a bit of an update

I can remember where I was when my previous photo on this blog was taken - in the back garden when I was visiting my new grandboy who was a week old - he is now three and a half! I also felt it was time for a new layout.
We usually have a quiet Christmas but this year the run up to Christmas was even quieter.
A bug has been going around our village with many people saying they have the flu - but those who have previously had the flu know that if you can get out of bed to pick up a twenty pound note outside - you have not got the flu!
I could get out of bed and could do a certain amount but having pushed myself to go to a conference at the end of November and instead spent the day in bed in a hotel room. I then knew I had to cancel everything and get better.
So I didn't go to the Book Club Christmas party, the Rural Churches Advent service, the village Christmas fair, the Coffee Club Christmas dinner or visit two grandboys. But my biggest disappointment was to miss the funeral of my cousin who died one day short of her 58th birthday from MS. 
I last saw Judith seven years ago when I took my Mum up to mid Wales to meet with Judith and my Aunt. In her younger days Judith learnt to fly and when we met up was still able to drive but needed to use a wheelchair to get around as did my Mum. The four of us had a very giggly lunch together and then my Aunt in her 70's suggested that we had a race back to our cars but we did manage to control ourselves and push the wheelchairs and their occupants back in a respectful manner!
We are secure in the knowledge that Judith is now free from all pain, with her Dad and wonder if she can now fly without the aid of an aeroplane!

Sarah and Paul 25 years ago

I met her in the summer
she was beautiful
Some said she knew it
Sarah was American
with long curly auburn hair.

I met him in the autumn
I called him, her beloved -
they talked of marriage.
Paul was American -
so handsome.

During the autumn months
we shared many moments.
Watching a fashion show video,
talked about we should wear,
Discussed the Last Temptation of Christ
Laughed together while dressing up
Exchanged ideas over meals.
How funny they were taking the mickey out of Jim and Tammy Baker.

They flew home for Christmas
They have been front page news for the last week.

They loved Jesus

They live on in my memories,
in my photograph album and on my video, 
modelling and acting on a Christmas Celebration -

"Hello Jesus - Let me introduce myself"

written 29th December 1988

I was sixteen...

in 1963. I was still at school doing my 'O' levels. I had already taken maths and english in the fifth form (failing english!) but timetable was such that I was able to do most of my homework in spare periods which suited me just fine.
It was a great time, the Beatles were becoming very famous but it still took a few weeks for their singles to reach number one - after that they reached number one before anyone was able to buy the record one pre-release sales.
That week in November 'She loves you' was number two with Gerry and the Pacemakers 'You'll never walk alone' in the top slot. It went on to become the anthem of Liverpool football club.
Each year our church had a youth outreach weekend with events on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
I arrived at the church hall with my friend who noticed that one of the lads was leaning against the wall looking rather shell-shocked. She asked him what was wrong to be told the Kennedy had been shot - it was some time before we learnt that he had been killed instantly. But being youth, most of us were able to carry on and enjoy the evening.

During the week our family would sit down to dinner in the dining room but at weekends Mum would prepare a wonderful 'high' tea, served on the large coffee table while we would listen to the football results and then watch the TV. So I saw it; the very first Doctor Who and have been an avid follower, especially since it was re-born with Christopher Eccleston.
My favourite Doctors? its a difficult choice between the earlier Jon Pertwee and Peter Davidson but overall it has to be David Tennant.
That final year at school was the best of my school life, I was studying subjects that I enjoyed along with being able to sew in the evenings and I made friends with whom I have never lost touch but I will never forget that weekend.

I'm reviewing the situation

Every so often in my life, I have stopped and thought about the things I'm doing and the things I want to do and realising that there are not 25 hours in each day and 8 days in each week and I need my sleep, something has to go.
The last time was back in 2009 when I stepped down from the Baptist Union Council and from being a member of the planning committee of 'Men Women and God'. This made way for my calling to be the minister of Zoar Baptist Chapel.
Way back, I was accused by my minister of never staying at one thing - but then I was a mother of two small boys and life for a mother as they grow up is constantly changing.
I have now told the folk at Zoar that I wish to cut back on the number of times I preach during the year. At the moment I 'do' the 1st and 3rd Sundays, taking holidays when it is a 'five Sunday' month. Next year, there will be some months when I only preach on the 1st Sunday, giving me a long break in which to walk the hills, finish decorating the house and do further research into the life of Mrs Spurgeon. I have nearly finished an article - it just needs a few tweeks - and hopefully it will be accepted for publication by the Baptist Quarterly.
I also wondered about pulling out from our village book club as it takes up a morning when I would otherwise be writing a sermon. But we had such a good time discussing The Richard Burton Diaries this morning that I have decided that it is too good to miss.

