Saturday 2 March included the confirmation of about 100 youth by our new supersized (7ft 5in) Bishop. The choir were fantastic and coped with the new stuff I threw at them including my setting of ‘As the deer thirsts’. There was a bit of a commotion when I started playing the Glory to God (in Lent). We had contacted the Bishop’s MC and specifically asked about the Glory to God and were told that as it was a ritual Mass this should be included. That’s what you get for asking the question!

In England my brother Chris and his wife were celebrating with their daughter Bethan. This would be her last weekend before departing on an exploration of Australia. She would spend much of the year away. Although technology allows a certain goodly amount of communication it is not the same as a flesh to flesh encounter. She’s a great woman and will light up the company wherever she goes.

I discovered that my previous post, the cathedral in Sheffield, now has the pipe organ back in place after a substantial restoration project funded by the Lottery for which I had made the initial application when I was in post. I recall Fr Incompetence informing me that the next stage of the application would be a fairly simple affair. Since he displayed such a depth of ignorance I handed it over to him to complete. Needless to say he was unable to do so and ended up having to engage all manner of personel to assist. I recall one meeting with him in which he insisted that the organ be removed before any building works started in the cathedral itself. He gave me three weeks to organise this although I doubted the need. It would have been a simple enough task to clad the instrument in protective covering but he would not have this. So the instrument went into storage for several years with all the additional storage costs. I did not know then that the cathedral would be in such a dire financial mess that one of the principle means of coming close to making the loan repayments was to extend the term and to make my post redundant. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. At least, that was the case for me! Not so for the cathedral community who still have to endure their ‘priest’. It appears to be almost impossible to find another priest to share the burden of ‘running’ the cathedral and the 3 other parishes he ‘serves’ and those that do find their way to assist do not seem to stay long!

On the positive side the National Lottery have ensured that there are sufficient funds to provide for a memorable opening event. Accordingly Olivier Latry from Notre Dame, Paris will grace the keys. This should be something of an education for the parish who will at last hear a real organist playing music from the standard repertoire rather than the Victorian fodder from the present incumbent.

During this first week of March I answered an advert about some sofas and a week later I was having two sofas, two winged back chairs and 5 occasional tables delivered to my house. They fit wonderfully and are what Americans describe as ‘high-end’. How fitting!

On Saturday March 10 The same people were holding a garage sale so I attended this for the last hour and picked up some more bargains including 3 solid oak shelving units which now stand in my double garage dividing the kayak gear from the washing machines etc.

On that Satuirday evening I returned home after work and opened the mail. The first letter was from the Immigration people and confirmed that I had completed the requirements successfully for the Green Card and would receive the document within three weeks. The next letter enclosed the Green Card itself! It is a relief to finally have it having spent $1500 of my own money on the process which began in September 2016.

The other good news is that I was approached by the local Jesuit school to tutor its star music pupil in the organ. They had awarded him a scholarship to study with me. Unfortunately there is no organ yet in the recently built ‘chapel’ so for the meantime the student will come next door to St Lawrence for lessons and practice. Next week I will go to Jesuit to attend the award.

Apart from my usual work much of my time has been spent in preparing music for the Holy Week which this year will be a bilingual experience. Last year I had created a new choir called ONE VOICE, MANY CULTURES which was a combination of the English and Hispanic choirs. This group will meet again for the Triduum. We had a great rehearsal with the hispanic instrumental musicians and I am feeling more optimistic about it all now.

I am still no closer to having the post-Irma work on the house completed. The roof is now done and paid for but I await the work on the floor, ceiling and french doors.

At the end of January I had gone for a check up at the doctors and discovered that my blood pressure was very high … perhaps accounting for some temporary loss of sight issues. I had decided there and then to make some changes and having Lent follow 2 weeks later was also useful. Over the last 6 weeks I have lost 20lb. I now wish I had not thrown away those clothes I had never thought I’d manage to get into again! The weight does not seem to decrease much now. It’s as though I’ve found my level but it does feel good to have people comment!

I enjoyed doing the music for the Masses this weekend. The choir was on good form as were the cantors and the homilies were as interesting as ever. We had a visiting Nigerian priest for the Sunday evening Mass who was a real character. We chatted before Mass and discovered a mutual connection in Fr Alan MacLean in whose London parish he had worked for a while. It is a small world.

After Mass I was chatting with parishioners and the same priest when one lady mentioned that she was having an operation the net day. Immediately the priest asked for the oil of the sick and invited the 8 people present to share in the priestly ministry of healing. It was a beautiful unexpected end to a great day.

On my drive home I checked my phone to find that a friend, Emily, had posted a recording of her piano playing in a church in Devon. About 10 days ago she had started he walk from the southernmost point in England to the most northerly point of Scotland mainland. The deep snow, blizzards and driving rain made the church a brief resting point from the elements. ‘Her tiny hands must have been so frozen’ (operatic quote there!) as she played her Scott Joplin.

Over the last few days the weather has improved and this afternoon the temps were in the mid 80sF. I have a day off tomorrow so it will probably cloud over!

 

On Wednesday 21 I went in for the School Mass and got back to enjoy some R&R by the pool. I managed to witness the mating display of a male azole lizard to a local female. I discovered his gender not by anatomical inspection but having googled discovered that males are green and woo their female by expanding their throat into a red bubble. It did nothing for me but the black female seemed as though she was playing hard to get!

