New Shoes and Coffee Cake

Check me out!

2010-03-25T11:44:00.002Z

I got up early this morning and was in the swimming pool by 7.15am. Yes that's a fitness related activity before work. Admittedly, it was a struggle to get up but well worth the effort. I feel great (and I didn't feel guilty when I had a piece of cake with my coffee at 11am!).
Love
The Smug One

Who's in your garden?

2010-03-19T12:11:00.003Z

We had a pheasant in the garden the other day.
How exciting!!
Didn't manage to take a photo but this picture is pretty much spot on. Beautiful aren't they?!

17th March 2010

2010-03-16T14:19:00.002Z

I know I'm a day early with this, but tomorrow is a public holiday (hurrah!!) so we're off on a day trip to the wild north west corner of Ireland where "remote access" means a muddy dirt track and the internet is unknown. Bliss.
Happy St Patrick's Day to you all!

Forgive...and forget

2010-03-11T16:49:00.006Z

We had a really good home group last night led by me, though that's not why it was great! (On that point, I got an awful shock when I arrived at the lady's house where it was being held. There were cars parked everywhere. Could it be that the whole church had come to the study?! Actually no! There is a primary school near by and the cars belonged to the parents attending the school's concert. Phew....)

Where was I..? Yes, the study. It was on John 21 and the theme of forgiveness and we had a great discussion which I shan't go into in detail here. However I was really challenged by a couple of things which might give you pause for thought:- 1. I find it relatively easy to forgive people but do I actually forget what they've asked forgiveness for or do I store it up in the back of my mind ready to cast up at them (maybe only in my head) at a later date? 2. When I offer forgiveness and it is accepted, do I let the matter go or do I continue to beat myself up about it and refuse to forgive myself even though the matter has been dealt with? I think this is a particularly female trait.

Forgive AND forget. That's the key. That's what I need to learn to do friends!

E

2010-03-10T11:53:00.005Z

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."
Mark Twain

This is such a funny picture! I am not sure where I got it from but it makes me laugh and, as Mr Twain, amongst many others says, laughing is the way forward. (Mind you, I am not advocating cigar smoking as the most holistic way of life!)
I was worried recently when I saw feint lines on my face. My carefree youthful 20s are way past!! However it is clear that wrinkles are a good thing. As well as indicating where smiles have been, they reveal a life that has been lived and each line probably has a thousand stories to tell. Also, did you know, you use more muscles smiling than you do frowning? It's official: it's better than a work out. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Later
E xx

2010-03-08T15:42:00.004Z

“Courage is grace under pressure.”

~ Ernest Hemingway

Hi Everyone!
I've been gone a long time I know but I'm back ready to blog again and cath up with you all.
Hope you have survived the long cold winter. Here's to spring!
Edith

I Have Not Gone Away (but I have been having a Face Book flirtation...)

2009-10-15T21:40:00.003+01:00

Hello.
Haven't I been horribly remiss? Sorry my lovely little chums but I have been a busy little bee, plus I went to a university reunion (I was terrified - but had a great time) and at that was encouraged to get into Face Book and, basically, am now addicted. Also my house is a mess and my husband tells me he has swine flu. (He doesn't; he has a cold and is regularly being dosed with hot honey & lemon. However he is male and therefore not able to deal with little illnesses in a grown up way!!).

On the messy house front, I have decided life is too short to clean (so have employed someone to do it for me...!!) OK to be fair she's a girl in the village with 2 small kids and a husband who doesn't work. She likes cleaning and is happy to help. I need help and am happy to pay. It's beautful!

For those of you feeling guilty about the layers of dust and the piles of ironing, I bid you read below and feel free!

More soon (promise)
E

Dust If You Must (Anon.)

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

It's only a little thing...

2009-09-22T09:11:00.002+01:00

So now I know why my front tyre ("tire" for you trans-Atlantic readers) has been needing pumped up so often... Look what the nice man in the garage found this morning....

Happy Wedding Anniversary

2009-09-15T15:46:00.005+01:00

Happy Wedding Anniversary to Steva & me! Two years already? How time flies!!

Growing old gracefully...

2009-09-08T15:25:00.002+01:00

I was speaking to an old uni friend the other day and we were laughing at how much we have changed. Gone are the days when we were young glamorous career girls charging round London. Now we're happily married, living in the countryside and more worried about our gardens and chickens than in going to the latest party. I wondered had we become boring. She reckoned not at all and then she sent me this great wee poem which just hit the nail on the head. Exx

If you ask me 'What's new?', I have nothing to say
Except that the garden is growing.
I had a slight cold but it's better today.
I'm content with the way things are going.
Yes, he is the same as he usually is,
Still eating and sleeping and snoring.
I get on with my work. He gets on with his.
I know this is all very boring.

There was drama enough in my turbulent past:
Tears and passion-I've used up a tankful.
No news is good news, and long may it last,
If nothing much happens, I'm thankful.
A happier cabbage you never did see,
My vegetable spirits are soaring.
If you're after excitement, steer well clear of me.
I want to go on being boring.

I don't go to parties. Well, what are they for,
If you don't need to find a new lover?
You drink and you listen and drink a bit more
And you take the next day to recover.
Someone to stay home with was all my desire
And, now that I've found a safe mooring,
I've just one ambition in life: I aspire
To go on and on being boring.

You have got to laugh!!!

2009-08-27T21:32:00.003+01:00

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.

"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a £30,000 loan to take a holiday."

Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.

Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.

The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.

Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.

She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow £30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."

She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"

The bank manager looks back at her and says...

"It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan, His old man's a Rolling Stone."

(You're singing it, aren't you? Yeah, I know you are........)

(With thanks to Answerbag.com)

Frazzled

2009-08-19T15:33:00.004+01:00

I am totally hassled. However I thought I would be soothed by by choosing a calming scene for this post!

I have had a shocker of a week:

migraines,
computers at work going down,
guests staying (who were great fun but needed driving round the coutryside to attend a wedding),
things breaking,
and then to top it all a burglary at work which resulted in my office (ground floor you see) being ransacked. There was glass everywhere and papers and stuff strwen all round the room. I don't know what you were doing on Saturday night but I was being fingerprinted by CID and SOCO officers... It was like being in TV. Sort of!

