that was the week that was

Indeed the week has past far too quickly and it has been quite frustrating. But there have been some highlights:
On Tuesday evening I attended my first Everton Labour Group meeting where I received a cool welcome - good to see that local politics remains as bazaar as always.
On Wednesday I had to go to the Build A Bear Factory with Eva (I have very strong views about 'build a bear' that I can not write here for fear of the legal repercussions suffice to say it took all my strength to step over the thresh-hold and help Eva spend the gift voucher that was given by my Mum). I came home feeling spiritually and financially bereft. Having said that it was compensated by a great housegroup/bible study at mine - we are looking at Genesis at the moment and it provoked an interesting debate about sex, sin and redemption.
On Thursday I had my hair done. Due to my current situation (please contact me in person for details) I am trying to blend in...so I have had my hair cut very sensibly and gone to my natural colour (though a bit of colour was applied to cover my grey hair - getting greyer by the day!!!).
Today I am home early and have, for the first time this week, had some time in my office. I have moved some papers about and faffed about - which is nice.

Anyway, I must go and get Eva now. She has a friend over for tea so I must be on best behaviour.

buckets

having just got the house settled and the plans for new windows nearly in place a new incident has got us in a fluster. Last night we had a bit of a storm here in Everton (and that wasn't just because Liverpool did well in the footy). Whilst I was out at the healing service and Mark was out at the Shewsy (Eva was being sat on by my new friend Penny) the flat roof over our dinning room sprang a leek and the part of the ceiling gave way. We have had to employ a number of buckets to catch the water - which has now subsided to a drip. As they say - "it never rains but it pours". Hey ho.

I am in the house writing (more like fiddling) with my PhD which is going to be discussed by Sara (my supervisor) and I over lunch today. It will be Sara's first visit to the vicarage and I am hoping that she will be gentle with me. As usual I have prepared for writing by cleaning the house a bit - mopping the kitchen floor and all the surfaces (including the toaster, kettle, bread bin and compost bin). So, after 1 hour of messing have achieved 200 words. Which believe me is good going. Having some time to work on this chapter has helped me to realise the strengths and weaknesses in the work so the mulling / cleaning process is time well spent digesting my methodology.

Later on this evening I am off to see Kathy and David - my friends and hairdressers...they are planning a bleaching session and I will be able to discuss pop music, culture and the opening of the 2nd phase of Liverpool One shopping centre which I suspect will become the Museum to Capitalism shortly. Well, we can but hope.

back to church

We didn't do anything specific for back to church Sunday - though I did notices this article (thanks to the Church Times Blog) about a Merseyside church who seem to be an unexpected hit with the Daily Post. Good news I think!

Yesterday was, as ever, a busy day. I was preaching at St John Chrysostom Church on Philippians 1.21-30 in the morning. I really struggled to get this sermon sorted out this week but I think it went ok. My main point was that in this part of the letter Paul gives his readers permission to live with the tension (and not try to fix it) between the “now and not yet” and stand on this shifting ground with confidence. I think the sermon was preached by me for me really. I am a terrible one for trying to pin stuff down - particularly in relation to God's plans!

We had a big Sunday dinner with Elise, Wayne, baby Lillie, Andrea and Paula - roast pork, roast potatoes and parsnips, cabbage, peas and carrots. Followed by crumble. Yum Yum. we then sat and watched Penelope. It was a lovely afternoon.

I then went out to the Deanery evening service which was led by Kip Crooks (who is leading our parish weekend away as well). He was speaking about Art and Faith...which was very interesting. We also had a celebration for Henry's 30 years of ministry. 30 years in Everton no less. Very impressive I have to say!

So, that's my news. I am feeling a bit coldy this evening and have had a day in my office to catch up on bits and bobs. I went out for a few visits this afternoon but other than that its been planning for services, writing emails, poking about with my PhD and faffing. I have an evening off so must go and enjoy some crap TV.

Saturday

Today I am doing stuff for tomorrow...a sermon needs tweeking, prayers need preparing and some printing needs printing. I am also trying to do things in the garden (very little has been done and as we uncover stuff we discover that the garden is a lot bigger than we we thought and that it is a lot more of a mess that we had ever imagined), I am making cakes and doing some painting (we made a terrible mess on a wall with cranberry juice - long story!). I am covered in magnolia paint and banana cake mix. So, a house sorting and Sunday preparation day.

