Qwertyuiop

Taught the children all about qwertyuiop today. What a lovely word to say. Finding the home keys and learning to touch type using the BBC Dance Mat was, I hope, as exciting and inspiring for them as it was for me to teach. A word of warning to anyone who tries this with a classroom full of computers: Make sure all sound is on mute! Or it'll drive you mad!

Our skeleton in the cupboard

Well done Amy!

A GB gold medal.

Who among us had ever heard of Amy Williams before but now she is on all our screens and in all our papers. I hope she manages to cope with fame better than some recent examples of successful sports people.

But thank you Amy for doing your nation proud. I imagine children all over the country borrowing the kitchen tray and heading for the snow-capped hills. Soon there will be government notices advising us "No skeletons here!"

A very useful thing

Have you got one of these in your house? If so, when did you last use it? I didn't know there was one in our house until someone asked if we had one and went searching until one was found. It is one of those things that is acquired in life - probably to meet the required list sent home from a new school - but is seldom used.

Makes me think of all the other things we pick up in life - a smattering of a foreign language, some 1970s TV trivia, the ability to make scones etc. What are your hidden treasures and is it time to get them out again?

The big clean-up operation

This is what I have been cleaning today. You will recognise it if you are a Dyson-user like me. I am very pleased with my Dyson which I have had now for about 5 years. It was a big purchase at the time but it really has been worth it. Admittedly I don't clean the filter as often as I should. There is a little dial on it where you can indicate which month you are scheduled to clean it (recommended every 6 months) but I doubt anyone ever uses that.

Anyway, elbow deep in soapy water, it occured to me that life is one big clean up operation. We mess up daily. We say hurtful things, make wrong decisions, think ill of others and before we know it we are grubby through and through. Hoovering up or Dyson-ing up is all well and good but sometimes I just want the whole filter washed clean! Thank the Lord for his cleansing power.

Happy Homecoming

My Mum bought me one of these puzzles for a present some years ago. I love the little house shape piece that represents our house in the middle of the aerial view of our neighbourhood. Only trouble is we have moved twice since then and though I still have it and enjoy it, it is a nostalgic memory of a previous chapter of my life.

So when I saw one of these in a charity shop today my curiosity was aroused. There were no clues on it as to the location but I couldn't resist the challenge so I bought it. As soon as I got home I opened the box to find the pieces still in their sealed bag (obviously never been used) and to my delight, a photo of the finished picture. It seemed strangely familiar; then on closer inspection I was convinced it was in fact my town where I live now.

I set about the task, and have now finished it. It is lovely to see all the familiar buildings and landmarks. And in the middle, a house shaped piece of the place where presumably someone who doesn't like puzzles lives.

From one Heath to another

A happy visit to Donington le Heath Manor House. What a sweet little place - free museum, little shop, tea rooms in a barn and a maze in the making. The gardener muttered, "Probably the easiest maze in the world." Oh well, I'm sure it will amuse lots of children in the Summer without the stress of being stuck in Hampton Court thinking you will never get home for tea.

Obvious question, obvious answer

What do you do when you meet a friend in the supermarket? I suppose it depends where you are up to on your shopping list. If you have just started and all your concentration is required to weigh up the relative value of the cheap Red Leicester and the 2 for 1 Cathedral City cheese, you may not have a spare brain cell for anything more than a quick "Hello!". If you are further along, you may be happy to break off from the list, and have a good old chit chat about little Tommy's sore throat and aunt Agatha's antibiotics. Even so, it is not easy to get back into the list afterwards. But, I think the Japanese have got this one down to a fine art, as with so many of their little social nicities. You will simply hear a friendly voice say (in Japanese) " Shopping is it?" To which you can say,"Yes, shopping is it?" To which they reply,"Yes". And you both go on your merry way having fulfilled the social ettiquette without losing your concentration! I like this!

Even though the day be laden

Even though the day be laden

And my task dreary

And my strength small

A song keeps singing in my heart.

For I know that I am thine,

I am part of thee,

Thou art kin to me

And all my times,

All my times are in your hand.

These words form the complete lyrics of the song I have chosen to be played in the school assembly as Mrs. H's choice. It starts slowly and gradually develops into what sounds to me like an Irish jig, repeating the same words again and again. I once used it as a music lesson and was fascinated to learn what it made the children think of: barn dances, hot chocolate, mountains, rollercoasters. I found out from the musicians themselves that the unusual instruments include a frying pan and empty beer bottles. Sorry I can't post a link to the music itself but this is where you can buy it. It's one of those songs that just carries you through a busy day.

A short guide to sign writing

Now this amused me. I was rummaging in a charity shop the other day looking for teaching resources, reference books etc when I caught sight of the following hand-written sign:

PLEASE DONATE YOUR JIGSAW PUZZLES AS WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SHORT.

Fine, I thought, but was tickled to think of a group of short people with a secret passion for puzzles. Looking further up the shelves I realised the top shelf was crammed full of .... jigsaw puzzles. So maybe that sign was old now and they have had fresh donations: they certainly didn't seem to be short of them anymore. As I scanned the colourful array of thatched cottages and cute kittens, my eye fell upon another sign:

IF YOU CANNOT REACH THE PUZZLES, PLEASE ASK FOR ASSISTANCE.

Well, that really got me chuckling. The thought of that group of short puzzlers again. And if they really are so short in this shop, what help will they be?! Don't you just love the Great British public's ability to make unintentional puns and misleading signs.

How young at heart are you?

The results of a 1979 experiment have recently been released suggesting that growing old is a state of mind. A group of older people were invited to a week of reminiscing in which a 1959 scene was set and participants invited to relive the past. No special arrangements were made for the guests. They had to carry their own luggage, make their own meals and fend for themselves. The results show that by the end of the week, people were walking faster, eyesight had improved, hearing had improved and general wellbeing and self esteem was up. One elderly gentleman discarded his walking stick! A ball was thrown to a guest waiting for the bus home at the end of the week. He caught it and before long everyone was joining in with an impromptu game of football! I think we have much to learn from this study! Read more about it here. (PS: Note to my Mum: Is that you on the right in the photo? Looks like you!)

A big thank you to Sir Alexander Fleming

It may look like a random connection of pretty blobs to you and me but this apparently represents PENICILLIN. It was discovered by accident in 1928 by the Scottish scientist Sir Alexander Fleming (1881 -1955).

After feeling so ill on Monday and now being able to breathe again through both nostrils, I just want to acknowledge here my gratitude to the one who found the medication I needed!

To be a pilgrim

I heard Roy Searle on the radio yesterday (Radio 4 Beyond Belief) and was pleased to be reminded about the welcome and hospitality practised at the Northumbria Community. We treasure memories of several visits to the house in Northumbria and despite freezing temperatures in this rustic chapel (pictured here), meeting with God in new ways. It gave us the space we needed to take stock of life and ministry before the next leg of the journey. Nothing stays the same forever though and the community will be on the move again later this year. Check out the new website too.

FREE Bible Giveaway

Couldn't pass this one by in a charity shop this morning. An NIV Bible with a parenting emphasis. Lots of little hints and Bible-related comment. But the full NIV Bible as well.
As it is somewhat superfluous to our current family situation, I almost left it there in the shop but having bought it I want to find the right home for it. Let me know your good reason for wanting it and it could be yours FREE. You must be willing to collect.