Thursday started with a visit by the entire Pastoral staff team (9) to the Trinity Cafe. We had been hearing great things about this place and now was our chance to volunteer as a team. We were warmly welcomed to the place by the staff there. The kitchen had been equipped by Outback restaurant and produced a 3-course meal which attracted 264 homeless and hungry through its doors. It was really well-organised. My job was to serve the meals when guests wished and to keep the conversation going. My last customer, an intimidatingly large black man, tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to step outside to look after his blue bike! This unusual request was a first for the cafe. On my return to the office the photocopier was being used to run a long job so instead I chose to prepare the music sheets for Triduum. Then at 7pm I went over to play for a funeral.

On Friday I spent the entire day on Caladesi Island with my kayak. On my return I stopped at Charann’s Tavern, my old local, to keep contact with my friends there. I drank only lemonade!

On Saturday I went in around midday and had a meeting about a wedding which went very well. Then I played the 4pm Vigil Mass and thus started the weekend sequence of Masses. The choir excelled themselves with everything they sang. The highpoint was Tom Lowenthal’s ‘And you pursue me’. Two more folk expressed an interest in joining the choir so I hope they’ll carry that through. During the afternoon I returned home to enjoy a few hours by the pool. It was 87F!

On Monday I went out to Caladesi on my kayak again. There was no point staying around the house as workmen arrived early to begin work on replacing the roof. It was over 6 months since Irma sent a tree through the roof and it was good to see the tarpaulin disappear finally. Later that evening I returned to church to listen to Fr Paul Deutsch SJ deliver the first of a 2-day Lenten Mission.

On Tuesday I had a meeting with the Deacon about Triduum and spent the rest of the day continuing to prepare the music.In the evening I attended the second talk of the Lenten Mission.

On Wednesday, after the School Mass, I went into a meeting of the Liturgy Committee regarding Triduum. It was rather frustrating as we got bogged down in detail and had to rush discussion of Easter Vigil. Leo, our Spanish musician, was also there so we remained after that to look at the music I had prepared for the bilingual celebrations.

It was now 1.30pm and there was no point in going home so I stayed to work on. During the afternoon I received an invitation to consider teaching organ to the most gifted pianists at the nearby Jesuit College. I registered my interest and look forward to seeing how this might develop. I had a meeting with the Pastor at 5pm and a choir practice after that so it made sense. It also made for a 14hour day!

Normally I would have worked on Thursday but I had already completed more than 40 hours so I relaxed at home. I did relax but also deconstructed an outside bar so that I could construct it more carefully this time! I also brought out into the garden much of the outside furniture I had collected months ago. Later in the evening I returned to Charann’s Tavern for more lemonade. Later that evening I stopped to look at a sofa set I had seen advertised. It would be perfect for my lounge and came with occasional tables and also two wing-back chairs which I’d use in the bedrooms. The vendor was a very interesting guy and he and his wife even hoped to keep in touch after the sale. They would deliver the furniture next week.

On Friday I did much the same as yesterday but also managed to get some chemicals to dry out a tree stump in the area of the pond I had cleared a few weeks ago. It was still very warm today but rather cloudy. In sympathy with my friends in UK we would have to endure a cold snap over the next few days as temperatures were expected to plunge to the mid-70s!

 

As I get older it becomes more and more difficult to recover from ‘down-time’ or time away from work. At the end of January I had joined fellow composers for the second time at their retreat in St Louis. I always knew that alcoholically this would be something of a last fling. Since then I have sought to limit my intake and to be careful about what I eat.

I returned to a full-on weekend of music & liturgy and even found I had to defer my Monday ‘day off’ so as to catch up with the demands of the week ahead. The week ended with the school celebrating a Mass with grandparents on Friday 2 February. I had proposed a way of enacting the particular ritual opening for this Mass. It all went rather well. I was quick to leave so as to enjoy the rest of another spoiled ‘day off’.

On Tuesday 6 February I met with our Hispanic music director to discern how we might take forward the bilingual celebrations of Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil. It was a great meeting and 150 minutes later we had agreed the way forward. Then I had to dash to the school to work with the school cantors and then back to the office for a meeting to discuss the confirmations to occur on 3 March.

As soon as Wednesday’s school mass was over I was off to the optician. I had experienced problems with the prescription I’d received a year ago and they sought to resolve this. The solution, it appears, is not to go to high street lens makers but to spend more elsewhere!

On Thursday I only worked a half day. I stopped by for my weekly visit to Charann’s bar for some pineapple juice (!) but also collected some equipment from another friend. I am now the proud owner of a barrow and an air compressor!

On Friday I had another spoiled ‘day off’. There were two funerals but the family for the second included some musicians so I gave way to them (but still got paid my fee … result!)

Back home I spent the rest of my day off getting innoculated for MMR and a few others.

On Saturday together with a colleague from work we demolished the garden pond which had been built immediately adjacent to the rear of the house. A small tree had been planted several years ago and had grown to such a height that during the hurricane it was bashing against the roof. I had had it lowered to a stump soon after. As we removed the walls of the pond we discovered that marble had been buried in the area. Having already discovered that the slate around the pond was sufficient to serve as borders to the garden beds the marble was enough to start the same in the front.

The rest of the weekend at first appeared to be as you might expect until I got in on Sunday morning. Then I discovered that I would be required for the eucharistic healing service at which Sister Briege McKenna would speak. I was deeply disappointed by her but hoards of followers turned up and adored her as well as the sacrament. Unfortunately in the process I missed the opportunity to hear Paul Jacobs give an organ recital at the Sykes Hall of Tampa University.

