Back to Eden 1

There are some welcomes that you remember for ever and the welcome I had at Eden Project a few days ago was truly memorable!

The welcome from the humans was good - but the welcome from the birds was great.  I decided to have a late breakfast of coffee and Danish in the terrace restaurant in the Mediterranean biome and I soon had several twittering friends demanding their share.

The cheekiest of course was the robin.  He came right up to the plate.

The blackbirds weren't far behind.  The females especially were very determined to get their share and they saw off several other feathered diners.  

Shyest of my table companions were the finches.  For a long time they sat on nearby chairs and watched the shemozzle at the table but when the others weren't looking they too came and shared my Danish pastry.

The waitress told me that the birds had been born in the biome and never left it.  I felt that I was the guest, invited to the birds' table but that it was a bring-and-share meal.

I have to confess I had a second Danish - but only because I wanted to share it with the birds.  Honest

Sorry!

No posts for a few days.  Things are happening.  Life and all that.  But it's all nice!

Clerk in Holy Orders

For twenty five years now I have been a Clerk in Holy Orders.  What an old fashioned ring that has but it is the legal description of my profession.  For on this day in 1990 I knelt before the Bishop in Leicester Cathedral for him to lay his hands on my head and pray that the Holy Spirit would equip me for the work of a Deacon in the Church of God.

Leicester Cathedral

It had been a long journey and I had a lot of rejections on the way but I was sure that God was calling me and eventually I was accepted.  By that time I had already been a Lay Worker for nearly three years and the lovely parishioners had passed a resolution asking the Bishop to ordain me.  What a wonderful affirmation!  I was (and am) truly blessed.

Nearly four years later I was ordained priest but I will always be a deacon too.  Deacons are literally servants and their can be no higher calling than to follow the Master who came not to be served but to serve.

I'm not going to pretend that these twenty five years have been years of uniform delight.  At times they have been very tough but I have never had any doubt that God has called me to this work.  

When I was preparing for ordination a verse of a hymn was with me constantly.  I share it with you.

Jesus, confirm my heart's desire

to work and speak and think for thee.

Still let me guard the holy fire

and still stir up thy gift in me.

He's been!

Thirteen weeks today "He's Been! might refer to a gent with a white beard and a red costume, but today at Frugal Follies, the “he” in question, is the great Jack.

Whenever he comes it feels as though a whirlwind has parked in my little bungalow.  Today he was very busy.

A heart shaped potato makes a change from strangely shaped carrots

He painted the swing with another coat of preservative.

He planted some leeks

He outed the runner beans, the sweet peas and quite a few other things

He pruned the lavender.  
He painted a door

He dug the remaining potatoes.

He sorted out the veg patch.

He weeded quite a lot of garden.

Sabbath joy

We decided what he would do when he comes while I am away.

He drank quite a lot of tea.

And he ate a hook-free dinner including a very special potato.

And I am shattered.

But I have these last few sweet peas to enjoy on my Sabbath.

OK. That's the third time this month.

Yup, I've been to Mandy'd today.  We made four cards but I've sent one already.  Sorry about that.

Anyway, here's the remaining three.  

 

And as well as making four cards I had a lovely morning with four other ladies.  

Quickest of quick updates

Just to let you know that I saw the eye consultant who prescribed medication and the pain is now gone!  Monday night I could have torn my head off but life is wonderful again.  My vision is slightly blurred still but I go to the hospital again next week.

Thank you for your concern.

More cards

I've been getting out very little these last few days as my eye continues to be very uncomfortable.  I'm hoping to see a specialist tomorrow so I should get sorted out a bit then.

However, I haven't been totally idle.  I've been to Mandy's!  And here are the results.  

A simple card

Faux embossing

Cascade card

embossing and die-cutting

 As you can see it was a blue-and-white Christmas theme.  I really like all four but I think my favourite is the one I have called "Embossing and die-cutting" although it was not without difficulties.  I think I may try one or two more additions to the cascade card.

Once again thank you Mandy

Thursday is wonderful

I am a bit pathetic this week but don't worry - I don't need sympathy! 

 I've had a slightly gritty sensation in my eye on and off for several weeks and on Monday my eye became rather bloodshot and watery.  I've been to the doc who assures me that there is nothing seriously wrong so I'm just being quiet at home.

Except on Tuesday.  Tuesday I squawked.  The reason - I was preparing an avocado and I managed to stab myself in the hand.  The blood flow was quite startling!  Anyway I've sorted that and now have a suitably dramatic dressing on my left hand.

So with only one good hand and poor eyesight I was a bit limited as to how to spend my time.  One of my great pleasures in life is audiobooks.  A good book is great.  A good book read by an excellent reader is my idea of bliss.  So Wednesday I settled down to listen to a whodunit.  What could possibly go wrong?

The fire alarm went off.  After ten seconds it stopped.  Two minutes later I got a repeat performance.  Then two minutes later the same thing happened.  After the twelfth repetition I rang for help which arrived a couple of hours later.

So today is truly wonderful.  The house is quiet.  My hand no longer hurts.  My vision is still a bit iffy but my eyes don't hurt.  And I can sit and listen to my book.   Who knew silence could be so wonderful.