Television Cooking: On the Road Again

I have enjoyed cooking shows since the days of Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet. When they first came on the television scene they were associated almost entirely with Public Television. And PBS had a bunch of them, Justin Wilson from Louisiana, Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, the Galloping Gourmet, and Yan Can Cook (I still use a big cleaver for a knife because of him) - I watched them all. My favorite was Justin Wilson.

Then came cable television and the possibilty of more stations than the broadcast television's bandwidth allowed. Enter Food Network, and the cook show personality hit the bigtime. Rachel Ray was as popular as Oprah for a while.

Now, the genre is changing again. Reality TV has folded in with Food TV. Top Chef has been around for 4 years but I'm still not on board yet. I do like some of the competition shows like Iron Chef.

My favorite food shows haven't changed in the last few years: Good Eats because host Alton Brown explains what happens in the cooking and ingredient mixing process, America's Test Kitchen on PBS (the same people that do the Cook's Illustrated Magazine) and anywhere Sara Moulton shows up.

One new favorite: Mark Bittman and Mario Batali tour Spain and its many food dishes with friends and actresses Gwenyth Paltrow and Claudia Bassols. It is a good show if you like European scenery and cuisine. Here's the website: spainontheroadagain

Some I don't care for: Emeril annoys me. Bam this, Emeril. The lady from Louisiana has a voice that is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. And her two boys need to cut the apron string sometime before they turn 50. Barefoot Contessa is a little too Hamptons, although she seems a likable person. The Cake Show with the Goth, Gen X'ers is way too hip for me, plus I can't watch anyone cook with tattoos on their neck.

Remember the Two Fat Ladies cooking show on BBC? That was an all time favorite because they were real bluebloods with the 1960's upperclass disdain for pretention.

So here's the question: what is your favorite cooking show?

While I'm At It . . .

May I mention a couple of local websites and blogs?

The first has nothing to do with food, necessarily. Littlelizzie is a weblog spotlighting Liz's line of children's clothing, accessories, and now, her photography. Liz is creative, talented, and a lifelong friend of our family. Her weblog is one of three or four knitting/sewing/craft type blogs whose authors visit and join in the comment page. Now, I have never "crafted" in my life. When I was a boy we did build model navy ships and set them on fire as they floated down the creek. But I don't think that counts. But if you like quality creative products for children, you will like her site.

I have mentioned this blog before, but I think Eat This Fort Worth continues to excellently review Fort Worth food and drink spots and weekend activities. It takes a lot of time to do this well. Her most recent is on Tim Love's, Love Shack, in the Stockyards.

Hole in the Wall is another site that does frequent and detailed restaurant reviews, almost all of which I agree with. His latest is on Zambrano's, a place I like.

RJG (Regular Joe's Guide) : Same thing. good, detailed reviews, especially in the greater Fort Worth area.

FortWorthology is stilling doing the yeoman's job of photographing all the new construction downtown and the occasional mention of a new restaurant. His website/blog is as good as they get. He mentioned a few days ago that a Jake's Hamburgers was going to fill the spot Chile's is leaving behind, downtown. I hope that is true.

I add local weblogs and websites to the "locally written" sidebar of this blog on a loosely interpreted combination of the following conditions: that the author visits here, posts on their own blog frequently, and lists this blog.

Special thanks to Jake and BeccaWest for their post contributions; they always draw the most comments. And to Lynn, for her frequent and thoughtful comments, and Rambler for the same (although I am not so sure about the non-euphemistic use of a "house of ill-repute").

Thanks to all.

The Omni Hotel and the Dallas Cowboys.

A telephone call from a F&FW staffer (my son) got me looking at the details of the new Omni Hotel in the Fort Worth Business Press. The details are here, and they are impressive: fwbusinesspress.com.

