Key West Lou / SALLY…..A DANGEROUS WOMAN

Dangerous Sally.

Now a Category 2 hurricane knocking the hell out of Louisiana. Never underestimate the power of a woman. Sally is behaving like the wrath of a woman scorned.

One problem, however. No one scorned Sally. She just up and took off. Now a wild woman beating up Louisiana and shortly several other states.

Sally came to everyone’s attention roughly 10 days ago. A small storm of the coast of Africa. Nothing to worry about. Probably would never take form. Weather people doubted it would even become a tropical storm.

A day or 2 later, might form. Not to worry, however. At best a tropical storm and would never hit the United States. It would turn north and blow itself out somewhere over the Atlantic.

Never turned. Kept coming. At one point, the cone coming straight over Key West.

Not to worry. Merely some wind and rain.

Then Sally started moving south. Looked like it was going to completely miss the Keys. Not so. The Keys were on the north edge of the cone. She would brush Key West. A bit of rain and some wind.

Sally was in no hurry. She lumbered along at her own speed.

Key West had 1 1/2 days of heavy rain, wind and lightning. The rain the worst. A record rainfall in one day: 11.3 inches. Previous record a mere 2.5 inches.

Sally is carrying a lot of water. And respectfully, pissing where ever she goes. Rain, rain, and more rain!

Sally turned into the Gulf and headed for Louisiana and Mississippi.

The word was she “might” become a Category 1 when she made landfall. Then upped to a 2.

Sally hit Louisiana as a Category 2.

Sally is beating up the land areas with rain. Big time rain! Which means big time flooding. Rainfall expected to be 9-16 inches. In some places, as high as 20 inches.

I share Sally with you once again because she impresses me. Very much so. Her starting off the coast of Africa as a bunch of wind that would probably not even form. Some weather people thought she would dissipate.

Sally fooled everyone! Typical female. She did what she wanted

I watched the Middle East Peace Accord signing at the White House today. Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain involved.

Trump is touting this signing as a major peace agreement that solves Middle East problems.

Once again, Trump misleads.

Peace in the Middle East requires the Palestinians. Palestinians not involved means in reality the agreement is insignificant.

The real problem has been the Palestinians and Israelites. Other Arabs already like each other.

Israel was not a party to the agreement, did not attend the ceremony, and said in effect the agreement did nothing to bring peace to the Middle East.

The Peace Agreement of no value for 2 reasons. The first the absence of the Palestinians. The other if it were so important, why were the UAE and Bahrain represented by their foreign ministers as opposed to their Presidents?

Trump made a big deal of the signing. Smiling broadly. It was his show. He took credit for “bring the parties together.”

Trump’s tongue hangs out for the Nobel Peace Prize.

I was discussing with a friend on Skype Catholic education. Brought to mind my high school days.

A few years back I wrote an article concerning the experience and influence it had o me.

Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born August 28, 1774. To a wealthy family. She was the founder of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. Some warm reflections from those days. My teenage days. High school. The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph taught me. Henceforth to be referred to as Sisters of Charity.

Utica Catholic Academy.

My high school was in Utica, NY. Stood in the back of a large lot next to St. John’s Church on John Street.

The building tiny. Three stories high. The height larger than the width of the building.

Today, the school is gone. The land the school stood on a parking lot for St. John’s Church.

The heads of Sisters of Charity were capped with big white head coverings. Looked like wings. Body attire, dark blue ankle length dresses. Tied around their waists, extremely large and heavy appearing rosary beads.

The Sisters lived in an old Victorian building one block away. Today, a deserted lot.

The Sisters were excellent teachers. Disciplinarians. In teaching and personal matters. A sister would not hesitate storming into the boys’ bathroom if she thought there was smoking going on.

I got caught. On more than one occasion. Learned from one nun as she twisted my ear: The cigarette is a dirty weed and from it the Devil doth proceed.

Didn’t do much good. I smoked for many years.

One of the nuns had a distinct impact on my life. Sister Gertrude. A short stout elderly woman. A craggy beautiful face.

She discovered my love for history. Did everything to encourage it. She is also the reason I went to Manhattan College. She pushed Manhattan. Her cousin was a Christian Brother and Director of Athletics.

Latin was required in high school. I took three years. Thought it was stupid, but Sister Gertrude insisted. During my life time, I discovered those three years of Latin did more for me than any course I studied at any age.

Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born an Episcopalian. Married at 19. Became known as Elizabeth Seton. Bore 5 children. Her husband died ten years after their marriage.

Elizabeth was broke. Her husband had become ill some time before he died. Their money was gone. The family was stuck in Italy where they had gone believing the Italian weather would be good for her husband’s health.

Some Catholic Italian friends helped. She was impressed with their kindness and charity. Studied the Catholic religion. Became a Catholic.

Catholicism was neither popular nor respected in those days. Even her Episcopalian family deserted her.

Elizabeth returned to the United States. The Baltimore area. She became involved with helping the poor and needy. Especially women.

She founded the first Catholic school in the United States. Turned out to be the beginning of the parochial school system in the United States.

A group of women flocked to Elizabeth to assist her in the good works being performed. Elizabeth felt they should become an established nunnery order within the Catholic church. She pursued and accomplished the goal. Elizabeth founded the first female apostolic community in the United States. The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph.

In 1975, the Pope recognized her commitment and success to humanity. She was ordained a Saint of the Catholic Church. The first American born to be so honored.

Enjoy your day!

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