The ministers are looking out for their souls...

not for their earthly welfare.

(Also sarcasm)

How did their ministers tell them to vote? nt

There must be a lesson there-

Don't attempt to clean a 500 lb. crucifix unless you know how stable it is.

He is a cad.

One has to remember with some of these men-

that they were family's prize darling, praised from their earliest days for their good grades and pride they brought to Mama and Papa. Instead of athletics, they excelled scholastically and never got over themselves.

Some people just never get past that.

Maybe "Finding Your Roots" with Henry Louis Gates

will come back next season, or soon.

I was in Jamestown VA (the historical site) last Sept. and Mr. Gates was filming a segment regarding the archaeological digs there. I believe it may have had to do with possible slaves who might have lived & died there. They weren't encouraging visitors to hang around the filming, but he realized that I recognized him, and spoke a few words to me when the filming had finished.

Naturally, I'd like to see what they produced there.

It all depends

on :
your skills - are they in demand or are they the same as the rest of the world?
your energy level - can you last an entire day, or are looking for 1/2 day, etc?
your work habits - are you punctual, friendly, get along with fellow workers?
what you're looking for - desk work? retail sales? health industry?
how you present yourself - neat, up-to-date (whatever that means)

If you find some not interested, don't give up. There are those in the business/work world who realize that the older worker has much to offer - usually a good work ethic and work habits.

Let us know how it works out.

Beautifully told.

I could only wish to be a fly on the wall, with those huge eyes flies they have, taking it all in.
It sounds as though the bus scenes could be a scene from a delicious film, with Diane Keaton playing IrishAyes.

I do hope you are keeping notes and holding on to the tapes. They'd be grand fodder for a memoir, or even a serialized version of the adventures, for the greater edification of the larger world, who seldom witnesses such activity.

It's not easy to move to a new area, where many have lived for generations

and don't appreciate anyone new challenging their ways and their own special "truths".

One very special thing in your favor is your ability to articulate your thoughts so well. I bet the locals are impressed at some level with your writing abilities, even when they disagree with the philosophy (or politics) expressed therein.
(Those nuns really did know how to teach their students the fine art of composition and writing, didn't they? I see so many DUers who proudly proclaim that they have left , and sometimes even despise, the RCC, but, in fact, owe their writing skills to their education by nuns and brothers.)

No class.

Visit Alaska before it's too late

to see glaciers and snow-capped peaks.
A truly beautiful state, despite its sometimes eccentric populace.