The related big news, made public a few days ago, is the Omni being made the host hotel for the AFC championship team when the SuperBowl is played at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, 2011. That's a good deal for reasons more than the Omni contract. It puts Fort Worth as a premier host for one the nation's top events and one of the most watched events in the world, it brings a ton of money into Tarrant County businesses, and it showcases downtown Fort Worth. The NFC team is going to Las Colinas, by the way. Dallas is getting . . . nada.

This is all good, but I think many local Fort Worthians have the same mixed feelings my son had when he called from inside the Omni yesterday. "Nice hotel, new obviously, good restaurants, definitely a convention hotel, but does it fit Fort Worth? It's more of a big city hotel." His comments reveal the challenge Fort Worth has to address. How do we keep our small town atmosphere and still have this kind of growth, bringing in these kind of events?

For me, I like the growth pace and I think it is worth the risk. It's not growth at any cost like Atlantic City or even worse, Orlando, it's a more managed growth.

The numbers of registrations that the Omni is getting proves that there was pent-up demand for a legitimate downtown convention hotel. The hotel is booking groups into 2015 and has booked 750 groups into 2011. That's not too shabby.

Is a 5-start hotel? No. Is it a cozy, boutique hotel? No. It's a comfortable, business hotel with a touch of Fort Worth. It's not perfect but it beats what we have had. And it will do wonders for the south side of downtown. A Bob's Steak and Chop House on the ground floor doesn't hurt either.

Late Night Eats

Fellow "Chowtowners"...

Where do you all head to for those late night cravings? You know what I'm talking about... Out having drinks with friends or up late reading your favorite super market checkout lane romance novel...

You get hungry. You want a meal.

Where do you go?

I'm still relatively new (a year fresh into Fort Worth) and found myself stuck ordering Papa John's at 1 am last night...

I hear Old South is open at all hours of the night, but... well... you know... But seriously? It seems like every other major city in the US has some really great food that can be served after midnight. I'm just struggling to figure out where it is.

Help me out...

(yeah, I totally came up with Chowtowners on my own)

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

The Conversion on the Way to Damascus
Caravaggio / 1600






If one were to ask for the ten most influential men in history, Paul of Tarsus would surely be one of them. His writings are some of those that we consider fundamental in the development of Western Civilization. They are the subject of more commentary, possibly, than the words of Christ Himself. Except for Peter, no man has inspired more men to a devout life.
It is the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, or the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. I chose the latter readings because this year, 2000 years after his birth, has been dedicated as the Year of Saint Paul.

From the book of the Acts of the Apostles

"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
I replied, 'Who are you, sir?'
And he said to me,
'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'

---------------------------------------------------------------
Pope Benedict XVI, June 28, 2007
First Vespers of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

"Dear brothers and sisters, as in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he suffered and died. How timely his example is today!“And for this very reason I am pleased to announce officially that we shall be dedicating a special Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, on the occasion of the bi-millennium of his birth, which historians have placed between the years 7 and 10 A.D."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Mass times in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth: www.fwdioc.org

Fort Worth's Catholic College: www.cstm.edu

Nine Words Women Use.

This just in from my sister.

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' That will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying F-- YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

The Progressive Car Insurance Commercials.

Has anyone else had about enough of the wacky, red-lipstick sales-girl, and the whole dreamworld Progressive store ad concept?

Or is it just me?
..

Eurotazza Closing?

Fort Worth Business Press reports that independent coffee shop, Eurotazza, has announced its plans to close after serving coffee lovers for three years. The slow economy is stated as the reason.

Many west side Fort Worth residents will be disappointed. Eurotazza served good coffee in a very pleasant atmosphere.

Oddly enough, even given the economy, now would be a good time to start again -- the Starbucks mystique is gone and good coffee at a moderate price is selling at McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts. Easy for me to say, I know, I haven't tried to start a coffee bar, but I still think the climate is right to go after the Starbucks-type customer. I hope the owners will try again.

Regardless, many Fort Worthians will be sorry to see them go.

Fort Worth Stock Show, 2009.

