Nov,24,2021

On the 10th, my friends from Pretoria ( I married them 11 yrs. ago) Phola, Nhlanhla and

 a friend, Llungi, invited me to lunch. I was delighted, and pictures were taken to remember the occasion.

 

On the 12^th I had a visit from a friend, Robby, who owns a trucking company that has only Volvos. I keep teasing him about going electric now before it is too late, and Volvo is shutting down their combustion engines in a few yrs. He will be caught with his pants down. I also noticed  that I had an infernal itch that was driving me crazy.

 

On the 20^th, we had the ordination of two Mozambican priests, Palabra and Leopoldo, and two deacons, one from Kenya, Otieno, and the other from Mozambique, Petardo. We are making headway and the Africans are the future, And even present, of Mariannhill, if it is going to continue when we old timers fade out of the picture.

 

Yesterday, the 23rd, I had Mass at the Denis Hurley Center, in remembrance of Archbishop Hurley and his collaborator, Paddy Kearney, both icons in the struggle against aparatheid and founders of this center, unique in the whole world, All Christian denominations, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddists working together to bring help to the people in the inner city, the marginalized, homeless, sleeping under bridges or in the park…..a place to take a shower, pick up some old clothes,… a meal a day….a clinic staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses…a legal center for migrants,,, and other involvements (like classes for the migrants who live n natal, to learn Zulu). Unique in the whole world, all working together. Wow , it was an honor to be invited to lead the service. And I enjoyed it, from my wheelchair. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work but it went well.

 

And today, the 24^th, H had forgotten that I had a dentist appointment at 8am, and I was in line for communion when I remembered. Ha. Right after communion (I only use one crutch to go up to communion, the other is lying in my pew) and because I was late, I went running out of the chapel with one crutch. I only realized it when I got to the door. Too late to go back and fetch the other. I managed to get to the car, drive there (in the convent next door…not far) and managed.   Progress. I have also been trying yesterday and today to walk from my office to my bedroom without leaning on anything and I did it. It is definitely a walk but not one you would want to immmitate.

 

On Saturday, the 27^th, I have an appointment with a dermatologist at 9:30 and lunch with my friend Shirley, celebrating out birthdays, her 27^th and my 26.  (Sunday is my birthday, the 28^th, but that will come in the next blog.

 

Nov. 8, 2021

You may remember that some friends from the States paid a visit a few weeks back. Ai had their wedding in Texas 34 yrs. ago. Laura wrote a kind of report on their experience here…

Laura Forest	Sun, Nov 7, 7:05 PM (15 hours ago)
to me

Hi Fr. Cas,

Hard to believe it’s been a month since we saw you, 2 weeks since we returned from our trip (to shortening days and cold, although today unseasonably warm).

34 years ago you married us in Temple, Texas! We were so glad you were able to marry us; it was truly a special mass!

Thanks for your blessing on our marriage, we feel fortunate to have found each other and still have so much fun together.

Please take care of yourself. Thanks so much for arranging the meals at your friends’ homes, the lovely young men who drove us around to take in Durban, the sea, the Denis Hurley Center and the surrounding hills and communities. It was a trip of a lifetime for us and we won’t ever forget it. We won’t forget visiting you and getting a feel for your continued ministry to the community. We felt like we were traveling with a pop star! Everyone knows you.

Fondly,
Laura

 

Its nice to get a little bit of taffy now before the epi-taffy comes. Ha.

I went to the dentist today ---Sr. Michael---and she removed the last bit of a tooth that had been broken off way back when (the older I get the more I fall apart). The assistant held my head solid, she shook the tooth and it came loose nicely (another one gone, sigh) but it was bleeding so she put a was in my mouth and told me to clamp down on it. After  a few hours I decided to check to see how it was doing and it was still bleeding so I put another wad in from my own supplies and then just before lunch another. By that time it was almost finished bleeding so I took it out and ate a lot of extra soup for lunch.I am invited for lunch with some visitors on Wednesday so it should be OK by then. Enough of my medical history for now.

 

 

 

Nov, 4, 2021

I seem to be getting lazier and lazier. All I want to do Is lie down and get into a position where the spasms are least active,, hoping even to maybe get a few winks. Once ai get comfy on the chair at my desk, I want to read and read and read.

Learning to Pray ( by James Martin, SJ, which I have read and am re-reading),   Biden’s Catholicism;   Promises to keep (by Biden);  The Abbey, a novel by James Martin---I like his style, easy to read; The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen…I am reading it for maybe the 5^th time, He is taking time out to stay in a Trappist monastery and is challenged by many questions about his life, his faith, his prayer, his everything…. They are questions that challenge me too.; Ghandi Now---a few articles; and a big book, The Good Book of Human Nature….The Bible from an archealogical and Historical point of view written by two agnostics, which I am enjoying . Everything else gets put on hold.