Hello again.
I want to bring you up to date since I only wrote that brief message last Sunday and have not sent a real message since December. I had a good Advent and heard lots of confessions, which is one of the things I really enjoy. People can come to my office and we just talk. Once I am seated, my breathing gets settled down and I can go for a long time. Also, we had a parish penance service with two or three other priests joining us and a lot of people to advantage of the opportunity to prepare for Christmas. We also had a number of dinners and celebrations here in the rectory for various groups, teachers and ushers and members of committees. I stop by but come up to my suite and go to bed early. I find that I am often in bed before Jeopardy finishes. I do sleep through the night and wake refreshed.
I don’t go out much – although I did get a ride to Riderwood for Judge Bob Wallace’s’ funeral. I preached and con-celebrated with two priest friends. It was nice to see so many old friends from St. Camillus and TEAMS. I came home and stayed in my suite for a couple of days. The weather has been so changeable that I don’t know what to do. I had lots of offers for Thanksgiving but I con celebrated the 10AM Mass and then came over here and relaxed. I did a few Baptisms because family was in town for the holiday. I was glad to do them.
I have discovered when I went to visit the doctor that although I have air in my lungs from my machine; when I get up to move that air goes into my blood stream to go to my feet and my hands. The machine doesn’t replenish it at the same rate and so that is why I am panting often. If I sit for awhile, it goes back to normal breathing; but it means I need to go up to church about 20 minutes before Mass, get settled in the priest’s chair and stay there till the Offertory, when I am helped to my stool behind the altar. It is all part of “diminishment” that Fr. Peter and I often talked about because of his illness. I pray that I can accept it as graciously as he did. Keep that in your prayers.
Christmas was lovely and I con-celebrated 4 Masses. My cousins, part of the Gibbon’s clan came and we had a great visit after one of them. Lots of good food (and too many cookies!) filled our kitchen. On New Year’s Eve, Maggie, Mike and Sue, and Sue’s Mom, Janice (from Kansas) and I went to a great Brazilian restaurant for lots of meat. Then I went to their house and spent the night. On January 1st, we went to BINGO (too hard to explain why we did but it was fun). On Tuesday, the 2nd, Maggie and I were driven to the Port of Baltimore and we went on a nine day cruise down the coast to the Bahamas. We joined Pat Berry, his brother Bill and his wife Kate, Sister Kass and two parishioners from her parish. a dear friend, Anna-Marie from St. Bernard’s and two of my cousins from the Denny family. When we left Baltimore, it was 8 degrees. We traveled through a snow storm coming up the coast and when we got to Charleston, they had two inches of snow and ice (first time in 35 years!). When we stopped in Port Canaveral, it was 60 degrees and finally when we got to the Island, it was in the 80’s. I didn’t mind as I had a scooter that took me around the ship and I was breathing normally when I got to where I was going. I slept a lot and read two books (which I love to do). On the way home, the engine broke and we had to go back to Florida for repairs. A lot of people were ill and some got off and flew home from Orlando. We ended up being on the cruise for 11 days and didn’t get home till Saturday. Our young priest, Fr. Alec told me not to worry that he and his priest friends would cover everything – and they did. He sent me to bed and I did the 10:30am Mass in the gym on Sunday. Everyone said I looked very rested – and I guess I did.
I forgot to say that one of my teeth cracked and on Monday, I went to the dentist. That Friday, two of my teeth were extracted. My good friend, Colleen took me and stayed with me. They couldn’t put me out because of the oxygen but I was loaded with Novocaine and my mouth felt like Mt. Rushmore. All that is over with now and I am working on my Christmas cards and letter. Hope to be out before Lent. Had a very pleasant surprise this week as Mary Lynne and Frankie Costanza (who were great friends during my high school days). They and David Northrop (Mary’s husband) came to visit me when the Northrop’s came up from North Carolina to visit family. It was like we’d been together a month ago.
Lots of people need prayers – especially those dealing with the flue. Also Fr. Beattie and Mary Mudd were in hospitals. Both are home but please keep them in your prayers. Father T is undergoing lots of test for his eye sight. A dear friend from St. B’s died this week and I will do her service on Friday. Please keep Mary Healy and her family in your prayers. Also Susie Ford died out on the west coast. She is the cousin of the McCoy family. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. Also please keep Rose and Patty Petrone in your prayers. They are so good to Fr. T and me.
That kind of brings you up to date. I know I forgot so many nice events and people I have seen or talked to but they know how much I enjoyed that.
Now that I know my password again; I will try to be more faithful. Know that you are in my prayers and thoughts daily.