Another family member has entered the blogosphere.
When the in-laws dropped by on Saturday, they said my niece had just started a cookery blog. But they couldn't remember its name!
However I emailed her, and she sent me details. I found RosyLipsAndLavender full of lovely pictures and recipes.
Do check it out!
Another good morning at Showstoppers. Many groups now have their insects from yesterday displayed beautifully...
And today we did the story of David and Goliath. Rather than slinging stones, we made prayer stones ...
Other groups are continuing to decorate their activity areas
It is all going really well, and the singing was splendid today. Each day we are using the Scripture Union's Showstopper theme song, plus a song from Dave Godfrey's DVD, 'Action Praise', plus a song with our 'live' worship band.
Here's Bob teaching today's memory verse to a hall full of children
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But, while I passed my Savior by,
His love laid hold on me.
I tried the broken cisterns, Lord,
But, ah, the waters failed;
Even as I stooped to drink they fled,
And mocked me as I wailed.
The pleasures lost I sadly mourned,
But never wept for Thee,
Till grace the sightless eyes received,
Thy loveliness to see.
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other Name for me!
There’s love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
On the subject of singing together - the Today Programme on Radio 4 has just done a report from the Atheist Children's Summer Camp in Somerset. They call that a Sing-Song??!! Sorry Mr Dawkins, Christians do the singing thing much better than that - those kids didn't sound like they were having fun at all. But what exactly are you offering them to sing about?
We had lightning and thunder today - and I got in to find an email from my good friend Jan, with this lovely story which I am passing on to you, dear blogfriends
A little girl walked to and from school daily. One morning, though the weather was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her trek to school. By the afternoon the winds had whipped up, along with lightning. The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she feared the electrical storm might harm her child. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did, she saw her little girl walking along.
At each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up, and smile. Another and another flash of lighting followed quickly and with each, the little girl would look at the streak of light, and smile. When the mother's car drew up beside the child, she lowered the window and called to her, 'What are you doing?'
The child answered, 'I am trying to look pretty because God keeps taking my picture.'
May God bless you and yours today and every day, as you face the storms that come your way.
My first real attempts at vegetable growing have so far proved somewhat...Mickey Mouse
But thank you Sarah, for the courgette and tomato plants - which have yielded this much produce so far!
The queues were forming bright and early. Despite the booking forms going out in early June, we still had some last minute registrations this morning.The group leaders had prepared their rooms beforehand
Every group has the name of a show - Cats are the youngest ones
Lynda was sporting the most fabulous pink wig ready for the drama
Sue is a great story-teller
Here's Rose and Sarah - blinded by the fog machine - leading the aerobics session!
After the session, craft work has to be displayed.
There were a few hiccups - but on the whole, everything went really well. Fortunately we were over and done with and the children safely home before the thunderstorm.
What a tremendous team, all working so hard. Hoping and praying the rest of the week goes equally well.
Thursday at Holiday Club is always Dress-Up Day, when we invite children [and staff] to come dressed in something representing the theme. So this year, we are asking for 'someone from a musical'. I have been agonising about this.
Bearing in mind my family's London roots, should I go for Shani Wallis playing 'Nancy' in "Oliver"?
Nope, I don't think I should represent a girl with that much cleavage showing and a criminal boyfriend
Or maybe Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady"...
Lovely costumes, but rather impractical - and you need to be very slim and very elegant to carry that one off!
Bearing in mind that my beloved has a nice leather jacket, just like John Travolta in "Grease", there's always the Olivia Neutron-Bomb option
But again, I am not slim enough. And they sewed her into those trousers and she couldn't sit down in them!!
That won't do at all
I am only 3cm shorter than Liza Minelli, and I loved the film "Cabaret"
But somehow this outfit seems slightly inappropriate for the Pastor's Wife too!
But, I love hymn singing, and I am extremely good at making clothes out of old curtains, so maybe Julie Andrews is the way forward?
That seems so...virtuous and worthy...I want to be a bit more exciting than that...
What about something eastern and exotic?
Ah, Kismet...
Who could forget the song
"Take my hand, I'm a strange looking parasite"
Or another Howard Keel success - I could be Ava Gardner in Showboat
"Sharks gotta swim and bats gotta fly, I'm gonna love one man till I die"
I'm no good on roller skates, so that rules out this one...
Bob has got his costume sorted.
The important thing is to find a character whose costume can be produced with minimum effort and expense from the stuff already in our wardrobes.
Aha! inspiration has struck. But you'll just have to wait and see...
