August

 Each month the National Federation of Women's Institutes offers a drawing class on its website.  And each month I join in.

Yesterday the tutor led us in drawing a "fantasy" vegetable garden.  We drew peas, courgettes, lettuces, leeks, carrots, beetroot, spinach, kale, tomatoes and runner beans.

I'm no artist and I suspect Jack would have opinions to express if my garden looked like this, but I enjoy the session.  Maybe looking for all those veggies in my picture can be my equivalent of "Where's Wally?  

I've been thinking about wheelie bins

Well, my mind is never blank but my thoughts are sometimes rubbish!

I think it's about twenty years since I got my first wheelie bins and very glad I was to get them.  The black bags we had used previously were not exactly rat proof and any recycling had to be taken to a recycling site.  They were a great improvement.  

At first we had just two: a blue one for glass and plastics and a black one for everything else.  Both got pretty full despite the black one being emptied weekly and the blue one fortnightly.  

Then we got a green one for garden rubbish.  I used mine a little bit but I had a compost heap which I preferred.  These days I no longer have a compost heap (very small garden) and, even though we have to pay an annual fee for green bins, I'm very grateful for it and pay willingly.

Next was a black bin with a purple lid for paper and card.  We'd been putting card in our blue bins for a while but the fortnightly emptying had meant they didn't get over-full.  Now our plastics-and-glass bin would be emptied once every four weeks and the paper-and-card one also four weekly.  

Then came food waste caddies.  Weekly collections for these but mine never gets anywhere near full.

But, to get back to my thinking about the bins, I don't think any of them are getting as well fed as they used to with the exception of the paper-and-card jobby.  Somehow, almost imperceptibly, the amount of waste I create is diminishing.   I honestly think that it would take at least two months, possibly longer, to fill the black and blue bins.  (I'm not suggesting that for general waste which could get a bit smelly.)  The paper-and-card wheely wouldn't last nearly so long but I'm less worried by paper waste than plastic.

Has anyone else noticed this very long-term trend in waste reduction?  I'm not aware of any great change in my habits, just little bits and pieces.

PhD's for sale

Revd Elaine running the stall

I never thought I would write a title like that!  Not sure that I approve of my own blog.  

I belong a knitters group associated with several local churches and I knit scarves for homeless people while others knit blankets and twiddlemuffs for care homes, baby clothes for the local neonatal unit or teddy bears for the emergency services.  I'm not sure how many knitters are (loosely) connected with the group but it must be around fifteen to twenty.

Many knitters have a second hobby: acquiring wool or other craft stuff with the excellent intention of making something but somehow that never really happens.  The main result of those projects is a guilty conscience about a Project half Done (PhD), also known as an UnFinished Object (UFO).

So a sale of such things sounded like a good idea and we took a stall at a village fair to raise money to buy thermal clothing for homeless people and toiletries etc. for a women's refuge.  I sent some of my stuff.  Unfortunately I came home with wool for another hat!  Oops!

The first lady to come to the stall didn't buy anything.  Instead she gave a very generous donation and said, "Thank you for doing this.  I had to go to a women's refuge.  I could never thank them enough."

Made me think.

Bye bye, July.

"Magnetism - the line that runs from pole to pole beneath our feet"

I don't do hot!  Cold, I can cope.  Retreat to the hibernaculum, put on a few layers, have a hot drink, cold I can cope.  When it comes to hot there is a limit to how many layers I can remove.

Church-wise I've been a bit busy.  Every Sunday has found me on duty.  Then there was a midweek service, home communion and hosting and co-leading zoom services.  

I've had to visit Louth several times.  Louth is a market town about twenty miles from Caistor.  I'll do some posts about the place soon but here's a photo of a pavement!  Louth stands on the Greenwich Meridian, the intangible line which separates east from west.  I've discovered that there are four markers in Louth: maybe I will find them one day: this one is in the main shopping street.

I've had my usual round of lunches with friends.  Few of my friends live in Caistor so we go out and take advantage of lunchtime deals.  

