Greenpatch New Year Tealights

As ever, I'm indebted to  Archdruid Eileen, both for the inspiration for this post and  for relieving me of the onerous task of digging around in the bowels of my blog in order to dredge up my "Highlights of 2012." Where the Beaker Folk go, I will follow - preferably at least ten miles behind ensconced in a cosy cafe with copious supplies of tea, cakes and back copies of the Church Times.

1. I too will not obsess over my blog stats this year. I've enough problems with my RL vital statistics. 2012 was the year when post-menopausal symptoms kicked in big time.

2. Tweeting is for the birds, whatever St Francis may have had to say on the matter. However, I shall continue to promote  shamelessly nick   wisdom where I find it; the pearls of a certain Archdruid deserve far greater exposure than they're currently receiving, I'm sure you'll agree.

3.  I'm a Franciscan.  I wouldn't dream of upsetting other people in order to up my blog stats; far better to stick to safe, uncontroversial topics like kittens, embroidery and bird baths. Though funnily enough, St Francis would not have agreed with me on this one. I suspect he upset rather a lot of folk in his time. As I've written elsewhere part of the Franciscan ethos is to be the awkward squad, the irritant in the oyster, the questioner of the status quo. I may need some practice on this one then...

4. Feedjit? Get thee behind me... Though I'll admit to missing the frisson of excitement and panic as you try to work out whether the reader from one's home town is a) My husband, b) the vicar c) a stalker or d) the lady in charge of the after church coffee rota.

5. Klout?  At risk of sounding like that judge in the 60's who didn't know who the Beatles were, what's that? Our son will relate proudly to anybody willing to listen that I still don't know who Cheryl Cole is. I'll just have to resign myself to the fact that I'll never blog with The Big Boys.

6. E-Buzzing?  It's for the bees. I shall nobly resist all temptation to join in the blogosphere's obsession with labelling and  ranking  everything that moves. I shall forgive their predecessor, Wikio (to whose database one of my old blogs was submitted without my knowledge or permission) for placing my most   valuable pieces of  spiritual and theological reflection in the "Entertainment" category. (I think it must have been the Dr Who references that confused them.) For some reason the current setup only ranks Growing Greenpatches on the French version of the site. There  must be some very puzzled French blog readers out there, methinks.  Especially as the "Religion and Belief" category doesn't appear to exist across The Channel.

7. We've kept quiet about the wax splashes on side chapel carpet at church after my last, unfortunate foray into the world of tealights. I like them; they don't like me.

8. ?

9. Re-tweeting? See 2 above. Nothing wrong with it IMHO. It's much the same as recycling my old Greenpatches, surely?

10. Same Sex Marriage? See 3 above.  Could Do Better.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Best laid plans - A Christmas of Surprises

Well, that was "different." Christmas hasn't turned out quite as we'd intended, though  if you've read  A Letter From Home, you'll know that we're not the only people whose carefully orchestrated plans went slightly askew. Mr GP,  chef supremo, was stuck down by a winter bug on Christmas eve and was banned from going anywhere near anything edible. Pictured above are his deputies - Ms GP  working on graphic designs  with a carrot, and her brother (MA Modern Lit) dismembering and stuffing a turkey.

A new skill for my CV!

Ms GP and I continued our time-honoured tradition of prepping the spouts and spuds the night before whilst listening to Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge, courtesy of i-player. Actually I caught it first time round whilst wrestling with last minute present wrapping, but you can never have too much of Carols from Kings IMO. Just as well, as poor poorly Mr GP was in no fit state to go anywhere - hence for the first time for nearly 20 years, no Christmas services and definitely no 'Midnight.' He crawled off to bed early, the children hopped off to the pub leaving this  elf wrestling with yet more reams of paper and rolls of sellotape (I have a serrated thumb to prove it) in front of Midnight Mass on TV. I can tell you that it goes on for hours, with processions and clouds of incense that leave "Newchurch" in the shade. I'd plenty time to get Santa's tasks done and dusted well before the Eucharistic prayer. 

Strangely enough, I'd just been thinking  that this year was probably one of the latest we've ever been in terms of practical preparations; (we  only properly began a week before Christmas and rarely put up the tree before the 23rd anyway) and yet it was one of the least fraught we've had. Mr GP has discovered that he can relax and let others take the strain. Myself - yes, of course  I felt disappointed at not being with 'my' church at such a special time, but only a few days previously was lucky enough to share with an elderly member of "Oldchurch" and her son when she had home communion brought over to her. A wonderful and totally unexpected Christmas  surprise.

And whilst on the subject of Christmas surprises, one of GP daughter's friends gave birth to a little girl  - their first child, on Christmas eve, nearly a week early* but what wonderful timing! Ms GP hasn't visited yet, but thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we were able to see pics of baby only an hour or so after the birth. 

Happy Christmas everybody!

*GP daughter has been frantically sewing together blanket squares ever since. She'd been relying on the time-honoured tradition of a first baby arriving late. Best laid plans...

Advent Calendar - Santons de Provence

 Here they are! Our Santons de Provence nativity figures plus assorted hangers on, namely: a three-legged camel and donkey, pig, duck, a pottery hippo from Disneyland, one super-duper raindeer pooper, scarey sheep, Vietnamese and Nigerian elephant, flowery camel, assorted angels and flower fairies. Oh, and our new friend, Zebedee the bouncy sheep.

Since the cat has discovered the window alcove, we've moved the waiting Magi to the mantlepiece, ready to begin their long journey across the room, ready for the house blessing on 6th January.

                       

Avent Calendar - Christmas Fairies

I pulled up the kitchen blinds this morning to a wonderful surprise!  Thank you, Mr GP, my very own Christmas elf.

Advent Calendar - 'Venn That (Christmas) Tune'

I suspect I'm stretching  the definition of Advent here. No matter, here's a link for the mathematicians - to Andrew Viner's great Venn That Tune! Forget my CSE maths grade unmentionable;  I just love puzzling out his song titles drawn as venn diagrams or graphs. It must be my inner geek coming out!

He's even got a selection of Christmas carols and hits. More here on Facebook. Sheer genius.

All together now..."Dings....Dongs....Things That Occur Merrily...Things That Are On Low"...

Advent Calendar - Winter Flowers, Bruges

Winter Flower Festival, Bruges

An unexpected delight - a couple of arrangements snapped at Winter Flower Festival during our visit to Bruges last month. Church Flower Rota ladies, take note!

Advent Calendar - Pothole Gardening

 Here's Pothole gardener Steve Wheen's latest miniature creation  in London Fields. I love his  idea of "... bringing happiness in unexpected places."