I am also trying not to care about the Merseyside Derby...one of the good things about being a girl is that you are allowed to not have an opinion about football. Even if I had an opinion I am rarely asked for it. I think the pressure of having a partisan view might be too much for me. Having an interest is enough. The fact that the match is happening at Goodison Park means that the street isn't parked up and I can't hear the cheering from our garden. However, the street is very quiet and we can hear cheers from houses (from Liverpool supporters thus far!).

I had better get on with my Sunday preparation whilst listening to radio 5 live - 24 mins to go!

my list

looks like this:
- Finish writing our Will - boring, depressing but necessary (the co-op do a great will writing service)
- Sort out risk assessment for church
- write up notes taken at meeting with Environmental Health man
- write a funding report
- look at and sort electoral rolls
- Write a sermon for Sunday
- Write the talk for Women's Fellowship today (which I have done!)
- phone hairdresser and sort appointment for me and Eva
- go food shopping or make a list and send someone else
- read minutes etc for meeting this evening and find out where meeting is and where to park etc
- get trainers for first gym visit on thurs
- make cakes for Sunday
- plan pastoral visits for next few weeks

There are lots of other bits and bobs but this is where I am up to just now. I am off to Women's Fellowship shortly to speak, drink tea and eat cake (it is a hard life) and I have started to plan my preach for Sunday so am on course - Philippians 1: 21-30! Like Paul I am dealing with the tension between the desire for the new heaven but enjoying the cake in the old earth (Paul obviously worded his argument differently)...will there be cake in heaven?

PhD

Today I have mostly been fiddling with my PhD. I am due to meet my supervisor next Monday and I have promised a new draft of everything (which isn't going to happen) by tomorrow. I have been able to manage an abstract, the intro, chapter 3, the conclusion and bibliography. The working on the rest depends on how these go down. I think a bit of creative cutting and pasting may be in order but Sara needs to have a look at the whole thing and give a verdict before I am prepared to commit any further editing.

The good news is that I have booked 4 days away st St Deiniols in Oct to have a go at the next draft. It is so distracting here at home - Mark is on the upstairs computer, Eva bouncing about. So, a few days away will, hopefully, kick the latest draft into touch.

I want to eat vast quantities of chocolate and drink white wine every time I finish a day on my PhD. I have no idea why it makes me so stressed!? The only thing that is spurring me on is the thought of finishing it and getting on with my life. Hey ho.

ice cream vans

This is what I would like to do to ice cream vans!







I am sat in my office and am, as usual, very distracted by the outside world. Today it is ice cream vans that are distracting me!

When you love in a city ice cream vans are two-a-penny. I know they make the kids happy but the constant chiming of the bells and the plethora of tunes they play does my head in. The two that are most irritating at the moment are - Greensleeves and the teddy bears picnic. Just as you think one has passed and you are free another one comes by and the whole thing kicks off again. I guess if it was a Christian Ice cream van it might well play "Shine Jesus Shine"? I think my irritation is part of the "settling in" process because other city noises that are causing irritation are:
- the squeaky ball that belongs to the dog next door
- magpies
- cars going to fast on Queens road
- the phone that keeps ringing in the house behind us
- mika - should mika be banned now? Have we had enough?
- wheely bins being dragged
- morris dancers bells

I think it is time to go for a walk and se some stuff as well as hear it!

stuff that happens in my office

Today I am in my office...trying to prepare for Sunday's services and mulling over the week past. I am also trying hard to re-focus on my PhD! I know I haven't mentioned this for a while - mainly because I am in denial about it and would much rather it just disappeared or the fairies came in and did the next draft for me. But, as I am a bit unsure about "the fairies" (I promised Eva I would not ever again say I didn't believe in fairies, but not saying it doesn't actually make any difference to what is in my heart! I am pretty sure I really know about fairies...) and I suspect if the non existent fairies did my PhD for me then I would get done for plagiarism or cheating should the University find out - however, come to think about it if the fairies did my PhD and the university found out then that really would be a thing to write home about because then the University would have proved that there were PhD writing fairies and , my goodness that would be a thing!

I think we can be reasonable sure that none of the above is actually going to happen because I will have to write the PhD and that will be happening very very soon. having done my preparation, taken possession of the new car, had various visits from people and done some cleaning I have very little excuse left and may have to actually take the draft down of the shelf and read it and think of a plan as to how to prepare the next version. A cup of tea and then I am definitely goign to start!

my office

This is the view from my macbook of my office...I still have a bit of sorting to do! My bible commentaries are not in order and if you asked me for a book on emerging church I just simply wouldn't know where to start to find one. But, that will come all in good time. Today I worked on putting up door hangers for my "special clothes" and putting stuff in draws and the filing cabinet - very good work!