Wednesday, May 30, 2007


This is a picture of Pearlington, Ms. hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. A group from Kansas came to Pearlington to help rebuild the town. Got that? This group lives near the tornado devastation in Greenburg, Kansas. They came to help us.
LS and Lovely Friends left yesterday afternoon driving to Greenburg, Kansas to build a house for a family left homeless by the tornado. The new house will be wind strong to 200 mile an hour wind, highly insulated to lower heating/cooling costs, quiet and termite-proof. The home is made of green materials. Lovely friends are donating the home.
I love this example of what goes around comes around. We are connected in mysterious ways to strangers who become friends. I see God working.
Love,
St. Casserole

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Let's welcome a RevGalCatPal blogger, Fish the Kitten. Go read his latest post here.

St. C

Monday, May 28, 2007

Cheesehead? This one is for you....

Cheesehead doesn't chat about cats much. Like. Not. At. All.

She heard cat chat from 1-4Grace, Inner Dorothy and me at the Fest of Homies.

Cheese, you are a good and patient friend.

Love,

St. Casserole

Sunday, May 27, 2007

What does the preacher do when she wakes up on Sunday morning? What if she feels like staying home with the newspaper and fresh coffee until noon?

Even worse, what if the preacher knows she cannot stay home because there is worship to lead and the Word to give to hungry hearts in the pews?

When the sermon feels like stone, her heart distracted by detritus and her body not enthused about Pentecost, what does she do?

As Anna Florence Carter reminded us at the Homie Festival, preaching isn't about US.
Not about me. Preaching is about God.

But, I'm moving slowly this morning without a sense of the power of Pentecost. Nada. Nope.

But....

I'll be at Little Church on time. I'll be asking for God's help for my ministry. I'll be there.

I'll pray on the way, as I have this morning, for God's full measure of grace to turn a rocky sermon into a pathway for my listeners. I'll pray that whatever is going on in me will not interfere with what God has in store for worship and my people.

Maybe I'll reflect on the mystery of God's call to me, the most ordinary of women, to be a part of God's Church in this place.

Whatever else is going on, I'm glad, deeply glad, that I am invited.

St. Casserole

Friday, May 25, 2007

It's been a quiet week at Festival of Homies.* Inner Dorothy, I-4Grace, Cheesehead and I had a late supper last night at a swinging restaurant.

We got back late to the Good Hotel. By this morning, everyone flew home except me.

Homies provides great worship and powerful preachers. You should go next year.
The preaching blew me away. Worship was a mixed bag because some of us are thrilled by laptops on the Communion Table and others are not. I wish you could hear 1600 preachers singing hymns or see Lilly Lewin as she read the St. Patrick's Breastplate prayer.

I think of Merrily Watkins in the Phil Rickman books when I hear St. Pat's prayer because Merrily says it as she prepares to enter a scary place.

I'll be home with my people tonight. I am homesick. I miss my people.

Thinking of you,

St. Casserole

*Not really quiet. I made that up.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Traveling mercies for us as we travel to the 2007 Festival of Homiletics.

I'll be wearing a long khaki cotton skirt with Birkies and socks. I cut the sleeves out of my RevGalBlogPals t-shirt to wear as a head dress. LD says I look like I've got a pair of whitey tighties on my head. I'm wearing a purple clerical shirt with a 5" by 5" cross on a leather string.

I hope you can recognize me.

As usual, I'm going through all my miseries over leaving my family. Oddly enough, they are so. ready. for. me. to. leave. What's with them?

Packing my Save the Whales tote,

St. Casserole

Friday, May 18, 2007

I love birds. I love cats.

I hope the bluejay Andy the Cat left as a love gift for me was half-dead from old age before becoming a love offering.

Even in death, the bird is beautiful.

Awed by the Creator, sad for the death,

St. Casserole

P.S. Mr. C? Get the shovel, please. Look near the courtyard garden hose. Thanks.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Sorry I haven't posted. I'm busy preparing for the Festival of Homies by reviewing my wardrobe so I will be well-dressed like my roomie, Cheesehead. I'm not sure the Beverly Feldman rhinestone sandals will do for a preacher conference but I believe they are competitive "cute" shoes.

