A Deep and Dark December

It was a cold and gloomy Advent for the most part, with two solemn requiems in the second week, for Alan McClare and Don McCall. Fr. Hitchcock came back for both and preached at Alan's. He and Alan were friends since grade school in Bronxville so it was a very emotional farewell for him especially. I was subdeacon and managed to save my tears for later. It was a white mass of the resurrection, as was Don's, although Don had a real solemn requiem with the Missa pro Defunctis of Victoria. We laid Don to rest in the columbarium right under Murray Kempton and the large crucifix, only about 10 feet from where he used to sit right behind the organ.

Alan's family apparently have a horror of high church and insisted on a streamlined, rather low service, no choir and very minimal music and incense, and no reception afterward so it felt rather unsatisfactory to many of us who knew Alan. His ashes were taken away for a resting place unknown.

I was hobbling during Alan's requiem with a pulled left thigh muscle and it got worse after that. I had to be MC for Don's requiem a few days later and managed to get by with a lot of help and mastering the art of the faux genuflection. It has gradually gotten better and I am relieved it doesn't seem to be permanent arthritis or something quite yet. I must get back to the gym next year and also lose the 10 pounds I've gained.

Christmas Eve I was thurifer and managed to provide some really good smoke but apparently I put a little too much myrrh in the blend as the rector was coughing and said it smelt too much like Lent. Well you have to take the bitter with the sweet I guess. I slept in Christmas morning for the first time in many years, as I wasn't scheduled to serve, then headed out to Forest Hills for a wonderful Christmas with my brother Gene, in from Denver, and Laurie's gang. It was great to see my old Gibson bass restored, courtesy of Gene's friend in Denver, and Evan promising to learn it.

I resigned as chair of Building and Grounds during Advent, after 8 years on the case. It seemed like a good time to move on at the end of this old decade of leaks, floods, infestations, upgrades and restorations. We got alot done but much remains to be done and very little money to do anything at the moment. I look forward to going back on the vestry next month and trying to move some things along and help out in other ways, but someone else needs to have some fun now trying to keep up with this old house. I'm sure I will still be prone to noticing every lightbulb that needs changing but I hope to depend on someone else to go get the ladder.