So that's what I've been doing! You?

E

And my husband says I overreact sometimes...?!

2009-08-11T17:37:00.007+01:00

Poor old Hillary Clinton. Like her or loathe her, she does get a lot of stick and bad press which is not always deserved.

Mind you she appears to have lost her cool this time... Last night there she was at a debate in Africa when some poor student (whose first language is not English) asked her what "Mr Clinton" thought about Chinese investment. Apparently the student lived to tell the tale but it was a close run thing as the US Secretary of State tore strips off him asking why she would know anything about her husband's views and how she was now the important one in the Clinton household not him. (It seems the poor student got muddled up between "Obama" and "Clinton" and so wasn't really interested at all in what Bill had to say. Bet he won't make that blooper again...).

It's hilarious viewing. If you've got the inclination have a look and see...

I've got that Friday feeling - on Thursday....

2009-08-06T10:45:00.001+01:00

So it's nearly Friday. Hurrah, another weekend to play and do stuff.

We're off to Rathmullan which is a little village in Donegal in the north west of Ireland. (Despite being north it's actually part of the Republic of Ireland but let's not get side tracked on a political/historical debate...). We were there a fortnight ago and I sunbathed (yes you read that correctly) on the beach shown above and even went swimming. Twice. Not in a wet suit but just a plain old fashioned swimsuit because I'm tough you see. And possible certifiable.

Anyway we're off again for the weekend. The forecast looks OK, at least for Saturday, so my goose pimpled, bluish limbs may well be making another appearance. I can't wait!!!

Warning! May contain nuts!

2009-08-04T14:39:00.005+01:00

I love the fact that when it's the summer holidays, the papers and news bulletins sometimes struggle to bring stories of sufficient gravitas so that they resort to tales of nonsense and hilarity.

Today's classic was about poor old Benson who was Britain's biggest common carp. According to the report, he was introduced into the lakes near Peterborough in England in 1995 and at the time of his death weighed 64lb (29kg), was aged between 20 and 25 and had been caught 63 times.

Apparently he was found floating on the surface of the water poisoned by uncooked nuts....

Now Benson is lying in a deep freeze waiting to be be put on display.

In case you want to know even more, you can read about it here

Edith

Bad Hair Day

2009-08-01T16:41:00.002+01:00

OK, so I got up a little later than planned this morning, so was already running late before I'd even had my cereal. There's a lot on the agenda this morning -and it's a Saturday too! How did that happen?!
Anyway because of the time pressure thingy, I just gave my hair a quick blow dry and shoved most of it in a large hair clip/grip figuring it would do fine until I straighten it later on before we go out.

Now I know vanity is not an attractive trait but I do need to check the mirror every so often. Oh my word! Could my hair look any worse??? I look like I have been in a nuclear explosion!! And I have been out in public, talking to people and been seen. Eeeeeek.

However I always think it's important to laugh at oneself - and also then I remembered this funny story and remembered it's happened to us all...

"After putting her children to bed, a mother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin.
At last she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings.
As she left the room, she heard her three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was that?"

E

Pause and think for a second...

2009-07-30T21:41:00.002+01:00

"Our little time of suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome home to Heaven."

- Samuel Rutherford

Helps put things in perspective doesn't it?

This will make you smile!

2009-07-27T21:11:00.007+01:00

This is definitely one of my favourites. It always makes me smile. It also makes me want to sing and dance and fill the world with love...! You've been warned...

Blogger frustration!

2009-07-26T22:01:00.003+01:00

Quick question: can anyone tell me if they can see the list of (lovely!) people who follow my blog on the left hand side of the page? For some reason all I get is an empty box and I can't figure why. Any ideas?

E

Buy One Get One Free...?

2009-07-23T10:38:00.008+01:00

The Church of England is doolally. Possibly this is not much of a surprise to many reformed, evangelical people (a lot of whom I know are Anglicans despairing of the rot within) but today's news does take the biscuit. I know BOGOF ("buy one get one free") has been a popular supermarket tactic for a while but I am not sure it was a brilliant move by the Church to introduce a new service for co-habiting couples who already have children so they can get married and have the kids baptised all in the one service! What an excellent idea for a church to ignore the teaching of the Bible. Very smart.

You can read the news article here

Now, please don't think me completely right wing and fundamental. I appreciate there are circumstances where people come to faith late having lived together and had children together and, of course, it is a delight when they then get married and baptised. However I don't reckon the CoE was necessarily thinking of this category when they came up with this gem.

Presbyterianism - it's the way forward!

Sun, sea, sand... and raincoats

2009-07-20T15:02:00.003+01:00

Dear Global Readership

I hope this finds you well and thriving. It's been a few weeks since I last posted but there's nothing to worry about; I'm fine and dandy. I was just experiencing "real life" rather than blogging about stuff. I've had a great time!

We are just back from about 10 days in England where we went to a friend's wedding, saw family, spent a week in Cornwall (with the view from our room being of St Michael's Mount - as per picture above), staying with friends in the West Midlands and near the Lake District. It was just what the doctor ordered. (You will realise this is merely a saying; I hadn't wasted the time and resources of the NHS by going to see my GP for his advice on my holiday plans...!). We had a ball: we went to the beach (I went swimming), we visisted stately homes and gardens, we sunbathed, drank coffee & ate cakes, it rained and we got wet, we went for walks, read books, chatted to each other & watched West Wing DVDs - what could be more perfect?!

I may try and post some holiday pictures at a later date but I am aware I promised I would post the Portugal ones at Easter and that was a good couple of months ago no. In my defence, my husband is the keeper of the matrimonial camera and he is the downloader of photos etc and it's because he hasn't sorted out the Easter ones yet that I haven't been able to keep my word... Yes, yes, blame it on the spouse - what fine behaviour.

So now I am back at work and, actually, it is OK. That is partly because most of the rest of the world is on holiday so no is around to respond to my letters or return my calls. I am also trying to turn over a new leaf and leave the office a little earlier. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted!

