Monday 28 May 2012

animal!

I'm now back home after a flying visit to London yesterday to help my eldest celebrate his 40th birthday.
When we were all much younger a Saturday tea-time treat was to watch The Muppets and we all had our favourites. Mark's was Kermit but as he grew older and took up drumming his favourite switched to Animal.
Mark and Katie live near the lady who won the 'Bake off' competition and Katie was given the opportunity of having some lessons and this is what she made for Mark! and it tasted wonderful!

Saturday 5 May 2012

for one night only

I have not missed many Baptist Assemblies in recent years, especially when for a few years I was on the committee that discussed the arrangements. When I lived in suburbia I thought it was great when the Assembly was held in London, but now I am in Wales I'm not so sure! Although I have two children who live within a short commute of London they both have cats and I am allergic to them so I can't stay there! and I have never liked traveling home from London in the late evening anyway. The other option is a B&B in London but the cost of that is way out of my league!
So I asked my daughter if she would like to come with me for the Friday evening so that I would feel safe on my journey out of London to a cheaper hotel! Mandie has recently moved but has not, as yet, got the courage to go to the local Baptist church on her own especially as she does not know anyone there. But last summer I met Pete who was leaving college to take up the post of minister at her local church.
Are you still with me...?
As we walked into Westminster Central Hall, immediately in front of us was Pete and his wife! Mandie was duly introduced and she now feels far more comfortable about taking that brave step!
It was lovely to catch up with a couple of friends, albeit very briefly, but I was disappointed not to see C from Glasgow, I know she was there but our paths did not cross.
The evening was superb, from saying thank you to Pat Took for being last year's President to welcoming Chris Duffett as President for this year. I have enjoyed reading about his street evangelism but to hear him talk about it and encourage us was very special. And although what he does seems a million miles away from my ministry, the way it has impacted me, I am sure there will be something that I can take from the inner city and bring to rural Wales!

Tuesday 1 May 2012

I survived

Was it the walk up Cadair Idris or the cycle ride along the Mawddach Trail? No it was being without the internet for ten days! I did have my computer with me so that I could download the day's photos but I did miss keeping in touch with my facebook and blogging friends.
We spent the first five days camped - in our camper-van (plugged into electricity! = fan heater!) at the bottom of Cadair Idris in mid-Wales. On one of the days we planned to walk up to what we termed as base camp! It had been raining hard but it turned to drizzle and there had been some very heavy hail the day before. We had a good walk which included some scrambling up some rocks - really good fun in good weather! But as we had only planned a morning walk, when we reached the snow-line we thought it wise to turn round and re-trace our steps.
Bob took all the photos because my shakes mean blurred photos but I wasn't quite sure if the camera was working properly - hence my quizzical look!
For our second five days we moved camp to just north of Barmouth so that we were near to Cycle Route 8, part of which is the Mawddach Trail which runs along side the Afon Mawddach. But first one has to cross the mouth of the estuary along side the railway on a wooden bridge.
We cycled for nearly two hours reaching a good pub for an excellent meal before returning! My bike has front suspension, for which I was very grateful but cycling over the wooden bridge on a full stomach was not very pleasant!
As you can see from the photos we had very mixed weather. We (he) took lots of photos, including this rather 'arty' one as a friend has a painting just like this!
Last year we had a holiday across the bay and it was fun trying to work out the various coastal towns below the mountains.
Having come home I dread the mountains of washing and although it is all done now, I could do with another holiday!