfast at the hotel and then headed North. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and it was a sunny (but cool) day; and so we decided to drive on home. We stopped for lunch around 3pm and we were back at Maggie’s by 7pm. I drove on home and was in bed by 8:30. I slept very well in my own bed.

Since the snow was suppose to be deep, I went over to the parish center and got my mail and came back here. Had lunch and caught up on mail and email and then took a nap. (Driving so much, I got out of my habit of the “siesta”, which is a very humane custom – I got back into it easily)

Tomorrow, I have the 11am Mass and am suppose to pick up Fr. Jerry Trancone at BWI around 4pm. I talked to him today. He is attending the Deaf convention in Las Vegas. We’ll have to wait till tomorrow to see about the weather and if he can get back.

So now, I’m off to have some supper and watch TV. I am glad to be home, although I had a great trip.

I am on my way back to Miami, let me bring you up to date.

We left Maggie’s on Wednesday, Jan 8th and drove all day with short breaks and got to Walterboro, Georgia and spent the night at a Hampton Inn.

On Thursday, the 9th, we went to St. Augustine, Florida. We took a trolley tour and enjoyed it greatly. Then we went to visit the Thompson family. Wayne is Maureen’s middle son. He and his wife, Valerie, have six children and have recently moved into a newer and larger house. The children are Kayla (13), Jenna(11), Leah (10), Luke (7), Dylan (4), and Hannah Rose (3). I HOPE I GOT THAT RIGHT!!! We had a great meal and a wonderful visit. That night we stayed in anther Hampton in Melbourne, Florida.

On Friday, the 10th, we drove on to Miami and checked into a Red Roof Inn near the airport. We picked up Patrick, who had flown in (a little late) from Chicago. Then Winnie Jahn, who flew in, met us at the Inn as did Bill & Kate Berry. We all had dinner together and early to bed.

On Saturday, the 11th, we had a couple of shuttles that took us to the ship. It was very easy to board. Winnie was able to get 12 of us to have the early supper near each other in two tables of six. Rick & Peg are on late supper at 8:30 but have nice dinner companion.

I just realized that I didn’t identify everyone: so here goes:
My sisters, Marie and Maggie, our friend (and ‘adopted sister’) JoAnn Adams, and June Wittington, a friend from Calvert county, are those who rode with me to Florida. Pat Berry, who flew in from Chicago. His brother Bill and his wife, Kate, who drove down from West Virginia. Peggy Dee, who is a family friend from St. Martin’s days met us at the ship. Jay Baughan, from St Camillus and his wife, Eileen Lee Baughan, also drove down from Baltimore. Winnie Jahn has been our travel agent in the past. She lives in Baltimore and is 92 – and looks great!
Rick and Peg Jensen are my cousins, who live in Virginia. It’s a great group.

We left the port of Miami at 5pm and headed to the open seas.

TO BE CONTINUED….

At 9:15am, on the 31st of December, I did pick up Fr. Beattie and we went to IHOP at Wheaton. It was not crowded and we both had great breakfasts. He had scrapple, a strange meat from Philly and I had the Double, which is two of everything. I also had two hot chocolates. We had a nice visit and caught up on his and my Christmas activities.
I got home around 11:25 as I was expecting a parishioner to stop by so I could affix the parish seal to a letter her daughter needed to give to a priest in Illinois about her “to be” wedding in New Jersey. I quoted the Holy Father, who asked, “Why is it that when someone calls the parish to ask about getting married or having a baby baptized; the first question is, ‘Are you registered’? Why don’t we begin with how happy we are that they want the church to be a part of this happy occasion?” I guess the word hasn’t gotten to Illinois yet!!!
Then I had the 5:30 Vigil Mass. It was full and I used the stool to help with Communion. I cleaned my suite and was in bed around 9pm. I was going to stay up to watch the ball but around 11, I fell asleep and woke around 2am. Happy New Year.

On New Year’s Day, I had the 4pm Mass at Knollwood and then I just watch TV and went to bed early.

On Thursday, the 2nd, I went to see Dr. Solomon. He gave me some interesting information.
Since Maureen died about 16 months ago and had been sick for about 2 years before that, I have been planning to die in the middle of 2014. When I went to Nova for the test on the Fibrosis, the doctor there had said, “People usually die about two or two and half years after the diagnosis”. I’m not morbid but I have been trying to “put things in order”.
Dr. Solomon and I had a great talk. First, he wanted me to know that I was diagnosed in 2010, so I’m already ahead of the game. He reminded me that my diagnosis was early because of the PET scan I had when I had pneumonia. Although my numbers of blood oxygen, which use to be 98 resting, only go to 96 now; he wanted me to know that 96 is OK. And he thinks it’s great that I am going on a cruise, taking a train to California, and giving a presentation at the NCEA in Pittsburgh. I felt affirmed in all that I am planning.
That afternoon, I went again to hear confessions at St. Luke’s and left feeling great. I was going to stop and see some people and go by a wake; but it began to snow and they were forecasting a miserable day, so I came home.

On Friday, January 3rd, I didn’t get to go to Billy Anderson’s funeral at St. Camillus as I had the 11am Mass and then I spent most of the day in my suite. I was supposed to meet Sister Mary Xavier but we decided it was too messy to go out. I cleaned out a bookcase.

On Saturday, the 4th, I drove down to Leonardtown to meet with my TEAM. We had a nice lunch and a good meeting. It was good to see everyone; it’s been awhile since everyone was there. After the meeting, Paul and Ellen got my I pad working and “online”. I am most grateful as I hope to take it on the cruise.
Afterwards, I stopped at Robin and John’s and turned in my calendar raffle forms.
On the way home, I stopped at Joan’s. Sue and Scott were there. Ginny had made cookies and Joan had filled by stocking. We had a great time visiting. I came home and went to bed.

I slept in on Sunday as I was having the 5:30pm Mass. I watched all the Sunday Talk Shows and learned what was happening in the world. There were lots of people at the Mass (the Epiphany) and I gave out Communion. I had nice long talks with Stephanie and Dan and Betty Neary and some other friends. I have been staying close to home and I’m walking slowly because I don’t want to slip on the ice. It is really cold here!!!

I slept in again on Monday, January 6th but in the afternoon, I met with the young couple I met a few weeks ago and they updated me on their activities. They are planning a summer wedding in Peru. (No, I am not going!!!). I had exposition and the 5:30pm Mass and then I met with a young couple and they took the FOCUS test. Fr. Regis is marrying them (in Louisiana) but asked me to meet with them. They were lovely. Then I went home and watched a Blacklist marathon, which brought me up to date as the new season starts soon. It is a very strange but interesting story.

Today is was minus 2 degrees in Washington. Lots of schools in Virginia were closed but not us. Rita and I decided to cancel “Tuesdays with Father Maury”. We just didn’t want people to come out in the wind and cold. I did have the 11am Mass and I told the people to be careful and bundle up. There were about 30 people that came.
My large oxygen machine is not working, so they came and replaced it. I will take the small one with me on the trip. I got this office straightened up and Joan W will take a picture and send it to JoEddy.
I am packed and will have supper at 5:15 with Ron and then come over here and meet Andrea and Stephen to hear about the honeymoon trip to Italy and meeting the Pope. Then I’ll drive down to Maggie’s, go to bed and we’ll leave around 8am and try to get into Georgia by suppertime.

I will try to write “on the road” and “on the high seas”!!! God bless..