Miscellany

I didn’t have a picture for one succinct post, so I’ll share some miscellaneous photos from last week.
I smile when I see this road sign on my way to and from church in Brentwood. The speed limit on Sellers Avenue is 50 mph, but often we have to slow down to 15 or 20 when we get behind some slow-moving farm equipment. We have to be patient and acknowledge that we live in the country. We can just relax and enjoy the bucolic view of the fields with the magnificent Mt. Diablo in the background.

St. Alban’s church looked very good Sunday with its new roof, shining new white and blue paint, and its red door.

I learned that many Episcopal churches have red doors. You can see pictures of several churches with red doors at this link.

St. Alban’s church bulletin noted yesterday: "The red door tradition originated during the Middle Ages in England when it was a sign of sanctuary. In those days, if one who was being pursued by the local populace, shire reeve (sheriff) or gentry could reach the church door he/she would be safe. Nobody would dare to do violence on hallowed ground and, in any case, the Church was not subject to civil law. The red door was fair warning to pursuers that they could proceed no further. One who claimed sanctuary in this way would then be able to present his/her case before the priest and ask that justice be served.The red signified the blood of Jesus Christ who came to save all who took refuge in him. People who passed through the red doors were safe."

Tuesday

There was a town hall meeting on Tuesday held by the local levee district (Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District). It was a special meeting about a parcel tax. You might expect negative reactions from the citizens, but it did not happen. The district is putting a measure on the November ballot for a 10-year $250 per parcel tax. The presentation was thorough and well documented. The levee needs to be raised to protect all island properties and there is a dire need for rip rap. The district’s revenue has gone down by 25-percent due to the decrease in property tax, and the state has cut funding in half. I was impressed to learn that the district staff had voluntarily cut back their wages to help lower expenses.

Bread

I baked my first loaf of bread this week. It was so good. I was hesitant to try because it was always Robert’s bailiwick. I was sure I would do something wrong and be disappointed. I’ve been buying “artisan bread” at the grocery stores. It has been good, but the loaves dry out quickly. Now I don’t have to worry about that – I can bake my own. It did not take very long using Robert’s recipe. There is nothing quite like the aroma of fresh baked bread.