Musings

Thawing out?

Well, it’s been fun. We’ve been fortunate enough here in that the snow hasn’t proved too disruptive to our normal existence. (My course was cancelled this week. I’ll be interested to see if the organisers make up the session by amalgamating material; the mind boggles at the prospect of Carmelite being merged with Charismatic and Evangelical spirituality, for instance!). I’ve also gained valuable thinking time; with my current health worries, I’d have found it difficult to plunge straight back into the usual routine. But now I’d like to get back to normal.

In need of a plumber

Let’s see what this does to my stats!

Happily, the Miffy household hasn’t had any problems with frozen pipes, blocked toilets or wonky boilers during the Big Freeze. And I’d like to think I’m setting a new trend in cold weather wear for the Over Fifties; my current bedtime ensemble consisting of black thermal vest with matching black lace pyjama top and bottoms, subtle pink checked brushed cotton jim hams, navy wool cardi, Victoria’s secrets dressing gown and two pairs of bedsocks.

It’s my internal plumbing that seems to be in need of attention at the moment. Gallstones are ‘off,’ according to a pre-Christmas scan, but just in case I was feeling short-changed, a couple of other bits ‘n pieces have been spotted which need further checking out, hence more tests are booked for early February. Beaker rules OK! Though that said, after a week of (restrained) mememeing I’m beginning to get thoroughly bored with the whole thing and am doing my best to put it to the back of my mind.

On a more cheerful note, at least all this hanging round hospitals will give me a chance to do some serious reading. Suggestions, anybody?

Ah the simple pleasures of life!

So, here we are in 2010 – a new decade. How time flies! I was reminded about this in church this morning, while all the children were queueing up for their banners to wave during the final hymn. The last time I wielded one of these (banner, not a child), was during our churches together joint open-air service for the new millennium…nearly ten years ago! It can’t be that long, surely? But the calendar (and the mirror) says it is.

Nowadays, my idea of excitement is to spend a happy half hour in Millets during the Christmas rush, checking out their buy one, get one half price offer on ‘thermal baselayers,’ (sounds so much more glamorous than ‘thermal vest and long-johns, doesn’t it?). Son (19), was even more excited when I presented him with his charcoal- grey manly- looking combo. May it remain on record that the top half cut a dash in the local nightclub on Christmas eve and likely prevented him from freezing to death afterwards. For those who don’t know these things, ‘dressing up,’ at his age seems to involve subtracting rather than adding layers. And that’s just the boys!

Daughter was not as thrilled with her lurid purple floral top, mercifully,they’d run out of bottom halves by the time I got to the shops, so has passed it on to Mum. I think it’s rather pretty. It’ll come in so useful for when the beloved and I embark on more treks. Mr M has pointed out that should I be unlucky enough to be charged by a bull in the Highlands of Scotland, all I need to do is crouch down and I’ll become a dead ringer for a large clump of heather.

DIY Antics – Never Again!

It seemed like a good idea at the time; just a quick spot of DIY. What I didn’t allow for is that my technical skills are as lacking in the virtual carpentry department as they are IRL. What should have been a few minutes widgeting over on Shelfari has taken up most of the afternoon, taking in system crashes, books vanishing into the ether and shelves almost as wonky as the ones chez Miffy. Happily, all’s well now. Should you fancy a quick browse, do hop over to Greenpatches.

2009 revisited

April Plinth man, cool specs, Marilyn Monroe, Paris Marathon and water, water everywhere: The Miffy 50th Birthday trip to Venice.

Pax et Bonum: The Seabird has landed!

May “Ouch aye!” The “Etack” Caledonia and Wessex Wanderings.

July No, not a chipmunk; it’s a Marmotte.

Felicitations: L’Etape du Tour and Brisk Sea Breezes.

Felicitations, encore! Ms M graduates.

August “Whan that Aprille..” well, August actually. Pilgrimage Number One.

Franciscan recruiting tactics at Greenbelt.

Mr M is slain in the spirit.

September/October Climb evry mountain; ford every stream…all thousand and one of them. The Miffys tackle the Via Podiensa – Le Puy en Valay to Conques.

Mr M does various other things involving cycles, rain, and the LEL.
November Miffy goes on retreat.

Me-me-me-meeee! Miffy goes green;proving without doubt that she is an Enneagram Type 6 and proud of it!

Here be Dragons… “Newchurch” goes even greener.

December

Having blogged more in the last week than she’s done in the preceeding six months, Miffy collapses in a chair with a glass of bubbly. Happy New Year to one and all!