My granddaughter called me yesterday: "Pop pop, we're going to buy a Billy goat." "Great," I replied, remembering the time her mother (my daughter) had goats, and happy it was her turn to care for them.

Her inspiration for Billy had its origin in her attending one of Fort Worth's premier annual events, the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. If you haven't been, go. If you have children, go. The Stock Show has all the amenities of a county fair, tons of free exhibits, a serious competitive element of show animals, and the rodeo.

Our favorite: the sheep dog trials (free). If you have never been and you like dogs, you are in for a treat. Sheep dog trial's dates: dailyevents.asp

Once the modest Stock show general admission fee is paid there are dozens of free events including music, animal shows, milking parlors, etc. The following site is a pretty good introduction.

List of events:www.dfw.com

January 16 - February 18, 2009
Will Rogers Memorial Center
Fort Worth, Texas.

New This February: College Classes in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.

The College of Saint Thomas More in Fort Worth sent me a press release and asked if I would mention their special upcoming lectures series. I noticed that Dr. Tom Howard will be visiting the College as a visiting teacher for this special series of classes. Anyone interested in literature will enjoy listening to Dr. Howard.

In his most recent book, A Night Far Spent, publisher Ignatius Press introduces Thomas Howard:

In his books and articles, Thomas Howard has never been one to shy away from controversy. While attending the Evangelical Church of his parents and teaching English at an Evangelical college, Howard wrote his provocative best seller Evangelical is Not Enough. Soon after entering the Anglican Communion, Howard began asking the kinds of questions that would eventually lead him into the Roman Catholic Church.

Throughout his pilgrimage of faith, Howard wrote numerous thought-provoking yet respectful articles on a wide range of topics for both Protestant and Catholic publications, gaining him a wide and loyal following. Known for his wit and charm, Howard also was a sought after speaker for conferences and college graduations. Due to a request made by one of his faithful, this collection of Howard's best material has now been published.

Liturgical reform and sacred architecture, women's ordination and hierarchical authority, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien — these and many other topics of interest to Protestants and Catholics alike are tackled by Howard with his characteristic thoughtfulness in these articles and speeches that span more than twenty years of his prolific career.

Thomas Howard was a highly regarded Professor of English and Literature for over 30 years. He is the popular author of numerous books including Dove Descending: T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets", Evangelical Is Not Enough, Chance Or The Dance, Lead Kindly Light, On Being Catholic and many other fine works.

The Series details:

Theme: Great Books for Adults. Evening College classes in the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition

Three 5-week mini-courses:

* What Catholics Believe about the Bible
* Classics of Medieval Piety
* Five Ideas that Changed the World

Starting Date: February 5, 2009

Time: Thursday evenings from 7:00-9:00, Feb 5-May 21

Location:
The College of Saint. Thomas More Library
3017 Lubbock Ave
Fort Worth, Texas 76109

Teachers:
Dr. Thomas Howard, renowned author, speaker
Dr. Patrick, Provost and Fellow in Theology
Mr. Schuyler Watley, Tutor in Theology

Fee: $135.

Please phone the College to register at 817-923-8459 or e-mail Mrs. Kirk at skirk@cstm.edu. Audit or earn one-hour of college credit.

Read Tradition, the College Newsletter, now on the web: Tradition/2008/12

A Tribute to a Man of Music.

I knew Jack Kortegast for the 5 years he and his wife, Gaye, were Choir Directors for St. Mary's of the Assumption Church on Magnolia Street. Jack retired from the job when his health made him more or less house-bound about one year ago.

Mr. Jack Kortegast died on Monday.

I did not know Jack well or for long. I was an occasional, Sunday-only choir member, and more of a support member for my wife and son, but I remember when the Kortegast's came to St Mary's and announced that they were accepting volunteers for the new choir. My thirteen year old son, a fellow music lover, "joined up." My wife followed a few months later.

