Monday Miss Bebé, The World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ Blogging: Holiday Edition

The Management of Padre Mickey's Dance Party has been negligent in the Cute Stuff Department lately. We are trying to rectify the cuteness deficit.

It's A Miss Bebé Christmas!

Miss Bebé, The World's Most Beautiful Granchile™*, had one big honkin' Christmas!
She visited many relatives, and Santa left stuff at all dem houses. Here are some highlights of the First Conscious Christmas.

*On Christmas Day, Tía Sue suggested, actually, she STRONGLY SUGGESTED that I remind everyone that I have three granchillins and that they are all the most beautiful granchillins in the world.

IT'S KRISPEN! AN DIS IS A BLUE HORSIE!

Telly Tubbies! ALL FOUR! Where are their wings?

Look Baby Huey Sebastian, it's the key of C. No accidentals. Pay attention!

A tricycle? GIBBITA ME!

Her Royal Highness, Princess Bebé, acknowledges your presence

A big box? Gibbita me!

A Snowman? Gibbita me!

Hey doggy! Krispen is the time of sharing, so I gibbita you dis food

Sugar for your tea?

Yesterday at Parroquia San Cristóbal

The only Sunday in Christmas, and we had a very nice service. Bishop Victor Scantlebury, formerly of Panama and presently Assistant Bishop of Chicago, and his wife Marcia worshipped with us yesterday morning. It's always good to see the Scantleburys and there was quite a line of folks waiting to say hello!

As you may recall, Mr. Ricardo Staples was honored earlier in the week for his contributions to Jazz in Panama. Yesterday he brought the plaque he received to show the folks at church.

I've told you about Priscilla McQueen and her sister, Revda. Glenda McQueen's Grandma Mary before. I love it when she's in town from Costa Rica, because I will be eating well. In fact, she tells everyone "Padre loves my food!" Grandma Mary decided to have a big party at Priscilla's house yesterday and she cooked a great meal: turkey, ham, hamburgers, rice and guandu (peas), salad, potatoes, and yucca pone and these coconut/gingery thangs for dessert. We had a great time.

We have our Watchnight Service tonight at 10:00 p.m.. We'll post photos of that tomorrow.

Happy New Year to everyone!


The Rt. Rev. Victor and Marcia Scantlebury

Ricky and his plaque

The plaque

Ricky and Martha and Ronaldo Olton

Ricky, the Oltons, and Barbara Smith

Ricky with friends



Ricky, the Oltons, y Padre (Martha convinced me to take off my specs)

Coffee Hour discussion

Grandma Mary and Padre

Grandma Mary cooking

Grandma Mary and Priscilla with the yucca pone

All De Animals Wuz...

King Fu Fighting!
Dey wuz fast as litenin'!
It wuz a likle bit fritenin'!
But dey wuz Kung Fu Fighting!

Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging: Holiday Edition

Do you remember last Christmas when I posted a photo of a Christmas Tree with a kitty hidden in it? Luiz won the contest, but Leonardo Ricardo REALLY wanted to win! Well, I don't feel like writing a story and posing toys all over the damn house, so tonight we play: Find Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito and Their Friends in the Christmas Tree!
Now, I did try to be fair, so El Penquino and the Mighty Moose of Vermont are not in the tree, as they are quite small. The list of characters is below; how many can YOU find?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank
Gallito Mescalito
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House
¡El Toro!
Squeaky Gorilla
Santa, the Costume Designer
Telly Tubby Angels (all four)
Chompita's butt

And don't forget to click on the photo for the big, detailed version!!

Last Night at the Paradise Banquet Hall

I had originally planned to post this earlier today, as I wanted to create great envy in Madpriest, but, it's been quite a day and this is my first chance.

Last night, the Lovely Mona, along with Keith and Joyce Green, attended Jazz and Gospel show in honor of two of Panamá's best jazz musicians: Dino Nugent and Ricardo "Ricky" Staples. The program was put on by Martha Productions Entertainment, an entertainment company owned by two members of Parroquia San Cristóbal: Martha and Ronaldo Olton. They put on the Día Etnica Negra program in May each year. Many members of the parish were there because they love jazz and because Ricky is one of our own. Dino Nugent is an incredible pianist, arranger, composer and conductor. His mom is a good friend of Padre y the Lovely Mona, and she is a member of Iglesia San Juan, the first church at which we served in Panamá. Ricky Staples plays drums at San Cristóbal every Sunday (I can't believe he enjoys playing with me!).

The show started with some acapella gospel performed by Hijos de Rey, who were joined by my friend Macellino Marshall. They were followed by the Joshua Violins Trio who performed two numbers. Alfonso Lewis, who seems to perform at every gathering of the Afroantillano Community here, performed three numbers, and then was joined by Emily Niles, an incredible singer. Alfonso plays saxophones, but he also plays keyboards, bass, trumpet and almost anything else which can produce more than three notes. Martha was calling him "Panama's Kenny G" but he's a lot better than Kenny G. Plus, I like Alfonso Lewis and can't stand Kenny G.

After Dino and Ricky were given their awards and said a few words, they got down to the important business of jamming. They were joined by Hernan "Chispa" Lawson on electric bass (he works with Dino all the time) and Juan Carlos "Wichy" Lopez on trumpet and fluglehorn. Wichy is from Cuba and has played with everyone: Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Victor Manuell, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. The band was just amazing. Ricky is the only drummer I know who will suddenly place his sticks or brushes in the pocket of his jacket and just start slapping that drum kit with his bare hands!

It was a great show and I've got photos to prove it!