Bye for now

Anyone for tennis...?

2009-06-29T15:42:00.005+01:00

Well we are just back from a long weekend in London. I lived & worked in London for several years and so still have quite a few friends there so we had a great time meeting up with people, sitting in the sun and putting the world to rights. Oh, yes, we also had tickets for Centre Court at Wimbledon and had a fine old time on Friday watching the world's finest tennis players doing their thing. I loved it! I so want to be a tennis player (thank goodness for my over-active imagination; at least I can play well in my dreams!).

Have you missed me?

2009-06-19T14:59:00.004+01:00

Lovely friends

I have been soooo radio silent! I knew it had been a week or two since I last blogged but when I checked there now, I see it's been almost a month. Talk about going cold turkey!
Anyway I am very well but VERY busy and because of that a little tired.

I have been....

...working very hard (getting up early and coming home late);

...ironing my husband's shirts (admittedly once - but I did about 12 in that one session) because he thinks I do them better than the cleaner and I also feel a little guilty that I am being a neglectful wife letting him go out looking like a scarecrow;

...baking. TOTALLY recommend my recipe for coconut, cornflake & chocolate slices. It's a winner.

...working (I know I already mentioned it but I need you to understand I am a busy beaver);

...playing golf (you didn't see that one coming did you? I love it but I am totally rubbish);

...doing church stuff. (It was our Synod last week so we went to the missionary rally. It was very good. I also got very light headed: the ventilation wasn't great.)

...entertaining (I have had the odd lunch party here and there but we have TWENTY people coming for dinner (yes, proper food! ) tomorrow night and I only have 17 plates and if I'm making proper food I don't think I can get away with paper plates...).

Clearly I am telling you this so you feel excited for me that I have a jam packed roller coaster life (I sort of do; I also have a completely helter skelter, juggling plates in the air existence that sometimes exhausts me) but also so you realise that I haven't meant to abandon you but I promise I will try harder next time...

By the way, if you're not doing anythhing tomorrow, come along to my party. It's no bother -just bring a plate that's all (unless you don't mind making do with a paper towel).

lots of love

Edith

Rain drops and pink shoes

2009-05-26T14:58:00.005+01:00

Is it ever going to stop raining because I can tell you I am so fed up with rain! (I see that this is not a feeling confined solely to this side of the Atlantic either. What's going on America? When we were growing up we bought into the American Dream offered by films, TV series and books which boasted of perpetual sunshine. Just in California, eh?)

We went to a wedding on Saturday and it rained. The groom was in the Royal Air Force and is a trained helicopter pilot and he and the bride left the church in a chopper. How cool was that?! At least it sounded like a helicopter; thanks to the driving rain it was pretty hard to make out what was going on...

Yesterday was a Bank Holiday (yes, a day off work. What bliss!) so of course it rained all day, apart from the early morning when I was having a lie-in.

However it is not all bad news because in an attempt to beat the blues and single handedly kick start the economy I have been shopping and have got some lovely new pink shoes (in the sales too - so a bargain, husband dear). They look pretty much like the picture.

Of course, I daren't wear them outside just yet. I mean, it might rain and ruin them...

Self Control

2009-05-19T17:26:00.003+01:00

Aaaaghhhh. I have NONE. Self control that is. I am addicted to sweets (candy, confectionery whatever you want to call it...), chocolate, cakes, savoury stuff etc. etc (I even adore sprouts and cabbage). Totally and utterly.

Actually I am in a bit of quandary about it all. Before I got married, I lost quite a lot of weight. I was never fat but I felt like I wanted to lose a few pounds before The Big Day and I did. Actually I lost a lot because I exercised (at the gym) and I exercised self-control. It was fun going clothes shopping and realising a size 10 (that's size 6 for my US readers) was slightly too loose because, quite frankly, I have never been skinny. It's not in my genes. (Therefore skinny jeans (get it?!) are a complete no-no for me.)

However it was never going to last (my skinny-ish phase) because I enjoy cooking, eating and baking. I am not a glutton but I like butter on my bread, cream and jam on my scones, lots of gravy on my potatoes. I also suspected during my not-eating-much phase that I was becoming obsessive and slightly irritating. (I fear may well have been irritable too... Moi? Never!). My dear husband recalls that shortly before The Big Day I told him I couldn't wait to go on honeymoon because.... I couldn't wait to eat again! The poor guy! He waits years and years and years and then his beloved says she's sees him as her one way ticket to pancakes and cappuccinos!

Anyway I know I have put on weight since I got married but, hey, I am contented and, as you have realised, I do like to eat. However since about February I have started snacking again between meals! Disaster! At lunchtime, I am wise and restrained and eat sensible things. And then I go and buy some sweets. My motives are not always good. I buy them and give them to my room mare to share... but then I eat most of them.... So now I am having panic stations and think I am becoming obese.

Part of this post is slightly tongue in cheek and I am also poking fun at myself. However a little bit of what I write is serious. I do honestly know that I am fit and healthy but there is this voice inside which makes me compare myself to people on TV and in magazines who appear (in their air-brushed way) to attain the world's ideal of "perfect" and then I feel miserable about myself which is just plain wrong. I know it is! But doesn't it just go to show how manipulative the media is (and how silly females, in particular, can be...)?

Must go. I made some chocolate biscuits last night so I need to finish up at work so I can get home soon to sample them!

later

Cold Feet

2009-05-13T22:08:00.003+01:00

For once I am not being cryptic: I haven't got metaphorical cold feet. However I suffer physically from cold feet. And it's not just me who suffers but my poor husband too.

Even when I am wearing socks my feet are cold and in bed I am likened to an ice block, even when wearing attractive bed socks and wearing fleecy PJs (which is real romance-inducing attire).

Other than layering up, any tips on how to thaw out my toes...? (And hands too, although they're nowhere near as bad as my feet.)

Briefly surfacing...

2009-05-09T20:53:00.003+01:00

Sorry for the silence again. Life has just been so busy that I don't know where the past few weeks have gone. However we are well and thriving. Work has been manic. I know, particularly given the infamous global recession, that I should be glad about this - and I am. However I've been working long hours so also feel like I've been putting the rest of my life on hold.