Jack had serious physical impairments even then. His voice was gravelly and faint after a bout of cancer. He had hearing difficulties and severe back and neck pain. But he knew and loved good music: Mozart, Bach, Faure. He knew music as an orchestral arranger, choir director, composer, and organist. I particularly remember his "Tenebrae" service where he combined poetry, hymns, and scripture.

On any given Thursday night, before I ferried my wife and son home from choir practice, I would walk into the half-darkened church, sit in a pew, and listen to the last couple hymns. I remember thinking that we ought to be paying for the privilege of singing in this place with these people.

Not that that little band of 15-on-a-good-day choir was winning national competitions. We weren't. But we loved and sang good music, because that was what Jack and Gaye did, and more often than not we were good and sometimes even very good. Besides that, we liked each other and liked singing together in that choir.

Jack and I both had voice problems and did not talk much, but conversation is not a requirement of friendship and respect. I can say for certain that he was a man who loved his craft and who bore his hardships quietly. I saw that . . . we all saw that. Jack had the humility that comes only from a certain amount of graciously accepted suffering.

Because of people like Jack and Gaye Kortegast my son is not a half-bad singer these days, and is doing what he is doing in no small part to the Kortegasts. Something, he and I will not forget. But most importantly to me, my music loving son saw a fellow music man do something he loved, every Sunday, in pain or not.

Like I say, I should have paid for the privilege.

Thank you, Mr. Kortegast. May God bless you, and may you rest in peace, eternally.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you to choir member, Ken Neill, for assistance and for sending to me the obituary from the Star Telegram. From that obituary:

. . . For over 25 years he served the parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Arlington. Most recently he served the parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fort Worth. Even though his health prevented him from playing during the last year of his life, he always maintained his passion for liturgy and music. His greatest talent was encouraging and enabling small choirs to sing the great music of the church. . .

Rocco's Pizza.

I think I need to get out more often.

My son told me about Roccos' Pizza off Camp Bowie, so I looked it up online and discovered that it is doing fairly well in the local reviews. And I had never heard about it.

• Rocco's has won 10 Best in DFW by Food Critics.
• Best of Fort Worth Weekly.
• Best in Fort Worth by Fort Worth Magazine.

No offense to these fine publications but we think the readers of Food & Fort Worth are the best judges of good pizza.

So here's the challenge should you choose to accept it. Rocco's Wood Burning Stove Pizza: the real deal or just another pie?

5716 Locke Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
In The Locke Block Shopping Center
(Next To Szechuan)

http://www.roccosfortworth.com/

The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord

The Baptism of Christ
Andrea del Verrocchio
1472 - 1475
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Gospel Reading from Saint Mark's Gospel

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mass times in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth: http://www.fwdioc.org

Picture from Art and the Bible: http://www.artbible.info/

---------------------------------------------------------------

Whoever desires to confine himself to an emotional relationship to God, without perceiving the living world about him and without recognizing the life therein, robs mankind of what is due to it and thus surely also of what belongs to it. And he who exercises his spirit only and thinks about nothing else, who is attached to God and the world only by the external ties of traditionally transmitted religion and morals, but knows neither piety nor goodness, will pretty soon lose even that weak hold which those external ties provide. Whatever is isolated is confusing. Wholeness alone is reliable and leads man to salvation.

Martin Buber. The Way of Response.

Blue Tower Cafe Review

When you ask a Fort Worth native for a good burger joint... you get one of 3 responses: Kincaid's, Tommy's, or Fred's...

And then randomly someone says: "I recently heards that The Blue Tower Cafe had the best burgers in Fort Worth.."

And suddenly time stands still... until someone visits The Blue Tower Cafe. Well we can press play on the big button of life again, because I (Jake) took the time today to seek out this mysterious burger... and I was quite surprised.

Let's start with the location:
101 Summit Avenue # 110,
Fort Worth, TX 76102

As you're driving in towards downtown Fort Worth on 7th... you'll hit Summit Ave. Swing a left and immediately enter the parking lot. Yes, you will be in the parking lot of a large office building. Don't be confused, the "Yeti" of Fort Worth burgers is hidden deep within the recesses of corporate Texas...

