Friday 17 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

I rose early as I had to be at the Diocesan retreat Centre for the staff retreat by 0800 for a set up with musicians. In the event I got there at 0730 and was able to appreciate the beauty of the place.

Bethany Center

It was built in 2005 and rather puts Hallam’s equivalents in Bamford into perspective!

The view over the lake at this hour, with the mist rising from a warmer lake than the atmosphere is staggering … and it did improve as the day went on. You can see the Youth service buildings beginning to be illuminated by the rising sun.

Bethany lake

The chapel was in use when the musicians arrived so we rehearsed outside and got in to set up at 0830. The Mass would start at 0900.

Bethany Center Chapel

The day went well and I was back home by 3.30pm in good time to receive some furniture I bought last night. Next to Aldi’s there is a shop into which I ventured last night. Normally it would rent furniture out to folk but had some stuff for sale at low price since it was pre-owned. So I bought some lamp tables and 3 lamps. I spent the night in watching a film and went to bed contented with my lot!

Thursday 16 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

I awoke late after another heavy but delightful day yesterday, The morning started with the school Mass and continued with some unexpected and casual meetings. It’s difficult to get work done when this happens but it seems important to be available to a staff I getting to know. By noon we all stopped for a lunch social in which we celebrated birthdays of a few staff. I love this aspect of collaborative working.

I went home for 4 hours and then returned to prepare for choir practice. This was better attended than last week and some good work was achieved in mutual good humour.

This morning I hope to attend an Estate Sale. I’m not totally sure what this is but am hoping to pick up some artefacts for the house. Then at 1pm we reconvene to further plan Advent, follwed by a meeting with the school music teacher.

Friday is a Staff Retreat Day. I’ve got the t-shirt on the back of which is printed ‘My boss thinks I’m a big deal’ or something like that. One colleague remarked ‘Doesn’t he know?’

Tuesday 14 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

A heavy day today started at 0730 in the office and finished after 6pm. I managed to plan the order of service for Sunday, for the staff retreat on Friday and for tomorrow morning’s school mass. I also got piano installed and did a school music rehearsal.

The main item of news is that my Sunday commitment has risen … I now have 2 Saturday vigil masses (4pm, 5.30pm) and 5 Sunday masses (0730, 0930, 1100, 1230 and 1900). Monday will always be a welcome day off! It also means that, if I play the same organ voluntary for each Mass, I will get it right in the end!

Monday 13 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

4 morning masses yesterday and then a relaxing afternoon putting the table and chairs together.

Today is a day off so I went to pay bills for phone and TV. This proved more difficult than you could imagine and several phone calls later I had instructions on how to proceed … in Spanish!

I also went shopping for a table cloth and mats. This was more successful and in the process I bumped into one of the tenors from the 1100 choir.

After lunch I spent time at the pool musing on the amount of work that had to be completed during tomorrow.

Now in the early evening I’m heading off to look at a digital piano I’d seen on craigslist. we need one for the 5.30pm Mass on Saturday which has been transferred to the Celtic Hall as the church will be in use for a wedding. The instrument turned out to be fine and cheap. The box in which the keyboard had initially been packed had since become a table in the vendor’s house. It was difficult to discern which caused her more grief … the departure of the piano or its box!

A week ago I bought two huge machines .. a washer and dryer. Tonight I decided to celebrate Columbus Day by using them and they worked just fine. Everything is unnecessarily big here and the thought of a washer dryer has eluded them completely.

Saturday 11 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

Yesterday was a day off so I headed off to Fort Desoto Reserve from where I got a ferry to a nearby island. I love islands … I was born on one but unlike England you are not as aware of the sea around you. Iona is like that however and maybe that is part of its attraction?

I returned home in time to fall asleep in front of the TV!

This morning it looks like being a sunny one again. It hasn’t been sunny all the time here … There was a lot of rain until a few days ago.

I had planned a domestic morning. Having gathered the courage to switch on the dishwasher I may even up my game to take on the clothes washing. I’ve had my washer and dryer for a week and still have not tried it … all the equipment is so different here and I feel rather untrusting of it.

I soon got distracted and starting looking at the internet craigslist (a bit like Gumtree back home). Well once I’d discovered that a guy in Tampa was selling a table and chairs which tickled my fancy, all aforementioned domestic plans went on the backburner. So I drove following my satnav and 45 mins later I was at the pick up with a very interesting professor of project management. My little car could only take the chairs, the table being too wide.