Trying to lose 20 lbs. before Monday,

St. C

Friday, May 11, 2007


Oh the joy! Oh the relief!
This week is just about over!
Our boy is home from France safely!
Our hurricane disaster work is changing directions for the better!
I have workers here fixing my roof and fence and etc!
Can you believe that? Workers! Here! Repairing hurricane damage!
We may even find a plumber to repair the gas leak outside at the old greenhouse!
I am very happy! See me dancing!
Jubilate,
St. Casserole

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Stinky Cheese Man


Our children loved this book, The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales.
Our son returned from France with a gift of Very Stinky Cheese for us. My refrigerator smells like a Frat House Frig when opened. Ewwww!
The cheese, however, is delicious!
Rewrite time: look for "The Stinky Cheese Gift and other Fairly Stupid Tales".
Wearing a Clothespin on My Nose,
St. Casserole
P.S. LS called French food "bland" and was delighted to share the Tabasco sauce brought by the two Texas students. I am stunned.

That's What I'm Talking About....


It will take years,
St. Casserole

He's Home!

LS arrived at the N.O. airport on-time and happy! We are happy, too!

Sorry for the delay in letting you know of his safe arrival. Big church meeting yesterday with all the other churches consumed yesterday. I sat through the meeting fighting sleep and listening to our Big Cheese (lovely sermon, peaceful presence) and visiting with colleagues.

I sew stuffies at Big Church meetings. Makes people wonder what I'm up to but it keeps my hands busy and, I hope, restrains my comments.

We had tough issues before us and then the pleasant task of receiving new preachers into our fold.

I'm fine and hope you are the same,

Yours,

St. Casserole

Monday, May 07, 2007

Today, LS makes his way back home from France.

Would you pray, with me, for traveling mercies?

Always A Mama,

St. Casserole

Saturday, May 05, 2007

According to the NYTimes, the Riverside Church in Manhattan is looking for a new senior pastor. James Forbes, one of my favorite American preachers, retires June 1.

I'm available for the senior pastor position.

I believe that I have a unique perspective to offer Riverside.


I'll be sitting by my phone,

St. Casserole

Friday, May 04, 2007

Behold, I am drinking a new thing...

Right this very minute, I'm drinking a Diet Coke Plus, the just released vitamin and mineral enriched member of the D C family.

I burst out laughing at the grocery when I saw the boxes!

Oh yeah, let me drink gallons of Diet Coke AND get my strength up!

Yours,

St. Casserole

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Guest Blogger: Fish the Cat to Meleeh the Cat


Dear Meleeh,

Thank you for the beautiful card you made for me. I chewed on the ribbon. Thank you for sending a pic of yourself. I won't hiss at you much if you come to see me. I know what you look like. You are beautiful like Andy. He has black stripes just like you!

I'm doing just fine. My ortho paw ic doctor says that she'll x-ray my leg next week and "clean-up" my splint. I do my best to keep the splint clean by licking it. Can you see my pink toes sticking out of the end of the splint?

I spend hours under my turtle quilt. I think deep cat thoughts there.

I wrote a poem about my splint:

I hate my splint
It stinks. I hate it.
Step-step-step-drag.
Don't call me Gimp!
I hate my splint!

Like it? I'm really good with poetry. Everybody says so.

Your Pal,

Fish the Cat

Tuesday, May 01, 2007



Dear Sheryl Crow,

You don't know me but I heard that you want us to use one square of toilet tissue when we go to the loo.

Thanks a bunch.

I believe you would encourage us better by following my method.* First take all the paper trash in your home (mail, cereal box paper, Kleenex) and place in a large Sun Tea Jar. Let the water warm over several days and turn the paper into mush. Do not use paper with glue until you've licked off all the glue or removed it with a knife. Compost the glue residue from boxes, etc.

Pour the water out of the Sun Tea Jar. Take the paper mush and squeeze out the water until you can roll out the mush into sheets. Let these sheets air dry with solar energy.

Next, take the empty bag from a breakfast cereal box and fill with rainwater. Empty out the water and let the bag air dry. Tear old t-shirts into 6" squares. Place the clean wax bag from the breakfast cereal and the t-shirt squares into your purse.

When nature calls you to give back to the earth in a profound and elemental way, use the t-shirt squares to freshen yourself. Place the soiled squares into the cereal bag. Put back into your purse.

When the bag is full or people notice that you are carrying a bag of soiled torn up t-shirt pieces, take out the squares and soak them in a soapy water mixture in a large glass jar. Let the sun warm the soapy water. Agitate the jar when you feel like it. After several days, add the soapy water to your compost heap. Take out the squares and dry them in the sun.

Take the mushed dry paper and write a poem about out doing Sheryl Crow.

Sincerely,

St. Casserole

*I made this up.