Being aware of this, Steva & I decided to go on a "date" this afternoon and we headed to Springhill which is a National Trust property about 30 miles from where we live. It was delightful! We had such a lovely afternoon, touring the 17th century house and gardens, eating a cream tea and wandering around. It even stopped raining... Then we came home and I cooked a lovely dinner using skills learned on my recent cooking course. Aaah, happy day!

Wooden spoons at 50 paces

2009-04-24T17:17:00.004+01:00

Hi there

I hope you are all set for the weekend.

I have had a fairly frenetic week, particularly in the last day or two (not helped by a 7.30am meeting this morning) so am really looking forward to doing something different.

When I feel stressed one of the things I love to do is bake or cook. Honestly I just love it. I'm not an amazing cook (and would confess presentation is not my strongest suit) but I'm not awful either. It's a happy little arrangement.

Anyway this weekend I am off to a cookery school for 2 days to learn some "Summer Entertaining". I am so excited!! It's situated in the beautiful Co Fermanagh lakelands at at a place called Belle Isle . The only sad thing is that I don't get to see my lovely husband until Sunday (he'll be at home supervising the builders who are still sorting out the garden, more of which another time...). However I have promised him amazing meals from now on. What a lucky young man!

Say it Quietly

2009-04-20T10:48:00.004+01:00

I am writing this in a whisper (or sotto voce if I'm showing off) as I don't want to provoke our notoriously fickle weather system but it's been sunny here for the last 3 days... This is a major achievement. I suspect if it goes on much longer we'll have our water rationed and only be allowed to shower once a week but at the moment let's just enjoy the warm(ish) rays and keep our fingers crossed...

Marriage Guidance (not!)

2009-04-16T12:18:00.004+01:00

I have just finished reading this book and thoroughly recommend it if you want a nice light dreamy read. I don't know about you but I am fed up with picking up a novel only to find it full of gratuitous sex, violence etc. This quite definitely is a book you'd be happy to let you mum or granny read. Having spent 6 months working in a Christian school in India before university, it is a country close to my heart so I suppose the book had a special resonance for me. However even if the closest you have been to the sub continent is an onion bhaji I would still give it a thumbs up!

love from

Your Friendly Book Reviewer

Remember me?!

2009-04-15T14:19:00.001+01:00

Hi gang!

Sorry for the recent silence. I hope you are all well; judging by all your blogs it looks like you're all doing fine which is good. Excellent work!

We are just back from an Easter break in Portugal where we joined my parents for a week's sea, sand, sun and lots and lots of laughs. We had a great time and are looking tanned and healthy and feeling well rested. I hope the healthy glow lasts!

We are getting an extension built here at work so the view outside my office is of a building site and periodically the building shakes as a digger does something exciting. We are also getting "stuff" done to our garden at home so there is a digger there as well, lots of mud and general chaos. Welcome to Edith's world!

Anyway will try and download some of the Portugal pictures soon and will try and post something meaningful again soon...

Bye for now
E

New toys

2009-03-27T10:29:00.000Z

Hello friends

I have a new car and I am soooo excited.

It's black, it's only a year old, it goes quite fast (but always within the speed limit!) and I love it. I will take a picture and post it soon but I needed to share the news immediately.

Am slightly concerned that I am becoming a bit materialistic but I know I will use it for all sorts of selfless things such as giving people lifts, driving to missions etc...

Oh I can't wait until lunchtime, just to go for a little tootle again...

love The Petrolhead

We won, we won!

2009-03-23T14:34:00.000Z

I am just back from a weekend in London, although that is slightly misleading because I only went to London in order to get a train to Cardiff because we had tickets for THE match! Oh yes my friends, we were there at the Millennium Stadium for the 6 Nations Rugby 2009 showdown. If you don't know anything about rugby then you are seriously missing out but it's too complicated for me to explain (it's a little like American football without wearing all the protective gear). Anyway every year, the national teams from Ireland, Italy, England, France, Wales & Scotland play in the 6 Nations competition (it was 5 nations until 10 years ago when Italy joined in the fun). I follow it religiously!

Anyway Ireland have never won the 6 Nations. yes, we have come close, tantalisingly so, but we have never actually won the wretched thing and then this year things started to come right meaning that Saturday's match in Cardiff was THE BIG ONE. In fact it was bigger than simply being the 6 Nations decider; if Wales (the current holders) beat us, but by less than 13 points, we still won the competition. However if we beat Wales by even 1 incy wincey point then the Championship was ours and so was the Grand Slam i.e. all 5 countries beaten in the one competition.

Ireland last won the Grand Slam in 1948 so it has been 61 long, long years and WE DID IT and I WAS THERE!! It was the most dramatic Saturday afternoon of my life with the last 2 minutes being the deciding minutes of the match. I have aged about 50 years and my fingernails will take weeks to recover but, boy, what a game. If you have any interest at all have a look at this

What day's today?

2009-03-17T19:58:00.001Z

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Wherever you are, I hope you are having a great day.

What always amuses us here on the emerald isle, is the fact that the whole world appears to join in St Patrick's Day. It's cool! I know there are big celebrations in New York City, Chicago and Boston. There is also a parade in London and this time 5 years ago when I was in Australia there were celebrations there too. It was a hoot!

The funniest thing is that here, in Ireland, people really don't go in for all the Paddy's Day madness. Yes, it's a public holiday so we get the day off work (hurrah!) but, as a rule, we don't dress up as leprachauns, dye our water systems green or spend the day pretending we are extras in River Dance. However we love it that the rest of the world gets so involved!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Irish Eyes Are Not Smiling

2009-03-10T11:50:00.000Z

Well life is not so good here at the moment.

In case you haven't heard the news recently, on Saturday night two soldiers who were due to go to Afghanistan the next morning were killed by gunmen as they stepped outside their barracks to take delivery of a pizza (the pizza delivery guys were injured too). We live no more than 10 miles from where it all happened. All day Sunday there was a cloud hanging over everyone; all the local churches were united in prayer: prayer for the families of the two soldiers; prayer for the men who did it; prayer that our highly prized peace process does not go off the rails. How we hoped that it was simply a "one-off".

