Three Churches In Three Days

On Friday, Bob and I went to Dereham Parish Church for an organ recital. This is part of their fundraising campaign to be able to install much needed toilets and decent kitchen facilities on site.At 12.15 we enjoyed an excellent sandwich lunch [good choice of fillings, also quiches, sausage rolls, pork pies and cherry tomatoes, followed by selection of cakes, choice of hot or cold drinks] 

Then a gentleman started trying to erect a portable screen near to where we were sitting. Bob used to have one like that, and as it's easier to put up with a helper, he went off to assist. Here he is in his best navy blazer, kneeling on the carpet! Then he helped sort out the video camera too...his assistance was much appreciated.

I do not have any photographs of the recital itself, they were not allowed! The visiting organist was D'Arcy Trinkwon. That is not an anagram, D'Arcy's forebears were from the continent and his surname is French. He is remarkably gifted and played various pieces, including some by a Canadian Composer for the foot pedals only [we were able to watch his hands on the keyboard and feet on the pedals via the video camera and big screen] Here's a clip of him playing in Selby Abbey. He's quite the showman!

Saturday from 9.30-4.30 I was in Dereham Baptist Church, for a Safeguarding Training Day. It is very important to us in our chapel that we have the correct procedures and protocols in place, for the protection of any vulnerable person [child or adult] who may come to our premises - five from our chapel attended. People from all over Norfolk were there. I met up with old friends- and it was especially lovely when a woman called Christine came up and introduced herself. She met me at a Women's Day at DBC in 2015, and has been following Tracing Rainbows ever since. I hope we can meet up again sometime, for a proper chat over coffee.

Sunday I was back in my own little Chapel at Foulsham. I was Duty Deacon, so we got there really early. Duties include checking who is on the rotas for tea and coffee, welcoming, prayers etc.

 As it was communion, I had to fill the little glasses [they go in a tray like the one in the picture] I knew we had a number of absentees. So I filled 24 glasses. At the start of the service we had 22 adults [plus adults and children out in the hall at Sunday Club]. But one couple arrived late. Our practice is that a deacon takes the tray, serves the pastor, takes it round the congregation, and then returns it to the communion table. As I took it back to Nick, we realised there was just the one glass left, for me! We sung some good songs, and Nick preached a great sermon about Jairus' Daughter, and the sick woman, from Mark 5.

Three church buildings, one very big, one fairly big, and one small - but good friends and a lovely atmosphere in each one. Bob tells me that nowadays a person is considered to be a 'regular churchgoer' if they attend a service once in 3 weeks. I'm definitely a regular.

Have you come across D'Arcy Trinkwon?
He's a very flamboyant character, and a master of his music.

One Step At A Time..

 
Not sure they are appropriately dressed for climbing a snowcapped mountain, but I like the sentiment. It reminds me of the 'Serenity Prayer', which was written almost a century ago by the German-American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. 

This little token is one produced by Alcoholics Anonymous, who adopted the prayer as their own in the 1940s, to help those struggling to reach sobriety and restoration.

Hope, Courage, Serenity. and Wisdom - all good virtues to which we should aspire!

Here's A Hurdy Gurdy!

 A couple of weeks back, Kezzie posted about visiting Kentwell Hall, stepping back into Tudor times, with customs, costumes, and music. She particularly mentioned seeing [and hearing] a hurdy-gurdy played for the first time 'in real life' And she got to try it herself. Do read her lovely post, with all the illustrations if Tudor re-enacters, and Kezzie herself getting happily involved.
In the same week, Bob and I went to a talk at the Dereham Heritage Trust. 

The guests were Chanter's Jigge, Malcolm and Elizabeth, husband and wife,  who also play many many Tudor instruments. They gave us an Elizabethan Musical Experience, with their latest programme,
including a hurdy gurdy.
Clearly Tudor Music is the sound of the summer!

*If Henry VIII really did write Greensleeves, did all the royalties go to royalty?

*Is it true that if Tudor musicians got into debt, they had to pawn their doublets and sit around in their singlets?

