Family News

At last, our Tasha seems to be back to normal. I was concerned for a while that there was something seriously wrong. However, she's once again eating well and, as you can see, finding the best places to sleep!




Sarah is also sleeping well! I phoned her on Monday evening to be told by her carer that she was already in bed asleep - it was only 7.00pm! Seems a particularly busy day at the local college special unit had exhausted her! Here's a picture of Sarah, with her dad and her nephew.

Young Iain Joseph celebrated his first birthday recently, and his favourite gifts were a box and a balloon! !

Can I come out of my box yet? ......................................................It's my balloon Mum!

Joe will soon be visiting our son, Nathan, and grandson, Stephen, for a weekend, and I only have a few weeks of my work contract left. I can't believe how quickly this year has passed, and now autumn is here! With this sudden, cold weather, despite the stress of its installation, I am very grateful for our new and efficient central heating system! (Even though we still have a leak under the sink........)

TREES

As autumn is here, I thought I would dig out a very early poem ....

Through bursts of sun and flurries of rain
The trees stand solid
Amid perfect circles of leaves fallen at their feet
Unquestioning
They allow nature to work its change.

Leaves line the driveway, orange, yellow, red
Autumn's rainbow
Cyclamen blossom beneath the tallest birch
The giant beech
Spreads ruby boughs, offering shelter.

Beacons of light glow against green
Lemon, scarlet, amber
Cheering the afternoon's gloom.
The breeze stirs
Treetop leaves whisper farewell to autumn's darkening sky.


Copyright Sheena Conroy, 1998, "Lasting Treasures", p. 38, Triumph House: Peterborough,
HB ISBN 1 86161 444 6, SB ISBN 1 86161 449 7

21st Century Living

I must just be getting old and crabit and intolerant, but I am getting fed-up with the selfishness of today's society. I know that almost everyone is nice and good - but why is it sometimes so carefully hidden?

It's every man and woman for themselves, with no thought given - or so it would appear - to anyone else around. I began noticing this on the bus in the mornings. I'm not really coming to terms with the fact that older folk, people with mobility problems, and those with young children or lots of heavy bags are usually left standing, while the young and fit remain sitting. This pattern seems to continue wherever there are crowds - shop doors left to bang in people's faces, a rush for the escalator, and the roads are something else..............

How can we begin to change things? Or am I alone in experiencing this feeling?

HELP!

It has been pointed out that I am not blogging much at the moment. True! I have had a rather fraught couple of weeks, what with the aforementioned installation of a new central heating system and assorted illnesses within the family.


Once all the clearing up was done (well, to be honest, I haven't done all of it yet) I began to prepare for speaking in Church this morning - and things became considerably worse! Somehow, I did something to my back and the pain and immobility yesterday was most inconvenient. Another teething problem from the work on the central heating reared it's ugly head - a veritable waterfall in the cupboard under the sink! This means that the cupboard has to be left empty, so the contents are scattered around the kitchen, added to our pans, mixer and slow-cooker which have become homeless following the removal of the final shelf in the boiler cupboard!

As I have mentioned previously, our cat, Tasha, has been a bit under the weather recently, so we have spoilt her. She is better now, but does not realise that this means the spoiling has come to an end, so she is constantly under my feet. Also mentioned in previous blogs, our ertswhile spasmodically working fridgefreezer now works properly, but only if it is plugged into an extension lead. It is interesting trying to negotiate the obstacle course that is our kitchen, with a bad back and a cat twining itself around your feet!

However, these things are annoying and inconvenient, but they will be sorted out very soon. Compared to many folk, I am very fortunate. I read Graham's most recent post this evening, and I feel bad about my wee domestic rant. I have so much to be grateful for. When life gets fraught, I should always remember that all I have to do is listen to God's "still, small voice of calm". And should life get tougher, then all I have to do is lean on Him and trust Him to guide me through. I wrote the following poem when life was especially difficult.

I've stopped struggling,
I've given in,
Exhausted with the battle
I hand it all to Him.

I'm fully surrendered,
Unable to stand,
He gently scoops me up
In the palm of His hand.

And His love and grace
Come shining though,
His mercy endless,
His promises true.

And I weep
With relief
As I rest
In His care.

Grateful

Hurrah!! Our new heating is installed, but we are still cleaning, clearing and dealing with the teething problems. I've been a little grumpy because I find this kind of upheaval increasingly difficult to cope with, even with Catriona and Joe helping with the big clean-up.

My grumpiness increased today. When Joe and I returned from Church we found that the fridge-freezer was not working!!! We contacted a number of friends to see if they could offer our frozen food a 'foster home' but, unfortunately, they all had freezers that were already packed full of food, so did not have room to accommodate all ours. Never mind I thought, it's not the end of the world.

Then I really got thinking...... How very fortunate we are to have freezers packed full of food -and, no doubt, full fridges and cupboards too. There must be so many people who are not in such a comfortable situation and I'm ashamed that I am not more grateful about my own situation.............

Signing off......

..... I have to shut down my computer for a while. Why? The council are coming tomorrow to install a new boiler, fire and radiators. I may be gone for some time!

Family Update

Well, we've all had some kind of cold, cough or headache - however our elderly cat, Tasha, is much improved!


Despite this, we have been kept busy, busy, busy. Joe and I have both attended training recently. Joe attending training to become part of our local Healing Rooms team, and I was at my Christian Worker's Certificate Study Day. We have both been busy with Church things of one kind or another and, on Thursday, our house will be turned upside down when new radiators, fire and boiler are installed!


We have also been socialising - thoroughly enjoyed dinner with friends at the weekend and last week our youngest grandson, Iain Joseph, celebrated his first birthday! Our other grandsons have birthdays soon - Lewis will be 9 in November, and Stephen will be 7 in December............ then it's Christmas!

The Angel of the North

I love this sculpture!
Can't be specific about why - I just do.

I passed it a number of times this weekend whilst staying with my friend, Jenna - who, along with husband Dereck, held their wedding reception in a lovely wee hotel very close to "The Angel".

It was a good weekend (although the journey back was a bit of a nightmare!) On Saturday afternoon Jenna and I took 'afternoon tea' at the old County Hotel in Neville Street, right opposite Newcastle Central Station. This was the hotel where we met when we were both working there as receptionists. The food (especially the lemon tart!), the surroundings and the nostalgia-rich conversation were great.
On Sunday morning we attended Bethany Christian Centre - then it was time to leave Newcastle for home. A lovely weekend that passed very quickly!