As I drove into work on Tuesday 13 February I was astonished to hear that the state government had just reinforced the status that residents of Florida were not permitted to grow vegetables in their front gardens. I remarked “You can still shoot someone in your front garden so life ain’t all bad!” Little did I know what was to occur in a Florida Hugh School only hours later.

Ash Wednesday was another long day which began with school Mass and then continued with a trip to a designated civil surgeon who would assess me medically for the Green Card and order various tests. By 1130 I was back to prepare the next Mass at 1215. When I left the rehearsal room where I had been working with the cantor we were astonished to see TV cameras in the church. They were there to record something for the news later that day. I was annoyed that I had not been informed. One of our junior priests did not show any understanding but the Pastor responded positively to my letter. Later that evening we held another Mass in the Higgins Hall. This was notable in that normally the hispanic Mass is ‘relegated’ to there as the English continue in the Church. In the event nobody died and I heard no complaints. A shortened choir practice followed in the adjacent library.

I was able to take Thursday as a day off so I went kayaking to Caladesi Island enjoying the improved weather.

Monday 19 February was President’s Day which is another excuse for a day off. It was already my day off so I can save this for another day. I started the day by joining Sam’s Club, an upmarket warehouse sore run by Walmart. I went to buy a deck box which was on promotion and even with the membership fee worked out cheaper that elsewhere. I spent the rest of the day by my pool.

Tuesday 20 February began early and I had planned to get much done but in the event these plans were thwarted a bit by having to meet with the contractor who had announced his intention to start work on Monday! Later I got a call from the Civil Surgeon to attend for completion of the documentation for the Green Card medical. While all this was going on I was having my trees trimmed. When I dropped by on the way to the medical the guy was on the roof blowing the leaves off. These guys were real professionals and took great care of the property. By 3pm I was back at the pool. The evening was spent watching Chelsea draw with Barcelona and typing this blog.

 

 

My main preoccupation in the middle of January has been to use up my vacation days before the end of January when I would lose them. Of course this puts additional pressure on to my workload and especially when there are so many unexpected funerals. One funeral required more diplomacy than would usually be expected and this process adds to the time!

During the same period the weather both deteriorated and improved. In one week we experienced below freezing as well as 80f. I even had to go out into the garden to wrap my hibiscus plants in blankets!

On 18 January I managed to complete my UK tax return. This is always a major achievement and feels like a weight is lifted once it is complete.

On Friday 19th it was good to be able to welcome some friends to my house. They had not visited since soon after my move in but found it more homely (despite the hole in the roof and missing flooring! During the evening we exchanged Christmas presents and discovered that sambuca is a dangerous drink.

I spent 22-26 January in St Louis with the Liturgical Composers Forum. I had attended last year and had enjoyed the company of these composers and their collective wisdom. This year, the 20th anniversary, was something of a celebration so they had invited several speakers to address us. John Foley, who had founded the forum, was there to give and receive reminiscences. Tom Booth gave an objective analysis of contemporary music. Michael Joncas contributed a well-considered analysis of the post Vatican 2 influences on church music and placed each of us in categories of influence. I was added to the St Thomas More Group strand. Damaris Thillet also gave an introductory overview of the bilingual experience.

During the first two evenings a considerable amount of whisky was imbibed and by Wednesday evening this had been exhausted but the supplies of wine seem everlasting! On Wednesday evening we adjourned to the Hilton Hotel for a banquet. This closed with a fine and moving tribute to John Foley. All present sang a selection of his classics from memory. This was proof, if any were needed, that music carries our faith!

On Thursday there were meetings regarding the organisation and preparations for the evening’s concert. The latter went so well that we finished ahead of time and were able to relax (without alcohol) before the concert itself. Over the evening meal I had the good fortune to become embroiled in a deep conversation with John Foley. This was always going to be one of those moments when you feel probed for what makes you tick. At one point in our discussion of what is more important, words or music, he asked me if my expressed opinion was just because I was chatting with him. Politely I had to remark that I had never attended any address he may have given and did not know what his thinking might be … but I did know my own mind!

We shared the concert with a local church choir who were just wonderful. I sang with the tenors who were placed on the back row. We were so eclipsed by the tallest couple of basses in front of us that we saw nothing of the conductor. At one point I turned to Scot Crandal next to me and asked him if he, like me, had realised that at some point in the concert the conductors had changed. we had both been blissfully unaware of this!

After the concert there was a reception and then we regrouped in another lounge to where the wine followed. We ended the night at 4am having put the world thoroughly to rights.

Getting up this morning was not an easy task and after a walk of the grounds with the remaining composers I retired to a lounge for some peace. My flight was not until 3.30pm and I had been offered a lift to the airport rather than arrive early on the last shuttle bus and have to hang around there.

Around midday what had been a sunny start to the day became overcast and more wintry. ‘Time to return to Tampa’, I mused.

 

I felt really ill when I awoke on Thursday which I had taken as a holiday. In addition it was really cold so I felt even more miserable. I couldn’t even join a party to which I was invited at Charann’s Tavern later that night. I wasn’t much better the following day. Everyone is talking about a strain of flu here which defies antibiotics and the flu jab. I’m sure I must have it. On Thursday I remembered my dad saying that you have to starve a cold but wa so hungry I cooked a meat stew!

