Sunday, December 25, 2011

My Vacuum Cleaner Sux

Happy Christmas!

I don't know about you, but I've heard many women complain about receiving Christmas gifts that are useful, practical and/or housework related.

My Beloved gave me the gift of clear sinuses for Christmas, Bless his little cotton socks. And I couldn't have asked for anything better.

A new Dyson vacuum cleaner, wrapped in newsprint with a red shiny bow was under the Christmas tree this morning.

I've been borrowing Mum's because I was having some real trouble with my nose/throat, and it largely disappeared after a couple of months of vacuuming with a machine that actually removed dust from the bedroom carpet.

This was a small design fault in our last vacuum cleaner. The manufacturers may wish to look into it, as funnily enough, we purchased the machine with the expressed intention of removing the dust and dog fur from the floors. I feel better spending time vacuuming when I can see a difference where I've been working.

I hope you all have had a lovely day to celebrate Christmas in whatever form your tradition dictates.

And the chance that vacuuming occurred at our place on Christmas Day?

... OF COURSE NOT. (but I can't say I didn't read the manual and assemble it)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Sometimes being a Pastor isn't all it's cracked up to be...

Or, at least, there are those who think I should be proof against cracking up.

I was at a service yesterday for the commissioning of a new pastor in a church not so very far away.

I had been invited to preach, which was an honour and a privilege, but does make one rather conspicuous when one sees an unfortunate typo during one of the hymns.

We were "Lifting high the cross" gustily and "praising his sacred name". I had not realised that among all the titles to which Jesus is entitled is included "the Sod of God".

Don't you hate how spelling checkers only highlight typos that are not real words in themselves?

How much success did I have in keeping a straight face?

And how much help was my Beloved at this point?

Friday, December 9, 2011

So I now have a current resume...

Which is a good thing. And thanks to Emily Sue who has given me tips to make it beautiful as well as being to the point.

I've even applied for my first job, which is an even better thing.

I've had my first 24 hour spac-attack about not having set plans for 2012, which is not really a good thing at all, but I'm over it now. (Sort of. For this five minutes at any rate.)

And, as you would expect things have changed for our holiday. Mum and I got our information back for what we're doing on Crete, Dad saw it and decided that he really didn't need to get straight back to his business after all. We were going to have too much fun without him!

So now he's going to come with us to Crete, then he'll get an earlier plane, while we have a final wander around Heraklion, then head to Athens for our Paul Tour later in the day.

Now, if only I knew what's going to be happening with the beginning part of the year. But how much of an idea do I have?

Friday, December 2, 2011

Exciting Things...

There are a few.

And I haven't been blogging, time has been the factor.

So, a few things that are happening around here:-

1a. Our church can't afford a part-time pastor for next year.

1b. And we as a church really want to look at getting a pastor's job description that really fits the direction that we think God wants us to head for the future.

1c. And I've been feeling that I really need more opportunity to study.

1d. So I don't have a job for next year.

Interesting Times, hey?

2. I need to find a job, so I've been working on my resume (thanks to Emily Sue who is good at that stuff), and looking for jobs to apply for. There are a couple of options coming up. It's hard to know which way to go, but I figure if I apply for everything possible, I might get something.

3. This leaves study in an odd position. I've enrolled in one subject per semester, but am hoping that with a part-time job I may be able to do 2 or even 3 subjects a semester (still distance ed.), depending on the number of hours required.

And the best and most exciting thing is:-

4. In June/July 2012 I will be doing my absolute dream overseas trip that I never really thought I would be able to do. My Beloved is not really interested, can't get time off work, and we can't afford it anyway, but I've convinced my Mum that it would be great, and Dad thought it sounded great too so they will be coming (Dad only for part of it before leaving Mum and I to get lost all by ourselves).

Oh, you want to know where to?

Well then, I'll humour you!

Starting with 5 days in Jerusalem and surrounds, going to some of the usual sites of interest to Christians and tourists; Temple Mount, Western Wall & tunnel, Jewish Quarter, Temple ruins, pools of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa and Holy Sepulchre, Qumran, Masada, Bethlehem, and the Herodium.

Then 14 days at an archeological dig at Bethsaida on the sea of Galilee. Digging in the mornings, recovering in the afternoons before pottery reading late pm and lectures in the evenings. The weekend is free, and I understand that the various lecturers on tour pick an interesting location to go to visit.

Then 5 nights in Southern Israel and Jordan, going to Petra, the Dead Sea, Negev desert, Mt Nebo.

Then Dad comes home and Mum and I board a plane to Athens. Or rather, we board a flight to Athens, then Dad goes home. I've always loved ancient Greek history, architecture, art etc, particularly Bronze Age. So whilst the tour we're doing is Pauline sites, there are a few days to spare between tours and so we get off the plane from Athens, and get straight onto a plane for Heraklion.

What? You don't know where that is? Crete. Minoan civilisation and beautiful artwork. I was initially depressed that the Aegean Cruise that we get to go on as part of the tour doesn't go to Crete (it used to), but we now get three days there between tours and that will be SO much better than a half-day wander about.

So we will see Knossos (Palace that was reputed to be home of the Minotaur and one of two places that I have ALWAYS wanted to go since I studied Bronze Age Greece - despite bad, bad, bad early archeology) Phaestos, Gortys, and spend time in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum which has some of the best examples of Minoan art and objects.

Then we go back to Athens to start a tour that is "In the footsteps of the Apostle Paul" And does Athens, Philippi, Thessalonika, Meteora, Veria, Corinth, Mykonos, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Patmos, Santorini (3 day cruise around the Aegean).

Then we have booked a day trip to Mycenae (yes, I have inconsistent Greek K/ Latin C use) so that I can see the Lion Gate, which is the other of the two places in Greece that I've always wanted to see.

We fly out in the afternoon of the next day, so that leaves us a morning to walk around Athens (rioting crowds permitting).

So how excited am I?

... approximately LOTS AND LOTS!!!!