Now We Are Six

Wow! Padre Mickey's DanceParty has been around for six years now. When I started this thing is was going to be a place to talk about our work as missionaries and to discuss the idea of the Global Center. It eventually became another source of creative expression for me. It has served as a soapbox for my political rants as well as a place for me to post my hagiographies. And of course, this was the home of the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito and Friends series. But for the past two years things have been a bit subdued around here. Why is that? Well, the Lovely Mona and I had decided that it was time to return to the U.S.A. so I was looking for a position, and I didn't want the Dance Party to be a source of trouble for me. Even though I toned things waaaaay down, there were still some who thought my blog and Facebook page were controversial! Hard to believe, right? This place has been so quiet that I have to fight to stay conscious just to re-post them saint's thangs. On December 20, 2011 (22nd anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Panamá), the Lovely Mona, Señorita Chompita Wiggletail, and yer Padre left Panamá for California. We stepped out in faith as we had no home, no car, and no source of income. We spent the rest of December in Fresno with the parents of the Lovely Mona, then headed to San José where we stayed with my long-suffering sister Melanie and the Trippies. We eventually bought a banged-up car and, amazingly, after having no prospects whatsoever for a position suddenly had two places interested in yer Padre. Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves asked us to check out All Saints' Episcopal Church and Misión Cristo Rey in Watsonville, California. We liked them, they liked us, and now we're here. After spending the majority of our lives in Major Metropolitan Areas, we are now in farm country, but Berkeley is only a little over two hours away, so it all works out. We are renting a cute little house with a back yard so the Lovely Mona can grow vegetables. Our church has a Community Garden in which we grow more vegetables. We have a new car, we are actually able to save some money, and, much to the relief of Señorita Chompita Wiggletail, we are no longer living out of suitcases. Heck, last week Miss Bebé, the World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ spent the weekend with us. AND the Church Divinity School of the Pacific awarded yer humble Padre the degree of Doctor of Divinity honorus causa for our work in Panamá. Yeah, things are going well right now. So, is the Dance Party going to become a crazy, fun, place again? Will new episodes of Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito on the drawing board? Well, I can't say; I haven't been particularly inspired to come up with stories and take photos of them toys, and Chompy left several members of the cast back in Panamá, but who the heck knows what will happen?