Branching Out

We were driving to the Village Hall [Bob had some Parish Council stuff to drop off] and passed some tree fellers chopping down a huge cupressus leylandii hedge. "Ooh, I could use some of that for Harvest!" I said. We got to the Hall - and Bob went inside, whilst I was sent to ask the men with the van if they needed the pallet they'd left outside [they didn't - so it went into the boot of our Skoda*] 

And o the way home we stopped and I asked for a branch. Take the lot! they said. But I just had the one piece. It was a rather larger than I'd realised when I picked it up, but I didn't want to spend time hunting through the heap of branches for a smaller one! On Sunday it is Harvest Festival at Church.

It's my turn to preach - and we are just starting a sermon series on the Jewish Festivals. I have been given "Sukkot" - aka the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths. So I thought it would be a good activity for the children to build mini sukkot [sukkot means huts]

I've cut out some card templates for the children to work with, using Mum's old table knife 

to score folds. I decorated the inside with bright fabric, crayons, stamps etc. Then stuck it into shape.

The trimmed sprigs of cupressus will go all over the outside. And there is a fabric mat to rest it on.

I hope to get some pictures of the children's finished shelters tomorrow. Meanwhile Bob is making some bread to contribute to the Harvest Lunch. It will be a busy service - we are supporting a project helping farmers in Uganda, so there is that video to watch, we're collecting for the local foodbank, we will learn about how Jews celebrate harvest - and Nick the pastor is going to perform one of his illusions. All of that will certainly work up an appetite for the lunch Wendy is arranging, 

*I have no idea what Bob plans to do with the pallet...