You enter the building and the friendly building security stops you and judges your business being there. Give him a nod and say "Blue Tower Cafe" and off you go...


You'll find the counter behind a small door to the right. Looks like the average corporate cafeteria in any standard skyscraper. Rest assured this is not.

Order up a burger, pay the nice woman your money (btw, Burger & Fries + Muffaletta & Chips + 2 Drinks = $17)... And soon enough this pops up on your table:


Enough rambling? How does it taste? What's the flavor like?

The fries are hand cut... very meaty (how I like them) and taste fresh... Now that the fries are covered, let's dissect the burger.

The bun: delightfully solid, not soggy, and hearty. Not tough or thick, but holds up better than Kincaid's burger buns.

The dressings: Fresh veggies... lettuce, tomatoe, onions, pickles, and mustard. Very fresh taste and put on at the last possible second so it doesn't get soggy or greesy from the burger.

The burger: Very juicy (read: not too greasy, just moist) and tastey. The patty is uniform in shape and thickness (flat circle) but it's hand made. The meat melts in your mouth as you take a bite. The best part is that the grease does not escape and ruin your bun, but it does leave a little on your fingers. To me, that's a good sign...

Overall I think this burger beats Fred's and Tommy's and really does give Kincaid's a run for the top burger in Fort Worth. The anonymous commenter heard right that this could quite possibly be the best burger in Fort Worth. There will have to be other visits (from you readers) and myself to ensure the consistency... but I'm pretty much ready to dethrown the 3 kings...

The place has you fooled... Feels corporate and cafeteria like, but with the fresh flowers on the table, nice staff, excellent fries, and tastey burger... it's a spot to hit up and adventure out. Ambiance isn't quite burger joint friendly, but it's the meat that counts right?

Hmmm what to have for dinner?

The Blue Tower Cafe -- Anyone? Anyone?

In our never ending quest to find the best hamburger in Fort Worth a reader has suggested we investigate the Blue Tower Cafe. I have never been.

Here's the address I have:
101 Summit Avenue # 110,
Fort Worth, TX 76102

That's just north of 7th Street. If you have been let me know.

Strategy, Design & Engineering Games.

In the last 10 years or so I have been captivated by only 2 online games. The first was created by the Dyson Vacuum Company as a promotional device (I think) when the company was new. I played that for hours until completing all levels. It is the kind of game that upon finishing the final level loses its appeal. My wife and I both played the game and at some levels we were both convinced that an error had been made and that no solution exists. We were wrong, it just takes time to figure it out.

Telescope Game


The second game I have had difficulty leaving alone was produced by Johnson Controls and is a design/engineering type game. I found a link on Facebook (I think again) last week and I can not stop playing it. It is easier to understand by looking at it than explaining it. I am at 14 of 15 coconuts transported in 30 seconds. Make that 15 of 15 in 30 seconds.

If you know of any games like these, let me know.

Coconut Run Game
...

A Day in the Life of City Dwellers.

I have just returned from an enjoyable two weeks in Texas, San Antonio and Fort Worth, to be exact. As I write this, I am living within view of City Hall, Center City, Philadelphia. My office is about a ten minute walk from our apartment. Here is the start of one city dweller's day.

When I leave our apartment in the morning, around 8:15 a.m, I walk down a short hallway past three apartment doors, take a dozen steps to the elevator doors, press the down elevator button, and while waiting, don my jacket, look in the mirror, and straighten my tie. It takes about a minute for said elevator to get to me and since I live on the 11th floor, two from the top, seldom is anyone on the elevator going down. I hit the L for Lobby button and then stand and watch the art-deco style floor-number lights go from 11 to 10 and down to 1. It is an odd solitariness, that 20 seconds going down. I feel like I am in an old mobster movie.