Have you ever played a crumhorn, a shawm, or a hurdy-gurdy?

[* apologies for very, very old jokes]

Summer Is...

 ...Days Of Syrup Sliding Off A Silver Spoon

My first squares for our new "Double Knitting Collaboration" new. I did Block 195; Ridges from The Book. This was one of the patterns chosen my good friend Heather. So my first attempt was using a random yarn in heathery shades, with a white contrast. I tried white with heather ridges, and heather with white ridges. Neither worked! The weather was so hot and sticky – like days of syrup sliding off a silver spoon.
Then I found in the stash a soft cream yarn and also a golden yellow. Silver and Syrup. Milk and honey. These did contrast well, so I knitted up the square in both arrangements. I can’t decide which I like best.

I am fascinated by the way that a very simple 4-row pattern [3 plain 1 purl] makes this neat ridge pattern, and would work well even without the contrast. I am delighted by the fact that we both started with a ridge pattern!
These are Kirsten's squares Block 10; Horizontal Ridges. Her pattern has ridges which are twice as deep, and is done in a single colour. She posted me the bright blue, and kept the grey marl.

This was the flat gift I sent her - it seemed appropriate!
She gave me a pretty little notebook

Blocking notes
I cut two 6” squares from a brown card envelope, misted the squares [both sides] with lukewarm water, and pinned them neatly to the cards,
then left them overnight to dry. We need to keep our pieces straight and true!

Read more about these first squares on Kirsten's post today

Forty Eight Years And Counting...

Thomas Hardy's perpetual calendar on his desk was always set at March 7th, because that was the day he met Emma, his first wife. 

I was very taken with this idea, so when I saw Hardy's Calendar in Dorset, eight years ago, I came home and altered my calendar to the date when I first met Bob [this late Victorian calendar was inherited from Great Aunt Amy, Grandad's sister]

For the record, like Thomas and Emma, we met in church. Bob's first words [on seeing my student sweatshirt] "Oh no! not another teacher!". We went on to an after church youth group, and spent the evening sitting on the sofa discussing the sermon, and sharing a 'Youth Praise' songbook. And today marks 48 years together - friend, fiancé, husband, soulmate - my 'better half'

The last week has been pretty significant for us too. After a lot of waiting [three years since the doctor declared him an 'urgent' case] Bob has finally had the denervation procedure on his back, to relieve him of the constant and acute pain he has been suffering for so long.

That was last Friday [hence my absence from the church holiday club] Things are looking good. It's wonderful to see him standing straight and tall and free of pain. 

Last weekend we went to the coast, Bob walked down to the water and swam in the sea with Rosie.

Thanking God for all His goodness to us and to our family 

You Gotta Pita Pocket Or Two!

I sometimes buy packs of pita bread from the supermarket. 50p for 6. Not an expensive product. But a few years ago Liz took me to Shuk, a street food stall in Borough Market. Shuk  is the Hebrew word for Street Market. Among other things, they sell stuffed pitas. Fabulous fluffy, light pockets full of tasty fresh food. I'd never tasted "proper" fresh pita before, the supermarket stuff seems like cardboard in comparison. 

Then I had pita in Gem, a Turkish restaurant near Norwich Station. I asked the waiter if they were made in the kitchens or bought in. He said they came from London, arriving fresh every morning on the early train. "you can't buy them like this in Norfolk!" he said.

We had roast lamb for lunch on Sunday with the family [it was in the freezer, I'd got it half price in Morrisons a while back] Bob suggested the leftovers would be lovely in pita pockets.

So I decided to make my own.

I used Delia's recipe for pita dough in the breadmaker. It was really easy. (here) The recipe makes 12. I cooked four on each baking sheet. We had two each, and put 8 in the freezer.  They were soft and fluffy like the ones in Shuk and Gem. I made some raita with my homemade yogurt, and the free cucumber I got in Lidl at the weekend. Bob added spicy sriracha sauce too. 

And the cost? 50p for twelve - half the price of cardboard ones in the supermarket. I shall definitely make these puffy pita pockets again. If you have a Breadmaker with a dough facility, give it a go. 

