This is definitely not a holiday!

 

I'm staying with Holly again and this time it is definitely not a holiday! G (Holly's regular human) has gone to visit her family in South Africa so I am here for eighteen nights.

Holly lives about seven miles from my own home, so, when I am here I go home every couple of days to use my wet room and sort whatever needs sorting.  Just after I stepped out of the shower this morning G rang from South Africa (a Mermaid had rung her) to tell me that the header tank in her house had leaked and the house was flooded.  I dashed back and found water running down the walls and stairs and all the electrics had failed.  Oops.

But the response was amazing.  The other two Monday Mermaids were there in minutes with buckets mops and towels.  We got a plumber within the hour and an electrician within two.  Soon the plumbing was repaired and the electricity supply restored for most of the house.  We had even sorted emergency accommodation for Holly Dog if needed!   (If the electricity hadn''t been restored I would not have been able to stay here.)

But I can stay.  The hallway is still soaking wet but I can bypass that.  The central heating won't come on but I have a couple of electric heaters.  People have lent a dehumidifier and a carper shampooer to suck up the water.

But no way could this be called a holiday.

The Tuneless Choir

 

Debbie insists we must breathe!

I am sure that all Brits of a certain age will remember Eric Morecambe telling Andre Previn that he always played the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.  Apparently there are choirs full of Erics.

A Tuneless Choir director came to our Women's Institute today to talk about her singers.  They all come along saying they can't sing but somehow she has formed them into a choir.  Their motto is "Sing like no-one is listening".  I've added a link to their web site.

Debbie used to teach music in schools but since she retired she's been inspiring adults to have a go.  This morning we sang "I have a dream" and, while we won't be singing at The Albert Hall any time soon, we had great fun.  There were a few percussion instruments available and one of our members played her kazoo to add to the general cacophony.

And it was good to hear that their linked charity is Mind, the mental health charity, because choral singing is great for mental health.

Update on jigsaws

As I mentioned last month, Normanby Church will be having a jigsaw display as part of the West Lindsey Open Churches Weekend.  And jigsaws are being completed at an amazing rate.

A friend and I hard at work

Last month we had a jigsaw afternoon in a local village hall and about twenty people joined together to complete various puzzles.  It was a real success as quite a few people who live alone (and feel lonely) came along and had three hours puzzling and chatting.  So often older people (me included) can feel a little useless, but everyone knew they had made a valued contribution to a fundraiser for a much-loved village church as well as having a lovely afternoon being fed tea and cakes.  

People have also taken jigsaws home to complete.  I'm dog sitting this week and there's a puzzle which has been left half-done on the dining room table as well as the one I brought with me.

An unusually shaped jigsaw

I was very doubtful about having a jigsaw display as part of the festival as it seemed a very laborious way of raising a little money but I have to admit that it is very successful as a social activity.

The jigsaws will be displayed in the church on the boards we have done them on and most will be available for sale.  

Tea and yarns

 I went to my favourite tea room in Brigg today, Shipley's Curiositeas.  It's vaguely World War II themed but whatever the decor, the food and drink is delicious and home cooked.

There was a glorious hanging basket outside.  

There was a poster advertising the yarn bombing in the window but Curiositeas has itself been yarn bombed.  

And a knitted afternoon tea inside!

The (Indoor) tree in March

 It was still a bit parky at the beginning of February so I left the woolly hats from January on the tree.  We've recently had several lovely days here and, whilst I don't think winter is over, I am happy to redecorate the tree.

March is, for me, St Patrick's month, as his day is 17th March, so I have gone for a Irish theme. 

St Patrick famously used a shamrock to explain the Trinity so shamrock became his emblem.  Somehow, though, the shamrock has morphed into a four leaf clover!  It was quite hard to find trefoils to decorate my tree.  Anyway, I found some proper shamrock (not this aberration!) mixed in with leprechaun hats and pots of gold at the end of rainbows.  

Happy Birthday!

 

It's Jack's birthday.  He has come to visit me as he knows he will get one of his favourite breakfasts (bacon butties) if he comes here.