For the last few weeks I have been looking at two pieces of furniture made by Ethan Allen (a chest and a beside table) which were for sale in my favourite store Goodwill. Initially one was $699 and the other $199. Then the price dropped to $499 and $79 respectively. The manager took me aside and advised me to wait until Sunday 7 January when they would be reduced again by 50%. It was a risk but on Sunday I arranged for a friend to be at the store when the doors opened and to purchase them. I didn’t expect this but he even delivered them and I was able to open my house with the cellphone and lock it again when he’d finished. Result!

The temperature on Sunday morning was 37f at 6am but by 3pm it was 68f so it would appear that the recent cold snap was on the way out. I was really happy with my choir today. They sang my ‘Canticle of Tobias’ and Bernadette Farrell’s ‘So certain star’ with real conviction. In addition the Cantors at each of the 6 masses excelled. It made a good day even better.

On Monday 8 January I had an early morning appointment to have my blood taken for lab tests. Just as I arrived at their office I got an episode of ‘floaters’ in my left eye. I have suffered this occasionally before but because I was in a doctor’s office I thought it was worth mentioning. The nurses struggled to draw blood and i wondered if that was related but a doctor urged them to take my blood pressure and it was a massive 155/100. Clearly I had suffered a ‘spike’ and this had affected my eye. I have to admit that I was very concerned and resolved to take action. I had only had one alcoholic drink since Friday so I thought this might be worth continuing for a while but I would also do some exercise.

I went into work and played for a funeral of a doctor. There were so many medical professionals at the funeral I felt in a safe environment. Thankfully I did not need their services. It was a great funeral with a large number of catholics and those who might not have been were very respectful.

After the funeral and because the Christmas season was officially over the poinsettia which had engulfed the sanctuary were ‘up for grabs’ so I managed to get quite a few and intend to plant them in my front garden which will look great next December! Back home I switched on the TV and found a series of episodes of Jules Holland’s ‘Later’. I love this programme and so missed not being able to watch the Hootinany each new year.

On Tuesday I awoke at 8.30am after the most unexpected long sleep. Whatever had happened to me yesterday had tired me out a bit! The temperature was already 61f by 9am and at 7pm was still 73f. I spent the day working on music for the next few weeks and also out together a proposal for an adaptation of the opening procession of Candlemas  which is also our Grandparents’ Mass on 2nd February. This Mass usually attracts about 1000 people so it is held in Higgins Hall also on our site.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas turned out to be just the arduous marathon I had expected. The schedule went thus:

Saturday Advent 4 Vigil Mass at 4pm

Sunday Advent 4 Masses at 7.30, 9.30, 11am and 12.30pm

Christmas Vigil Mass at 4pm and 6.30pm

Monday Midnight Mass with a choir rehearsal beforehand.

Christmas Day Masses at 7.30, 9.30, 11am and 12.30pm

I was able to get a bed on site to maximise my sleeping time but in the event this turned out to be a poor decision as there was no sound-proofing so the heavy traffic and emergency services kept me awake when I really wanted to sleep!

My choir were super generous and gave me  some gift vouchers for Home Depot (which I spent on a cover and gas for my new barbecue grill) and a large food hamper!

When I got home at 2pm on Christmas Day I poured myself a glass of fine Malbec and a slab of bleu d’auvergne cheese and promptly fell asleep without sampling either. Hours later I awoke to discover that both had ‘breathed’ nicely.

On ‘Boxing Day’ I went out on the kayak to Caladesi Island. The following day I was ill with a cold and had to pull out of a meal with choir friends.

I went into work on the Thursday to do a final plan for the weekend and for the school Masses next week and then joined friends in my old bar in Town and Country. I like to keep Thursday evenings for meeting up with them. On Friday I rested at home most of the day and then drove to the choir Christmas party.  I was not yet 100% so I decided not to drink much and by playing the piano for the songs sessions I was able to minimise the risk of spreading germs.

On Saturday I was back at work and fortunately I did not have to play for a funeral at 6pm. It was the funeral of a local gang leader and therefore there was a massive police presence involving bomb squad and helicopters overhead. In the event the police deterred any retaliations and only 12 people attended. Sunday followed the usual pattern. As soon as the last Mass was over on Sunday evening I drove to meet colleagues who had gathered for a New Years’ Eve meal. The food and company were wonderful.

I was up again on New Years Day for a couple of masses in the morning and then went home to assist a choir member with laying mulch in my garden. As luck would have it she had completed the task and gone by the time I arrived so instead I did some shopping and visited the local bar to which I later returned again after preparing and eating a beef stew.

2017 was one of many blessings. I continued to be employed here in Tampa which delights me. Other highlights included the following:

Attending the Liturgical Composers Forum 5-day meeting in St Louis, Missouri

The visit of my teacher Stephen Hicks to give and organ recital at St Lawrence

Attending the Pastoral Musicians Convention in Cincinatti in July

The visit of family Chris, Sue and Bethan to see me in Tampa

Moving into my new house on 8 September

Having a tree crash through my roof as a result of Hurricane Irma on 10 September

My visit to UK to see family and to meet up with friends in Sheffield

2018 has only just begun but my hopes include the following:

To return to St Louis

To complete the repair work to my house after the hurricane

To welcome John Bell to Tampa

To go on my first cruise – to the Bahamas!

