Up bright and early today - the weather had a feel of Spring about it for once. I walked to church (All Saints this morning) where I was acting as sidesperson and as intercessor. This meant that I needed to be in church by 9.00 a.m. so I set off at just after 8.30 a.m. to walk the mile or so. It was a long service this morning - brought about, I think, by long hymns, a long sermon and, yes, rather long intercessions! I'd cut them down from the original too! Two sermons this morning! I walked back home afterwards via Weston Lane making a 2.5 miles circuit in all and I spent some time talking with Commodore Tony at the top of the hill opposite Barry's Fields. He was telling me about some of his plans for retirement and asking if the offer was still open for him to do a "pitch" at Ambassadors one morning. Back home, the kids were in trouble with Sara for one thing and another and my peaceful and reflective walk home was dashed by the mayhem. Adam was on Sara's computer via Skype and was witness to all this - not such a calm household as perhaps he thinks! I went out again to take Cynthia a small birthday present Sara had put together (a small bottle of wine and some Vie product or other) and card and met Dawn on the way with her dog. We had a ten-minute chat about cars and potholes (her car is also off the road at the moment). Sara and Mary went off to Tesco's shopping this afternoon leaving Tom to do some homework and me to mow all three lawns - a two-hour job at the beginning of the season and something I love to do when I went to spend some time on my own. The mower refused to start for me at first and so I had to clean the spark plug (it actually looked okay) and pump prime the carburettor. Eventually, after several attempts, it roared into life and so the lawns got their first cut. This evening Tom went to Rockface with Sara and I phoned Mum to confirm that I was coming up to Grimsby at the weekend (subject to my wheel being fixed by then) and that I had arranged to have dinner with a friend on Saturday night so she could go to an evening event with her friend, Freda, at the Cleethorpes Conservative Club. I hope to be up in Grimsby mid-afternoon on Friday enabling Mum and I to go out somewhere that evening. This evening Richard and I had a quiet drink in the Lion's Head (I am on diet cokes and wine at the moment having given up beer for Lent) and discussed a number of private matters. Today I have been feeling rather "wobbly" all day, on and off, with so many things going in my life, some of which don't appear to be running smoothly at the moment. It was interesting to debate where we thought we would be in ten years time and why we found ourselves in Winterslow in the first place. I am sure this period I am currently experiencing of self-awareness, self-analysis and self-criticism, as part of the vocation testing process, is having its effect. I am finding that I need to spend more time on my own at the moment without disturbance - something which my busy life often doesn't allow. Anyway, this is probably for my spiritual diary and not this blog. It will be good to get the car sorted out soon and I'll probably feel happier once that's done. Off to Worthing tomorrow for a meeting and dinner with friends.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Seeking Solitude
Up bright and early today - the weather had a feel of Spring about it for once. I walked to church (All Saints this morning) where I was acting as sidesperson and as intercessor. This meant that I needed to be in church by 9.00 a.m. so I set off at just after 8.30 a.m. to walk the mile or so. It was a long service this morning - brought about, I think, by long hymns, a long sermon and, yes, rather long intercessions! I'd cut them down from the original too! Two sermons this morning! I walked back home afterwards via Weston Lane making a 2.5 miles circuit in all and I spent some time talking with Commodore Tony at the top of the hill opposite Barry's Fields. He was telling me about some of his plans for retirement and asking if the offer was still open for him to do a "pitch" at Ambassadors one morning. Back home, the kids were in trouble with Sara for one thing and another and my peaceful and reflective walk home was dashed by the mayhem. Adam was on Sara's computer via Skype and was witness to all this - not such a calm household as perhaps he thinks! I went out again to take Cynthia a small birthday present Sara had put together (a small bottle of wine and some Vie product or other) and card and met Dawn on the way with her dog. We had a ten-minute chat about cars and potholes (her car is also off the road at the moment). Sara and Mary went off to Tesco's shopping this afternoon leaving Tom to do some homework and me to mow all three lawns - a two-hour job at the beginning of the season and something I love to do when I went to spend some time on my own. The mower refused to start for me at first and so I had to clean the spark plug (it actually looked okay) and pump prime the carburettor. Eventually, after several attempts, it roared into life and so the lawns got their first cut. This evening Tom went to Rockface with Sara and I phoned Mum to confirm that I was coming up to Grimsby at the weekend (subject to my wheel being fixed by then) and that I had arranged to have dinner with a friend on Saturday night so she could go to an evening event with her friend, Freda, at the Cleethorpes Conservative Club. I hope to be up in Grimsby mid-afternoon on Friday enabling Mum and I to go out somewhere that evening. This evening Richard and I had a quiet drink in the Lion's Head (I am on diet cokes and wine at the moment having given up beer for Lent) and discussed a number of private matters. Today I have been feeling rather "wobbly" all day, on and off, with so many things going in my life, some of which don't appear to be running smoothly at the moment. It was interesting to debate where we thought we would be in ten years time and why we found ourselves in Winterslow in the first place. I am sure this period I am currently experiencing of self-awareness, self-analysis and self-criticism, as part of the vocation testing process, is having its effect. I am finding that I need to spend more time on my own at the moment without disturbance - something which my busy life often doesn't allow. Anyway, this is probably for my spiritual diary and not this blog. It will be good to get the car sorted out soon and I'll probably feel happier once that's done. Off to Worthing tomorrow for a meeting and dinner with friends.
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