I wrote a facebook post on Friday about Mimmie, since it was the 20th anniversary of her death. There were several reminiscences shared in comments, including my niece remembering songs she sang. One had lyrics "oh you dirty little kid does your mother know you're out." My mother remembered Mimmie singing it to her also. So my sister did a google search and discovered two versions:

Version 1:
Oh you dirty little devil;
Does your Mother know you're out?
With a hole in your britches;
And your mickey sticking out?

Version 2:
Oh you dirty little devil;
Does your Mother know you're out?
With your hands in your pockets;
And your shirt hanging out?
If it a cop came along;
And he grabbed you by the pants;
Have you ever seen {insert kid's name here}
do the hootchie cootchie dance?

Mimmie's version:
Oh you dirty little kid;
Does your mother know you're out?
With a hole in your britches;
And your hiney hanging out?

 Took all day yesterday -- but the new exercise bike is assembled!

The chives are up, and I think-maybe-could be I saw a hint of a leaf bud on the forsythia, but it's hard to beat my flaming katy kalnchoe

 Potatoes really need to be planted outside! Yikes. But the ground isn't warm enough.

Some possible good news here and here? I don't trust the developer at all but I'm trying to be an optimist. Besides the developer, the grocery store chain, the city, and the lawyers, I am mad at the Albany diocese too.

I fully appreciate that "the church" is not "the building." I really, really do. On the other hand, nothing will pain me more than if our little mission church is closed by the NY diocese. I won't lie; I will probably fight.

 However, in St. Patrick's and many other cases, I am realistic about how expensive it is to operate a huge, old inefficient building in a neighborhood that has experienced a deep demographic shift and now has a declining, and aging congregation. I know people don't pursue vocations any more and there are severe personnel shortages. 

But I'm still mad. I think they should be more selective about who the buyer is, and what the intended purpose will be. Another church? Check. School? Check.Senior Center? Check. Theatre, library or museum? Check. Food pantry? Check. Check. Animal shelter? Check. Other non-profit offices?

For profit business? Let me see the plan. Re-use existing buildings? Very, very likely check, as long as the business purpose is reasonable. Razing this jewel to make way for one more Price Chopper? Denied! Now how easy was that?

 

Speaking of church, this was in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. Close enough! (Something you have to get used to when your name has a lot of diphthongs.)