By 3pm I was at work with the first two of six masses. After the second Mass the Pastor gave me the keys for the truck and I was off into the wilds again. The items are now in my apartment and sometime in the next 2 days they will find their place. Right now my place is bed!

Thursday 9 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

Today I found the perfect solution for the mosquito problem … long trousers, thick socks and wellington boots with cling-film at the top. Having tried this for the day I feel tea-tree oil and other friendly suggestions may be better. We’ll see.

Wednesday 8 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

Today started with a continued brain-storming re Advent for our Advent Gathering early in December. It is so refreshing to allow time for this and for the Spirit living in each of us to air his/her views. Then followed the monthly Liturgy Committee meeting and a lunchtime meeting with a liturgical pianist. After a siesta like break in the afternoon I returned to the office to prepare my first choir practice. It went well and one of the singers works as a demonstrator in local stores and gave me vouchers for money off bottles of cider. Heaven!

Despite the sprays (and I have a lot) the mossies are still getting through and even tonight they were eating me from under the grand piano in church. If they can spend $80k on the piano perhaps they can spare a few dollars for extreme protection for me? I never imagined that my body could be so attractive so I supposed I should be flattered by the attention. If someone had brought a couple of mosquitoes on leads to the blessing of animals over the weekend I might have crowned them. So some unblessed family of mozzies continues to plague me … and I think they have messaged their friends … they’re everywhere. Hell!

O God of the mosquito, give me a break!

Tuesday 7 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

Sunday went well and the 4 masses were well received. I made some changes to original plans to accommodate the unexpected from last night. I was free by 2pm so went out to purchase a lounge sofa suite. I had decided that the one I’d been given was not that comfortable.

Monday was my ‘day off’ but the diocesan priests’ meeting meant that the school mass had to be transferred to the morning so I was back again until 10am when I headed for Fort Desoto. This is a national park where the environment is cared for and birds flock. Today I saw herons waiting for morsels that might have been discarded by the fishermen and in the distance on a sand island masses of pelicans. The journey across Tampa Bay is astounding. The highway crosses the water for a few miles affording staggering views which only improve as you get to the ‘barrier islands’ off st Petersburg.

Tuesday I was back in the office planning for next Sunday and this week’s choir practice. I also had a music practice with the school. The local mosquitos really like my feet. I had to go out to purchase a supply of sprays and creams! In the evening I put together the sofa suite. I was struck by the absence of useful instructions so it was 1am before I turned in!

Friday 3 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

Diocesan musicians were invited to travel to St Petersburg to support the music for the funeral of an employee of the diocese. She was also the mother-in-law of one of my colleagues so I was happy go along on my day off. St Petersburg is quite different from Tampa. There is an older feel to the place.

After this I decided to try out a beach that one of my neighbours had recommended. White sand and wonderful pelicans made this most enjoyable.

Then I popped down the road for a drink and sampled the delights of pumpkin vodka. This was a mistake!

The following morning I went to …view a secondhand washing machine and dryer … they are separate units here. The vendor was so helpful and even arranged for her son to deliver and install it.

At 2.30pm I was in the church rehearsing with musicians for Monday’s school mass.then I played for the first two of the weekend’s masses at 4pm and 5.30pm.

The next mass will be at 7.30am so it will be early bed tonight.

Thursday 2 October

Posted on by PhloridaPhil

I slept badly last night so I went into work early and started to print the copies of the Order of Service for Sunday’s Mass. One of my colleagues had also started early and she told me there was a paper folding machine. So I went along with her and tried it.

After spending so much time in my previous job folding booklets this was truly astounding and done at such an amazing speed. If I could ever fall in love with a machine it would probably be one like this! I then had time… to write an article on raising your voice to God for the Parish Bulletin of 19 October and then left for home via the bank and Best Buy where I bought a TV stand.

I caught up on a few zzzzs before being awoken by the agents at the apartment village who announced that I had won a coffee-making machine in the monthly draw. I would have to visit the agents tomorrow to have my photo taken with the aforementioned coffee maker,

I returned to the office in the evening to do a bit of practice before meeting up with another Cantor for a rehearsal. The air-conditioning in the church had failed briefly but enough to make it unbearable for any length of time.

In the evening I was able to put together the TV stand unit I had bought earlier before turning in for what would hopefully be a better night’s sleep.