Then last night, gunmen struck again, this time killing a policeman. So now we are praying that we are not, as one politician put it, staring down into the abyss again.

You can read about it here

We Northern Irish people really do not like talking about what is euphemistically called "The Troubles". This is a beautiful country and we are a friendly, warm and welcoming people and we don't like revisiting what was a dark, dark time in our history. While not everyone may have lost a close friend or relation, everyone certainly knows someone else who did: we are all, at best, only one step removed from personal tragedy. I grew up "used" to hearing about bombs and bullets and, occasionally, hearing the odd blast. The current generation of children know nothing of this and I thought it was all behind us.

I really hope the past few days have been an aberration and that we are not heading back down a road that only a minority seem intent on making us travel.

Weekend here we come!

2009-03-06T11:24:00.000Z

So faithful readership, what are you doing for the weekend?

We are just hanging around doing "stuff", seeing friends for dinner on Saturday, having guests round for lunch on Sunday and chilling out.

Tonight we are invited to a partake of some posh nosh (we hope) at a local hotel. The invitation has come from the Christian Institute. It's an organisation based in England which has a good Northern Irish presence. I suppose that's hardly suprising given that people here are still more "churched" (& I use the word deliberately) than folks in England.

Now I don't always agree 100% with all that the CI does. However it does publish some great articles and helps give you the Biblical perspective on proposed legislation etc. For example, I found its stuff on stem cell research really informative. Its info booklets are good too. Anyway, here's the link and you can let me know what you think.

I'll let you know how we get on at tonight's event. As my ever so positive husband says, at least it's a free meal!

Edith

Spring flowers and... snow showers!

2009-03-05T14:30:00.000Z

Last weekend we spent a happy time pottering round the garden (well, mostly Steva did; I was inside making puddings for my sister's 30th birthday party), digging new beds, admiring all the bulbs peeping through the soil, delighting in the snowdrops and crocuses and smelling the early daffodils. It was also mild, not warm enough not to wear a sweater but not so cold that we had to be bundled up.

Spring had sprung!

Or so we thought...

And then we woke this morning to a Narnia like winter wonderland and I drove to work in a blizzard. What is that all about?!

However now the grey clouds are lifting and I can see blue sky so, hopefully, it will be spring again by tomorrow.

I love the unpredictability of weather (well I usually do but non stop rain during the summer can get a bit boring after a while...). I think it's the fact that we humans think we've got everything cracked and are totally self-sufficient when we really, really don't at all! It teaches us a thing or two about reliance and dependence. Maybe it's a good thing it snowed this morning after all.

Feeling Frazzled

2009-03-03T14:29:00.000Z

I am feeling in such a state of, well, panic these days. I don't know what it is but the days are flying past and I really don't seem to be able to get much done. Actually, what I think I mean is that I put myself under enormous pressure to do a lot (maybe too much?) and then when I don't actually manage everything I feel like I am a failure. I think this is very dangerous psychology!

Last week, I had to go over to Birmingham (England not Alabama!) for work. I managed to stay overnight with an old college friend and admire her new baby and read stories to her toddler and I had a great time but I was totally exhausted when I got back, work was manic and I felt hassled until about Sunday morning.

Thank goodness for the day of rest. We come from quite strict backgrounds especially on the Sabbath day front so Sundays do tend to be days when we don't do any work, chores etc and am I glad about that! Yes there are times when in extremis we have to open our files and do a little catch up (or damage limitation depending on the point of view) but, generally speaking, it's a day of going to church, seeing family, having a lovely lunch, maybe going for a walk and resting.

Once I got Monday started, I thought about updating my blog. I then felt guilty because I hadn't updated my blog in a week. Why do I do this to myself?! I really enjoy writing my blog and it is anything but a chore but I think I felt that I had nothing interesting to report (a sentiment with which you may agree if you are reading this right now!) and that all my loyal followers would be bored with me and disappear for ever. Aren't irrational female hormones just great?!

Anyway I thought I'd scribble something quickly today about how stressy everything feels and how I feel like there really are not enough hours in the day and as I logged in, I read Herb of Grace's latest offering and followed the link there. How challenged am I? And how reassured! I am slowly trying to get everything back in perspective...

E x

Back in the land of the living

2009-02-23T20:12:00.000Z

Hello there. I am glad to report that I appear to be over the worst of The Illness. Ugh, it was so boring being ill and unable to breathe but thank you for all your concern. I agree, there's nothing like a common trans-Atlantic virus to bring us even closer.

I felt a lot better over the weekend which was good as we had a lot of things organised and I'd have hated to miss out on any of the fun.

On Friday evening we went to see Slumdog Millionaire. Steva and I started dating in June 2006, got engaged in December 2006 and married in September 2007. We have been to the cinema (I'm British ergo I say cinema!) 3 times together in our lives! Have we had a proper courtship? I'm not sure. Anyway, the film was, well I don't know what to say. Yes, it was enjoyable in many ways, and quite cathartic, but also upsetting and challenging. I spent 6 months working in a Christian school in India in the Himalayas in 1996 so have seen at first hand the poverty, slums, begging and the majesty, splendour and sheer seething mass of humanity that is the sub-continent so it brought a lot of memories back. And it's got a very Hollywood happy-ever- after ending leaving you feeling that money does bring happiness and total fulfilment after all which we know it doesn't... Definitely lots of food for thought there.

On Saturday morning I went to the Ladies' Breakfast being held by one of the local churches (and one that we have visited a couple of times). What a great morning! The speaker challenged us all on the concept of grace and a couple of things she said really struck home with me. She said that one thing that can cause us (she was referring specifically to women) to lose our focus is a tendency to dwell too much on past wrongs and sins, letting them worry us and letting us beat ourselves up with them instead of handing them over to God ONCE AND FOR ALL and then getting on with life. She also reminded us to take life one task at a time, one day at a time and one drama at a time. This was great advice for me given my slightly maddening habit of meeting trouble not half way but about 2cm from my door and crossing a million bridges before I even get to a stretch of water. The other great thing I remember was the section on "Perspective" and the challenge to accept God's grace to get through everything that He sends our way but also to keep it in perspective. Being an individual who loves hyperbole, I'm not totally brilliant on perspective...!

