Good service

I led the choir in Dummerston this morning. We sang Star in the East, a wonderful shape-note hymn, and the choir sang it well! There were four basses, one tenor, two altos and one soprano. I was expecting three sopranos, but two didn't make it, So Mary Westbrook switched from alto to soprano. We made it a bit easier for the sopranos and sang one verse in unison on tenor melody line, one verse with sopranos an ovtave lower, and only the third and final verse in their normal range with some pretty high notes. They appreciated that. John and Cynthia were there, which was great. But the congregation was small - several regulars came down with COVID this week. The church may have been a spreader last week, because after the tree-lighting ceremony, people sort of packed into the downstairs for cocoa, and they were not wearing masks. A lot of the people there were the ones who got COVID during the week. John is feeling better, though he looked pale today. It takes a while to fully recover, Ellen helped me clean out the flue at the house after church - we had let the fire burn out in the stove and that is a perfect time to clean out the flue - and there were very few ashes and not much creosote at all - that is a good sign. We allow the fire burn very hot every day (what we call the "noon" burn, because the indicator on the thermometer on the flue gets to the "12-0-clock" position, which is about 450 degrees) and use creosote remover powder, and I think that is helping. Also, I think our wood is well-seasoned and clean this year, and that helps a lot too. I don't think we'll need to have the chimney cleaned this year. That will save almost $300! Ellen has now gone to Amherst to meet Julie and go to the movies to see She Said which is about the Harvey Weinstein affair. She was originally going to stay and take Brendon to the Nutcracker Ballet this evening, but it is going to snow this evening, and she feels she just can no longer drive at night under adverse conditions. Plus we don't have on our snow tires yet. It will be disappointing to him, but it can't be helped. Maybe Dusty snd Dorothy can be recruited to do it. Katie Tolles has COVID, or has had it, and feels she can't go to the ballet, or shouldn't. COVID is still having its impact on our lives! Yesterday we went to the Bergh's in the afternoon and watched the UNC/Georgia Tech basketball game. The Tarheels lost their last four games: after being #1 nationally in the pre-season rankings (because they were in last year's national Championship game and four of their five starters have returned this year), they lost four and dropped out of the top 25 altogether. But they beat Georgia Tech fairly handily. If they could play consistently well, they would have a shot at being in the Final 16 anyway this year. We had supper with the Bergh's - Ellen brought the meal - and we had a good time. Eliza's brother, Sam, was there too - he lives in Brooklyn - and I always enjoy seeing and talking with him. Now I'm going to work on my Bible Study session.

The "noon" burn

Grief!

We sang at a funeral today where the grief was raw. The service was at the Guilford church, and was for Mary Ellen Hall, the daughter of one of our older members, Joy Hayes. Mary Ellen was 61 years old. We didn't know her at all, but by all accounts, she was an amazing person. She was diagnosed with inoperable kidney cancer less than a year ago. Her daughter spoke at length but sobbed throughout. The added sad thing is that Joy Hayes, Mary's mother, fell and broke her hip last Tuesday in Albany, NY and was unable to attend her daughter's funeral. A video recording was made so she will at least have that. We sang three pieces: Blessed Quietness, Precious Lord Take My Hand, and We Are Marching In the Light of God (Siyahamba). The music really helped hold everyone together. Pastor Eliza also showed her mettle.

Mary Ellen's portrait on the program.

Mary Ellen in a portrait from a slide show - probably after her illness.

Doing unto others

Thursday, I took Jerome to the Guilford Food Pantry for several bags full of groceries. It's all free. We filled out a form beforehand on which you could request preferences in various categories: canned goods, frozen veggies, fresh produce, meat, cereals, dairy, desserts. etc. It's a great service! It is housed at the Guilford Fair grounds, in the First Aid cabin. You have to be there on Thursday between 3p.m. and 4p.m.

The Guilford Food Pantry

Nowell, Nowell

What a wonderful concert! Not what Nowell Sing We Clear would have been, but darn good. No one will ever replace Tony Barrand, but he was well-remembered Tuesday night and it was great seeing and hearing a new generation in his wake. Nowell Sing We Clear was Tony Barrand, John Roberts, Fred Breunig and Andy Davis. They had a 40-year + run - amazing in its own right. The program was always in two parts: Christian and Pagan. I.e., Christmas Carols from the British folk tradition, and secular carols of the season, also British. Both Tony and John were British in birth and upbringing. The program always included a Mummer's Play. Tuesday night was a much bigger group but with strong connections to the original NSWC. Andy Davis and Fred Breunig were there. John Roberts is still living, but did not feel well enough to come over from Albany, NY where he lives. Just as well! It was a lousy, wet, foggy night, and Searsburg Mountain, which lies between Albany and Brattleboro, could have been icy for sure. There were nine other musicians Tuesday night: the group Windborne, composed of Lauren Breunig (Fred Breunig's daughter), Jeremy Carter-Gordan, Lynn and Will Rowan; and also Keith Murphy (who lives across the street from Tony and has collaborated with him often in the past; Arthur Davis (Andy's son), Emma Schneider (Arthur's wife), Donal Sheets and Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin (whose mother, Lisa Sparrow, was pastor of the Guilford Community Church for 20 years - where Tony and Margaret Dale were pillars. Lynn Rowan also grew up in the GCC). Lots of connections! Windborne are very tight harmonically. They performed an Occitan Carol Medley that was breathtaking. I would say that 90% of the repertoire Tuesday was drawn from NSWC. There was a marvelous parody - also a NSWC tradition, this one a parody of the Cutty Wren Carol. Katie, Savanna and Brendon joined us, and we had seats in the front row on the left side. Great for taking pictures!