To receive my Green Card

I got back from my 10-day trip to UK at the end of November and was delighted to find a cheque for $15k waiting for me. This was the initial payment from the insurance company to rectify the damage caused by hurricane Irma. They calculated the actual cost to be $25k but I have to pay an excess of $4700 and will receive a further cheque for $5k when the work is completed. I have selected a contractor who does much of the work at the church where I work but have to wait until the end of January for the work to start. He has to renovate the Bishop’s house and apparently he takes priority! I hope to have a new roof, the ground floor re-covered using porcelain tile in the kitchen, hall and living areas and using wood in the lounge and dining rooms. One pair of french doors will also be replaced.

They have started a pub quiz and The Local (my local) and for the first two weeks a won pocketing $40 in total. The pressure was on one week when there was only one other team playing!

A friend from my choir came round one day offering to re-design my garden. Two days later we filled our cars with plants from her gardens and set about planting. She was there for 3 days and for two of these I had to go to work … less strain on the back! The results are fabulous already and in a year or so there should be quite a display!

My pool has been driving me mad. It turned a nasty green colour and after two weeks of treatment I managed to get the phosphates down to a reasonable level and thus deprived the algae of food. After the drastic treatment it looks as good as it ever has. Unfortunately the weather changed and the comparative chill was not so conducive to swimming. Cold snaps don’t last long here so by 18 December the temperatures were back up to 80F.

My UK friends Helen and Gary got married on the unlikely feast of the Immaculate Conception. This was a great surprise as I never thought she was into such orthodoxy! On the same day I was playing for three Masses despite suffering from what seemed to be flu. I was delighted to learn that while I braved it to get in for the evening Mass the priest did not show. The entire congregation had to decamp to the Hall where a Spanish Mass was about to begin. I, however, went home.

The following day I played for a wedding. There’s nothing remarkable about that except that I knew nothing about it until the week before and only met the bride to be to discuss the music 3 days before. She’d requested music I didn’t have … like a movement from the 4 Seasons by Vivaldi.  Thankfully she capitulated. At the end of the wedding I was given a card enclosing payment. I was amazed to find only $50 when the standard fee is $200. I managed to sort the mistake and get the appropriate payment. When I posted this on facebook some seemed astonished at what they considered to be a high fee. In fact it is only a few dollars more than I used to get in Sheffield.

Last week I made a few purchases and none were from Goodwill but all were ‘bargains’. First I bought a set of patio furniture comprising a table and four chairs, a rocking chair and footstool and lounger. It was all high end stuff with an original rice tag of $5k but I bought the lot for $500. I’d seen it advertised on a local website so I didn’t have to go far to collect it. On the same site I saw that there was a garage sale around the corner from me. There was not much for me but I dropped by later in the day and discovered that an outside bar with four high chairs had not been sold. So I bought that for $100 thinking that it would be fun for my house-warming once the repairs had been done. Finally I bought a BBQ grill (Weber Genesis 310). I had done my research and eventually went to a local Home Depot store to look at one. In the event they did not have this model but inside a smaller grill until I found the price tag for the one I was after. The assistant helped me to track one down at another store, where, after some arm twisting of the manager, I bought the grill for the tag price $449. The original price had been $899 and this had later been reduced to $699 so I felt I had a real bargain.

With Christmas falling the day after the 4th Sunday of Advent I am in for an horrendous two days at the end of this week with 12 Masses in 36 hours. So yesterday apart from playing for a Spanish funeral I had the day off. Today I took a further day off and will go in for the school Mass tomorrow and choir practice. Apart from that I am hoping to rest as much as I can.

One of the problems about working in USA is that you have to have a work visa. The visa in my passport had expired at the end of February 2017 but I had started the process of applying for a Green Card in September 2016. Indeed in May 2017 the Immigration authorities had taken the $1500 from my bank account which signified that my application had been successful. All that remained was for the Green Card itself to be sent to me. I had been sent another EAD document which extended my right to work and I was informed, gave me rights to return if I left USA.  Once I discovered this I booked my flights.

I had not visited UK since August 2016 when I returned for the wedding of my brother Richard to Camille.  It had been a long time of enforced separation so I was determined to spend as much time with family as I could.

So the late evening of 13 November found me at Tampa airport. I had been able to leave my car with a friend from the choir who had then dropped me at the airport. Everything went smoothly and I touched down on time the following morning. On arriving at the Avis desk to collect a car I was greeted by the same person with whom I had experienced difficulties two years earlier. This was a repeat performance from him but I managed to escape without spending too much more money.

Having located the car it took me a further 20 minutes to discover how it started! I got used to returning to the gear stick and an hour later I was welcomed by my mum in Kingston-on-Thames. Later that evening we were joined by brother Chris and his wife Sue.

The following day I bought my first oyster card so that I could use trains and buses. My niece Bethan, such a modern girl, could not believe I had waited this long for such a pleasure. My brother Pete dropped in for the evening on Wednesday. It was great to see him and to hear an update on his family.

During the late morning of Thursday I drove north. My first stop was Nuneaton where I enjoyed a lunch of fish and chips before meeting up with old teaching friends, Steve and Carol. They had down-sized since I last met them but it was a great space. We walked into the village for a pint and returned to a wonderful boeuf bourgignon. The next morning I continued my journey to Sheffield where I visited my lettings agents to complain about lack of communication. When I got to the office one of several staff there said “How can I help”. I replied “Thank you that was the first response I have had from this office in 2 years”. I don’t think this was exactly what they expected but it had the desired effect and I am now a happier chappie. Having collected the keys I returned to my house where the tenants let me in and I was able to extract some organ music and several bottles of gin. Then I visited the Diocesan Pastoral Centre where I had hoped to remove some books from a spiritual library I had loaned the diocese on my departure. I chatted with staff there and continued on to a house in Hackenthorpe where a friend Kieran would accommodate me for the weekend.

