Facebook Posts from April 2010

Irene and I are making honey wheat bread. I have never made bread ever before, though the other three members of my family have, so they enjoyed patronising me. What hard work bread-making is!! All that thumping, pounding, and stretching! Waiting & hoping for it to double in size.

Spring, spring projects, a whirlwind. In our family, we parents revolve in as much of a whirlwind of excitement as the children. It was amusing to hear Zoe say, “Mum and Dad, doesn’t your Christian history class resume today? Good, so I’ll have a quiet evening.” Note though, that we’ve spent the last 2 evenings playing card games of their choice! And making pizza. And unpacking the last of our book boxes from America

 Cecilia, our singing teacher in school used to quote Augustine, “He who sings prays twice, Qui cantat, bis orat .” It is indeed amazing how beautiful music lifts and uplifts the sluggish, earthbound spirit. Just listening to Stuart Townsend. “I long to be where the praise is never-ending,. Yearn to dwell where the glory never fades, And cries of “Worthy” will honour the Lamb.

, “ Mum, did you know that I stayed up till 4 a.m. yesterday, reading all the library books we borrowed.” Me, “Yes.” She, “HOW did you know?” “Because I stayed up, doing the same thing.” Though undoubtedly, my reading, an A.S. Byatt novel, and a book on business was less compelling than hers.

I woke up today with the words of Jesus in my head (I wish that happened more often!). “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as wise as a serpent, and as innocent as a dove.” What a vivid image! What protection might a lamb, surrounded by a herd of wolves, have? Apparently, two. Wisdom and goodness. No, three: the fact that the eyes of the shepherd are upon it!

How inventions happen. Irene made the most beautiful gingerbread men. Funny thing though: they smelled & tasted of GARLIC. “Irene, did you not wash the spoons and chopping board before using them?” “I did.” Dreadful thought: “Show me the tube you used.” “Dad squeezed it for me.” Fatal words. Intense garlic puree! Garlic “gingerbread” men don’t taste too bad when warm, but I will let Roy & Irene eat them.

 reading John and Carol Arnott’s interesting book on Grace. A quote: “Every negative thing and thought is always of the Enemy, and every postive, life-giving, up-lifting thought is always of the Holy Spirit.When we judge others, it almost always comes out as an accusation. We judge and accuse others and unwittingly find ourselves in agreement with the “accuser of the brethren.” The Holy Spirit is always positive, and Satan is always negative.”

Lots of Family Games this week: Whist, Rummy, Go Fish and Cheat. Articulate and Taboo. We draw lots for teams. Roy and I were together for Articulate and steam-rollered the children. I would have said, “of course,” but to our astonishment, they won at Taboo. I overheard Zoe tell Irene beforehand, “It’s okay, Mum and Dad won’t even know how to do Bendy Bob. Or to draw!”

 Thank you, Google for your alert, but I am not the Anita Mathias, whose obituary you sent me. I am still fully alive.

I love gardening wh. plunges me into the world of nature, its checks & balances. I feed our pet rabbits weeds, shoots, leaves, apple & raspberry branches, strawberry leaves & dandelions. They eat dandelions first. Which prevents our lawn becoming totally weed-infested. What is the best way of dealing with a neglected garden? Tame a bed at a time, starting on that every day, or do a little on different beds each day?

What my ten year old told me on her way out to school, “Have a nice day, Mummy. And blog your heart out.” Cheeky child! I plan to WRITE today, Irene, though yes, I am loving blogging!

. We returned from Europe just before the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano erupted. But we are refinancing our house, & our mortgage consultant is in Thailand. Our children’s teachers are in Greece, Spain & Istanbul, enjoying the extended break. The printer will be late with overseas shipments for our small publishing company. 90% of fresh fruit in the U.K. is imported, and much of veg, so shortages soon…

An underrated aspect of God’s blessing is that it often come through the mind, in the form of good ideas. And an aspect of prayer I often neglect is asking God for good ideas “inspiration” whether on how to tidy a house, write a book, or run a business or parent.

Our cleaning lady from Zimbabwe is singing in rich, high voice as she cleans. She is singing worship songs; I believe I have heard the melodies before. She reminds me of Lena, our previous Brazilian cleaner who also sung as she worked. I love the sound of their singing. It has such a happy feel. Reminds me of Cinderella singing with her broom. Lovely to bring joy, happiness and music into domesticity!

The wisdom of Roy: I was reading an article by a younger friend, and was cross to come across words I didn’t know. (I am a vocabulary freak, and always look up unfamiliar words–with a bit of exaggeration.). Roy, comfortingly: “Don’t worry. When people show off, there is one thing less they know that you don’t!”

Wandered down Cowley Road, trying to find a restaurant. Democracy is far more time-consuming than a dictatorship, but for a family wh. included an American-born 10 year old; a teenager, ditto; & 2 Indian-born middle-agers: decent consensus, the First Floor Restaurant. Pan-Asian cuisine, an Indian, Chinese & Thai buffet. Delicious naan breads, good pullau, good snacks. Great family banter & laughter. Fun!

Nice famil
y walk yesterday through the University Parks from Magdalen College to Norham Gardens where I used to live as a student at Oxford. It was a Bridehead Revisted set, complete with amusing poseurs with better sartorial than punting skills.Everything seemed backlit, tender leaf-green and lush. Willow trees leaning into the stream. Ducks and geese on the waters, Families picnicking. Near perfect weather.

Andrew Solomon in his New Yorker article on depression “The Noon-Day Demon,” said “exercise filtered depression from his body”. That’s exactly how it is with me. Running helps enormously, filling me with endorphins, serotonin, high spirits, all that is good. Yoga too fills me with calm, alertness & a sense of well-being. And it’s one of the mysteries of being me that I do these things most days rather than every day!

 Balderdash, given us by Alan and Mary Reed (thank you!). Irene, 10, rapidly got the hang of dictionary sounding definitions. “Scrivello, A antique builder’s tool, like a screw.” Zoe, “2 points for Irene.” Roy, indignantly, “Hey, I said builder’s tool” Zoe, sweetly, “Yes, but Irene wrote it.” We parents crowed over Irene’s genius, each modestly claiming she took after us, while Zoe steadily inched up–and won!

Roy is working in Birmingham, 75 minutes away, today, and after having him at home every day for the last month, I am a bit grumpy about this. Of course, there is less talk, discussion, argument, distraction when he is not at home, but hey, this Penelope business is over-rated. I want him to work at home, from home!

Irene played chess for Oxfordshire U11 girls on board 2 in the National Finals in London, and won all her three games! Yay!