I turn left as I depart the elevator, say good morning to the security guy, and grab my New York Times from the counter at his desk. When I open the building's exit door I walk onto a Walnut Street busy with pedestrians and traffic. Usually someone is running to catch a bus parked at the corner of 16th Street. The buses are busy and plentiful in the morning, stacked one behind another like bumper cars bumping the front bus to the next stop. I look down to see how close the bus tires are to the curb because it is amazing how close they get. All the inner city curbs are granite stone and not formed concrete.

I walk one block and turn right on 16th Street where there is a a stainless-steel, street-vendor stand whose proprietor is busy cooking breakfast sandwiches. The eggs, onions, sausage, bacon and bread rolls smell great. I have to be careful as I make that turn otherwise I will run into someone squeezing by the stand. Before I get one block on 16th I see the same street person sleeping on the sidewalk grill. Every morning. I have never seen his face, only the blankets and cardboard that cover him.

In a block I begin the criss-cross of a half-dozen streets until I get past Market to JFK. There are street traffic lights to observe and unwritten rules of when they are to be ignored. There is a rhythm to walking city streets and you would be wise to learn that rhythm. Pedestrian traffic flows similarly to automobiles, it bogs down in similar ways, and picks up just as cars do.

But that is a good segue to the next post . . . so . . .

To be continued . . .

The Human Condition

Last night I was standing in the parking lot of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church doing my once-weekly security duty for the children's catechism classes when a man walking by stopped to talk. I guessed his age at about fifty. I also guessed him to be homeless or near so.

Soon into the conversation I learned that he had graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in philosophy and that he had kept an active interest in the subject as an adult. He knew the major philosophical texts and their authors and spoke confidently about his views on them. We talked religion and philosophy for a while, and then, sadly, that he had spent sixteen years in the state penitentiary for drug use and sales and that he was currently living in a nearby abandoned grain silo. After a short, but serious and enjoyable conversation, he looked past me and asked in the way a man does when he is talking to himself, "Where did I go wrong?" It was a rhetorical question from a sober and haunted man.

We talked about life in general for a while longer and then he left as quietly as he came. As I stood there watching him walk away, I heard myself saying, "Where do any of us go wrong, my friend?" We all do, in some way and at some time, and some of us, repeatedly. There are those who recover sufficiently from mistakes, and others, like my parking lot friend, who do not.

While standing there I recalled the Pharisee who said, "Lord, thank you that I am not like the adulterer, extortioner or even this tax collector." A statement that needs little explanation for its obvious meaning but which reveals an inherent problem of the religious, and that is that faith moves a man to habituate himself to the good and to do good, but while doing so makes him susceptible to the greater sins of complacency, arrogance, or pride.  In the same parable, it was the humbled tax collector, unable to look up to heaven as he confessed his sins, who found pleasure in God's eyes, not the law-abiding Pharisee.

I liked the man I met on the street. I think his sins are not equal to the punishment he has received. I know that, practically speaking, he has to put the bottle down and accept responsibility if he is ever to be happy in this life. But I also know that all men are feeble and in of need God's grace and that this world has punished his sins more than mine, but probably, they are no worse.

I never saw him again, but I will remember his face, and believe that the final Judge of us all still honors the contrite.

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Epiphany of the Lord

Giotto
The Adoration of the Magi (Santa Croce)
1320
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Mass times in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth: http://www.fwdioc.org

Picture from Art and the Bible: http://www.artbible.info/

So I walked into a McDonald's and said . . .

. . ."I'll have an order of scrambled eggs and a small coffee."
"Okay sir," the counter-girl replied as she entered the order onto the screen, "That will be one dollar and forty nine cents."
"And one order of scrambled eggs . . . please," I politely shot back, thinking she had heard only the coffee part.
"Yes sir, I got it. One forty-nine, please."
-----"And coffee?"
"Yes, got that, too."
-----"Wow, eggs and coffee, $1.49, that's a good deal!"

Pause. Smile. "You got the morning Senior discount."

---- Pause. No smile.