That might look like some sort of chocolate cake to you, but Jack had said he didn't want a cake.  Instead I made a batch of ducks and put birthday candles in them.  He was quite happy with that.

I also knitted him a new hat so he can proclaim himself to be a supporter of Lincoln City.  And that book he's holding is the history of Lincoln City Football Club.  They are doing rather well this season.

Happy Birthday, Jack.

(He's 83.  I was probably not supposed to tell you that.  Tee hee.)

Brigg's been yarn bombed again!

 Yesterday afternoon was the loveliest afternoon since last summer so I decided to run a few errands.  Including going to Brigg.  What a lovely surprise!

Royal Mail has taken on a Dalek to collect the post.

The pub is offering woolly hospitality.  (Non Brits: "Walkers" is a leading brand of crisps/chips.)

The snake seems to be thirsty too.

All season hanging baskets.

The last one is my favourite.  It might not look much to you but four elderly gentlemen sit on this bench each morning, sipping coffee and watching the world go by.  They are a bit of a local landmark.  Somebody has captured them perfectly in crochet.  

Alzheimer's disease

When I went to the COWs lunch yesterday I sat next to a lady who has Alzheimer's disease.  She is a wonderful woman: she has been a headteacher and a magistrate but that dreadful disease is robbing her of her dignity.    Another friend fetches her from home and we sit either side of her, making sure H doesn't wander off or purloin the cutlery.   The other ladies are glad she can still come but are also glad that someone else will sit next to her and take care of her.

Today I am going out to lunch with another friend who also has Alzheimer's.  J isn't as far advanced with the disease as is H but the conversation may become a little bizarre.

I have other friends whom I would like to visit but I just send cards or letters or make phone calls.  I wish I could do more, but the bottom line is that the person's for whose health I have most responsibility, is me.  

Please don't think I spend all my life as a ministering angel, but I have also been a carer myself for someone with dementia and I remember the gratitude and relief I felt when someone else visited and gave me a little time for myself.  It's just that two such meetings occurred on consecutive days and they have left me thinking.  I know my friend is slipping away and I want us to make the most of each other for as long as we can.  

I have to admit there is quite a bit of selfishness in this: I hope that if the time comes when I am housebound, others will remember and care about me.  

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.   

Candlemas

 

Candlemas is tomorrow but many churches will mark it today.  It’s the day when we remember Jesus’s first visit to the temple when he was just forty days old. 

Candlemas marks a gentle turning point in the Christian year.  It was an end to the seclusion following his birth and the start "getting on with life".  And we see the faithfulness of  an old man and an old woman.   Simeon and Anna each saw hope fulfilled in this child.  There isn’t the noisy joy of Christmas with angels and shepherds and magi but rather a quiet joy showing their trust.

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:

your word has been fulfilled.

My own eyes have seen the salvation

which you have prepared in the sight of every people;

A light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.

 But Simeon went on to say that the child would bring great change and would cause his mother to suffer. His words remind us that this light will reveal hearts and bring both joy and cost. Candlemas invites us to reflect on how we carry that light.

(If you want to read the story, it is in Luke, chapter 2, verses 22 to 38)

 

Over!

Thirty days hath September,

April, June and November.

Unless a leap year is its fate,

February hath twenty-eight.

All the rest hath three days more,

excepting January,

which hath six thousand,

one hundred and eighty-four.

 Brian Bilston 

Yes, I know I've used this before but I still love it!

Oomph

Oomph, or rather the lack of it, has long been at the heart of my problem with winter.  It's the season when my when my Get-Up-and-Go goes on holiday  It's not that I have nothing to do - far from it! - but I can't work up enthusiasm for doing any of it.  

But the surprising thing is that it is all OK.  I didn't feel guilty, I just didn't do much!  I didn't worry about it, I didn't let it get me down.  I just listened to familiar audiobooks and did my knitting and enjoyed meals I had previously batch cooked.  