I spent Friday afternoon in Sheffield. It was good to see the cathedral and particularly how the organ was progressing. I recalled that Fr Chris had instructed me back in August 2011 to have the organ removed from the building within 3 weeks. He had refused to entertain all advice that it would be OK to leave there as long as it was adequately wrapped in plastic to protect it from the builders dust etc. His decision prevailed and the cathedral was then tied into the cost of special storage for the next 6 years! The organ restoration would probably only have taken a few months of dedicated work finishing with the gradual re-assembly in the cathedral. Of course time will tell whether there needs to be any modification of the historic organ case due to the change in floor levels after the building programme!

Whilst I was there I was able to meet several old friends who were gathering for Mass. The celebrant from India was unknown to me but turned out to be a fine presider and seemed very embracing of the assembly. I learned later that this was one of his last Masses there as he became another in a list of ordained refugees fleeing the cathedral.

In the evening I met up with friends Ali, Pippa, Peter, Helen and Gary in a local bar and subsequently a local restaurant. A fine time was enjoyed by all. You just take up where you left off with real friends, don’t you? Back in Hackenthorpe Kieran isisted that the night was yet young so bottles were opened.

On the Saturday morning I met up for a chat over coffee with members of the cathedral choir and Hugh Finnigan and then followed them to the cathedral for a ‘Thank you Mass’ for volunteers. I had always wondered in the three years since my departure whether Fr Chris would have learned how to say ‘thank you’. He did seem to find it difficult and particularly when it came to thanking particularly a group of volunteer musicians whom he had unexpectedly and inexplicably ‘sacked’ only a few weeks earlier!

After Mass I held court in a local bar as a procession of friends kept ‘appointments’ with me. It was great to see Peter and Jenie of the Iona Community, friend Greg and my brother Andy who came down from Durham. When these had departed I tried to contact another friend but to no avail so I rang a local priest who had been very supportive of me when I needed it. His organist was ill so 25 minutes later I was playing for the Vigil Mass!

Since I did not need to visit the cathedral for Sunday Mass I decided to drop in on my friend Emily who runs the music in a church in Leicester. I sneaked in at the back as the service began and really enjoyed it. Emily was always a great pianist but this was the first time I’d heard her play the organ. I was not at all disappointed and she even regaled us with an organ voluntary at the end.

After the service I became embroiled in the shifting of benches, the guiding of blind people and the drinking of instant coffee (the real stuff having run out!). Then I followed Emily back to her ‘new’ pad which had been correctly described as an ‘upside down house’ with the living room above the bedroom and toilet. We had real coffee and a good chat before venturing out for a Sunday dinner at a local Wetherspoons. I was to meet up for another meal at my brother Chris’ later so I left around 4.30pm and joined the traffic heading for London. Another fine meal followed and I returned home with mum, leaving my car at Chris’!

I spent much of Monday with my mum and HRH Elizabeth and Philip celebrating their 70th anniversary. The following day I visited a friend in Old Windsor whom I had not been able to visit for 4 years. Letters are great but the banter is better!On my way home I stopped at St George’s College, Weybridge where I had gone to school. I was shown around the school for a while before meeting with three of the resident priests who remembered me. Later that evening I drove mum to meet up with brother Richard, his two girls and his wife Camille at Bill’s Restaurant in Guildford.

On Thursday I visited Veronica Robbins in Whiteley Village. I had worked with Veronica while I was Director of Music under Fr Kevin Donovan SJ at St Ignatius, Stamford Hill. There was much conversation to be rehearsed and then she showed me the estate which was the result of philanthropy at the start of the 20th century. Hours passed very quickly before I had to return to Kingston. Later that evening my last in UK my mum and I joined Chris and Sue in the Glasshouse for a simple meal accompanied by fine wines and whiskies!

The Friday morning found me saying a fond farewell to my mum as I headed for the airport. I had not been able to check-in the previous day so I feared the worst. Having dropped off the car with no problem I headed for check-in and found one. They determined that the visa in my passport had expired and although I had a card which proved my eligibility to work in USA I had no document which explained my visa status. I applied and paid for an ESTA at the airport and an hour later was able to pass through. The journey to Tampa was uneventful and because I found myself with a row to myself it was also comfortable and undisturbed. On arrival at Tampa I had to undergo secondary security checks but it was not long before I was free! I was collected from the airport my Mary from the choir and reunited with my Nissan Rogue in which I drove home. I stopped at the local for a quick one before turning the key of Knollview Drive and finding peace at last. A great trip to family and friends!

 

On October 17 there was great celebration as the newly opened ‘The Local’ reduced its prices and introduced all manner of enticements such as loyalty and happy hour. I still visit my old bar to keep contact with my friends there.

I attended the dentist for a check-up and to report some trouble with one tooth. After a quick inspection it was revealed that the tooth had split and I was staring at a large bill for another implant. Amazingly the dentist was able to extract and fill with a bone graft that same day. This means that I can begin the implant process in the new year which also means a new year for dental insurance allowances!