We tried another different local church yesterday morning and enjoyed great fellowship there as well as a belter of a sermon on assurance (so good that I would recommend it and it's already been downloaded onto the church website http://www.ballyloughan.fsnet.co.uk/) which totally set us up for the week ahead. Then later on I got myself in a stew about which church we should decide to go for and came out with the classic line "our problem is that we have far too many good churches near by and we'll never find one to settle in because they are all so great..." What was I just saying about keeping it all in perspective!? Yes, my friends, I really am a work in progress.

Goodness, what a lot of waffle! However it was a great weekend, and meant that I really was not dreading Monday when it came about. That is an achievement worthy of note because my Mondays generally start with a 7am gym class called "Bodypump" which is meant to be good for me but I just don't know sometimes.....

Speak anon.
E

Sniffles

2009-02-18T16:21:00.000Z

... and today I have a rotten stinking cold and cannot breathe or speak (that clearly is an exaggeration as I am still alive but you know what I mean!). I feel very sorry for myself. My little nose is raw and my eyes are running. Do you think I caught the bug from my blogging chums who are currently laid low? I've heard of internet viruses you know....

Today is not good!

2009-02-17T10:25:00.000Z

This morning our fire alarm started bleeping at about 5am. We have no idea why. Steva got up and pressed a few buttons and it stopped but the noise interrupted our sleep a bit.

Then I got stopped by the police on my way to work: apparently my tyres have an illegal tread. I am so not good with vehicles! So I batted my eyelids in an alluring feminine way at the cops and thankfully they did not fine me or give me any penlty points. Instead I have to get my tyres fixed (the car is at the garage as I type) and then report back to a local police station to show that I have done what I was told. (It's a bit like having done your homework wrong and having to come back the next day with it corrected.)

Next I scooted into the city centre for a meeting for 10am to discover it's happening tomorrow....

Clearly, I am not having the most successful of days and it's not even 10.30am. Goodness knows what else will happen before I make it to bed tonight!

I'll keep you posted...

The Wonder of Simple Things

2009-02-13T20:28:00.000Z

Phew, what a week. Nothing particularly exciting happened but it's just been so tiring and draining being back at work a full week having had the luxury of a holiday and the chance to potter and sightsee.

When I was little, I used to try and do a new or exciting (well, exciting to me) each day. Sometimes I would lie in bed at night thinking of what I had done that day for the first time and counting my blessings. Often these things weren't that amazing per se. I mean it's probably not that world changing to have, let's see... come first in a Physics test or made your first batch of fairy cakes all by yourself but I am sure you can see where I am coming from. As with a lot of childhood things I grew out of this habit which is a shame because I think it's good to find pleasure in the simple things of life.

It's definitely time to re-invent the things of childhood which is what I am going to. So from now on, each evening, I am going to try and think of at least one thing that I have done or experienced that day which has given me a kick. I know I do thank God each day for His goodness to me individually and to Steva & me as a couple but sometimes my prayers are a bit general and not specific so I think I will try and build this new regime into my quiet times too.

Here goes...

What did I do today which gave me that childhood thrill...?

Oh, I sent my sister a Valentine's card (signed - I don't like her to think a game's being played on her) telling her I love her; my husband bought me seafood risotto for dinner which is a favourite of mine (and not of his, the sweetie); I managed to get to bed at about 8pm and had the happiest time snuggling up with Steva, reading the paper and just chatting about stuff. How cool is that?

Go on try it....

Edith xx

A flavour of Egypt

2009-02-12T09:07:00.000Z

A felucca (boat) on the Nile. They've been using these for centuries...

Avenue of the Ram-Headed Sphinxes, Luxor

Looking wary outside a mosque!

Edith and her local admirers...

Transport, Cairo style

Whirling dervish

Spot the Sphinx....

Walk like an Egyptian

2009-02-11T09:42:00.000Z

I am a child of the 80s. By that I mean I did my growing up during that unfairly maligned decade so have a love of leg warmers, shoulder pads and a dubious taste in pop music. The Bangles were a particular favourite which is why I spent a lot of last week humming their classic hit (the title to this post). Even so, I didn't really manage to walk like an Egyptian: they are a graceful lot and I tend to be, well, clumsy.

However this is just a short post to say "hello" and let you know I am back in the world of blogging.

We had a great trip and I will post some photos etc. in due course. It was AMAZING to walk round the Pyramids and see the tombs where the Pharaohs were buried. In some ways, the country has not changed in centuries. By that I mean it is very Biblical. As I said to Steva as we sat in a sailling boat coasting across the Nile, you could just imagine finding a baby in a basket in the bullrushes.... (not that we did actually. Which is probably just as well as that might have caused a diplomatic incident.)

Oh and yes, for those of you who know I am ever so slightly excitable about weather, it was hot and sunny (not too hot) and, unlike the UK which appears to have come to a complete standstill, it did not snow. I am a total convert to winter sun holidays.

Look forward to speaking to you all again soon.
Edith

All creatures great and small

2009-01-29T13:34:00.000Z

A few months ago, during harvest (we live beside fields) we had a little furry visitor in the shape of a fieldmouse. I am sure they are cute, delightful and harmless creatures in their right place. This place is NOT my home. So we bought some traps, laid them with toasted porridge oats and waited... The next morning, the traps were bare of bait (clever mouse) but no sign of the mouse (not so clever trap). Thankfully, this situation had reversed itself the next evening when we heard a bang and discovered a shower of porridge oats covering the carpet upstairs in the landing and a mouse caught in the trap. Major success.

I left the traps up just in case....

And the months passed.

Now, I don't know what it says about my housecleaning regime (perhaps this is a discussion we could have another day) but I still hadn't got round to putting these redundant traps away even though there had been no sign of any more little friends.