Martha Olton welcoming everyone

Sue Rensberger and the Lovely Mona

Joyce and Keith Green

Ricky Staples with Ronaldo and Martha Olton

Ricky says I owe it all to jamming with Padre Mickey! thank you to everyone for this great honor

Dino, Ricky, and Chispa getting down

Dino and Ricky

Dino, Ricky, Chispa and Wichy

The band with Martha Olton

Friday Random Top Ten: Not Holiday Edition

Ya presses "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .
1. Deep Forbidden Lake Neil Young
2. B Movie Elvis Costello and the Attractions
3. Idumea(I: And am I born to die/II: My God, my life, my love) Anonymous 4
4. Scissor Man XTC
5. O Nobilissima Viriditas (Hildegard von Bingen) Sequentia
6. Respect Aretha Franklin
7. Ball & Biscuit The White Stripes
8. Survival O'Jays
9. When Shall My Sorrowful Sighing Slake? (Thomas Tallis) Theatre of Voices & The Kings Noyse
10. I Won't Let Go The Original Gospel Harmonettes

Yow! Neil! Elvis! Aretha! O'Jays! White Stripes! Tallis! Hildegard von Bingen! Anonymous 4! The Original Gospel Harmonettes, who are SO MUCH BETTAH than the unoriginal Gospel Harmonettes. And, the Perfect Christmas Song: Scissor Man!

Snipping, snipping, snipping goes the scissor man
Putting end to evil doers' games
Snipping, snipping, snipping goes the scissor man
Maybe you are in his book of names
Maybe you are in his book of names

So be kind and helpful to your mother
Just think twice before you try and steal
When he cuts with sticky silver snippers
You may find the wounds will never heal

All self made bad boys
If you refuse to believe he exist
You won't be frightened when you find out
You're on his list
You're on his list
You're on his list

So be good and never poison people
Just think twice before the deed is done
When you wake up guilty in the morning
You may find important pieces gone

Good advice for all the boys around here!!

Friday Random Top Ten: Holiday Edition

Ya pushes "Happy Krispen Shuffle" and ya takes yer chances (Maybe Caminante will recognise some of these!). . .

1. Noche de Paz La Boca Alumni Chorus
2. Green Grow'th the Holly Theatre of Voices
3. The Christmas Song The Late, Great, James Brown
4. Past Three O'Clock The Chieftains and Some Children's Choir
5. The St. Stephen's Day Murders Elvis Costello and the Chieftains
6. Las Barbas de San José La Boca Alumni Chorus
7. A Christmas Carol (Charles Ives) Theatre of Voices
8. Santa's Got A Brand New Bag The Bobs
9. Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas The Late, Great, James Brown
10. Susser die Glocken Theatre of Voices

Well, the Krispen Karol collection here on Padre's eMac at la oficina is limited in its selections. La Boca Alumni Chorus was a choir formed of graduates of La Boca High School in the former Canal Zone. The recording was made back in the early 1970's. The Bobs are an Acepella group from the San Francisco Bay Area. I should of done this at home, where we gots lotsa lotsa Krispen musics!

Yes, Let's!

www.engrish.com

And We're Back!

Blogging has been a bit slow, as I spent most of today writing Bible Studies for the Jr. High Summer Camp at which I will be chaplain, and which starts on January 8th. Talk about cutting things close!

We have been going full blast since Saturday, of course. We had a small but sweet Christmas Eve service on Monday evening, and the Lovely Mona was able to snap some photos. We were both so busy at the Christmas Day service that no photos were taken, but I'm sure we'll all live through that.

Attendance was a bit thin on Christmas Eve, as many members of the parish are elderly and don't like to go out at night. Also, public transportation is a nightmare on Christmas Eve. For some reason Panamanian taxi drivers have been acting strangely lately, refusing to take people where they want to go; I guess the taxi drivers are just picking up fares while on their own personal errands. So, folks don't come to evening services. There is one big exception, and that will be New Year's Eve. We have a Watchnight Service which begins at 10:00 pm or there abouts and ends just a bit after midnight. We'll have lots of photos of that service next week.

Christmas Day Mass was small but holy. We all gathered around the altar for Communion, which I really like. The Lovely Mona and I played a duet of "Once in Royal David's City" for the Offertory Anthem. I didn't have an organist, so I played guitar, and I gave Padre Cáceres the day off as he has young children and I thought that he should be with them on Christmas Morning.

In the afternoon we joined Tía Sue at Bert and Lizzie Leigh's home in Gamboa for our Christmas Day celebration. As I have the past few years, I cooked a delicious saag, and we had a wonderful time just being with dear friends.

I hope you are all having a great Christmas.


Early arrivals on Christmas Eve
Hey, guess what colour you should wear on Christmas Eve!



Youth Choir members

Blessing the nacimiento

The Holy Family

The Choir watching the blessing

Another view of the Holy Family. I like the expression on the face of the cow; it looks like she's wondering what is going on up on the roof! What's that noise? Is it an angel, or Santa Claus?

The Altar Party observes the blessing


The Choir in procession

The Congregation in procession

Happy Bebé Krispen

Happy Santa
Happy Mommy
Unsure Bebé. . .

El Nacimiento

On Saturday a teacher from Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal came across the street and set-up the parish's nacimiento, with some help by Jonathan Biscomb, a member of our youth group. They set it up just in front of the Altar Rail in the Chapel. I really like the way the stable is at the top of the hill, with the town of Bethlehem spread out below. I am very fond of the little pig farm near the bottom of the hill, although I doubt if there were any pig farms in Bethlehem in those days. Tonight I'll bless the Baby Jesus as the Mass begins and place him in the manger. I'll take a photo of the Holy Family tomorrow morning.
¡Feliz Navidad a todos!