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Originally sent as an email on 12/5/19 To my Paesans (those who are Italian and those that wish they were): Of all the posts I’ve sent to date, this one got the most replies and in just a few hours. So, Foodies, in the spirit of “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission,” I beg your indulgence for sending this last (supper) version. It includes some new material from my sister Julie, my brother Peter as well as some food-related music and other things to chew on. Saw this meme this morning while working on a serious topic and decided to take a break, have a little fun and share it with you… And here are three more I received last week from my sister Julie, who sent them as a forward from her friend Marge: --this supports my saying, “Food is a carrier for the sauce.” --bacon your pardon…with apologies to my vegetarian friends… Today, I went foraging and found several articles about the business in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle that’s the sauce of this humor. This posting explains its origins and how popular their signs have become. Here are a few more of their punny signs I harvested from articles and the sign’s Facebook page (they’re also on Twitter). --proving it’s better to be late for supper…and alive You can view more of their funny signs here. And here on their Facebook page. Here are some food-related movies Eileen and I have enjoyed. Chef (0:02:19) --very funny tale of a gourmet chef who ends up doing the food truck thing (Personal note: The absolute best corn muffins I’ve ever had were the ones from the food truck that serviced Port Lincoln-Mercury where I was a mechanic. They were warm, dripping with butter and came wrapped in cellophane. Any more and I’d better find a meeting.) Julie & Julia (0:02:33) --interweaves two tales: Julia Childs and a blogger who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook in 365 days According to Wikipedia the film is the first major motion picture based on a blog. The film includes an excerpt from SNL’s Dan Aykroyd Julia Child skit. (0:04:03) Chocolat (0:01:58) --just watch it… If this stimulates your appetite for more food films, here’s a list of 21 that happens to include the three above. Sweetly singing o’er the grahams Bubblegum Music Sugar, Sugar – The Archies (0:02:46) --the first song in a long playlist entitled “60’s Bubblegum Sunshine POP!” Here are some of the food-related ones in this playlist: Chewy, Chewy - Ohio Express (0:02:47) Yummy Yummy Yummy I got love in my tummy – Ohio Express (0:02:18) Bubble Gum Music - The Rock & Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Card Co. of Philadelphia-19141 (0:02:44) No Milk Today – Herman’s Hermits (0:02:43) Song meanings for non-UK chaps. The Banana Splits were also included in the playlist. Tra la la – The Banana Splits (0:01:29) This was the theme song for the Banana Splits Hanna-Barbara TV show. According to Wikipedia, The Banana Splits' bubblegum pop rock and roll was provided by studio professionals, including Al Kooper, Barry White , and Gene Pitney. The show featured animated and live-action segments. Here is one of their “Three Musketeers” animated clips (0:00:30). In this time of increasing focus on gun violence, note the ending message to children and adults watching with them. Candy Girl – The Four Seasons (Seasonings) (0:02:33) Make America Chew Again Stacey Keach on Bazooka Joe Gum and America Getting Soft (0:00:32) --did you ever save these and redeem the prizes? Rockers: If after listening to the above saccharine music, you might feel like you’re in music hell and be tempted to get a bazooka and use it to skeet-shoot some of these 45’s. Instead, step away from the Victrola, calm yourself by putting on some Led Zeppelin or other favorite and climb your Stairway to Heaven (0:10:39). You could also mangia on some rock candy… Rock candy for Advent and Christmas The Existence - Angels we have heard on high (Rock Version) (0:03:45) This Aussie band’s version of the classic Christmas song might inspire some musicians I know at Church of the Intercessor to do their own rock versions of Christmas classics. How about it, Fr. Joe and the Red Words Band? Don’t play guitar? Don’t fret or be strung out… Here’s a virtual option if you’re a gamer or, like me, only play an air guitar… Rock Band "Angels We Have Heard On High" by Cate Sparks Expert Guitar Pro Drums (0:03:36) Before leaving Candyland, here’s an animated food-related folk song from 1905: The Big Rock Candy Mountain – Harry McClintock (0:02:25) And this classic movie song… Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory - "The Candy Man Can" (0:02:49) In 1972 Sammy Davis, Jr. had a #1 hit with his version (0:02:11). How many of you remember our neighborhood candy stores where we’d trade our hard earned allowances and birthday money for SUGAR. These confectioneries were strategically located near my grammar school and local playground in Richmond Hill – Smokey Park. The Willy Wonka video clip reminded me of these oases. For those of you that grew up in or near Richmond Hill…Smokey is now called “Phil ‘Scooter’ Rizzuto Park" – kinda fits in with the Italian themes in this post. The park even has a Facebook page. …or mangia on some comfort food Let there be pizza on earth and let it be there for me… Find the Popes in the Pizza Contest (0:06:29) --Fr. Guido Sarducci on Saturday Night Live My brother Peter replied to the first update with the following: Despite what Guido said, he didn’t offer the pope a “pizza the action”. Menu of Quotes Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. -Voltaire Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. -Doug Larson I’ll bet what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world is that they were just looking for a decent meal. -Martha Harrison Note: The above quote does not apply to Middle Earth as we’ve seen that some of the inhabitants, such as hobbits and dwarves, know how to enjoy a good meal. (0:04:38) Hey, is it time for “second breakfast”, “elevensies”…? Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks. -Marilyn Wann Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. -Jim Davis You can see more quotes here. OK – here’s one serious take on the subject…the Bread of Life…we become what we eat. Bon appetite! Or… Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we diet! tOM #humor #music #food #WallingfordSign #movies #RedWordsBand #RichmondHill #

This is my favorite image of Jesus on the road to Emmaus – walking us home. If you have to ask...you're not experienced Walking Each Other Home Podcast (0:53:22) with Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush Home Group: Walking each other home (recovery) And if you find a fellow soul that’s lost and can’t find their way home…take their hand…and lead them to some healing music…some healing places (forest, ocean, mountains…)… Blind Faith (whole bootleg album) (1:05:40) Namaste! tOM #RamDass #12Steps #Emmaus #GratefulDead #music #BlindFaith

Silence (This was originally shared with some brothers at one of my Saturday men’s gatherings.) “Don’t just sit there, DO something.” Many of us are, by nature, like action figures. Whether we’re known as GI Joe, GI Tom, GI Mike, or GI Richard…we prefer action over contemplation. So our task is to find our own way to balance these two. Rather than being adversarial, action and contemplation are complementary. Is one “better than” the other? I’ll let the Teacher answer, “The Master said, ‘Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.’” Why I practice periods of silence… ü To balance my periods of thinking with times of less thinking ü To help me hear Another’s voice like the gentle whisper or breeze in 1 Kings 19 ü To help me realize that I am more than my thoughts ü To balance action with contemplation “Action without contemplation is just re-action” Don’t just do something, SIT there.” How I practice silence… EXTERIOR ü Walking outside without electronics. Helps me be more present to my surroundings – nature and people I may meet. Headphones can be like a “DO NOT DISTURB ME” sign. ü Avoiding TV and radio noise shows. INTERIOR ü Centering prayer (15+ years) – learned it directly from Thomas Keating ü Mindfulness (2+ years) – paying more attention to my thoughts (Buddhist witness practices help) “Be still…and know that I am G-d.” Psalm 46:10 These words can be seen as either invitation or imperative. In urgent situations, they could even be shortened to “SHUT UP!” “Stop babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need BEFORE you ask him.” Matthew 6 "Silence is God's first language," wrote the 16th-century mystic John of the Cross – to which Thomas Keating adds “Everything else is a poor translation.” Centering prayer prepares us for the gift of contemplative prayer – an inner stance of surrender to the Divine Presence. Rather than seeing it simply as a technique, centering prayer is more about a relationship, an intimacy between two lovers. A former pastor – Bishop Craig - used to say that prayer is an all-day conversation with G-d. Viewed as a conversation between lovers, there are times of talking and listening and, if you’re really close, times of silence where we just rest in each other’s presence. This resting in presence is our home. Excerpt from Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault How Can Anyone Pray ‘Always’? by Richard Rohr The Method of Centering Prayer – Contemplative Outreach Scientific benefits of meditation: · Forbes · Psychology Today · Healthline · HeartMath Institute (From the HeartMath Institute article) “They [study participants] then focused on sending out healing, compassionate intention to others, something members of the HMI-founded Global Coherence Initiative practice individually and collectively. This, participants understood, was vital in achieving personal healing.” (My add – This is AA’s Step 12 - to keep it, you have to give it away!) “They ended the formal practice by expressing their gratitude for healing and asking to live their lives as instruments and channels of healing peace.” (My add – sounds like the Prayer of St. Francis) https://cac.org/prayer-beyond-words-2018-10-05/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/contemplation-finding-ourselves-finding-god_b_1035271 “A man once asked Rumi, "Why is it you talk so much about silence?" His answer: "The radiant one inside me has never said a word.” ― Coleman Barks, The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems “Listen. Can you hear it? The music. I can hear it everywhere. In the wind… in the air… in the light. It’s all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up. All you have to do … is listen.” --August Rush (from the movie) Official trailer (0:02:25) An excerpt (0:04:33) Becoming Stillness – Richard Rohr (1:01:19) #silence #contemplation #meditation #CenteringPrayer #RichardRohr #HeartMathInstitute #ThomasKeating #CynthiaBourgeault

