COWS

 No, not that sort of cows! Companions On the Wolds, if you please.  

This group has been running for several years and started as a social group for widows.    Although I am not a widow, I tag along as a chaplain.  Not much pastoring is needed from me as these lovely ladies take the newly bereaved under their wings and do mutual caring, but still, I think I am useful to have around.  

They meet monthly.  A meal is often part of the programme but sometimes they do crafts or go on visits.  Pottery painting and a garden visit are on the agenda in the next few months but today we just went to the local golf club for lunch.  

There's a Knit and Natter group as an off shoot as well.  The K & N group also includes quite a few ladies who aren't widows.  I don't often go to their meetings but I do knit for them.  They send items to various charities.  My particular interest is the Salvation Army in their work with homeless people.  I knit scarves for them, bu others knit blankets, teddies, and anything else we are asked for.

Something gained and retained

It was five years ago, in February 2021, that the pandemic started to finish for me.  I went to Louth and had my first vaccination against Covid 19.  It was quite a while before I ventured out very much but it became possible to do far more things.

But as I moved into the new era I wondered what would have been gained and what would have been lost as a result of that dreadful disease.  So many lives had been lost and many of us had well over a year of relative isolation.

During that time we learned new skills.  I learned to do far more on line.  We had on line classes, we had to get used to on line banking and shopping and we learned to "visit" one another on line.  I still lead a weekly worship on line.

But I had to learn to use Zoom and Facetime and the like to communicate with family and friends.  My knitting group (none of our members is in the first flush of youth) held fortnightly sessions to knit and natter.

And I think that is something I have gained and retained.  This morning I will be having a face-to-face (on line) meet up with a friend in Leicester.  For many years we just met up twice a year, and we still do that, but now we have a monthly catch up with each of sitting in our favourite chairs at home.  

And last night I chatted with a friend who is on a cruise ship off the coast of Brazil.

Maulifuffing check-in

It's nearly six weeks since I mentioned maulifuffing but I'm sure many of you have been doing your best for the great sisterhood.  (New readers may not know that maulifuff is an old Scottish word for a woman devoid of energy, who would happily do nothing for hours on end or a woman who appears to keep herself busy but achieves nothing.  The masculine equivalent is maulibum.)  

Even longer ago I said one of my hibernaculum projects would be to sort the dining room.  In the proud tradition of maulifuffs the intention was good but the activity was zilch.  Or rather, there was a lot of activity in dumping more and more stuff in there.

So, for the next seven Mondays, I shall do a maulifuff report of how little I have achieved.  On present showing, it will be very little.  But I may raise a few rueful smiles.

Orchids

Growing house plants has never been my best thing.  I don't buy them now as it seems very cruel to do so.  However, people who don't realise the extent of my "skill" with indoor vegetation sometimes give me plants.  I smile sweetly, say thank you, and wonder how long it will be before the gift hits the bin.  Animals are protected by law, fortunately plants aren't, or yours truly would have a criminal record.  

Jack's daughter gave me this one and I was confident it would soon be dead but instead it has flowered repeatedly.  Last year I decided to split it as the centre of the plant was no longer flowering and I thought it might benefit from repotting but before I could say "orchid compost", it surprised me and flowered prolifically.

A couple of years ago I was given this one and thought I couldn't be so lucky twice.  It flowered generously for several months then appeared to be on its way out, but no, I have the promise of flowers to come.  

Do you think my fingers might, at last, be turning green?  Just for orchids?

Jigsaws

 

At the moment the Monday Mermaids are beached.  We are not keen on swimming when it is too cold.

One of our members had the bright idea of having a Jigsaw Display in Normanby  Church as part of the West Lindsey Open Churches Festival in May.  And the even brighter idea of The Mermaids assembling jigsaws on the Mondays we aren't swimming.  

But, from her point of view, her best idea was to go on an eleven week cruise around the coast of South America and leave the jigsaws to the remaining Mermaids.  Yes, that would be my friend E who has gone AWOL.  

So we've collected a few extra people and we gather each Monday.  

Opinions may be expressed when she gets back.  

Drawing

 I've always known myself to be rubbish at drawing and painting but I've often wished I wasn't.  Wouldn't it be lovely to see something and then"see" how to record it in paints or other media!  

I don't think that will ever be, but I can still derive pleasure from copying someone else's work.  The web is fantastic for this.  So many tutorials on YouTube!  I often read Kirsten's blog and find quick sketches of tulips, an amaryllis, or amaryllis again here,   I sometimes copy them in the hope that one day I will have the courage to draw my own amaryllis.  Don't hold your breath!

But once a month the Women's Institute Learning Hub has a drawing session and last night was the night.  There is no pretence that we are fantastic artists - the instructions given are incredibly simple- but we just copy the tutor.  It's about mindfulness more than anything.  

But I make no aplogies.  Actually that's one of the rules.  We must not deprecate our own efforts, but accept them.  However, for the avoidance of doubt, I will say these are snowdrops!

Jack writes

 

It's a long time since I wrote anything so, as I am going to visit one of my long-standing friends to take her an item she couldn't carry because of the weight, I can kill two birds with one stone.  

Now, the vicar has been worrying about my sanity of late.  It all started last year when she gave me  a forty-two piece wooden jigsaw of a lot of penguins.  That blasted jigsaw just about put me in the nut-house!  It took me three hours to complete it.  Then somebody else gave me a thousand piece jigsaw.  I spent weeks and months struggling with it and if I had any hair I would have pulled it out, but then gave it up as a bad job.  Well, Christmas came again again and guess what my reverend so-called friend put among my pressies?  That's right another jigsaw.  Two hundred and fifty pieces this time and it was a map of my local area which again has me in tears.  I did tell her not to buy me a jiggie for Christmas but did she listen? NO!!!.  So, enjoy this post as it could be a long time before I get enough sanity back to write another one.

When we first started our phone calls (after I lost my wife of fifty three years)it was a ten minute chat, but sometimes now it is forty five minutes.  She will keep butting in when I am in full flow so I blame her for the length.  But we laugh a lot and I hope the vicar enjoys our morning chats as much as I do.  Some of the long words I say may not be quite right but she gets enormous pleasure when she corrects me.  

I hope you are all in he best of health and that the good Lord is taking care of you.  I hope I can write again soon (the vicar is the editor so she gets the last word.  She also gets the last word if I text.

Keep smiling

Jack

PS.  This is the vicar getting the last word.  Jack will read and enjoy your comments but cannot reply to them.

HAF

 aka How about February?  What is planned?  What is hoped for?

First of all, I shall be very busy leading worship.  My dear Friend E has gone on a cruise all around the coast of South America, lucky lady.  This means Plan B comes into operation meaning I have one Sunday "off" per month.  Unfortunately when I saw another friend M in Brigg I thought she looked rather ill, so I'm stepping in to take her service on the "spare" Sunday this month.  I've also got a funeral booked and am speaking at the funeral of someone with whom I have been friends since we met in the sixth form fifty seven years ago.  And there's a couple of midweek things I am needed for.

The Mermaids aren't swimming at the moment but we are helping to make up jigsaws ready for a special event in May.  I am useless at jigsaws.  The other Mermaids can confirm that.  

I've planned three meals out but there may be more.  One is  to celebrate the Silver Wedding Anniversary of a couple I married.  That is a very special joy.  

Jack is coming today to do a couple of small jobs.  He's threatening to write a blog post.

I'm still in my Hibernaculum Project.  My new mindset on winter has been very successful.  I won't say I will be sorry when spring comes but I won't be dreading next winter.