Wow!

I cannot think of any other response to this news story

"Christian dissuades armed robber"

God bless the pair of them!

WasteWatchers - Friday

Mad balloon game

Jan taking photographs of us

End of the week exhaustion among the staff!

But the Task Force [under Tom’s capable instruction and Bob’s watchful eye] were on hand with clearing up

And the place is tidy and we shared a fish’n’chip lunch, and everybody went home [apart from Susan with her vaccuum cleaner and David with his screwdriver!]

Awesome!

I meant to post this one earlier! I bought a large bunch of bananas – intended for healthy snacking etc, but they went sad and brown because they were lying neglected in a fruit bowl [OK I admit it, the bowl got buried under a large sheet of paper regarding Holiday Club!]

I usually make banana loaf when this happens – but this time decided a batch of muffins would be better. I used a recipe from CatCanCook’s blog, and added a handful of sultanas [extra fibre!] It was very quick and very easy.

Cat’s “Awesome Banana Muffins” (makes 12 muffins)

• 4 bananas, mashed
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• ⅓ cup melted margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda [baking soda]
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups flour

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. In a separate bowl, sift together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together. Spoon into greased muffin tins [or paper cases], and bake at 175˚C [fan oven] for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

The flavour develops the next day, and they freeze very nicely too! If you like walnuts, you can throw a handful, or try adding chocolate chips, or sultanas

[adapted from catcancook’s blog]

All very satisfactory – and better than throwing the bananas away!

Going Up In The World [And Down Again!]

We hired an inflatable slide from “Anstey Castle Hire”. Mostly for the amusement of the children at the barbecue. But I can never resist a challenge [even with my dodgy knee!]

Betty – the lady who has just celebrated 60 years of marriage and had a telegram from the Queen [so you can work out she is even older than I am] also wanted a go. Bob and Tez assisted [two other big kids!]

And after a splendid evening, with loads of fun had by everybody, it got dark and they all went home. Bob and I waited for the Inflatable Man [that’s relating to his trade not his appearance] to return.

I hereby apologise to the neighbours living in the vicinity of the church. All that loud whoopin’ and hollerin’ around 9.30pm was the Pastor’s wife playing happily on the slide all by herself in the twilight!!

WasteWatchers - Thursday

Thursday is Dress-Up day and the children [and staff] came in an astounding variety of outfits with a ‘recycling’ theme.

The girl on the right had covered the front of her teeshirt with ‘recycling facts’

These sisters had a necklace and bracelet made from paperclips – and were thrilled that I was wearing the matching ear-rings!

Susan and I had both had the same idea, and come as bag ladies – she had sewn strips of plastic bags on to her outfit, I had used the fabric ones…

Now you know what I was making last week!

The groups have prepared their areas for the Open Evening and Barbecue tonight, displaying all the crafts and their other work

Oh, and the Task Force – they have been copying the Derbyshire Well Dressing…

We have put our prayers on the Prayer Wall

And after all the preparations, Bob and I went and bought the BBQ food and took it back to church

And now we are going back to Church for the Barbecue!

A Cinderella Story

Today’s post brought a parcel from Liz – my Marie Claire Idees magazine, and a book. The accompanying card said it was one she’d enjoyed on holiday – but warned me not to get too attached as she wanted to lend it to others! I decided that, in view of my tiredness, I would have a lie-down and a read. I fully expected to fall asleep.

However, two hours later, I’ve just finished the book!

“Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day” is set in the 1930’s. Written by Winifred Watson in 1937, it is the story of a day in the life of a prim governess [a curate’s daughter] Miss P should adopt as her motto that maxim of George Eliot - “It is never too late to be who you might have been”

It is a funny, witty, perceptive and light-hearted fantasy. Ideal holiday reading.

Thank you Liz – feeling quite cheerful and relaxed now!

WasteWatchers - Wednesday

Everything continues to go incredibly well

• the children are loving it
• the crafts are working well
• the songs are being sung with enthusiasm
• the refreshments arrive on time and are greatly enjoyed
• the games are played with excitement
• the aerobics are done with gusto [even by the Oldies!]
• the stories and drama are superb

…but…

Bob and I are completely shattered! I only managed to take two photographs today – one a mistake [I took a lopsided picture of the ceiling by accident] and this one.

Here is David, our incredibly hardworking Church Treasurer, and helper in the “Hedgerows” group, about to fix some flowers to their display.

I think he is panicking about being photographed!

But we are half-way through the week now – into the Home Straight!

WasteWatchers - Tuesday

You remember those cheap England flags that I purchased a few weeks ago?

Well, I cut them up into triangles, and every child was given one on arrival this morning.

They decorated them [with felt pens, paints and glitter] then we collected them all in.

Rachel, Katherine and I pinned them to some old beige nylon lace - not sure where I got it, it has been in the Great Stash for years, it is really cheap quality stuff, and isn’t quite nice enough to use for anything special – and it keeps twisting itself into amazing loops

Then Irene and Katherine untwisted and disentangled it all whilst I machined everything together. And at the end of the morning, Bob helped me tie it all up outside…

There is a gentle breeze – always a good thing when you have hung out some pretty bunting, I think!

The groups were all working really well – the Desert lot have produced some amazing camels

The Task Force Group continue with their special activity [hope they manage to finish it by the end of the week!]

Today’s game was good fun…

Two days down, three to go!