A day about nothing…no thing…nothingness… For a day that doesn’t even have a place in the church’s Easter Triduum (says something about our preference for action over contemplation)…from this place of nothingness…a lot emerged… There’s a lot hidden in the silence…in the pauses (rests) between the notes… "Silence is God's first language," wrote the 16th-century mystic John of the Cross – to which Thomas Keating adds “Everything else is a poor translation.” LIMINAL SPACE Waiting Liminal space – a place between then and later We are now in a global liminal space Time to Stop…Look…Listen Tomb-stone There must be some kind of way out of here…(Dylan-see below) Who’ll roll away the stone (Leon Russell-second stanza-see below) King’s Cross railway station in Harry Potter Mobil Ave underground station in the Matrix License plate frames that say, “I’d rather be…..…” Portal Doorway Fork in the road Limbo Bardo (Tibetan Buddhist) Thin spot Threshold Incarceration Waiting for… a new baby to arrive medical test results grades to be posted job application answer web page to load the bus (Grateful Dead-see below) the light to change (Beatles-see below) "Yeah, yeah, yeah"…it can be a place where we do want to “blow our minds out in a car…” as every cell in our body CRIES OUT for resolution, so we can return to our usual lives. We want to escape! Many are saying our current global pandemic is truly a global liminal experience… Liminal space – a transitional place between then and later, between what was and will be… At the sound of “will be,” my writing Muse (Holy Spirit, Inner Guide, internal Google Search…) served up the name “Willoughby.” Immediately, I remembered that episode from “The Twilight Zone” TV series, and somehow knew I had been reminded of it because it applied to the Holy Saturday times in our lives. Reading through the Wikipedia article gave me goosebumps, as I recalled the story of a man in a liminal place in his life. (BTW -spelled with a capital “G” – Goosebumps is a book series son John enjoyed in his youth.) More about the Willoughby connection after this sidetrack back to the present - the NOW. Liminal space – a transitional place between what was and will be, between past and future, between then and later… …Gee, sounds like “now” – a place that our wisdom guides tell us to inhabit – “Be Here Now” (still have my original copy from the early 70’s). Ram Dass – Here and Now – Episode 160 – Science and Spirituality (0:55:51) --posted 3/26/20 “In this interview from 1980, Ram Dass shares a mind-bending conversation with physicist Amit Goswami about the intersection of science and spirituality. It’s what mindfulness practices help us do – learn how to be present.” Ram Dass on Finding Your Center - Posted March 27, 2020 --“Instead of waiting for something to happen, flip it just slightly and just be in it. Are you really here or are you just waiting for the next thing? It’s interesting to see where we are in relation to time; whether we’re always just between what just happened and what happens next, or whether we can just be here now.” On a personal note: In 1972, this holy man, through his book, "Be Here Now," introduced me for the first time to a G-d of love in the person of Jesus. My life has never been the same. Lots of "three steps forward and two back" as says my spiritual father, Fr. Richard Rohr OFM, BUT, overall, a forward trajectory! Don’t just do something…SIT there! Remember, we’re all in this liminal space together. The Cosmic Engineer knows where we each need to go; so, stay on the train, stay on the bus and join me while we travel in faith to the End of the Line (seeing who’s playing guitar on this train, the part of the conductor should be played by Ringo Starr – see below). “Next stop Willoughby…” Twilight Zone Willoughby clip #1 (0:02:27) – Episode’s opening scene Twilight Zone Willoughby clip #2 (0:03:41) Twilight Zone Willoughby clip #3 (0:01:40) – SPOILER ALERT: This is the final scene in the episode. Can I Punch your Ticket for a Few Extra Stops? First, some virus humor forwarded from my sister Peggy (Thanks, sis!): “I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.” (Freakin’ amazing how stuff shows up in my Inboxes at just the right time…Who says there’s no order, no connectedness in this universe? “Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.” Next, Shining Time Station episode: “Is this the End?” For children of all ages…Let’s become like little children as the Teacher