I think that my hibernaculum project has "given me permission" to be like this.  I don't need to judge myself.  I have time to love myself.  I can tell myself "This too shall pass" but I don't need to speed it on its way.

I don't know why I wrote about the lack of oomph in the past tense: today is another knitting and audiobook time.  Hope you too are having a contented day.

A word I knew already!

 

"The gifts of winter" by Stephanie Fitzgerald has introduced me to some wonderful new words but today I want to think about a word I knew already.  Self.

I didn't expect to find Self among her "words of winter" but there it is.  At first I just skimmed past it but I found I had to go back, re-read and think.  

Dr Fitzgerald suggests that winter is the season of the self.  She calls us to consider self-love, self-compassion, self-connection.  It's a time for us to give ourselves permission to focus on ourselves and to permit ourselves to be authentic.  We can get caught up in the busy-ness of life but the slower rhythms of winter give us the opportunity (as I mentioned yesterday) of making sure our bodies and souls are in harmony.

Father, thank you for making me just as I am.

Thank you for my uniqueness and purpose.

Help me to value who you created me to be

and to use my life to honour you.  Amen.

A word from Japan

Yutori, as "The Gifts of Winter" tells me, is a Japanese word meaning space or room to breathe.  

Winter is a good time to slow down, forget rushing (especially when Christmas has been and gone) and appreciate the world around us.  That sounds like the very essence of winter in my hibernaculum.  It's a time of very deliberate slowing down and making sure my body and soul are comfortable with each other.  

The Japanese even have the concept of yutori education, with more integrated study time and less curriculum content. The aim is to balance intellectual, moral, and physical education.  

Another word

Finding lovely new words has been one of the joys of this winter.  I wouldn't have the time (or maybe even the inclination) to relish words in the summer.  And Stephanie Fitzgerald's book "The Gifts of winter" has introduced me to another word, trygghet.

Trygghet is a Swedish word and it's about a feeling of safety and security, especially when the weather outside is "challenging".  Coming in from weather like that it's lovely to give a deep sigh and relax.  Yesterday was a miserable rainy day here and I was so glad to shut the front door and settle in front of my (electric with flame effect) fire.  

Words

 Sorry about my absence - I've been a bit short on "oomph" the last few days.

But I've been reading "The Gifts of Winter" by Stephanie Fitzgerald.  So far I have found this to be the most helpful book for me.  And she has introduced me to a new word - confelicity.  Isn't it a lovely word!

And it's a lovely concept.  It describes the joy we can feel at someone else's happiness.

I've noticed several people trying to reframe winter for themselves, rather like my hibernaculum project.  Sue from Suffolk wrote about a local hibernaculum and Sam wrote her winter thoughts.  In my quiet, rather pensive days, I have found joy in their explorations too.

Deliberately seeking joy in someone else's happiness is a delightful thing to do  so I shall cultivate confelicity.  

It's Winnie the Pooh Day!

That's what Alexa told me when I wished her Good Morning today.

A A Milne was born on this day in 1882.  He was already an established writer for "Punch" and as a playwright when a teddy bear appeared in poetry from the early 1920's.  The bear's name didn't appear until 1925 and was the used in the "Winnie the Pooh" collection of stories published in 1926.  Winnie was named after the female black bear called Winnipeg who lived in London Zoo.  

I was brought up on the two Pooh Bear collections ("Winnie the Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner") with the charming illustrations by E H Shepard which I still prefer to the rather garish Disney jobbies.  These days I still enjoy Alan Bennet's slightly lugubrious readings as an audiobook.  I think my favourite story is "In Which Tigger Comes to the Forest and Has Breakfast" which Alexa often reads to me at bedtime.  Not that I am a big kid, though!

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favourite day,” said Pooh.

Waste Not!

 I'm doing a low spend January and trying to eat some of the stuff squirrelled away in my freezer and cupboards, but today I felt I had to get some bits and pieces.

While I was in Lidl I got one of their Waste Not! boxes.  For as long as I can remember these boxes have been £1.50 but they've recently gone up to £2.  Two Whole Pounds.  Anyway, I bought one and this is what I got.  

