Thursday 17 July 2008

The rain it raineth on the just...

And on the unjust fella [But more upon the just, because the unjust pinched the just's umbrella!]

St Swithin's Day Plus One and it is definitely raining. But I don't believe in that tradition anyway. Anyway, rain reminds me of Noah not Swithin. Been thinking about ARK building [Acts of Random Kindness] and the aim of Hope 08 to get people motivated to do so many hours of Good Things this year.

To brighten your day here are some pictures of God's goodness as seen in my hIM002680ome this morning. Firstly the fig tree - which is positively burgeoning with fruit. It is unbelievably exciting to me that one of my five-a-day fruit  portions is something we have grown ourselves. They taste SO good, and I am utterly ecstatic whilst eating them [cf Meg Ryan!]

Then there are my flowers - this lovely planted aIM002679rrangement was a gift from a pupil and his Mum last week.

I have rearranged the bouquet which I received at the School Production - the gerberas had all bent over at strange angles.

So I chopped them off short and put them in a tiny vase on their own.IM002681

How do you pronounce the 'g' in gerbera anyway? Like gerbil or Gershwin? I have heard florists say both.

...Quick check in the OED reveals it is the same as geranium, and comes from Herr Gerber, the German naturalist who first identified it.

There was correspondence in The Times once, I recall, about the 'g' in margarine - which ended when one chap said "It is obvious - hard in winter and soft in summer!" [it was in the days before Flora]

Back to the Hope 08 thing - Bob was at a planning meeting last night for the Village Fun Day in September. This event is chiefly planned and organised by Karl our Village Bobby, and Jenny. Jenny's eldest son died tragically in a motorbike accident, and since then she has worked tirelessly to improve facilities for Young People in the village.

As usual, Bob and team are providing PA and we are working, as Churches Together, to provide Story Tent, Prayer Tree, Songs of Praise and much more.  Last year the wind was incredibly strong - Mike, Nick and I spent ages hanging on to flying gazebos! We have ordered two banners from CPO to display on our pitches.

IM002678

They are well-made and waterproof, with eyelets.

Sensibly, the HOPE logo doesn't have '08' on it, so we can use them next year too!

I spent last night photocopying and collating nearly 1000 worksheets, memory verses etc for Holiday Bible Club. I'm glad that job is out of the way! Today I have got to sort the refreshments.

Bookings continue to fall through the letterbox - and one very kind note from a parent saying her child couldn't come this year - but enclosing a donation to our expenses anyway! That must count as an ARK.

3 comments:

  1. Photocopying and colating nearly 1000 worksheets?! Oh, my! We're about to do VBS (July 28 - August 1st). I'm doing P.E. outside and I hope we have a good turn out this year. Last year we only had 22 kids. :(

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  2. One hundred children x five days x 2 sheets per day = a thousdand sheets!
    You will be running for the same week as us then. We just operate from 10am - 12 noon plus BBQ on Thursday Night, to which parents and friends are invited.
    Praying for all friends doing VBS/HBC/whatever they call them - that God will give us the energy we need!

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  3. If Geberas were named by Herr Gerber, then it would be hard, like in Gershwin, as that would be the proper pronunciation in German, surely? Glad the figs are doing well!

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