recommends… Watch this episode with your children and grandchildren…or just by yourself – ‘cause you an’ me, sister, you an’ me, brother, we’re never alone. We’re always connected to our True Selves, other people and the Station Master. We’re all just traveling and easin’ on down the line… “Is this the End” - a story about liminal spaces, endings, beginnings and redemption… Part 1 (0:09:24) Part 2 (0:09:58) Part 3 (0:09:00) LIMINALITY ARTICLES & VIDEO The coronavirus pandemic feels like an unending Holy Saturday --“We stay home. We look out for others. We wait—but for what?” Learning to Wait In the Dark: A Holy Saturday Reflection by Barbara Brown Taylor “Holy Saturday reminds me that one has to learn how to be Christian. When I first came to Christian faith, the day meant nothing to me. It was the blank day between the high dramas of Good Friday and Easter, the day when nothing happened. Jesus was dead and buried. Everyone had gone home to get some rest. In the morning he would rise triumphant from the grave but meanwhile there was nothing to do. The church service — if there was one — lasted no more than fifteen minutes. It seemed rude to go shopping after that, or to check the movie listings. So I puttered the day away, rattling around the house doing nothing much while the clock ticked toward Easter. Holy Saturday was a placeholder, an empty set of parentheses, a waiting room for a train that would not come until morning.” Barbara Brown Taylor Sacred Downtime (0:48:51) “Excerpt from Barbara Brown Taylor's Westminster Town Forum talk on the exhaustion and emptiness caused by the modern world placing all value on ‘productive time’ and none on ‘downtime’. She encourages us to use interruptions in our "productivity" as sacred opportunities to see a larger truth.” The Path of Descent: The Dark Emotions 3/26/20 “Author and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor invites us to consider the lessons that suffering has to teach us and reminds us that we can only learn when we are willing to stay put instead of turning away.” FYI – was introduced to Rev. Barbara via Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. LIMINAL SOUNDS GALLERY - the words of the prophets are written... Request to Readers: After watching these versions of the Bob Dylan classic, drop me a line letting me know your favorite(s). All Along the Watchtower – Bob Dylan (0:05:09) --live version though audio and video are a little off. Click here for “DylanTranslate.” --includes a timely message for all the leaders of the world: “…So let us not talk falsely now The hour is getting late" Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Crazy Horse - All Along the Watchtower (Live at Farm Aid 1994) (0:08:13) Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower - Live Atlanta 7-4-70 – vocal/guitar only (0:03:58) --picked it ‘cause it’s live. You can find others with better audio. All Along The Watchtower | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (0:04:42) --PFC always delivers! Thanks to son John for mentioning Dave’s version that follows. --for you Cheech & Chong fans – Dave IS here… Viewer Advisory: Next DMB video contains very brief shot of topless female. Only members of censorship committees may proceed. Dave Matthews Band - All Along The Watchtower - 7/24/1999 - Woodstock 99 East Stage (Official) (0:08:01) This next version is NOT a cover…but, the bodies are covered (Fig Leaf Label version)… Dave Matthews - All Along the Watchtower (Live at Farm Aid 2001) (0:06:09) Roll Away the Stone (Live) – Leon Russell (0:03:56) Some comments under the video: “This man brought the party, the funeral and the revival, all at the same time! R.I.P., Mr. Russell--we were graced by your presence, indeed!” “I t was like going to see a gospel revival. 1973, I was 17....3 1/2 hours later I was exhausted. WHAT A CONCERT!!!” Leon Russell - Roll Away the Stone ( Original Promo Film 1970 Vinyl 33 Rpm Remastered ) (0:03:15) --creative video version --could you imagine Jesus singing this from his Saturday sepulchral liminal space…wailing it to the Father he was trusting: “Roll away the stone Don't leave me here alone Resurrect me and protect me Don't leave me laying here What will they do in two thousand years?” Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone (1974) (0:03:02) --I included this because of the title AND the music! BTW – The audience looks like they’re dead and in the tomb – badly in need of some resurrection. Perhaps Mott and band were playing before a green screen that depicted people watching paint dry??? Musician hell, for sure... Grateful Dead - The Other One / Not Fade Away / Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad (OFFICIAL) (0:30:05) --“The Other One” is where “the bus” reference originates. It’s the first of three in this set – A Grateful Dead Trinity, if you like. Beatles – A Day in the Life (0:05:12) “…he didn’t notice that the lights had changed…” LIMINAL ART GALLERY Lest we get too serious… (For Caroline, Buddy and others who resonate with Ignatian spirituality) Saw the butterfly image below a few years ago. Rather than search through my iPhone for the