That's a bag of potatoes

One avocado,

Net of satsumas.

Three leeks

One cauliflower

One bag of carrots

Two different varieties of tomatoes

Bunch bananas.

 The bananas need to be eaten soon and one of the tomatoes has gone into the bin but still pretty good.   January continues low spend!

Update.  I have costed this at around £12 for full price vegetables.  

 

The (Indoor!) Tree in January

 

It was only when I started to write this post that I realised that I have two "monthly" trees.  There's the tree at Holly Dog's house and the tree in my sitting room.  

Several years ago I bought the tree in the sitting room as a Christmas decoration but it got left out so I decided it could be a seasonal tree with (I hope) something different each month.  In August it was bees.  September I moved on to squirrels, pumpkins and hedgehogs.  They were a bit late up so they stayed for October too but in November I went for a Scottish theme of thistles in honour of St Andrew's Day.   December I didn't show you but it was just baubles as part of the general Christmas decorations.  

But in my stocking I got some little hats to hang on my Christmas tree.  I thought they would be just the job for January.  

An Inspection!

 

As I've said many times, I have a wonderful landlord.  It's a charity which lets houses only to retired Anglican clergy so tenants are very well vetted before they move in!

Anyway, one of the ways they are wonderful is that all houses are inspected regularly so they can plan maintenance and improvements.  Personally I think my house is fantastic anyway: occasionally I have minor niggles but when I complain everything gets sorted.

But yesterday was The Inspection.  It happens about every five years.  I don't have to do anything other than make sure the surveyor can access everywhere he wants to access.  And I make him a cup of tea.  And feel slightly embarrassed as Annie-the-home-enhancer hasn't been since before Christmas.  

For me one of the joys of getting older has been that the world actually feels less critical – or maybe I no longer care so much!  Even when my house is inspected I can’t get terribly worried about it.

Half time in the hibernaculum

 I started my hibernaculum project on my birthday, back in October, and plan to finish on Easter Sunday.  That's a total of 165 days.  Today is the halfway point and seems like a good time for a review.

First things first.  Why did I start this project?  What do I want from it?  Well it seemed to me that I have spent the last few years wishing several months of each year would get out of the way so I could enjoy the summer.  I wouldn't say I have seasonal affective disorder, but I definitely get the winter blues.  I decided I had to change my expectations of winter.  I didn't want to dread it, feeling that I wanted it over.  I wanted to make it a good time, maybe as good as summer, but in a different way.

I'm not alone in feeling this way.  Since I started to make an effort to think differently about winter I have found quite a lot of books and newspaper articles on how to winter.  The main thrust seems to be to get out into nature, enjoy time with friends, and be cosy at home.  Getting out is a bit tricky as I increase my pain levels if I get cold but I do my best.  I make sure I have meet-ups with friends at least once a week in person and I use video calling a lot.  I have definitely made my home much cosier with a new fire and lots of LED candles (which I have kept out even though I have put the Christmas stuff away)  as well as throws for when I am sitting down.

But it was the discovery of the word "hibernaculum" which has had the most unexpected effect.  It has helped with my mindset and made this into a very positive period.  I'm not using it in its usual modern sense of a place where animals hibernate (humans can't hibernate) but rather its original sense of winter quarters for soldiers.  It was where they took time out from looting and pillaging and instead trained, maintained their equipment, did a bit of socialising and probably a bit of thinking while they relaxed.  I'm never into looting and pillaging but I have a home to maintain, things to learn and a social life to pursue. 

I still feel much more lethargic than in summer.  I sometimes look at cold drizzly days and long for June.  So many things need to be done!  However, so far, I think the hibernaculum project is a success.  I think that I may even be enjoying the winter.  

Normanby le Wold

I go to Normanby quite often as that is where Holly Dog lives.  Although my little canine friend doesn't come to church, a lot of people do.  There's just one service each month and people from other villages without a service that day make their way to St Peter's.  This means that we have 20-30 people worshipping in a village with a population of about 50.