Windborne: Jeremy, Lynn, Lauren and Will

Andy, Arthur, Emma and Fred

Guillaume, Arthur, Emma, Donal

Finale - Keith Murphey is front and center. *************************** Yesterday I attended a Zoom session from Chicago Theological Seminary featuring feminist theologian Carter Heyward, who has just published The Seven Deadly Sins of Christian White Supremecy, and who was being interviewed by Susan Thistlethwaite, former CTS President, who was pres. back in 1999-2001 when I was at CTS as Pastor-in-Residence. That was a very timely and sobering interview. Then a couple of hours later I led a Zoom Bible Study on the topic of Modernism & Postmodernism which actually went very well, I think. The group has settled down to 12-14 regulars. A very nice group.

Carter Heyward

My Bible Study Group

Many things

We were at the Guilford Church Friday evening until after 10:30p.m., working on the cookie platters. But Saturday, we did not go to the Bazaar itself. Instead, we went to ELiza Bergh's house to watch the USA/Iran soccer game. It proved to be an exciting game, especially in the earlier first half, when the USA team looked aa though they could actually win! But it was not meant to be. When Iran scored goal #3, making it 3-1, that seemed to ice it for Iran. But the USA team is young, and maybe next time! Of course, a lot happens in four years. Eliza, Sarah and the girls were not there - they had gone up to Ryegate, VT to spend some time with relatives. But Cliff stayed home, so we saw him. The rest of the day is a blank - I think we were at home, and I was probably reading and working on my Bible Study course - this time on a more philosophical topic - Modernism and Post-Modernism and how they affect the interpretation of the Bible. I don't think we went anywhere else. Sunday, we went to church at Guilford and sang in the choir. It was another really lovely service, with a lot of music. In the afternoon, we had a rehearsal of River Singers - an unusual time, but Tuesday is cancelled because there is a special concert Tuesday in honor of Tony Barrand - in the tradition of the Nowell SIng We Clear concerts that would always be at this time. Everyone will be going to that. Eliza went with us and afterward we went to Allen Bros. and got pizza for supper and a bag of cider donuts. Monday morning I had an appointment with Dr. Soueid, cardiologist, about whether I should be taking an anti-coagulant to ward off a stroke because of my occasional Atrial Fibrilation. It is a complicated decision - a real balancing act of risks if you do and risks if you don't. We decided to do it, and he prescribed Eliquis. But when I picked it up (free 30-day trial) and read the information the pharmacist gives you, I saw a lot of red flags - things not really addressed in my conversation with Dr.Soueid. So I'm not opening the bottle until I talk with my PCP. I'm inclined to tilt toward not taking it. This morning I saw my opthamologist, Dr. Terrell. I mentioned the Eliquis, and his comment was, "Eliquis is not a benign drug." He has seen some patients. who have had some eye bleeding after starting Eliquis. Just the sort of thing I'm concerned about.

Sunday morning at the Guilford Church

More cookie time

Last evening we joined up with Robin Davis and Ken Kornfield at the Guilford Church and put the finishing touches on the cookie project. The cookies were all baked, and were in bags or on trays. What was left to be done was to arrange them on platters, seal up the platters with plastic wrap, and tie them with green or red ribbon. There were 20 medium platters and 20 large platters. The large platters held twice as many cookies as the mediums: two of each kind of cookie on the medium and four on the large. There were probably twelve kinds of cookies - all baked by Robin and Ellen! Here are the platters:

Medium platter.

Large platter.********************************** My job was to cut ribbons. Green for large and red for medium. Twenty of each. Ellen determined the proper length: enough to wrap around the platter twice and tie in a bow with two nice tails. The ribbon came on a spool, so I matched the end of the guide ribbon up with the end of the spool ribbon, stretched them out together until I got to the end of the guide ribbon, and cut! Here are the cut ribbons:

Ribbons draped over my jacket.******************************* Ken, Robin and Ellen arranged cookies on platters while I cut ribbons. Ken sealed with plastic wrap and Ellen tied all the bows. There was much discussion of pricing. Everything is so much more expensive this year, it was tempting to raise the prices. But we've always seen this bazaar as a service to low-income folks. So I think they went with $10 and $20. A great bargain!

Ellen and Ken arranging cookies

Finished platters.

Quite a sight! ************************************** The rest of the bazaar is quite colorful:

Purses

Robin makes these "Take Heart" refrigerator magnets. I wrote the description.

Knitted tree ornaments

The raffle table- American Girl doll, "Made in Vermont" basket, etc.

Cookie time!

Wow! We are already into the cookie season, which equals Christmas! The Guilford Church Christmas Bazaar is this coming Saturday, Dec. 3rd. So Ellen has started making cookies. Right now, I'm about to read Truman Capote's The Thanksgiving Visitor aloud. Robin Davis is here and Nancy Tierra is coming. This is different from A Christmas Memory on fruitcake-making day. That's coming nect week.

Those things above the cookies on the top left are Christmas "Crackers" - they make a "POP" when you pull them open and inside are little treats. They are a Christmas day tradition in the Tolles family.