Christian Bloggage

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my feedreader sent to me: St’s excellent links to Will Mancini et al and their words of wisdom re Christian bloggery in all its glory. Guilty as charged, mea culpa and all that… I Am A Christian whose focus frequently fails to home in on anything more dynamic than the making of the next cup of tea. Terms like optimization, feedback, stats, mission statement and even the dreaded ‘E’ word inculcate in me an uncontrollable urge to run screaming for the hills; or at least the nearest nunnery. (Which last is a bit unfair on the nuns to be honest). I am a modest, simple soul, who loves nothing more than to wander lonely as a cloud, embroidery in hand, thinking beautiful thoughts, to the accompaniment of Songs of Fluffiness meets Celtic Worship Vol XXIII. I am a woolly, wavering wiblogger. Why, I even sport ‘Musings’ in my blog title!

Be that as it may, (and let’s face it; any excuse for putting off those thankyou letters will do), being ever so ‘umble, as I am, I felt convicted by these words, and, thus inspired, set out to set the blogosphere ablaze. I determined my content, categorised my categories, and twiddled my tags. Lastly, bearing in mind that a Picture Paints A Thousand Words, I seized my camera, aimed and fired.

It was at this point that the whole exercise began to go horribly wrong. I extracted the memory card, then inserted it in the card reader. (A move necessitating the powers of a contortionist, given the location of the USB ports on my steam-driven pc.) There came a ‘plink,’ and a ‘plunk,’ but nothing happened. I twiddled. I twaddled. I searched the image editor. It said No Way. I removed the lead; re-inserted it, removed the mouse lead, re-inserted that. Fell off my chair. Swore at the computer. The pc sulked.The card reader sulked. They refused to talk to each other. The mouse joined them in solidarity. In desperation, I cracked open a box of After Eight Mints. There was only one thing left to do. Summon the aid of The One Who Knows. No, not The Almighty; I was forced to drag Mr M away from his World of Warcraft. (Fools rush in…). He advised extreme measures. Switch Off And Reboot.

Thus it is that several hours later, I have only just managed to finish this post. And, so it is, gentle reader, that you will never learn the answer to the mystery of why I discovered a hot water bottle (still warm) at 7.30 a.m. outside on the front doorstep along with our organic fruit ‘n veg box.

An abundance of riches

Still skulking in the study. The dog has not long thrown up his tea, Mr M is out for the count after his Boxing Day time trial, and Ms M’s beef wellington has reached a crucial point. Should you be tiring of all this fun and frivolity and feel in need of something More Fitting for the season, do feel free to take yourself over to my other blog.

Cue vomiting noises from Miffdog…must go.

Merry Christmas!

Another blast from the past

You can tell I’m banned from the kitchen, can’t you? (Ms M and friends are busy preparing for their annual Christmas get-together). So having Done My Duty and taken Miffdog out for his constitutional, I’m, regretably, obliged to take refuge in the study, with little to do but blog. Oh the hardship. It’s tough, however, I think I can just about manage to force myself!

Anyoldhow. I had another brilliant pressie; no smellies this year, but a forgotten gem from way back when we were not much older than Ms M is now. Are any wibloggers old enough to remember the American TV comedy ‘Soap;’ that completely for then – off the wall, incredibly convoluted, and completely addictive series that made ‘Dallas’ look like a documentary about Trappist monks? Remember the Tates and Campbells: Jessica and Chester, Mary and Bert, their umpteen dysfunctional offspring? Mafioso, food-fights, alien abductions? And Benson?! Cheesy 70’s fashions and hairstyles? These last about the only cheesy thing about it, as when we sat down last night to watch the first couple of episodes, it came over as fresh as ever. From the moment we heard the familiar intro: “This is the story of two sisters: Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell…” we knew we were in for a treat. And offspring seem to agree with us on this one.

More memories

You know you’re growing older when poor Adrian Mole is struck down with the big ‘ C.’ (No prizes for guessing which kind; the title is a dead giveaway!) Poor Adrian! Although his character is a good ten years younger than Mr M and myself, we, too are embarking on that stage of life when, if not exactly falling to pieces physically, our bodies are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, some of them distinctly unglamorous, and in my case, those that Mr Mole definitely won’t be experiencing! In my case, also, I’d hope my ongoing grumbles are nothing like in the same league, although some of Adrian’s experiences of the NHS made me smile, (his tussles with the vagaries of the local surgery’s booking systems, for example). Anyway, thanks goes to Miffy Jnr for a great pressie. I’ll not include any spoilers, but I’m sure it’s ok to say that Sue Townsend’s writing is as good as ever, and, that she’s left the door open to yet another book. We may well see “Adrian Mole: The Bus Pass Years” yet.

Two star cross’d lovers

We have a new weapon in the Miffy household battle against total domestic chaos!