On October 19 I attended a food festival at a nearby Catholic Church. With 1500 paying $15 for each of three nights it was a great money spinner. The food was supplied by various local restaurants who were advertising themselves to a willing clientelle.

The weather is beginning to cool (though still in the mid 80s) so I busied myself in the garden discovering some amazing plants hiding in the shade of others.

By the end of October it was a month since the loss adjuster had visited to review the damage after Hurricane Irma. I had heard nothing so I contacted the insurance company. The adjuster had not filed his report yet! It turned out that he had failed to take pictures of the floor damage and had therefore sat on it. So now I am back on track and hope to hear something soon so that essential repairs can begin. I had t call the insurance out to refit the tarpaulin which had become dislodged after 6 weeks of Florida weather.

Over the first weekend of November I called out an engineer to look at the fridge freezer and dishwasher. In the end it was a bit if a waste of time and money and I found it cheaper to make the repairs myself … but at least I knew how to proceed having been advised by the engineer! The same weekend my i-phone malfunctioned but I was able to get a replacement posted the next day.

On my way to a funeral at a local church I took my foot off the brake and bumped the car in front of me. I followed her into a parking lot to assess the damage. The driver was a young female clearly on her way to the beach as she stepped out in only the skimpiest of bikinis. I felt like a sexual predator as I asked for her phone number … but you have to exchange details don’t you? I could not stay long as the funeral beckoned. During the funeral I realised that the deceased was a personal friend of Margaret Thatcher. I felt guilt by association.

The Rotel (high-end) amplifier which I had found in Goodwill and had repaired started overheating after 30 minutes. This was disappointing as the repair had been expensive. However I unusually found the repair receipt and warranty and was able to return it.

Another success was enjoyed after the Audubon Village had withheld some of my deposit claiming that I had left the apartment in an untidy condition. As evidence they had provided photos which showed dozens of high-heeled shoes (which I did not recognise) and dirty pans left on a granite top (which my apartment did not boast). I remember posting something about this on facebook and one of my friends remarked that they should be very afraid. It seems that some people have come to know my complaints letters!

 

 

Saturday 16 September

I awoke to find that the pool was now green. This had most definitely been the cause of my illness. But this would have to wait as I had to work today. I had a vigil Mass and a wedding after that. I managed to get through it all despite having little voice. I went to bed early to conserve my energies for the morning.

Sunday 17 September

I awoke at 5.30am and prepared breakfast. I did not feel great at all. The drive to work was unhindered by traffic and I was there at 7am. I managed the first Mass and then reported to my line manager that I was prepared to cover the 9.3pam Mass but would have to leave soon after. I had managed to contact Marty Purtell to play for the 1230 and 7pm but had to brief the choir as to how they might manage the 11am without accompaniment.

I returned home and busied myself. Christian from work came round later to sort the second TV and assist with house knowledge like thermostats and the cleaning of the pool. I had already purchased supplies of chlorine and acid so he was able to help me with that. That evening I took Christian to O’Briens for supper. Christian returned to check the pool and was surprised that there did not appear to be much change.

Monday 18 September

I returned to the pool supplies with a sample from the pool and they agreed that something was awry. It was a different member of staff and he added some new stuff to the mix which would deal with the algae. I stopped by at Goodwill and bought two room-size rugs for $40 each. They were both brand new and served to cover the missing flooring and to provide further comfort. I also stopped at Lowes and bought tubes for the dryer vent.

Back home I added chemicals to the pool and waited.

I visited O’Briens bar for the second time and although staff were congenial it was really dark there. I went further north and found the House of Brews. The favourable reviews were correct. This was a happening place and they even had Delirium Tremens made in Melle, Belgium where I had spent many an evening in my youth.

Tuesday 19 September

I was delighted to see that the pool had begun to clear and was no longer green. I worked for 6 hrs. This was the first day I had driven to work along the new route and friends had advised me to leave early. So I left at 6.50am and was in by 7.15am. Still ill, once I had sorted stuff I left work after 6 hours.

Wednesday 20 September

I awoke soon after 5.50am and was in work for 7am. There was a school Mass at 8.30 and I needed to prepare instrumental parts. The Mass went really well.

I stayed a little longer preparing stuff for the weekend and then returned home for about 4 hours.

I returned around 5pm and was able to have a leisurely final prep for the first choir practice of the season. It was great when the choir gathered to discover that those who had promised to join us as new members all turned up. It was great t be back again. We worked on a Communion antiphon by Chris Walker, my setting of ‘How can I keep from singing’ and John Bell’s setting of Ps 116 ‘I love the Lord’

Leaving work at 9.30pm there was little time before bed.

Thursday 21 September

I waited in during the morning as I was expecting visits from Frontier to install TV and internet and also from a flooring consultant. Neither appeared so by 12.30pm I was in work. There was a Pastoral Staff meeting at 1pm which lasted only one hour. Today marked the 3^rd anniversary of my gainful employment in USA. Once I had completed various admin tasks I decided to re-organise my office and in the process removed my Roland digital piano which I had temporarily housed there 6 months earlier. I would return to complete the task on Saturday. That evening I visited Charann’s bar but did not stay too long as I had to drive all the way home.

Friday 22 September

I met my friend Wayne at 9am as he had offered me a petrol lawnmower he no longer required. He also gave me a pair of loppers. I immediately took it for a service locally and would collect later the same day. I was surprised to get the call an hour later that it was ready! It cost $50 but seemed worth it as my grass needed cutting.

