More Reflections

Today is the first of two residential days at Sarum College as part of my ongoing Lay Ministry Formation Training.  all the students from all years met in the college chapel this morning for morning Prayer after which we went off into our own individual groups.  Today I spent the whole day on Session 3 of Theological reflection (Level 5) - a subject I really feel draining.  I have never been, by nature, a particularly reflective person but one thing this training has done over the past two years is to turn me into one.  Over the last few weeks I have done a considerable amount of reflection and feel quite drained.  Whilst I think it can be a help in trying to solve problems it can take the problem to a deeper level too and over analysis can be a problem.  Having said that, I think it can also help clarify issues and simplify the problem too - its such a pity that the process is so complicated!  In spending today and tomorrow here at Sarum College, I have missed one of the best football games at St. Mary's this year - Saints v. Everton.  Sara took Thom and his friend Callum into Southampton and Callum sat in my seat.  It was really good for him to take a friend and with a 2-0 win over Everton, it was a really good day out for them.  Tonight I spoke briefly to Sara on the telephone before going down to the bar for a few glasses of wine with fellow students - two of whom are having problems themselves in their parishes.  A good night of chin-wagging which helped us all.  I think that the evening in the bar is, without doubt, the highlight of the weekend and, as Sara has said, where most work gets done!

Al Murray's view on the Sexes!

On duty at Alabare this morning but before going I popped into Parkwood to use the pool and steam room - I had intended to use the gym and swim but time didn't really allow for this.  My time at the Drop-In Centre was a bit restricted today as I had to be back home to change into my dinner suit to attend a Masonic dinner at Highworth, north of Swindon - in fact, Highworth is the most northerly of all the Masonic centres in Wiltshire Province.  The weather today was pretty dire - heavy rain this afternoon and the journey to Highworth was appalling. I was trapped in a long queue (for one mile) entering Marlborough and again at the interchange with the M4.  I have, however, found a way of avoiding that interchange by following some cars which seemed to know a short cut and with helpful confirmation from my SatNav I was able to get onto the A419 with relative ease.  I arrived in Highworth with about ten minutes to go before the meeting but then got hopelessly lost on a housing estate with endless (well in fact they did end!) cul-de-sacs and eventually arrived at the venue five minutes late.  It seemed, however, that two important members of the Provincial Team had also had similar problems and so I was able to enter the lodge room ahead of the main event of the evening starting - the installation of a new worshipful master. The meeting was being held at a Community Centre which was itself a labrynth of rooms and corridors.  A good meeting with an excellent roast lamb dinner to follow.  I sat with a number of other reigning masters and had a good night.  The journey home was quicker than going although I did meet with fog as I got nearer to Andover and arrived home at around 11.15 p.m.  Sara and I stayed up to watch Al Murray sermonising on the differences between women (X) and men (Y).  X apparently signifies mystery, the unknown, etc. whereas for men the Y signifies WHY!!!!!????  Despite the colourful language, I thought his explanation and exposition of the differences between men and women very true (as well as amusing!)    

Food Poverty

I didn't sleep at all well last night - so many things running through my mind - and feeling very under the weather.  I took Thom to The Wallops at the later time of 9.15 a.m. and spent the morning at home doing on jobs like weeding the front drive - the weeds have shot up with the alternating rain and warm weather. Sara went into work for most of the day.  This lunchtime (1pm - 3 pm) I attended a meeting at the Salisbury Conservative Constituency Office with a representative of Church Action on Poverty and representatives of the other faith groups in the city to discuss a proposed Inquiry into food poverty in the UK - to be looked at specifically in various places including Salisbury.  An important event which will need much planning. As the chaplain to the Albare Place drop in centre I have been asked to be involved in the process and will be pleased to help - although today with lack of sleep I do not feel as enthused as I might otherwise have been.  I drove Doug G and myself down to Bournemouth this evening to attend the Sarum Night meeting of Boscombe Lodge No. 2158 where they had a live First Degree Ceremony.  Being the closest meeting day to St. George's Day we had the usual themed dinner (and same food) which consisted of Fiery Broth (oxtail soup with chillis), steak and ale pie, bread and butter pudding with clotted cream and cheese and biscuits.  I left a good deal of the soup and removed the pie crust from the steak and ale pie.  I resisted the clotted cream and didn't touch the cheese tonight. Such a contrast (leaving food) after attending a meeting about food poverty earlier today.  I was so tired this evening that I actually dropped off in the meeting itself.  I arrived back home at 11 p.m. and Sara and I watched a programme on Monty Python during which she also nodded off.  I need to good night's sleep tonight in order to feel better as I really feel tired and low tonight.  