And then last night as I was walking back from the bathroom (having finished my packing - phew: see the previous post!) I spied a grey tail poking out from under a bag beside a chest of drawers. Eeeeeek.

Yes you've guessed it. It was another friend. He's now in the dustbin.

And yes, I screamed. A lot.

I like animals, honestly I do. I am just not totally keen on the wild rodent variety in my house. What's bothering me is how did he get in and, assuming it arrived with its chum in October, where has he been since then and what has he been eating? Answers on a postcard please.

Why do people go on holidays*?

2009-01-28T21:11:00.000Z

As you know, I have mentioned that we are off on our holidays * quite soon. Actually the quite soon has now become imminent because we go tomorrow night. Hurrah! How so exciting!! Cairo here we come... Winter sun, beam down on me!

Anyway the title of this post is not intended to be an essay question nor am I thinking of starting a debate (although, maybe that might be an option for a rainy day. Let me know what you think.). Instead it is the rhetorical question I have been asking myself for about the past 24 hours. I worked until after 8.30pm last night, got up at 6.00am this morning and went straight back in to the office again and then worked late again tonight. I have a truly horrendous day of meetings planned for tomorrow before my evening flight to London. So, again, why am I going away for a week (yes a week - you'd think from the hysterical reaction of some people that I had joined a cult and was leaving for ever. Mind you, that is quite a tempting thought...) when I always get myself in such a stew before I go anywhere?! Oh panic stations. I haven't even packed! I suppose I still have 23 hours...

So really this post is just a "farewell". Fret not I will be back - unless, of course, my dear husband makes good his threat and sells me for some camels. Please note, if that happens, I shall try and find an internet cafe in the desert so you can start a global on-line appeal for my safe return. I'd make it worth your while (a camel perhaps?).

Later
E

* For my trans-Atlantic fan club, holidays are what we Brits call vacations (but I bet you knew that already!)

Traffic is slow this morning

2009-01-26T10:31:00.000Z

Every morning I listen religously to the radio traffic report because I have to navigate a particularly obnoxious junction to get to my beloved place of work. Quite often my heart sinks when I hear "... the M2 has a lane blocked because of an accident/broken down vehicle etc. etc." At times I confess I have had less than loving thoughts towards the silly driver causing the chaos. Not any more though because on Friday I was that accident! Oh yes! I managed to bang right into a van in front which braked suddenly. I mean I braked suddenly too but just not as effectively as Van Man. His van is fine by the way, although his passenger says his back hurts a little - of course it does: I mean I have insurance so clearly he's going to claim for his so-called sore back.

You'll be pleased (I hope!) to know I am also OK although my little 6 yr old Toyota is in a poor way, and of course, I spent the rest of the morning in tears. I think it's important to show my feminine side at times. Everyone was very sweet with me except my father whose first words to me, after I'd explained what had happened were, "you have no defence to this, none at all". (My father is a lawyer- would you have guessed?) No words of tenderness to his first born, checking she was uninjured or murmurings of compassion, just bald facts of law. Actually I think he realised how fragile I was when I wept again - this time in a dramatic fashion: I'd just applied my mascara (reputed to be waterproof: it's not) and was sporting a fetching panda look. After that he put his arms around me and pointed out it was only a car and that no one had been hurt. You see the big man can be a softie when he wants. I might be 32 but there are times when it's nice to pretend I'm 7 again (not that I had a driver's licence then, bright and precocious though I fear I was....)

So now I am on the hunt for a new car. The guy at the garage I visited on Saturday asked how many years of my no claim bonus I had left. Less than 24 hours would be the answer there!

Church

2009-01-21T13:01:00.000Z

As some of you know, Steva and I got married slightly over a year ago. In order to prevent either of us having a 2 hour commute each day we compromised (isn't that what it's all about?!) and moved somewhere pretty much half way between his office and mine. Where we live is lovely and we're very happy. However it is hard moving somewhere new and getting to know folk, especially if you don't have kids to go to local schools, clubs etc and if you are out at work all day long.

When we got married, we decided to keep going to Steva's church, even though it was a good 40 minute drive away, as we reckoned that moving house, getting wed and moving church all at once might finish us off. Even though we loved where we were going, we realised we needed to find somewhere more local, so told the gang at Steva's place that we would leave at the end 0f 2008. Officially the evening service on 28th December was our last. It was so sad! During the last singing it suddenly hit me that we were going. Afterwards, we were overwhelmed as so many people came up to us and said how sorry they were we were going etc. It was a Kleenex at the ready kind of evening. However one person, not known for his EQ or tact, merely asked us to confirm we were definitely leaving because he had taken us off the prayer list! Can you believe it? Talk about not-the-best-comment-to-make-in-the-world-EVER. Grrrrr! Anyway I have forgiven him; I honestly don't think he intended to be rude.

So Steva and I are now in the brave new world that is church hunting. We're not worried: there are about a dozen really good churches all within about 10 miles of us so we'll find somewhere. In the meantime, it's really quite cool visiting places. We feel like secret shoppers!
One thing that has struck us is the friendliness (or not) of fellow worshippers. I know some people are shy and striking up a conversation with a newcomer is not easy but can I encourage my loyal followers (all 2 of you) to take heart and be encouraged to be welcoming to strangers? It really, really, really helps!

Thank you!

Dark mornings

2009-01-21T09:02:00.000Z

I really don't like the weather at the moment. Only those of you who come from this part of the world will truly appreciate what I mean. Ever since the clocks went back by an hour in October it has been dark more often than it has been bright. In a way it seems harder once Christmas is over and you know you've still got to struggle through January and February. At the moment when I wake up at 6.30am it is pitch black and really only gets light about 8.00am. It then starts to get dark again ab0ut 4.30pm. I cannot wait for spring! You know there's a lot to be said for hibernation. Hedgehogs clearly know what they're doing. (Did I mention we recently had hedgehogs in the garden? Perceptions are funny things. Initially, when I saw their outline, I thought we had rats and was all set to get exterminating. However once I realised they were cute little spikey things I was all for leaving milk and bread out.)

