I thought that I had written since last Wednesday but I can’t seem to find it; so I guess I didn’t write it. Well here goes an attempt to “catch up”.
On Thursday, I went and visited Mary Rose Mudd, a dear friend and my accountant. She and Robert, her brother have kept me out of jail for years. They get me extensions on my taxes as I am never ready on April 15th and then I’m still not ready on October 15th. She is the soul of patience and today she had gone through the file of material I dumped on her in April and had made sense of much of it. She only had a page of information that I needed to answer and then she could send it off. I worked on that much of Friday and sent it off to her on Saturday (she responded immediately – she was working on Saturday!!) and now I think I am again SAFE.
Thursday night, I drove out to near Frederick and heard confessions for the junior girls from Holy Cross who were on retreat. I love doing that and it was very nice. On the way home, I stopped by Doug and Kathleen Hanratty’s and had a nice visit with them and their family.
On Friday, I went to therapy at 8:30am. I am learning how to walk up steps and afterwards I am exhausted. I guess I’m using muscles and ligaments that I never use. I took a long nap.
Had lunch with Ann, a friend from the parish and then I had the 5:30pm Mass. Afterwards there was a dinner for new parishioners. I stopped in and met a few but didn’t eat.
Instead I went over to the rectory, where 12 seminarians were visiting us. Fr. John Dillon, an old friend and pastor of St. Mark’s was also there. He, Fr. Ron (and I have to say I also) regaled the seminarians with stories of our early pastors and life in the rectory. They still want to be priests, so I guess the stories weren’t too bad. I really enjoyed the evening but was glad to get to bed.
On Saturday, I had a baptism at noon. And it turned out that the aunt of Carolyn Rose was one of my therapist from Friday. She was the one who told me I could get up those steps without using the rail. She told me afterwards that I went up the steps of the altar very well during the baptism so the therapy must have helped. They had a little party in the parish center and I went for a while. His family are from Turtle Creek near Pittsburgh and we had lots to talk about.
I called and talked to Fr. Ray Fecteau as Sunday is his birthday.
Then another nap.
I had the 4pm confessions.
Then I drove over to near Baltimore to attend the 86th birthday of Dot Witte Furnary. All her kids and spouses were there, including Mike and Lisa from Wisconsin. I had a great time as I always do with the Witte family. I stayed late and got home around 10pm. I called Joe Stoutz for his birthday and had a nice talk.
Enough for now. I’ll try to finish this update tonight.