The Old Town Immaculate Conception Church

"Let's go to Keno's, I am almost out of money and we can share a two ninety-nine spaghetti."
 "Well I am hungry but need to finish this last pool game." Jim answered.
 I am speaking with "Gentleman" Jim. I first met this Portland back-packer on the Coaster train about one year ago. He owns two big rigs with another. They transport goods across the United States which leaves them with a modest income. An early wise investment in Microsoft allowed Jim to quit his machinist job and back-pack south to San Diego due to the constant rain in Portland. 
 On Sunday morning on my way to the Immaculate Conception Church, I saw him and his back pack on the eight forty Coaster out of Oceanside. The train was headed south to the Santa Fe Station. His large filthy back pack stood in the aisle. It looked as if it had been in a war against Isis. His blood pressure monitor sat on the table.
 "I owe the Alvarado Hospital one hundred thousand dollars." He bellowed.
 "Why did you go there in the first place."
 "I felt dizzy and knew a stroke would be mine. My potassium was way down. The hospital next to San Diego State, took my blood pressure. It registered 280/140. They admitted me upstairs to ICU. And there I remained since my doctor was on a fishing trip."
  "Where you headed now?"
  "I'm getting off at Old Town and then take the Green Line to Park View. Ikea offers a one dollar breakfast there every day. It consists of eggs, sausage and potatoes."
   We both got off at Old Town. He took the Green Line Trolley and I trolled the garden at Old Town and viewed the quite-alive grape arbor and the large fig tree. I knew in another month I would pick a few clusters of my favorite Concord Grape and fifteen days later fill my Palate with delicious figs.

 I was in luck. Father Ecker would be delivering the sermon today. He always had a quip to go with the theme of the day, and this day the Trilogy was the topic. He was dressed in a white robe with a black belt. As always, he entered through the front door and smiles at everyone within a few pews from him.
 I felt relaxed.,too relaxed as God sat next to me. In fact my Dad Harry and My Mom needed to make space for him. I stood up and rolled to the fountain that carried the blood of Jesus. I dipped my hand in the holly water and sprinkled some drops on my head - and made the cross over my chest. 
    My God! What was that me? I could not believe what I did, but Father Ecker knows what chords to hit to make music. His humility has hit the right chord with me. Father Ecker proceeded into one of his patented jokes. This one was about a boy named Jimmy.
  "One day in church, a Bishop asked Jimmy to describe the Trilogy. Now since Jimmy stuttered, the Bishop quipped, "Now Jimmy, I could not understand one word you said!" But Jimmy refused to be upgrade by the kind Bishop and castled him.
  "My Kind Bishop. You may have had trouble understanding me, but  the Trilogy is still a mystery to me."
  Father Ecker spoke about Motherhood and the importance of providing unconditional love to her infants. Of course I began to think about my own daughter who struggled to make end meet every month.
  During the times of Jesus, his Mom Mary did not need to take him to day-care, rent a house, or pay work, and be a wife and provider. Those were the days when Motherhood must have been a lot easier. But don't get me wrong. Mother Mary did have a man in her  life. The carpenters name was Joseph and in between laying bricks, Joseph plunged into fatherhood. The produced five kids.