My friend Diana Carroll has written/edited a collection of materials about love which has been published by Wild Goose Publications and I've been dipping in and out of it.  I also attended the launch (which was on-line) and a reading as part of the Wolds WordFest. 

But if I'm really being honest, what I've done most often is pretty well nothing.  Far too hot.  And I don't do hot.  

Twenty five years ago . . .

  . . . I was Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire. 

The "pirate" behind me is the High Sheriff, next is an usher, the presiding judge is red robed followed by the Chief Constable and a District Judge 

You may not have realised that such people as High Sheriffs exist!  It's one of the oldest  public offices, dating back to well before the Norman conquest.  These days it's very much a ceremonial office.  It's an honour to be chosen and it is unpaid - they can't even claim expenses which are not inconsiderable.  They serve for just one year before handing on to the next person.

The High Sheriff is the King's main representative for law and order in the county and is appointed by the King.  S/he welcomes the High Court judges, s/he encourages respect for the legal system and recognises the work of the police, fire and rescue, ambulance, prison and probation services.  S/he may also spend time visiting charities, youth groups etc.  In everything s/he represents the Crown, attending civic events, remembrance services and royal visits within the county.  They are not judges, they don't run the police service, they have no legal powers.  

And each has a chaplain which is where I came in.  In this county there is a Cathedral service each term in Lincoln for the opening of the Crown Court.  It was my duty to lead the prayers at that service and then process to the nearby courts to witness the formal opening.  I was a little shocked to find myself seated on the bench with the Judge!  The only other duty was to say Grace at lunches when the Sheriff entertained in his official capacity.

It was fun!  It afforded me the opportunity to see the administration of justice from a place which few people have seen.  I watched proceedings from a very privileged place and whenever we retired from the court the judges were very happy to answer my questions and help me understand what was going on (and why).  When my year was complete I left the role with great admiration for the work of the judicial system.

Normanby Hall and Park

It's a long time since I went to Normanby Park.  There are lots of villages in Lincolnshire which are called Normanby and this one is near Scunthorpe.  Today has been a near perfect day so my trundle truck and I paid a visit.

Normanby Hall is an elegant mansion built around 1825.  It stands in a large park with wonderful, shapely, mature trees which have ample space to show off their beauty.  

One of the best things (from my point of view) is the robust paths through some of the woodland.  It is a real treat to be able to ride my trundle truck through woods.  The paths have a hard, man-made surface which means that even if there has been rain, they can still give a wonderful opportunity to wheelchair and mobility scooter users.

This bit is for Kirsten from "Letter from home".  Recently she wrote about some cardoons which had been saved from the builders who are making alterations to her house.  I thought she might like to see the wonderful specimens being grown at Normanby.  

I will be going back to Normanby as I have bought a season ticket but I feel slightly miffed.  They don't have single person tickets, only doubles.  I feel this is another singles "tax".

It's a while since I posted . . .

 . . . so I wondered if you'd like this list I found.  It's things I've found out since I "matured".

I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I’ve learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.

I’ve learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more messed up than you think. .

I’ve learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I’ve learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

(These are from a file which I have had on my pooter for a very long time and some are not my original thoughts.)

Hi, July!

 A whole new month!  I'm still in my salad days  but a new month is still a new month.

I'm booked to take services every Sunday this month.  This is usual for the holiday period.  My friend E and her husband have a narrow boat so they are floating around on a canal somewhere.  I'm not taking all her services as she sometimes does two and I prefer to do just one although I will exert myself in an emergency.  I've also promised to take a midweek service.   Although this is an informal service in a village hall, it takes a lot more preparation than the Sunday jobbies.

A friend has written a book so I am hoping to go to the launch.  

I've got several lunches planned and will enjoy those.

I do not believe that I have shrunk with age, no matter what the ruler at the doctor's surgery says.  Rather, I think the distance down to my feet has increased considerably.  I have therefore decided that someone else can care for my feet for me and I have my first session booked with her.  I'm rather looking forward to that.  

I'm continuing to find UnFinished Objects to donate to the knitters' group stall, raising money to buy various thermal garments for homeless people.  I am rather ashamed of how many I have found but I am rejoicing in getting rid of them.