Anyway, in order to beat the winter blues, it is VITAL to have a whole host of exciting activities planned which is why next week we are going to Egypt! Ooooh how exciting! I really cannot wait to see the Pyramids. Steva says if I don't behave he's going to sell me for a gang of (not sure of the correct collective noun) camels. He's sure they won't give him a tenth of the trouble I do. What a charmer...

I have been feverishly checking the BBC international weather forecast and am delighted to see that temperatures in Cairo are in the mid 20s and that it's sunny. Long may it continue. ( I have also just realised that I am living proof of the British stereotype and shown that we are indeed obsessed with the weather!) I was born to live in the summer. This week we have had snow, sleet, hail, thunder, lightning, rain etc. I know I can't complain about the lack of variety but I think that's enough for now. Let's just deal solely with sunshine.

Steva has also been feverish but only because we had our holiday innoculations and he is now convinced he has contracted a mild strain of dyptheria. The more enlightened amongst you may know this is the medical term for lockjaw and, right enough, he does often speak with his jaw clenched. I wonder....

Enough musings: I've got work to do.

Edith

I think I love blogging!

2009-01-14T23:02:00.000Z

It's after 11.00pm, I got home from work half an hour ago.

Initially my plan had been to run straight upstairs and into bed because I'm pooped, although having drunk quite a lot of coffee at my meeting this evening (which explains my lateness) I am buzzing.

Anyway when I got into the kitchen I realised there were a few things to do before I could retire, like freeze the soup I made last night, clean out and feed the fish, Vladimir and Felix (sometime I will explain their names although it's a little embarrassing as one of them is named after a character in a play which gives the impression that we are soooo lah-di-dah but hey, when a name sticks you've got to use it) etc. etc. However I did manage to get a cupboard door jammed when something got caught behind the runner so, instead of trying to fix it, I just left it wide open. My rebellious spirit is so to the fore. Not. Imagine what I'd be like if I was a dedicated rebel....

After a while Steva came down wondering what I was doing. I've been a little grumpy lately (hormones!) so I didn't want to respond churlishly and tell him that I was doing the chores I had hoped he might see to. You see, at times, I CAN bite my tongue and be more loving than I feel. Mind you I still have to keep working at it....

Anyhow Steva told me I had to come quick because someone had posted a comment on my blog. Oh hurrah! The excitement! The adrenaline rush! Thank you Melissa. You have made my day. In fact having had a look at your blog (I will comment too!), I think we are kindred spirits in more ways than one.

Now I am way too excited to sleep which is problematic as I am in bed typing and Steva has his head on the pillow. I shall lie awake trying to think of witty mesmerising things to write. Oh the pressure! (I love it!)
Later
E

Feed me Seymour!

2009-01-13T11:45:00.000Z

OK so over the weekend I told my husband (the lovely Steva) that I had started a Blog. We are a really good match on so many levels, one of which is that he is the calm steady one whereas I am the emotions-on-a-rollercoaster and always-up-and-down one. I thought he might not be overjoyed to know I'd become a blogger (although, as I told him, it's not like a drug or alcohol addition - seriously, I could have been confessing something TERRIBLE). Once he'd groaned a bit, got over the shock of seeing his photo on my Blog page etc. he has been quite excited about the whole thing. In fact I think he's got the bug as he spent a good part of Sunday evening blog hopping. If you're reading this you are someone who suffers from the same condition. Basically, someone at church gave Steva the name of a web site which he looked up, this linked onto that person's Blog which had other Blog followers and the next thing I know, my nearest and dearest is avidly reading about how someone's home made bread worked out. He is LOVING it!

It was at this stage he became quite animated and told me I should get cracking with my own offering to the world. I had written my first draft but had then had an attack of the nerves and hadn't published it. However my lovely spouse who is great at encouraging me told me to "go for it" so I did....

Then I waited to see if anyone (like just one person - I'm not in this for the glory) would read it, post a comment etc. etc..

I checked after 10 mins of publishing my first post. Not a peep. Not a sniff. Just a big fat zero hits.

So I went to sleep.

And as I slept, I had some quirky dreams including one where I realised there were some wonderful, kind hearted people who had begun following my Blog and had posted comments.

It was the kind of dream which is so vivid that when I woke I KNEW it was for real so I quickly checked my computer and disovered that it really was a dream and that I have no followers (well, none yet: I am an optimistic kind of girl).

So, dear reader, this is a heart felt plea. If you have somehow stumbled across my witterings please please post a comment (only a nice one thank you) so that I feel like someone has noticed me.

Merci (as they say in France)

Stepping out into a new world...

2009-01-09T17:21:00.000Z

Hello world!

This is my very first post... and I really do not know what to say or do, which is pretty unusual given I am not usually stuck for a word or two.

Anyway I wasn't very sure about all this blogging, although I do try and read some of the stuff that friends post. However I stumbled across a BRILLIANT blog (it's on my favourites - C Jane Enjoy It) and I got hooked. I have never met this girl (I've never even left a message telling her I'm a fan) but every few days or so I go and check and see how she's getting on. It's a bit weird. It's also quite cool. I mean here I am in Belfast, Northern Ireland, thinking about finishing a week's work and sorting things out for the weekend and CJ is across the Pond doing her thing and having her life. I know all about her (well, the things she posts!); she doesn't know I exist so I thought it was maybe time to redress the balance. Let's see if I stick at it....

So what's in a name? Well I wasn't sure what to call my blog and also I had to think of a name quite quickly so went for two of my favourite things. Mind you at the moment I have a sore toe so new shoes are not ideal and, after all that Christmas snacking, I probably shouldn't eat cake ever again but I'm sure you get my drift... Already you know quite a bit about me. I LOVE (like really love and please don't tell my husband how many pairs I have) shoes and I also get a kick out of cooking and baking. By day, I work in an office and am pretty busy and have to get through a lot of "stuff". In a way I find baking very therapeutic. I'm not that spectacular at art but I feel that when I cook I find a vent for my creativity.

I think that's enough musings for the time being. Let's see where this blogging journey takes me....