We Are Not 'Posh Grandparents'

According to the fashion writers, the style for this season is 'Posh Grandpa'.  I kid you not. Style points; vintage jackets or blazers, check or cord trousers [not jeans], loafers or laced brogues [not trainers], waistcoats or woollen sleeveless slipovers. Well, I checked, and I can produce all of those items from my wardrobe. And Bob has most of them in his size too. 

But it's flaming June out there!!
Personally I would prefer to be in a diaphanous dress like Lord Leighton's beauty* today rather than wrapped up like an aged Oxford Professor in December.
I checked out Jane and Beryl [aka The Ministry of Style.] Have you come across these two friends in their sixties, who suddenly found their jokey fashion posts going viral during Covid

Their comment on dressing like Posh Grandpas is here. I found B&J amusing in the early days, when their videos were not quite so polished, but now they have upped their game and become a teensy bit too smug for me. In their mid 60s, it was initially a bit of a game in retirement, but now they are making a living as 'influencers'. So they are sponsored by various clothing and cosmetic companies. I suspect they were not short of a bob or two to start with. Jane, the tall one, was an accomplished artist and milliner, [her hat company supplied Harrods]

Many of the videos are shot in her house [which could belong to the NT] When I started watching them I discovered some fun portmanteau words [wearing a Breton top makes me striped-boobed or "stroobed"] and the Acorn Antiques clips are a scream.

But I wondered about tall Jane's coloured pointy stick, used to indicate fashion points on Beryl's shorter, dumpier body  What is it?
Well done if you correctly identified it as a Croquet Stake! I mean, doesn't everyone have one of them lying around? The Ministry Of Style Ladies are a lot posher than me! Btw I'm a Compact Beryl rather than a Statuesque Jane. 
Do you dress like a Posh Grandpa?
Have you watched any Ministry of Style clips?

*but wearing more underwear than she is, obviously

Will I Be Shot For Treason?

Julian gave me some little resin models of Sir David A to guard my orchids in the bathroom. On his birthday, [David, not Julian] I decided to move them all to the top of their sticks in celebration. 

But disaster struck. I caught my sleeve, on my favourite one [seated with the butterfly]Is decapitating a centenarian National Treasure a capital offence? Fortunately Bob came to the rescue. DA is restored. 

Sadly no restoration possible for my fabulous moth orchid - shown here in May 2022. Over the winter it just...died. But good friends Rick and Angela who visited recently brought me another plant. There are now four plants, all in shades of pink/purple, all in bloom. Beautiful. And the mended Sir David is carefully seated on the new one, low down!

These look good photographed against the white tiles - but they cannot stay there, on my glass hob. I have carefully replaced them in the bathroom.

Orchids have become my favourite houseplants I think.
Which houseplants do you enjoy?

Jesus Brings Us Joy

On Friday there was a FunDay at Church. I was not there [explanations later] but I did help with planning and preparing all the crafts. The theme was Jesus at the Wedding Feast In Cana - so the children made party crowns, placemats, and these little joyful cup-people. And there was a photo booth for wedding selfies [with suitable attire for a wedding feast]  Friends Sue and Alastair from Essex came to run the day, with music, puppets and games - assisted by Nick with his magic tricks. Alastair [&AI] produced a song [which blogger will not let me post!] 

Nick is away today, and I am preaching on the same story. I have chosen three songs especially for the young at heart; My Lighthouse, Our God is a great big God, and this golden oldie - one of James Partridge's 'Assembly Bangers'

Half a century ago, we used to add an extra verse "Give me Unction in my Gumption, let me Function". They were Happy Days....may your day today  be filled with JOY

Waste Less - Waist Bigger

 

So my lovely Orvis skirt was way too tight - in the CS shop it was stretched on a wooden hanger. I got it home, and it had pinged back to shape - a 24" waist! I have not had a waist that small since before Liz was born [40+ years ago]. Not a casing with a circle of elastic inside, but like many pjs, the elastic was sewn in with 5 rows of machine stitching. And very tight when contracted. Not easy to enlarge, but I needed some wriggle room!
Solution - 
Cut a 2" slit down each side, and open up into a straight line, bind these raw edges with binding. 

