A BAD PENNY TURNS UP AGAIN

I have been distracted by my wife's health problems recently; hence, my lack of blogs.

She underwent shunt surgery last July where a polyethylene tube and dial were inserted in the head, threaded through a hole in the neck and another in the belly to drain excessive water on the brain (hydrocephalis) to restore her balance. She was doing well after that surgery. Her head was shaved, and her hair has regrown beautifully with a surprising amount of black for a lady of advanced years with wonderful "silver fox" sides and front. Then, in early January, after coming home from a party, she was writing a letter when she noticed the vision in her right eye was gone. It turned out she had a ministroke of the eye, a retinal occlusion, which took her vision in that eye. Now, the last two weeks. her blood pressure is yo-yoing, sometimes as high as 210/83 (which is scary). We have a conflict among doctors: the cardiologist had her on one set of medications; then her primary doctor, an internist on the island where we live, tried another set of medications, and the results were not good. Now she is sticking to the cardiologist's care, and we have a date with him on Wednesday where we hope he can review her numbers and come up with the right combination of medications. It's a real crap game, this searching for the right combination, and it's really tough on her. She has lots of spunk, but it has taken its toll.

So, I have been busy as a caregiver/caretaker/chauffeur, to say the least. I feel a bit battered myself!

I was shocked but pleased to read that Pope Benecict XVI plans to resign. I know he is a good and righteous man, but, frankly, it's time for him to go. I hope retirement brings needed freedom from stress.

I don't make it a habit to comment on other people's religions, but, frankly, I think the Roman Catholic Church needs some new thinking and a younger, more progressive pontiff for the 21st Century. Pope Bendict was a 16th Century thinker, espousing the old doctrines and offering little relevance for the 21st Century. The spate of sex scandals were bad enough; the cover-ups were just as bad, allowing deviate priests to be moved elsewhere and continue their errant behaviour. In view of the shortage of priests, it is also time to take a new look at celibacy of priests and allow priests to marry. In my own church, the Anglo-Catholic (Episcopal) church, we have always allowed priests to marry, and I think it makes for a more integrated productive priest.  Certainly, we have had scandals in our priests: I can remember cases of a few pedophiles and skirt chasers who were serially sexually predatory but not to the degree of the Roman church's scandals. it is unnatural that you you have to give up earthly love for heavenly love; the two can go together harmoniously. A happy priest can also be a devout priest.

In any case, I'll be back at you in a shorter time span, I hope.  Don't give up on me!