harvest festival

When I first arrived at this little chapel I was warned that it was like stepping back in time thirty years but I was quite happy with that. I use the pulpit, wear a dog collar on special occasions and we have a 'hymn sandwich' service. Thirty years ago at the suburban church I attended it was decided that we should no longer decorate the church and bring along our baskets of fruit and vegetables for the Harvest Festival - no-one seemed to want them afterwards - all the Old People's Homes were overwhelmed with so much produce from so many churches that they could not use. So we were asked to bring tins and if my memory serves me right - used tins with money inside!
Here at Zoar we still celebrate Harvest in a big way, especially as it is a farming community and this year the farmers are very happy, having had an excellent harvest.
Apologies for the quality of the photo - it has come to me via a pc onto my mac and gone blurry but there is corn and fruit and vegetables, bread, eggs, coal and salt along with flowers on every window sill. 
After the service, flowers were sent to those unable to attend and the vegetables were taken to make soup, apples taken to make pies, other fruit to make fruit salad ready for our Harvest Lunch on Saturday. We have quite a reputation for our Harvest Lunch and others come from out-lying chapels and the Vicar comes from up the road and no-one will need to eat for the rest of the day after the four-course meal of soup, salad with ham and meat and/or a veggie quiche, dessert and cheese and biscuits, tea and coffee! The flowers and the remaining fruit and vegetables will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society). There will be much fun and laughter.

they are not called Lakes...

Thursday 12th Sept.

...most of them are referred to as Waters or Meres.  We are now camped just outside Hawkshead which is just north of Esthwaite Water which is situated between Windermere and Coniston Water. Hawkshead was heaving with tourists this morning - we tend not to think of ourselves as tourists! as we used to live on the outskirts of the Lake District. It seems that most people come to look at the quaint houses dating back to at least the 15th century along with where William Wordsworth went to school and many ‘shops’ about Beatrix Potter who lived very near here and was inspired to write and illustrate her books as well as help to start the National Trust and she made sure that the breed of Herdwick sheep survived. Sorry no photos of sheep, but they are grey and have fluffy legs so look more like large dogs!

Most tourists are unlikely to know that they are only a short walk away from a beautiful quiet ‘lake’ with a swan with its cygnets and about fifty mallard ducks - no boats, no people, just a few cars on the road on the opposite side of the lake. It was so peaceful.

Our walk to the village entails tramping across fields which are often edged with large pieces of slate, the look and size of tombstones! very applicable for the churchy boundary!

Heard on the news today that the Church of Wales has voted in favour of Women Bishops, Yippee!

Friday13th Sept.

Today we opted for a walk away from the crowds up into Grizedale Forest, our aim being to reached an un-named little water. On the way I saw lots of blackberries which were not quite ripe and remembered waking early and listening to the farming programme on Radio4 - there had been a scientific experiment comparing blackberries picked along-side urban roads, rural roads and those bought in a supermarket. The result was that they all had a certain amount of chemicals in them but there was not that much difference. Their conclusion was that it was quite safe to eat roadside blackberries - whereas my conclusion is don’t buy supermarket berries - only eat those from hedgerows well away from any road!

We reached the little water... it was so quiet and still, as you can see from the reflection of the trees - and we were the only people there!

Beautiful!

Wonderful!

Saturday 14th Sept.

We got on our bikes and cycled to the southern end of Esthwaite Water, where we sat on the shore eating cake! As a diabetic, the expending of lots of energy walking up hills and cycling means I can indulge in very fruity home-made cake.

A passing swan but without cygnets made the picture complete.

moving on

Tomorrow we leave the club campsite with all its facilities including wifi and go to the centre of the Lakes near Hawkshead where we will be staying on a 'certified' site, which means we should be one of only five campers on a very quiet site.

After our last visit to Gretchen on Friday afternoon, I again felt tired but not exhausted, but I also had a deep feeling of calm which has stayed with me and it is still there! although I do still have my tremor but I can at least eat my dinner with a knife and fork instead of a spoon which has been happening recently!

We have been taking things very easily over the weekend - no strenuous walks - but a gentle stroll this morning on the shore of the Esk estuary. This photo was taken last year, but the weather was just the same this morning, except for a few clouds until we got back to the camper when the heavens once again opened! We think the posts originally held up fishing nets but today often hold up washing lines!