My waist is around 30" now [oops!] and once I tuck the elastic inside [as I did as a teenager] the skirt sits comfortably just below my waist and is the right length.

I have been living in this skirt for the past week, so cool and breezy. It's been complimented too, which is pleasant. And it goes well with lots of different plain teeshirts and vest! 

Take Me With You, I Can See Perfectly!

Whenever I spot a pin on the floor, I remember Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape, convincing James Garner that his eyesight is fine. [DP had actually been a POW in WW2]  I am aware that my eyesight is not what it once was. I've been wearing glasses for half my life. And they are not cheap! But I have recently had an eye test and acquired new ones. This time I have chosen slightly more colourful frames than usual - tortoiseshell at the front, bright peacock blue at the side.

Our Vision Express is situated at the back of Tesco. When they told me the glasses were ready, I nipped down to collect them, stopping only to buy some Alka Seltzer, and a meat and pastry snack as I left the supermarket. 
As Sue said last Friday, once you get to our age, life is just "Specs, Drugs and Sausage Rolls"!

If you are in the UK, enjoy the Bank Holiday, and do avoid getting dehydrated or sunburnt

Free Parking?

Are you sitting comfortably? I am going to have a rant. 
First a relatively minor one...

This sign means the space is for disabled people, blue badge holders. Bob is so grateful for his permit, it means the walking distance from the car park to the door of the shop/church/theatre is reduced. My neighbour knows the hatched areas around the space means there will be room to manoeuvre her daughters wheelchair. 

These spaces are not for Joe Public, who is in a hurry and doesn't want to walk from the other side of the carpark. And people who park in such spaces should display their blue badge. 

So the other day, when we returned to our car outside a busy Sainsburys, and a couple pulled into the adjacent space and both jumped out, and set off speedily towards the InPost lockers, Bob called out in a cheerful tone "Hey! You've forgotten to display your blue badge!"
The man said "We'll only be two minutes, we are going to the InPost Locker" and the woman said "oh, I'm waiting for my blue badge"  I know not all disabilities are visible, and maybe she was 'waiting for her blue badge' to arrive...but as we drove away, I was pretty certain they did not return to the car after depositing their parcel, but walked towards the supermarket. Bad behaviour if you ask me.
But that is nothing compared to the utterly selfish people on the Norfolk coast this weekend,.

On Sunday morning, seven people, including four children were trapped on a sandbank with an incoming tide at Wells Next the Sea. This is not uncommon at this time of year, visitors do not heed the warnings

The siren sounded and the volunteer lifeboat crew scrambled to get to the station so they could launch a rescue craft - only to discover that holidaymakers had taken up all the crew's designated parking spaces by the lifeboat station. Which obviously delayed the rescue - where every minute counts as lives are at risk.

This is unbelievable thoughtlessness - I am grateful that this time, all the stranded people were rescued safely. Operations manager Chris Hardy said “Today, our crew experienced difficulties parking when responding to this shout.The restricted parking near the lifeboat station is clearly marked for RNLI crew and emergency access, and it is vital that these spaces are kept clear." He asked visitors to respect the restrictions staff, who try to enforce them. Parking issues persisted throughout the bank holiday weekend The crew pleaded again with people not to park in their spaces after more issues on Monday morning. "We are asking everyone, respectfully but very clearly: please do not park in or block RNLI access areas, emergency service spaces, slipways, gates or turning areas," 

Personally I feel that people who park in the RNLI Crew spaces should have their cars towed away and impounded, and be fined for reckless endangerment of life. I don't think people would park their cars in ambulance bays, or across the front of the fire station. Why do they think it is ok to regard these spaces at Wells as "Free Parking"? 

Another Family Birthday

The other day my phone offered me the chance to look at "Pictures of Liz down the years" This selection represents the last 21 years - from our trip to Budapest in 2005 to new spectacles this spring. 