Heavy Workload

Realising the need to complete my funeral assignment by this Friday (three days away) I decided to spend the day at Sarum College working on it  I also took the opportunity to write up this blog as several days were missing and I needed to catch up.  Therefore I worked in the library at the college from about 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. after which I drove to The Wallops to pick up Thom from the Winchester bus.  It was raining when I left the college and any thoughts of perhaps hitting a few golf balls with Thom after I picked him up were lost-besides he said he was very tired when I picked him up. Sara had to go to Porton for some essential groceries this evening (our local village shop being closed) and brought back a Chinese takeaway as she didn't want to cook anything.  It was well received by the kids.  Didn't sleep at all well tonight.  At least I did finish writing up my essay on funeral services and Sara will proof-read it tomorrow so I can send it off one day in advance which will take some pressure off my life.

Back to Work Tuesday

Back to some normality this morning except that Mary is really feeling unwell and did not go to school today.  Thom is back at Peter Symonds College and I took him to the Wallops this morning.  Sara was working after a spell at the gym and I stayed at home today going through a mountain of mail and paying bills.  Over the last few days I have not opened much mail and so set to, with gusto, to see what the postman had brought.  Quite a lot of paper ended up being shredded or placed in the recycle bin and I had a clear out of quite a lot of documents which had been littering my desk. It was a reasonably productive day and I ascertained that it would no longer be possible for Thom and I to have our season ticket seats in the Family Enclosure (Thom having reached 17 but he is still entitled to a concession - albeit it will be twice the price of a Junior's ticket and my ticket will go up by £80 outside of the Family Enclosure.  We would be looking to move to the Chapel Stand behind the goal but need to think seriously whether we can afford it.  Part of me thinks that the club is pricing its fans away but the other part of me recognises that Saturday afternoons at St. Mary's with Thom are incredibly important.  I suspect we will find the money from somewhere for the this year at least but it may be that Saturdays may turn into golf days if Thom can maintain his interest. In fact tonight he and I went back to Grateley to hit a few balls on the driving range - he really is getting the hang of it but needs to slow his swing down a bit. We went for a drink afterwards at the pub in Grateley. It would be really good if he enjoys his golf long term and I am sure the money we could save from the football would easily pay for membership of a club or green fees. Back home I wrote up the minutes from the last Lodge meeting (only two more to write up before I will have handed this task over) and sent out agendas, minutes and dining slips to the members and guests.  Tomorrow it will be a day at Sarum College working on my funeral assignment and writing up my journal which is now somewhat behind.

Easter Monday - Back on the Golf Course

The weather was quite oppressive today.  Quite a physical day too - Sara and I went to the Fiotness Centre where I walked 2 miles on the treadmill and rowed one kilometre and then went to pool and swam a few lengths.  Sara went off to try and find some shoes to buy and I met up with her later at Waitrose for a free coffee and sticky cake (putting back on all those calories I had burnt up!).  We both went to Matalan where I bought a couple of shirts and some trousers and Sara bought shoes which suited her (having failed to find any others in town).  Back home I mowed the bank which was quite heavy work and afterwards took Thom to Grateley to play a round of golf on the Par 3 course there.  I think he has a natural gift for golf and with some practice think he will be able to play well - certainly much better than me.  I started to play at his age (or a year or so later) when I went to Liverpool and bought my first clubs from Woolworth's - saving up my weekend job to purchase clubs as and when I could afford it.  He seems to really enjoy it and it would be good to get him really interested.  Back home I phoned James to see whether he would like to go for a drink with Richard and myself but he was not available.  I met up with Richard in the Lion's Head at 9.15 p.m. and had a really good talk about quite a number of things which are affecting our lives at the moment - we are both facing some changes ahead especially Richard who will be moving to Poole in a couple of month's time.  I will really miss our Sunday evenings.

Easter Sunday - Farewell to St. Francis's

A joyous yet sad day today - we celebrate the risen Christ but also it is my last day at St. Francis's on placement.  I attended both the 9.30 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. services this morning where I was brought up to the front and interviewed about how my placement had gone. I presented the two humorous books to Paul and Tom who both seemed really delighted with these small tokens of gratitude.  Tom and I have agreed to be friends on Facebook and will keep in touch and I had a pleasant chat with Paul after the service. We shall miss each other's company but life marches on.  James and family attended the 11.00 a.m. service so there were six of us from Winterslow in the congregation this morning. I assisted Paul and Tom with the distribution of the bread and wine (Tom and I distributed the wine) to well over 150 people.  A big service.  I likened the end of the service (and also felt emotionally too) as similar to the last session of Spring Harvest when you have enjoyed the intense spirituality of the event but now know its time to move back to where you come from.  I have quite a few pieces of Academic work to conclude and will spend May concentrating on that.  Tonight the children wanted to go to Poole to the greyhound racing and so I took Thom and Mary down there.  Thom had a winner in the first race (£8.90) and I had a winner in the last (£31.60).  Mary had another barren night and so I shared my winnings with them (£10 each).  That way we all came away feeling that we had had a reasonable night out.  It only cost us £4 to get in (all of us including the purchase of a race card).  Mary is too young to be charged an adult rate and I am too old so we only had to pay £1 for Thom and £3 for the race card.  A  cheap and entertaining night out.  Not sure where a night of gambling stands as far as Christian Ethics is concerned!