Queuing

Isn't it funny how we queue when there's no need to. After a weekend at Mum & Dad's I planned my drive home via Tesco for food and fuel. When I arrived in the car park all the shoppers were standing outside the shop as the fire alarm was ringing. Unlike many other people I sensibly stayed in the car and waited until people started moving in - it was raining at the time as well. But others decided to get out of their cars and wait in the rain and seemed strangely drawn to what would appear to be the back of the queue so that they weren't cutting in the front when people were eventually allowed back in. I was waiting about 15 mins in my lovely warm car with music to pass the time. Once they were allowed back in though it was chaos as everyone started their shopping at the same time and moved around at roughly the same pace, while others searched for which aisle they had abandoned their trolleys in when the alarm had started! It reminded me that online shopping and delivery looks a very attractive alternative.

No Wellies!

After a very muddy weekend last year at North 08, we were back for another year at North 09. I once again took advantage of Mum and Dad living close by to the event and drove the 10 mins from the house to Coul Beck Farm for Saturday and Sunday rather than pitching a tent for the weekend.

I started off the bank holiday weekend with a lovely evening on Friday with Mark, Carlie and Noah, who I haven't seen enough of over the past year so it was great to spend the whole evening with them. Then it was off to the farm for two days. The weather was fine so there was no need for the wellies that had been so essential last year. This year I was just a visitor and not a helper so after doing children's work for the last three years I was looking forward to break and just being in the adult meetings. The morning meetings David Stroud leader of Christ Church London spoke and in the evening Jeremy Simpkins from Jubilee Church, Teesside, both following the theme of the weekend of Transformation of our lives, our churches and our cities and towns. These were also supported by the afternoon seminars of which I went to hear Arnold Bell speaking on being transformed through the Word on Sunday afternoon.

It's been a great weekend, listening to some really good speakers who are so passionate about seeing the churches grow in the UK and across the world, and it's been a great chance to spend time with some friends from church and get to know people better.

Birthday things

I've had another lovely birthday weekend. Similar to last year, Sally arrived on Thursday evening and we had a lot planned. Friday morning was the most relaxing couple of hours at Harrogate Turkish Baths. I think we undid any good detoxing that had been done by going to Betty's for lunch and over-indulging in an Afternoon Tea, if only I'd not eaten the last little cake...

Saturday lunchtime followed the same indulgence with a visit to Cafe Concerto before Sarah arrived (early amazingly!) from Stockton. It was another afternoon at the pottery painting studio, Sal again taking twice as long as I do, making sure her design is perfectly placed and painted. You can tell in the finished items that I should have spent a bit more time in making sure that I'd put enough paint on my mug! I was pleased though when Ruth came round after I'd collected the glazed finished products and asked where I'd bought my new mug from! Only spoilt by showing her the gold blob in the bottom where the star went wrong so I just painted the whole circle on the bottom leaving it looking like something has died in the bottom of the mug.

Saturday night I had some of the girls around, after my usual panic about having people in my house it was a lovely evening of food, drink and chatting. The whole weekend was then finished off with a visit from Mum & Dad on Sunday for my birthday, another lovely lunch out at The White Swan at Deighton (will start diet again soon...) and a lazy afternoon watching the athletics, a great birthday again!

New Car Things

So it turns out I do have an alarm on my new car, as I discovered this morning - along with the rest of my neighbours. I blame Ruth for talking to me as she walked past so that I hadn't opened the door within the required 15 seconds before it locked again. Which I didn't realise until I then went to open the door and tested the alarm! I guess it's good that I know that it is there, and that I know how to stop it ringing as well. Although it did take a little while this morning while I got over the initial shock so my apologies to the neighbours, but it was after 8am so if I have to up then you should be too.

A little early

I've sent my first Christmas card of the year today. When Sal and Rob decided to have World Vision Wish List for their wedding list, I decided that as I've said for years that I would sponsor a child, then it was about time I did it. So I've sponsored a little girl called Tiange Modu from Sierra Leone. She's 4 years old and she likes toys. That was all I knew about her at first, then a few weeks ago I got a letter written by one of the World Vision volunteers and with a print of her hand and some information about the development where she lives which has mango, orange and coconut trees and most of the people are farmers.

Today I was sent through a Christmas card to send her, because some of the developments that they work in are so remote then it can take a long time to get cards to them for Christmas that they need them back by September to start sending them out. I can't say I would have picked it myself - a cartoon camel doesn't usually feature on the cards that I choose for Christmas. But I've written it and sent it off already, now I just need to be as organised with sending the rest of them before Christmas.