So grateful for this wonderful daughter - the mother of my grand-daughters, and such a thoughtful, intelligent, caring witty woman. We have had so much fun together recently - both here in Norfolk, and when we were in Manchester last month looking after the boys during the Marathon.

Thank you for all the joy and laughter you bring to our family, have a wonderful birthday, Liz! 

Here We Go Again!

Drum roll please! Just to announce the next great Kirsten&Ang collaborative craft project is underway. K had the brainwave for it. 

We were both wanting to do different individual stitching stuff, and we took a bit of a break after our Two-by-Two patches, to consider what we might work on together.

K read this book, and wondered if this time round we should knit rather than sew. Jan Eaton's book has dozens of 6" squares to inspire you 

I got my own copy of the book 2nd hand, online, and started looking through it. Some squares she does in 4 colourways, so strictly speaking there are less than 150 different stitch patterns
I was really excited about the idea - as K said, it would be a good stash buster, not much yarn needed for each square. Like 2by2, we'd each prepare two squares every time, one to keep, and one to swap.
What will we do with them? I asked. Neither of us needs another throw, especially in this hot weather! 🔥🥵🔥🥵🔥

18, or maybe 32 squares would make a patchwork cushion cover. I have gone right off this idea, ever since someone at the craft group brought in her new book, showing how to combine squares not in a quilt but in a pillow [the term our US friends use for cushion] and the author called these items quillows. No!!! I do not want a quillow , thank you. Ugly word imho.
Bob suggested a waistcoat/gilet type garment. We plan to wait till we'd finished to decide what to make.

I just could not choose which square to start with. So as Heather and I sat in Costa, I said "Go through this book and quickly point out 4 that you like" So she did, and I said I would do one of them as my first square. Then I asked Rosie to pick two balls of wool for me to knit the square. That was a little difficult, she kept suggesting alternative patterns! I am grateful to my supporters, when I get stuck with a decision

I used the white and random-dye balls Rosie had chosen to start knitting the pattern. 

But I really did not like the resulting stripes. I swapped out the white for a rusty shade - but that sort of disappeared.  
Now I have started again with completely different shades, and I am much happier with the outcome. 
We are going to swap as and when we've both finished our 2 samples. And the accompanying notes will be written on 6" squares of paper or card.

So that will be two women

    each knitting two squares

        on yarn that is thinner than aran and thicker than four ply

thus our next collaboration has the working title

DOUBLE KNITTING

More will be revealed in coming weeks...

Ice, But No Water

Thank you all for your kind words. Bob has continued to get stronger, and preached a great sermon this morning. 

It has been a good weekend. 

Saturday afternoon it was lovely to have the girls at Cornerstones. Jess did Spirograph, while Rosie sorted all the pens for me. 

Then the Ice Cream van stopped right outside. Treats all round! 

I had a friend who told her son that unless the van stopped outside and the driver rang their doorbell and asked if John Smith wanted an ice cream he couldn't have one. And I knew another Mum who said when the van played a tune it meant "I've run out of ices, returning to depot" [And it was not because they could not afford it - I felt it was not kind to mislead children like that] 

The girls heard the chimes, but did not ask for ices - so I was really delighted to treat the family. We had fun choosing, and they were delicious and creamy. 

Sunday we got home from church to find no water in the taps - a water main had burst in the heat and hundreds of homes locally were cut off for over 8 hours. I checked our neighbours were OK, especially the older ones and those with pets. It was SO hot! Then we went over to the family at their cottage, where the taps all worked! We returned in the

evening with a large bottle of tap water, just in case. The water was back, but pressure still low.

It was an inconvenience, but only a minor one. And a reminder that 99.9% of the time we have fresh, clean water on tap. Some people will have to walk miles today in  blazing heat to get a bucket of dirty water to meet the needs of their family. 

Lord make us truly grateful.

10.30am Woke to find water off again, no details about when it will be back. Used bucket of water from garden water butt for loo flushing. Now off to Liz to refill bottles! 

Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost Sunday, when Christian celebrate God's gift of the Holy Spirit to his Church [Acts Chapter 2] He has many names - the old fashioned and outdated term Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus, the Comforter, the Paraclete [a Greek word meaning comforter, not to be confused with colourful tropical birds] For some, today will be marked with lively enthusiastic worship, and that is great - but lately I have been reflecting on the ways in which the Spirit of Jesus guides and empowers us in a gentle way, comforting us when we are distressed, encouraging when we feel weary, guiding us when we do not know which way to turn. This hymn, set to the beautiful, traditional Scottish Skye Boat Song sums this up 

PS , if you are the praying type, please thank God that Bob is so much better than he was a week ago - and ask for God's strength for him as he preaches at Church this morning. Thank you.

In Loving Memory

 

Peter's service went well. I allowed plenty of time because of all the roadworks along the A47 and arrived 20 minutes early. I stood under the trees chatting with Roger [aka Spronk], who had known Pete since Primary School. Like me, he did not really know anyone else there apart from the immediate family. The Yarmouth Crem is relatively modern, light and bright, with comfortable seating!
Daphne had written a piece about her brother's life - growing up, his love of motorbikes, [shared with his best friend Spronk], his work on the ambulance crews, his love of dogs, and in retirement his unwavering support for LIB Dog Rescue. His great nephew gave a lovely tribute to the man himself - how everyone had loved Uncle Pete. 
Roger and I sat together in the chapel and again at the Wake - mostly discussing motorbikes. Well, he talked about all the bikes he and Peter had owned, and I added relevant comments where I could. I never did pluck up the nerve to ask him why he was nicknamed Spronk  though.
One older relation was looking at me with that "I ought to know you..." expression. I smiled and said "I'm Angela, Hilda and Stan's daughter" "Of course!" he replied. Then his daughter said "I was at your wedding, it was brilliant, Uncle Stan conducted it, and the balcony upstairs was full. Everyone was happy and the music was good" She can only have been about 10 at the time. But I fully agreed with her description. 
Lots of Pete's LIB friends were there - and said they should have brought the dogs to form a guard of honour outside the Crem [possibly not....] They'd printed out lots of lovely photos of Pete-with-rescue-dogs which had been on their Facebook page in recent days.
Happy memories

Saying Goodbye

Thank you for all your good wishes for Bob. The meds have kicked in quickly and he is recovering well [I know this because his appetite has returned!] This is a good thing, because we are both due to be at funerals today - he is going to one locally [a friend from Men's Shed] and I am driving over to Yarmouth for my cousin Peter's funeral. Unfortunately both services are at 1pm.
My cousin Daphne, his older sister, has been helping him so much in recent years since his wife died suddenly. Fortunately she and her husband Cliff live close by. Cliff has had two other family bereavements since Christmas

Whilst it will be good to meet up with my cousins, it is for a sad reason. I hope the love and support of family and friends will be a comfort to all those who are bereaved at this time.

Colour Coded

When I was repairing the bra this week, I got all my threads out to find the best match. In recent years I have tended to buy spools of Gutermann - but I've been accumulating thread for more than half a century. Many of these have been given by older friends, so I have lots of wooden reels of Sylko. I love the traditional chunky reel, with the branding on one end, and the colour name on the other.

In 2013, Bob made me a side table which I use every day based on a Sylko reel. 

I keep my threads in some square M&S biscuit tins. I put them all in with the colour labels upwards. Much as I love Gutermann, I think names are
So much nicer than numbers. 

spring green, almond green, Chinese green, emerald green, light emerald, lime green, mallard green, light apple green, dark olive, light olive, sage, dark jade , royal blue, saxe blue, light petunia, mid petunia, dark myrtle, wine, dark reseda, pink, geranium, sunrise, light pomegranate, light rose dubarry, mustard, beige, deep brown

Rose dubarry is a pink shade, from a shade of porcelain developed in the 18thC named for Madame du Barry, mistress of Louis XV. Reseda is a deep pink shade [alternative name for mignonette flowers] 

Not all my vintage threads are Sylko. These ones have interesting labels too. 

There is definitely a poetic quality to these names - just reading them, and looking at the jewelled hues makes me want to stitch something...