Willy Or Won't He – So Many Years of Experience But Still Making Mistakes!

A Litany for a Moving Experience

Well after a month and a half of anticipation it has finally come: the packers arrive in the next hour to start the move. All that was to be given away has been given – for the moment. Now in the spirit of having some previous knowledge of moving experiences this time we going for some help from the Patron Saint of Movers: Saint Anne. You may remember I wrote about her last week.

So let us take a moment and address our hopes for the next few days to someone saw her entire home – walls, floors and ceilings – moved not once but four times. (For my faithful readers that can’t quite make out the type: left click for any enlarged version.)

The word for July 11^th is:
Litany /lĭt′n-ē/: [noun]
^1.1 A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.
^1.2 A repetitive recital, series, or list.
^1.3 A solemn form of supplication in the public worship of various churches, in which the clergy and congregation join, the former leading and the latter responding in alternate sentences. It is usually of a penitential character.
Middle English letanie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin letanīa, from Late Latin litanīa, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litaneuein, to entreat, from litanos, entreating, from litē, supplication

Memes for a Monday

Well since I’m cleaning out things for the move here’s a “shit ton” (see last week’s Canada Day memes) of memes. Hopefully despite what that lady says they will bring you some “joy”!

Okay this one is left over from Father’s Day.

They do say that indolence is its own reward.

Before anyone says anything – yes I know it’s crocheted not knitted. I don’t make them I just pass them on.

I am remind of that Dean Martin Standard – when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie: That’s real messy!

I repeat I don’t write them I just pass them on.

Nothing up his sleeve – or in his wallet.

Sure is.

Right – if they wanted it otherwise it would have a zip lock.

Somehow the message was clearer this way than with PhotoShop.

True this – as anyone downsizing can tell you.

On a scholarship.

I always try to get something religious up to give the post some sort of respectability.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.

Trust Hollywood to ruin a good book.

And I leave you with this earworm.

The word for July 8^th is:
Earworm /îr′wûrm″/: [noun]
^1.1 A tune that is stuck in one’s head, especially as unwanted or repetitive.
^1.2 A melody or a portion of a piece of music that is involuntarily repeated in one’s mind.
^1.3 Alternate name for an earwig.
A loan word from the German Ohrwurm; sense ^1.1 and ^1.2 from 1982; sense ^1.3 1889.

A Moving Saint

As you have been made more than aware we are moving to new digs a week from now on July 12^th – the glorious 12^th! One of the many things (too many??) that will be accompanying us on our move is this icon that we bought back in December of 2008 on one of our many trips to Athens. Written by an unknown artist from Salonika, it shows the Virgin Mary holding a young Christ and being embraced by her mother, Saint Anne.

Her mother? Saint Anne? “I don’t recall anyone called Anne in the Bible,” opines my faithful reader. And you are, as is often the case, right in your non-recollection. Nowhere in the canonical Gospels is there any mention of either her or her husband Joachim. They first appeared by name in the highly apocryphal Gospel of James (circa 150AD) and later in the Quran she is mentioned but not named. Her story (legend? myth?) is a fascinating one but I’ll let the good people at Wikipedia tell you about her.

Back to our Icon: in other times perhaps we would have processed the icon from the old abode to the new singing an appropriate litany. “Why on earth would you do that,” asks my faithful reader. Well it turns out that the Blessed Anne as well as being the very busy patron saint of unmarried women, housewives, women in labour or who want to be pregnant, grandmothers, mothers, educators, horseback riders, cabinet-makers, and miners, also protect movers and moving. Quite the portfolio!

But why movers? Well it has to do with a house that was moved – according to legend – not once, not twice but five times. Not the contents, mind you, but the entire house said to be the house of Anne and Joachim. The house in Nazareth where Mary was born, had grown up, received the Annunciation, and conceived Christ and where he had spent his childhood.

According to tradition in 1291, as the last of the Crusaders were being expelled from the Holy Lady, a band of angels lifted it the stone abode from its foundations and carried it to present day Croatia. Three years later angels carried it across the Adriatic Sea to Ancona in Italy. It was to miraculously move three more times until it finally came to rest in Loreto. It is one thing to move the contents of a house but to move the whole house not once but five times definitely required some heavenly guidance. And I’m sure that on more than one occasion I may call on Saint Anne and ask for her guidance.

Blessed Saint Anne,
Pray for us.

Though I have written much of this with my tongue planted in my cheek I have also never been one to discount the power of belief. A visit to the top of Mount Sinai back in our days in Egypt convinced me that faith can work its way into the fabric of a place over centuries. I don’t know if Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai; if Christ was transfigured there; or Elijah hid in a cave there; but I do know that the beliefs and faith of Jews, Christians and Muslims for centuries have given that place a spiritual power. The same with many churches, mosques and synagogues I’ve visit in my travels. Faith is an incredible thing.

The word for July 5^th is:
Apocryphal /ə-pŏk′rə-fəl/: [adjective]
^1.1 Of questionable authorship or authenticity.
^1.2 Erroneous; fictitious
^1.3 Of or having to do with the Apocrypha.
From Late Latin apocryphus secret, not approved for public reading, from Greek apokryphos hidden, obscure, thus (books) of unknown authorship, from apo- away + kryptein to hide. Apocryphal of doubtful authenticity is from 1590.

4th of July 2024

Wishing our American friends and family:

The word for July 4th is:
Republic /rĭ-pŭb′lĭk/: [noun]
^1.1 A state in which the sovereign power resides in the whole body of the people, and is exercised by representatives elected by them.
^1.2 A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
From French république (“republic”), derived from Latin rēs publica (“republic”), from rēs (“thing”) + pūblica (“public”); hence literally “the public thing”.

Memes for a Monday – Canada Day

I can’t remember a more gloomy Canada Day weekend in a long time. No it’s not the prospect of a Poilievre government in our future – as gloomy as that may be. The weather has been less than celebratory – it’s been cloudy, foggy, rainy, windy, and chilly for the past three days. However let’s brighten up the day with a burst of memes about being Canadian.

How else would you say it?

No comment about it being an Alberta license plate – it’s Canada Day for Pete’s sake try and get along.

Let’s not talk about milk at the store being in litres and milk in a recipe being in cups.

Another unique unit of measurement.

The other day I found myself telling someone I was moving to where that apartment building burnt down a few years back. A very Island way of giving directions. And yes we do the time thing too.

I honestly think medical services should start giving people bills showing the cost of treatments with “PAID” stamped across them.

This man wouldn’t know a fine serving of poutine all-dressed if it bit him.

An example of innovation in Canadian kitchens.

A wise move – winter hatching avoids the mosquitos and the Canadian Geese that can get some of the hatchlings.

Speaking of mosquitoes.

Almonte, north of Ottawa, has been used as “small-town USA” so often that residents have been granted American citizenship.

Scary stuff kids!

Weep my friend, you have just cause.

Oh come on now, you knew there would be a Canada goose meme.

We laugh but ……

I’m definitely a Canadian!

And a finally a PSA – a joke but in earnest.

Another word for July 1^st is:
Celebrate /sĕl′ə-brāt″/: [verb]
^1.1To extol or praise
^1.2To observe a day or event wit ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.
^1.3 To perform a religious ceremony.
Middle English celebraten, from Latin celebrāre, celebrāt-, to frequent, celebrate, from celeber, celebr-, frequented, famous.

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