Spider web

Wetland wildlife, Bagnor Estate 31 July 2012

Bagnor Estate, 31 July 2012

Spider's web spotted during this morning's walk through the Bagnor Estate.  We skirted round the wetlands shown in the top photo; it's been raining on and off today and we were wet enough as it was. We'll maybe try another time once we've worked out the route and can do the full circuit round the estate from The Watermill back round to the Blackbird Inn. (Well-behaved dogs allowed!). We had a very nice bite to eat there as well. We're now safely back home in dry clothes whilst Greenpatch dog is taking forty well-earned winks.

Little Portion - new TSSF magazine

For anybody who's ever wondered  what  Franciscan Tertiary (TSSF)  page  at the top of this blog refers to, I've just linked to the first issue of our province's new, colourful  magazine, Little Portion. Why Little Portion, and what's it all about anyway?

 LITTLE PORTION gets its name from Porziuncola (“little portion of land”) that was the most sacred place for the early Franciscans. It was here that the young Francis understood his vocation and embarked on his own lifelong formation and that of forming the three orders that continue to exist today. This new TSSF publication offers a ‘little portion’ of wisdom from local groups, areas and the provincial networks as a means of nurturing our members in their own personal growth as well as nourishing them in their engagement with building community both within and beyond TSSF.

                          Little Portion, Issue 1, June 2012 


 With the theme for this first issue of Prophetic Voices in our Time, I think it's  good, general reading,  whether you're of a Franciscan persuasion or none.

(And no, I'm not on commission to the editorial team, in case you wondered!)

Olympics - "Isles of Wonder"

Well...that was...what can you say? I'm having a lazy Saturday morning recovering from watching the  Olympics Opening Ceremony. What a marathon! Wonderful.

Coming soon - How to be a Bad Christian

               
...and a better human being.  Dave Tomlinson tells about the inspiration behind his new book.

      

‘This book is written for the countless ordinary people who don’t know what to make of organised religion, have little time for creeds and doctrines or even churchgoing, yet who nevertheless attempt to live in the spirit of Christianity…’

             More here.

Another very good reason for going to Greenbelt Festival if you've not tried it already.

                           

Pop up tent folding: a new Olympic sport?

My faithful 'Des Res' for Greenbelt: 3 M, dbl-skinned,  with blt- in gsht, porch and air circulation system [front door] - aka the 'Amorphous Green Caterpillar'

 If Pop-up tent folding should be made an olympic sport; I'll not be rushing to sign up...

Spent last night - no, let's be honest - spent part of last night   out in the back garden doing a pre-GB try out of my tent.  Why do I need to do this?  I know  the wretched thing is still in one piece after its debut at GB 2011!  Come 2 am,  the insomnia prompted by the heat and  the rustling of God's tiny creatures in the shrubbery became too much and I snuck back into the house to seek refuge with Mr GP.

Quite why I've also chosen what must be the warmest day we've had for ages to check out all my other camping gear, goodness only knows, but never mind, it's all neatly folded and packed away. Apart from  my super-duper pop-up tent; here it is, 'airing.' Anyone who's read about my struggles with it last year * will know what I'm talking about and why I've nicknamed it the 'Amorphous Green Caterpillar!'   Is there a patron saint of tent folding do you know? It was never like this back in my Girl Guiding Days!

I’d no trouble ‘popping’ the tent up; but folding down…well, let’s just say that in the time it took to upend it, my cosy green caterpillar-like abode transformed into a huge, threatening amorphous mass, billowing round the back garden like a barrage balloon. It unleashed in me (and in Mr M) dark forces that no amount of watching instructional videos on Youtube could purge. And there are no shortage of them, believe me. To wrestle the sodding thing into submission requires arms the length of a gorilla, and the strength of one too.

 Miffy.wibsite.com

  

Mr M - End of virtual Tour de France

Hurray! End of tour and victory for Bradley Wiggins, Chris Frome and Mark Cavendish. Mr GP explained how it's all worked out; I think I've grasped the basics; it was all terribly exciting, anyway. End of virtual tour, too for Mr GP and good news too, in that it's inspired him to get out and about again. Plans are in the pipeline for next year...

Now for the olympics!

Trinity 7: Mary Magdalene - longing for God

From  the beautiful Oh God, Hear My Cry in Janet Morley's anthology All Desires Known.

...Like the sudden rain upon the grass

and like the sunlight

my God is come to me;

as the footfall of a child who was lost,

as the rhythm of an unremembered song.

Your coming is like freedom to the prisoner,

like the return of those long captive.

You are the movements of the dance I had forgotten,

you are the face of satisfied desire.

My soul is stirred for you, my beloved.

I cannot contain my heart;

for you have seen my longing,

and your eyes are dark with love.

Your love is stronger than death,

your passion more relentless than the grave.

You will but speak the word,

amd I shall be healed;

though your touch is the touch of a stranger,

yet is your voice my home.

                 Song of Solomon 3:1-4, John 20: 1-2, 11-18