Other people also come to Normanby.  It's on The Viking Way (a long distance footpath) and the church is open every day.  There are bottles of spring water provided for walkers to take if they need it.  

This Sunday I sat in a pew but for the next few months I shall be in the vicar's stall.  They always make me very welcome at Normanby.  

Like many old churches Normanby has a few "gems".  Somebody's toothache was recorded for posterity!

O Almighty God, who through Jesus Christ gave Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commanded him to feed your flock: help all ministers preach your holy word truly and all your people to follow it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy to be indoors!

 

I hadn't planned on going out today which is fortunate as we have a covering of the white stuff and a not-very-hot forecast.  The covering is very light but it's still snowing now.  Lincolnshire has escaped the harsh weather which has affected so many areas but, even so, I am happy to stay in my hibernaculum.

As a child I used to long for snowy days.  I don't remember our school ever being closed because of bad weather.  We weren't allowed to play snowballs in the playground but sometimes we could build snowmen.  The school rule was that we had to have indoor shoes whatever the weather, so our wet shoes would be abandoned in the cloakroom.  The minimum heating would be 60F or 15.6C which would be reckoned as rather cold today.  

The first winter I lived in Caistor (2010/11) we had very heavy snow and delivery services didn't come into our little cul de sac.  I had lived in a village which had problems every time we had snow, so I have always had a good pantry, but after three weeks the menu had become "unusual".  Even today I have a very good supply of tinned food and a picnic stove in case we have power cuts.  I would hate to have to open the freezer and let the cold air out!

Planning on being Plan B

I consider that my ministry these days is to be Plan B.  I don't want to lead worship every week but I want to lead occasionally.  I want to make sure that other clergy can have the occasional break and that they don't have to worry when they are ill.  I've been leading worship for nearly forty years so I can take a service at the drop of a hat.

But sometimes things are better planned than that.  At the end of this month my friend E is going on an eleven week cruise so I will be on duty quite  a few Sundays.  E is also a volunteer: she was a divisional highways engineer in her "working" life but is now almost full time in ministry.  When she's away I step into the breach for quite a lot of the worship leadership and pastoral care.  

I will not be alone.  This group of churches has a newly accredited lay minister who will be sharing services with me.  

And no minister is ever alone.  The One in whose name we minister is always alongside us

Learning

One of the things those Roman soldiers of old did in their hibernaculum was to train.  My equivalent is to learn.

I'm a member of the Women's Institute and the National Federation of Women's Institutes has a great learning hub.  Anyone can do their courses but if you are a WI member, most courses are free.  Most weeks I do at least one session and in the winter I do far more.  yesterday I excelled myself and did two in one day.  

The first was on odes by Keats.  I've got to admit that my knowledge of Keats doesn't go much beyond "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness".  I can't say I will be buying myself a new book of poems as a result of listening to this talk but I certainly feel more interested and may check out a few more writings by Keats. 

Yesterday evening I joined in the monthly drawing session.  We are not talking detailed masterpieces here: it's more about getting a sheet of paper and your felt tip pens and doing a bit of mindfulness.  I quite like the class as each of us is in our own homes.  There's no comparison with anyone else, we each do our own thing with the instructor's help.  Yesterday she had prepared a picture of part of a crab apple hedge for us to copy.  

Calling all maulifuffs!

 

Back in October I called all maulifuffs* to stand proudly together.  A few of you took time out from being busy doing nothing and signed up. 

December is not a good month to be a maulifuff but if you managed it, have a gold star.  For myself, I am quite proud of how little I achieved, but I have no partner, children or grandchildren.  I took a couple of services though which reduces my maulifuffing score which I am far too lazy to calculate anyway.  By the way, if there are men in your life, I have discovered they can be maulibums (or so Susie Dent from Dictionary Corner says).

January is a month which can make or break us.  New Year resolutions and all that.   For maulifuffs it is fine to make them, better to break 'em.  

*If you haven't a clue what I am on about you may like to know that maulifuff is an old Scottish word for a woman devoid of energy, who would happily do nothing for hours on end.