They made me smile

 It was an ordinary visit to an ordinary garden centre which has a rather nice Christmas display.

A little girl, probably two, maybe three years old, was enchanted by these animated figures.  I'm none too sure what they are but they were singing "We wish you a Merry Christmas".  She was listening and watching, totally rapt.  Each time the song came to an end she pressed the button again and gave the biggest grin as the figures again launched into the song and she danced for sheer joy.  She made me smile.  

I'm a bit of a nuisance in many people's eyes when I drive around on my trundle truck, but when I said "Sorry" to one elderly gentleman he gave me a deep courtly bow and said, "It is my pleasure".  He made me smile.  

And then I met George, a rather large labrador retriever.  George is not keen on cars.  He was refusing to get into his owner's car so he had to be lifted in.  George is large.  His struggling owner is my nephew.  George definitely made me smile.  I don't think I am a very nice person.

Lest we forget

 

Maulifuff check in

I've been wondering for several days how the maulifuffs who read my blog are getting on.  But, as a good maulifuff myself, that's all I've been doing.  I'm now writing a post because really I should be sorting a cupboard, but when I opened the cupboard door I remembered my sister maulifuffs and decided they would be very happy to be my excuse for walking away from the cupboard.

Maulifuff?     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. 

Winter is the best time of the year for maulifuffing, I have found.  Christmas preparations are a bit of a challenge for us but we get around the festive season with varying degrees of success.  

Writing and drawing

Let's get one thing straight from the beginning - I can neither draw nor paint.  I am very much a wannabe artist.  But that is the whole point - I WANT to express myself with paint, pencils, inks etc.

So I have decided to do a hand written journal during this hibernaculum period.  I've bought a really lovely A5 spiral bound book to write and draw in.  And I have decided to do one drawing each day.

Once a month I join in "Drawing Club" which is a Women's  Institute on line course.  It could more accurately be called "Drawing for People Who Can't" and the instructor gives very detailed instructions on copying a drawing which she has done.  Even better it is then made available as a recording so I can go back and try again if I want to.  Usually the drawing is done in felt tips, surely the least intimidating drawing implement as most of us associate it with children.  The October picture of pumpkins however was done with colouring pencils.

This month's picture again uses felt tips or rather a felt tip for it is monochrome.  I found that quite relaxing.  

I have also decided to draw some sort of picture every day in my journal and I have to work that out for myself.  So far I have mostly used colouring pencils.  I've drawn big pictures and then written the narrative for the day over the picture.  It makes each page more interesting.  Yesterday I drew a loaf of bread for that was what I had been cooking.  Another day was a design of cups and saucers as a friend had been and we had downed a lot of coffee.

I won't be showing you my journal pages!

News from the hibernaculum

 Life is rather more indoors now, especially as I have caught a cold.  That wasn't my best idea of the season but as has often been said, stuff happens.

I've been staying in since Sunday and really haven't felt like doing much.  My birthday cards are still up and I feel that the cards and the candles make for a cheery note in my sitting room.  I shall soon fringe the scarves which you can see piled up, and then they can go off to the Salvation Army in Grimsby.  I don't feel up to card making or sewing but I'm picking up my knitting occasionally.

The only thing I feel like eating is toast and Marmite.  And, sad to say, instant soups.  Getting soup out of the freezer has felt too much like hard work but may happen today or tomorrow.  

And I'm compiling an order for some roses, including one called "The Country Parson" which is a gift from Jack.  Thank you Jack but don't think that is the only one you will be planting.  

A day together

 My cousin S has an elderly uncle who lives in North Norfolk about a hundred miles from here.  Every month S drives to Norfolk to visit him, a routine which takes a whole day.  Yesterday was Uncle William's 91st birthday so S wanted to see him and she invited me along for the ride.  

Wells next the Sea

We left home at around 8am and got back at about 6pm.  We had a coffee stop along the way and then S left me in Wells next the Sea while she went to the care home to spend some time with her uncle.  The plan had been that I would wander around Wells but the weather drove me into a cafe overlooking the haven to drink a very nice hot chocolate and watch the world go by.

On our way home we had a late lunch at Walsingham, sometimes known as England's Nazareth and then she paid a brief visit to the shrine (my feet couldn't manage that) while I had a second coffee.  Then home with another coffee stop on the way.

Walsingham

That sounds like a pretty boring day, just sitting in a car with brief stops for coffee but I really enjoyed it.  There is something very conducive to conversation about sitting together in a car.  I rarely spend a whole day with just one person.  Satnav meant we didn't have to worry about the route most of which S knows well anyway.  We just chatted and enjoyed each other's company.

Birthday flowers

 One of the lovely things at the start of my hibernaculum time is the glorious flowers I get for my birthday.  Here's a few of them.

Even the bee couldn't resist these

And these beauties arrived in the post too.

A pretty good birthday

A prayer for the quiet times (maybe for the hibernaculum)

 Loving God,

Teach me to slow down in a world that is always rushing.

Help me to lay aside the things that can wait,

to stop striving,

to quiet my busy mind,

and to breathe in the peace of your presence.

May I learn to move at the pace of grace,

to find joy in the quiet moments,

and to trust that the world will keep turning

even when I stop pedalling.

For you are my refuge and my rest,

my peace in the busyness,

and my companion in the stillness.

Help me, Lord, to do less, to be more,

and to rest in the knowledge that I am held in your love.

Amen.