image, I looked online and found it on a blog written by Philip Chircop. He says this about himself: “An artist at heart and madly in love with all things beautiful and soulful: · Music, painting, sculpture, photography, film, theatre, poetry, good company, good food, good wine and more. · A student of Life. · A seeker with bottomless curiosity and unbridled enthusiasm.” A Conversation with Fr. Philip Chircop, S.J. “Young Philip, also an artist at heart, was often asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He always gave the same answer: “An orchestra conductor, a clown and a pilot.” “[Born in Malta] Philip now lives and works in a Jesuit Community in downtown Toronto. However, he can truthfully say that ‘the road is my home’, as he travels around the world giving retreats and facilitating workshops on practical spirituality. He loves music, painting, sculpture and poetry, and is also an accomplished writer and photographer. His beautiful photos are often thought-provoking, and he himself shines with wisdom and exuberance.” The end of the line…or the beginning of something new……your choice... #music #humor #liminal #TwilightZone #RamDass #ThomasKeating #RichardRohr #ShiningTimeStation #RingoStarr #BarbaraBrownTaylor #DaveMatthews #PlayingForChange #NeilYoung #MottTheHoople #BobDylan #CoronaVirus #JimiHendrix #LeonRussell #GratefulDead #Beatles #PhilipChircop

3/20/18 (originally sent as a family email) Today, the vernal equinox, is a high holy day for the annual ritual known as spring cleaning. To honor this day, I’ve found some cartoons that show the various ways people practice this ancient rite. As I was doing this earlier today, guess who came to mind? Yup, Mom! She expressed where her priorities were in her poem “Song of the Housewife” (from "The God of the Universe Dances in Trees" by Catherine Tittmann). Thanks, Mom, for setting us free to ignore this annual ritual. Enjoy! #springcleaning #humor #Mom #CatherineTittmann

Amended Return: The Ides of April - Time to give it to Caesar 4/16/18 Due to the 15th falling on a weekend, I got an extension. I had meant to add the Beatles Tax Man to the earlier email. The link is located below under the “IRS Mathematics” section. I had found the song when I was doing the music email and it inspired me to do a tax-themed project. Enjoy! It’s that time again – the Ides of April – time to face the music. Hopefully, this humor will leave you laughing all the way FROM the bank. Rock-Folks provide a musical formula that shows how paying taxes leads to freedom (huh?) Dylan tells us, “When you got nothing…you got nothing to lose.” At this point, Janis says you’re free because…”Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” See the next item for a simple way to get to this freedom. Simplest Tax Form – Just 2 lines… IRS Mathematics 1 for you, 1 for me… 2 for you, 1 2 for me… 3 for you, 1 2 3 for me… This reminds me of the following rent skit I saw many, many, many years ago: Abbott & Costello-7x13 =28 Tax Man – Beatles --this live version is in ¼ time as it features only 1 of the 4 Beatles (George). It also includes a very special guitarist… --“1 for you, 19 for me…” (more IRS math) 1040 One-liners Tax Humor Videos SNL – H&L Brock (1977) --This show was so popular that we used to watch it during parties. SNL – H&L Brock (1976) Odd Couple - IRS loves Felix Odd Couple IRS hates Oscar Salute To Income Tax | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Taxes by Tim Slagle Michael Che - Paying taxes Three Stooges Income Tax Sappy The Tax Expert – Mel Brooks Beverly Hillbillies - Jed Pays His Income Tax -1 / 2 Beverly Hillbillies - Jed Pays His Income Tax - 2 / 2 Taxpayer Funded IRS Conference Video: Star Trek Spoof Top Ten Ways To Annoy An IRS Agent – David Letterman David Letterman - 2015.04.15 - Top Ten Things You Don't Want To Hear From Your Accountant Insanity Clause Not-so-Artificial Intelligence Many happy returns! tOM #taxes #humor #music

FYI - The underlined words and phrases are not hyperlinks; rather, they are being used to emphasize the hints. I would have sent the next hints on Tuesday afternoon, but, as Gandalf said, “I was delayed.” Justin case you missed the previous hint from Sunday’s email – here it is: You’ll have an “edge” if you stayed til the end and watched the video clip that rolled after the Spiderman credits. Next Hints: If you think you’re fierce enough to challenge this fellow competitor – then breathe deep and tally ho! If not, and you turn back, there may come a day when you’ll look back and lament. There have been some long summer days since I sent the invitation to participate in this contest and asked you to... ...Reply with song lyrics that could sum up the new Spiderman movie. Please think about it. So, if you get up early before the day begins and you think you know the answer, just reply. Don’t let another morning go by without taking a shot at it. You could use your lunch break, too. So, if you have time to get away, take a few minutes out and see if you can answer the question: What song lyrics could be used to sum up the new Spiderman movie? Winners and answers this Sunday tOM #music #puns