Merry Christmas

 Today is Christmas Day. Went to Church. Mass was in a new location in Soho. As we do not have a real Church, but have Mass in a rented room. There were only about ten people. I think some did not know where it was. The smallest crowd I have ever seen there. But some people moved away. I was wondering where the lovely Helena and her sister Olivia have been as we haven't seen them in a while. They may be home from school. We did not have the normal vestments or chalice or crucifix or all the holy things. Father brought a travelling Mass kit with him to say Mass. We tried to sing the Alma Redemptoris Mater. At first we had trouble, but then after we got going we did a decent job. I remember most of the melody but not the words. So Tom had it written down and we were able to sing it. I don't know why we all know the Salve Regina, but not the other Marian songs.

Now Mom is cooking dinner. I am helping. We are having a turkey. Then we will open our presents.

Tom's Tumors

 I dreamed about Tom from Church. We were playing a game similar to bowling and it was his turn but he was not there. I went to look for him and I found him and he said "look at my tumors" and I could see tumors on his hands and he showed me his midsection where there were also tumors. They looked green and showed through the skin. Then he said "If I go to hell I will hate you forever." And I said "No! I will love you forever. I will love you forever."

Subway Troubles

 I was late to Mass today. I got there around the confiteor. But the troubles were after Mass. After Mass we went out and talked for a couple of hours over food and coffee. We like to talk. And then we went to the subway. I got on the 6 at 42nd street and took it to 51st st to get the E. When I got off the E was not stopping at that station. When that happens I sometimes go downtown to catch the J or uptown to catch the R. I went downtown. Got on the 6 and took it to Canal St to transfer to the J. When I got onto the J platform the J was not running on that station. So what now? My plan was to take the R to Queens and then transfer to the E or F. So I saw the N was on the track and the N goes to the R so I ran into the N just before the doors closed. Once on the train, I learned that it was going the wrong way and went over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn. It had already been a long time in my travels. On the next stop I got out and went to the Manhattan-bound side of the station. The Q train came and it is Express so I got on the Q and decided to take it to 63rd st and Lex and transfer there to the F. When I got to 63rd st the E was on it's way as the E was running on the F line and I got on the E. I decided to take the E to Jamaica and then get on the J to go home instead of taking the bus from Union Turnpike. At Continental Avenue the train stopped for ten minutes for some reason. Then it resumed and went to Jamaica. At the station I transferred to the J and it came quickly and soon I was home. The train ride took, from when I first got on the 6 train platform until I got home, about 2 hours and 10 minutes. When all is running well and the E train is running express it takes about 30 minutes. So my adventure was about an hour and forty minute delay. Now I am tired. But it was good to go to Mass and Communion, though I was not able to go to Confession. Hopefully next week.

The Upper Room

 So yesterday we were able to go to our little Mass in the upper room again and not Holy Innocents. Mass is back. I am happy. After Mass six of us went out to get food and talked for a while. I left before everyone else because it was getting late. They are only allowing 25 people in for Mass. Father said if more than 25 people come, he would let the extra people come up after the rest of us left and hear their confessions, give a sermon, and distribute Communion but not say another Mass.

Me and Michael had some beers and talked last night before bed. We think similarly about a lot of things. He is respectful and sympathetic, but he doesn't go to Mass all the time, or the Latin Mass, though he did come with us once a while ago and liked it. We agree about a lot of things. It is like he reads some of the same things and watches the same kind of things as I do. He is five years younger than me.

The election is tomorrow. I plan on drinking Guinness and then going to sleep without following the election. My parents will be watching the election coverage on thee TV so I will avoid them. I hate politics. 

Hawk Mountain

 

Yesterday my father drove us to Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. It is a mountain where one can look into the valley where hawks often fly. We saw a couple of hawks. I could not tell what kind of hawks they were, but they were probably sharp-shinned hawks as they are the most common kind seen there. Someone saw a bald eagle yesterday, but we did not.

There were about a half a dozen lookout points, collections of boulders piled on top of each other where you climb and look out over the valley or over the fields. The views were beautiful as in the picture above.

Michael and the girl came. We talked a little. About our worries. He does not like the lockdown and like me thinks it is insane. I did not wear a mask on the mountain, but I carried it on my arm in case anyone bothered me about it. That is also what I do when I walk around town.

We got to the mountain after two and by the time we were done it was almost night time. We had to walk over rocks through the woods and my mother was having trouble walking. Me and Michael took turns leading her. I was afraid we would not get back to the car before night time, but we barely made it. We were some of the last people to leave. It was a good trip.