Random Notes from the Beach

Izzy and I took a nice couple-hour motorcycle ride this afternoon through some of the SC/NC countryside. We've got the intercom helmet set-up, which allows conversations such as this one:

• Me (as we pass a sign for Portrait Homes): I wonder if Portrait homes have picture windows?
• Izzy: Nope, I think they're frame houses.
• Me (pausing): I'm trying to think of a response, but nothing is developing.
• Izzy: This just came to me in a flash.

(It went on...)
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We're back at the little beach house that a crowd of our friends gathered at least New Years. It's quieter here this year without the crowd, but the cat seems to like the chance to come on vacation with us (as in yea, right -- although, once she came out from under the beds, she did bravely sit in a window.) There is intermittent, low-low speed interweb in the neighborhood, so I'll upload pics if/when we make a foray to the local wifi hotspot.
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Mass this AM in a church filled with retired New Yorkers. With my 2-inch heels, I felt absolutely gigantic, towering over the seniors around us. The Lector, who had apparently never seen either of the terms "revered" or "reviled", announced the 2nd reading "from the letter of Saint Puuu-ahhhl..." in a great NY accent.

I was glad to see that, even on the movable feast of the Holy Family, that the Holy Innocents weren't overlooked. Just before Mass, the choir sang the Coventry Carol. It was a lovely moving arrangement, and I'm so glad I got to hear it.

Mass concluded with a strong plea/encouragement/exhortation to pray for vocations for the Diocese of Charleston. Seems we've lost one of the 10 seminarians we had in formation. Fr. aimed his words at families ("you mothers and grandmother -- be like Mary and give your sons to God") and to the young men of the Parish. Very nice to see this matter addressed very directly at Mass.
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Final random note for this PM:
I was looking at my flickr pics and discovered that I could see what searches had led folks to a particular shot. Following a typical interweb bunny trail from the search term "tetouan jew" (which went to our Moroccan sets from 2007), I chanced upon this page:

Jews for Allah: Accepting the Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) - without the Christian Theology.

Gotta be some kinda interweb weirdness award for that one.
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Time to curl up before dinner and see whatever happened to Harry Potter and his friends. I've read about 10 pages in the last book, so NO SPOILERS!
Besides, Izzy tells me the next (post-Potter) volume will be called Hermione Weasley and the Unplanned Pregnancy.
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