Due to a technical glitch, the data projector stuck just as one hymn was due to start. Linda kept playing the organ, I don't think she was aware of the lack of on-screen words. The congregation just got on with it and sang the hymn faultlessly, and eventually the words came up. But as Bob pointed out, knowing the hymn well, and knowing the truth of its words meant we could sing it confidently from memory
Tell me the old, old story,of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.
Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in--
That wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin;
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon,
The "early dew" of morning has passed away at noon.
Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save;
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.
Tell me the same old story, when you have cause to fear
That this world's empty glory is costing me too dear;
And when the Lord's bright glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: "Christ Jesus makes thee whole."
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.
This time last week, I was wandering round the City of London Cemetery with Liz. I would just point out that "Ernest Tones And Grave" is not a firm of Undertakers in the East End!!
After a morning of preparation for Holiday Club, we got in around 2pm and there was a phone message from Bob's brother. They were coming up to the nearby Shopping Centre and could they pop in?
Which was great as we hadn't seen them for ages. Loads of family news to catch up on and they told us about their recent holidays.
Also, they brought my birthday present - a lovely summer handbag, handmade by the Dalit people in India. [Frank worked for WWF, and Barbara knows I like 'charity' gifts which benefit others]
It has useful zip pockets inside and is a good size.
When they left, our neighbours were returning from a Car Rally with their friends.
Aren't these vehicles great? [No, I know the Land Rover is not a vintage model - that is my in-laws' car!]
But I cannot sit here blogging
There is still more work to do...
If you receive an email telling you not to eat canned pork because of the risk of Swine Flu, just ignore it. It is merely Spam.
Later Pugwash episodes in the 1970's were done with computer animation. Somehow I feel that with the advent of modern technology and the removal of the original clunkiness, the stories lost some of their original charm. Contrast and compare, as they say!
We had a wonderful history teacher at school [Mr Watson] who grew a beard one summer, and we always called him Pugwash after that. Wonder what happened to him?
Another random memory from my past - when Bob was at theological college, we visited an older Baptist Minister, who suddenly said "Do you take 'The Tablet'?" I thought he meant "Are you on The Pill?" and decided I wouldn't answer such an impertinent question [and was baffled as to why it was directed at Bob anyway!] I hadn't made the connection with the Roman Catholic weekly newspaper!
What a day! Knowing our first visitors are coming to Cornerstones this weekend, I wanted to get a proper Visitors’ Book. The only one I could find was this – with a picture looking like a group of Aunties on a sofa.
I was quite pleased with the result.
My other task this morning was to sew a bag for the Garden Draughts Game I got a couple of weeks ago. I thought this would be a good thing to have for visitors. But it came in a rather flimsy box. When I got back from London, I looked for the game – but could not find it. Apparently Bob used the game for Sunday’s Children’s Talk, and it was still at the church
Anyway I made a new bag from mesh [so it will drain nicely if it gets wet]
It is quite a large board –
and good value for £5 instead of
£20 I thought!
So that was my sewing done, and then we
had lunch and Bob helped me load the car. I had a list of things to buy once I got to Norfolk and a list of jobs to accomplish at Cornerstones.
Then, about eight miles from home, just as I was on the far side of Leicester, I pulled into a pub car park. I could not remember picking up my purse. Checked my bag – no purse.
Rang Bob – who found the purse at home, and promptly offered to bring it over to me. Grateful thanks to long-suffering husband . Thanks also to the staff at The Rose & Crown, Houghton On The Hill, who heard my sad story and kindly served me a coffee which I couldn’t pay for till Bob arrived!
As I waited for Bob, I read my paper. No iffy words in crossword- but on page 10, there was a headline reading “No showstoppers, but architecture finalists have Stirling quality”
Once I had my purse, I drove to Cornerstones with no further incident!
I was able to cut the grass before the rain started, and met another of my new neighbours. Then I did various jobs round the house. After a bit of a struggle, managed to get onto the Internet [this is the world’s slowest laptop!]
Also arranged some flowers in the bedroom for my guests
Liz has donated some mugs and some books, and I have brought down a random selection of DVDs and CDs. Bob has produced a laminated set of instructions for operating the heating boiler. I hope we have provided all the things our visitors might require.
I must stop being anxious, and go to bed. It’s odd being here alone, but thrilling to realise that in just two weeks, Holiday Club will be over, I will be here again with all the family.
So we spend yet another day preparing for Holiday Bible Club...then I stopped for a teabreak and did the Times Crossword. The answer to 3 down today is SHOWSTOPPER. Continuing the Biblical theme, there is also THEIST and ISHMAEL
Not quite as suspicious as when the Daily Telegraph crossword in 1944 included code words for the D Day Landings - but still an odd coincidence. I shall wait to see what words come up tomorrow!