I stopped at Goodwill but for once bought nothing! I moved my kayak from storage and stopped at Home Depot and bought a leaf vac, a brush.

Later that evening I visited House of Brews for the second time. There was a guy playing guitar … some of the stuff brother Chris used to play.. so it felt like home! Ti add to this feeling I noticed that they had Delirium Tremens a strong brew  from Belgium which was in fact brewed in the small town of Melle which gave its name to College Melle, the Josephite School  where I happily spent many summers while on Choir Tours.

Still without internet I came home and watched Part 1 of Fellowship of the Ring.

Saturday 23 September

It took me a while to surface but in the end I was in work for 10am and able to continue the facelift to my office. There was a diocesan women’s conference downstairs in Higgins Hall so I was able to get some decent food! The Vigil Mass was only notable for one thing … I played 3 of the 4 movements of Boellmann’s Suite Gothique concluding the Mass with the Toccata. The Pastor asked me not to play this again as he felt it resembled too closely some theme music from haunted movies and the Munsters!

I stopped at Goodwill and was fortunate to find a beautiful wooden dining table for only $200. A carpenter was in the store and he reckoned it was worth $3000. It was brand new and still had the packaging on it. I love having a decent dining table. For me this is a symbol of hospitality which I enjoy offering so much.

I managed to get the table out of the car and into the garage but would need help to get it into the house and assembled. I would seize the opportunity sometime to get the piano set in place also.

Sunday 24 September

I awoke at 5.45am and was in work for 7am. Cantors turned up for every Mass which was just as well as I was not fully recovered from my infection of last week. The choir did a great job with the new pieces learned on Wednesday.

I returned around 2pm and idled a few hours away before returning to work via Goodwill!

Friday 29 September

The loss adjuster came to inspect the house after the hurricane damage. He was a bit concerned that whilst the roof had been temporarily covered with tarpaulin on the outside the inside had not been sealed. He noticed my coughing and mentioned that I may have been inhaling fibre glass dust from the roof insulation. He sealed it himself and then advised that that section of the roof would need to be recovered with repairs to the inside also. He further recommended that the french doors would need to be replaced as the frames for the unit had cracked under the weight of the impact. The floor would also need replacing.

Thursday 5 October

I had been experiencing a lot of pain in my foot for the last 3 months and finally got around to visiting an orthopedic doctor about this. He diagnosed tendonitis possibly caused by the shoes I was wearing. So later in the evening after work I bought some new shoes!

Friday 6 October

Nothing spectacular happened today. My new 7 seater sofa was delivered in between two funerals in different churches. A new bar opened in the evening. Named ‘The Local’ it specializes in offering local beers and spirits. It is a little on the pricey side but we’ll see how things develop.

Saturday 7 October

I almost overlooked a wedding preparation meeting at 10am this morning. I was beginning to like the idea of a delayed start to the day when I thought I’d better check my diary at 9.10am! I arrived on time and so did the couple so all was well in the end. Later that afternoon I played for the 4pm Vigil Mass and then attended the unveiling of the statue of Mgr Laurence Higgins who had served as Pastor at St Lawrence for 49 years and who had died last year. It was a high profile event which was transmitted by livestream into the church where I chose to sit in comparative coolness. It was interesting to see people stand for the Gospel (being read in the heat outside) but what was most memorable was the Sinatra song (Mgr’s favorite) being transmitted into the church also! A fine meal with speeches followed.

Tuesday 10 October

I normally get into work around 7am but today having left at the usual time I kept on driving to the Driving Licence place. I arrived an hour before it opened and there was already a queue. When they opened at 8am I was seen quickly and sorted my address change and got a new card. In the process I had to offer various documents and she informed me that one of them allowed me to re-enter the USA without a Green Card. So when I got back to the office I booked a flight to England in November for about 10 days. I had been saving my holiday for this so I was delighted not to lose it all!

Wednesday 11 October

One month after Irma struck causing such devastation workmen appeared to remove the loads of tree debris from the roadside. I took this as a sign that the city was getting back onto its feet again.

I played for the funeral of Sylvia who had been our receptionist at work until recently. Her husband Larry came up to me while I was playing intending to pay me for my services. Sylvia was ‘family’ so I declined payment but I did not recognize him as the glasses I use for reading music do not allow me to see much else and besides, for the three years I had known him I had only seen him wear shorts and t-shirt and here he was in a suit!

Choir practice followed and we did some detailed work on two pieces of Christopher Walker, the Communion antiphon for the Sunday and his ‘Laudate Dominum’.

Thursday 12 October

I went into work for midday having already visited American Signature Furniture to arrange for a technician to fix the recliner on my sofa set. All staff were invited to a special lunch to mark the re-signing of a contract with Diocesan Publications. I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting some admin a wedding meeting with a couple. Then I went home and welcomed friend and colleague Christian who connected the dryer, rearranged my TV connections to accommodate a new TV stand and established that the water cooler and ice maker were not even connected (which would affect their functioning appropriately, I suppose!).

After a bite to eat he left and I visited The Local, the new bar which opened last Friday.Back at home I fell asleep in front of the TV.

Friday 13 October

This day, for some superstitious souls, is one full of dread but it all started well for me. The ADT guy arrived on time to fit the security system for the house. This would take about 5 hours. The American Signature sent someone to fix the recliner on the sofa and within a few minutes he was done. I spent the day catching up on this blog which I had not published for over a month.  I hope you enjoy it!