Brother Russ Spice in Detroit wrote, noting that I hadn't blogged in a week. Of course, his flattering claims of addiction to this site were tempered with the above cartoon from the Sunday funnies.
Been a busy week.
New developments on the personal front concerning our business. Hopefully good ones. Can't talk about it. But I really want to.
Alice had major dental work over a couple of days.
We had to first handle crumbling chimneys and a hail damaged roof last summer, so a crew of painters has at last transformed our formerly white house to a far more pleasing color. And I backed the Dummkopfwägon into one of their cars.
And I walked out of Wal-Mart with eight prescriptions on Wednesday. Eight. So, this is what being in my 50s will be like, eh? Can watching the Weather Channel and obsessing on what time the mail arrives be far behind?
I went to Broad Ripple Lodge's July meeting on Thursday, the first stated meeting I've been to since something like February. In that short time there are new faces on the sidelines, and I continue to be so proud of that lodge and her officers that i could just bust. There are young and old faces, including two older PMs who have had a longstanding feud with each other ever since I've known them. WM Will Saylor and his officers have worked some kind of magic over the place, because the two of them sat side by side quietly chatting and joking all evening.
I even took up my pipe again.
Looking forward to hitting the road next week. I'll be sharing the stage in Alexandria, Virginia next Saturday July 19th with W:.B:. S. Brent Morris (seen with me here at Masonic Weekn in 2007) and W:.B:. W. Kirk MacNulty at the Scottish Rite Center for the Grand Lodge of Virginia's 2nd Masonic Education Seminar. I'm filling in for W;.B:.Mark Tabbert (who WILL be at the 3rd seminar in Roanoke on August 23rd).From Alexandria, we head south to Georgia. My father, who recently turned 90, has had his own share of health issues (like father, like son—whatta year THIS has been). Two weeks ago, he fell and cracked his hip—one of those injuries that in times past had the same sort of prescription horses had: send the vet in with a shotgun. But through the combination of medical science, his own stubbornness, and a trip to the hardware store, docs drove three screws into his hip and managed to repair it with remarkably little pain to him. So, we'll be headed for the suburbs of Savannah to spend a few days with him.
If there are any brethren in the area that know of any Masonic activity going on in the area from the 21st through perhaps the 23rd, please contact me.
If nothing else, I want to spin by Solomon's Lodge No. 1 in Savannah.
Never heard of Solomon's Lodge No. 1? Read its historical marker:"Organized as a Masonic Lodge, February 21, 1734. Its first worshipful Master was General James Edward Oglethorpe, English Soldier, Statesman, Humanitarian, and founder of Georgia, who raised the flag of England at Savannah on February 12, 1733.
Chartered by the Grand Lodge of England in 1735 as "the Lodge at Savannah in ye province of Georgia," Solomon's is the oldest continuously operating English constituted Lodge in the Western Hemisphere. In 1786 the Independent Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M., was created and proclaimed by concerted action of Solomon's and the one other Lodge then existing in the state, Solomon's was chartered as the first Lodge of Georgia.
From its beginning in 1734 brethren of Solomon's Lodge have served with distinction in vital positions of leadership in public and fraternal affairs of city, colony, state and nation. The Lodge produced the first Grand Master of Georgia, F. & A.M., William Stephens, who governed the Georgia craft from 1786-1788 and 1793-1813."
Brother "Widow's Son" over at The Burning Taper has been sabotaged by the powers that be at Google/Blogger. It seems that his site has been flagged as a "spam blog", whatever that is. He can't seem to find out either. In the meantime, he requests fans and foes alike to direct their browsers to his new, possibly permanent, home: http://www.burningtaper.com
No, I didn't miss the "news" that the Grand Orient of the United States has received a patent from the Grand Orient of France entitling them to use the GOoF's rituals in this country. I figured with all of the self-congratulatory backslapping their online spokespeople were doing on forums and blog sites, it needed no further promotion from me. Best of luck to GOofUS Grand Master John Slifko and his brethren. Perhaps now that they have this document in hand they will go to work proving they can build a better Masonry instead of talking about it. I hope they find the Freemasonry they are seeking.
In spite of health challenges, technical issues, and my own inability to stop tinkering with the look of the magazine, The Journal of The Masonic Society's first issue will go to press before the end of the month. I think everyone will agree that it is unlike any other Masonic publication, with an incredible array of talent, and a wide range of topics.
That ought to hold Russ for a while. :-)
