[Magdalen] Heather Cook

[Jim Guthrie]

From: ME Michaud

>time. After a vestry meeting, someone would say, "God, I need a drink." It
>took me a long time to realize what sounded like amusing irony wasn't. It

Well, in my experience the post vestry version was always "I'm hungry." Is that 
a code for gluttony?

We went out to eat -- often in a place where we could get a glass of wine. And 
there it stopped. I'm sorry to hear your vestry experience was different.

>me a long time to realize that at diocesan events about a third of the
>people didn't return after the afternoon break (dawn broke when I was asked

I suppose there are dioceses out there that might drive people to drink, but 
again, not my experience. One might see a dozen delegates or so having a 
nightcap at the hotel bar.  And AFAIK, all toddled off to bed fairly quickly as 
breakfast started at 7:30 AM.

I'm sorry to hear that alcoholism was so rampant in your parish and diocese. 
But in a dozen parishes and three dioceses, this was never any experience I 
could relate to.

Cheers,
Jim