What Spring?

Its been cold and very wet the last few days.  I have been doing the midweek communions but yesterday David and I had a day out. We went to Falmouth. This impressive port is the view from our sitting room window. In the evening I watch the sun go down on huge ocean liners as well as square riggers...there's not much we miss from our upside down house. If we want to visit it though it involves a ferry and  about 15 miles of road  to get there.  The town itself is interesting . A long narrow Cornish street stretches from one end to the other and its full of small shops. Some have closed which is a sign of the times but others have taken their place and we wandered along buying birthday cards and jumpers, hoping to be able to wear the summer stuff this year. We ate in a car by the yacht harbour and it was a very relaxing day out despite the weather.

St Just

I am down there this morning doing a midweek communion.  There are tourists around so I might have more than the faithful four. Who ever turns up it is a golden time down there for the midweek. Specially  in the Spring when the sun is shining and all the shrubs are in flower. Last week we had mallards nesting but as yet there's no sign of them coming back.  Close to the estuary is my daughters grave.   She could not have had a more perfect resting place and I often go to visit and chat to her.  So making me a fairly daft but unrepentent old woman.! 

Wild weather

It's still wild outside after a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We had big congregations at both churches yesterday with quite a lot of visitors still around. Tosh has to have a tooth out tomorrow! Poor cat. It's going to be a whole day at the vets as he will need sedation. I think we are all going to need of when he comes home.

Windy weather

Yesterday was a frightening day of storm and gale and rain. I only ventured out twice and in the afternoon I saw some of the damage done to the new trees and shrubs.   The new leaves on the horse chestnut are strewn all over the grass. The fruit trees though still had blossom. The cherry tree lost every bit of its blossom but the apple trees had rather tighter  flowers so they were still intact. I have yet to go out to look at them this morning but its no longer quite so wild out there. Fingers crossed.

Storm damage

We did hear thunder during the night but I got up unprepared for the worst of it. Plants out of their pots were strewn all over the front of the house.  I went out in my nightie to pick up much of it!   The ancient horse chestnut has lost alot of its new leaves which are strewn   everywhere. I have yet to put on clothes to look at the end of the field  where the fruit trees are but I suspect the blossom will be knocked off well and truly!   

Green

In a week everything has gone green.  The leaves are that wonderful acid green of Spring, there is blossom everywhere and our garden is looking wonderful. I have now got 12 large fruit trees in plus several bushes that are also blooming. By the time Autumn arrives we should get some good pies....providing  the wind stays off for long enough to set the fruit. 

Shopping in Truro this morning we went over on the ferry and it all is so beautiful that it made us realise once again just how lucky we are.  Thank you God.

Another lovely day

It's slightly misty outside. Falmouth has gone   lost in the haze but slowly it will lift as it usually does for another great day. Yesterday Anne came for lunch and we sat outside sipping our white wine and talking and it was lovely.  We are hoping for a summer this year  but it has got off to a good start! Angie comes this morning and school starts again so there will be alot to talk about before the meeting in school tomorrow. 

Crispin

Crispin is my lovely Golden retriever.....now an old boy. I realised yesterday that he was going to be eleven this year and that he was getting seriously ancient as big dogs go. He now has trouble with his legs as he tries to get all four of them in the right place to get down the stairs. He fell yesterday so I put him to bed in my study last night which is on the ground floor. When I came in this morning he didn't hear me...he only reacted when he saw me in front of him.   His deafness may account for the very loud barking we have been complaining about. Oh dear    old age is not for wimps  even in dogs.

Food on the garden.

It's a lovely day and everything is coming up well in the garden including stuff I put in last year and then forgot. The rhubarb went in yesterday near to the gooseberry bushes. We should get some decent pies soon.

Gardening

We forgot the gardener was here today. He arrived and got down to strimming straight away which woke us up! He is now putting In the rhubarb and fuschias!

Grey day

After all the lovely weather we are now back to the usual grey. I have been out and started the summer snail hunt!  There they are chomping away in comfort...mm . Last year I decided that I was never going to win   there are just too many of them in all the old stone walls   so I fling them over the wall onto the road. This gives them a fighting chance...if they can mover fast enough they can get back in!  Well its better than using chemicals!  

Tuesday

Back to work today after a day  resting yesterday.  I am down at St Just for the midweek service and its very beautiful down there right now with all the magnolias and camelias at their majestic best.  The tide will be in and it will look amazing. Usually there are a handful of communicants but now the tourist season has started there are often alot more. We shall see. 

Easter Monday

Time to relax for a while today.   The services yesterday went well and I saw some people I havn't seen for a long time.  The lunch at the hotel was splendid. We sat out on the terrace in  glorious sunshine and the food was excellent.....just what we needed after last week.  Ken is away for a while so I am back looking after the parish with two mid week communions to do but its mostly quiet before we start the week after with school stuff to sort out!  

Easter Sunday

Alleluia!    I have two services today, one at Portloe and one here in St Just. Portloe is a very pretty fishing village nestling into the cliffs. The sun is shining the tide is up and we have lunch booked at the hotel afterwards.   Evensong tonight here at the ancient church just down the road. Many of the couples I married last year are back   some with their babies  and are coming to wherever I happen to be.  It is 12 years today since the first David died. So much has changed since then.   

Still busy

Yesterday I went to the three hour watch at the Cathedral  which was great   we had the Archdeacon taking the service and it was good. There I met an old friend I havn't see for five years and we had a very warm reunion......time has not been kind to either of us !  Today we have family coming this afternoon so I am making a banana cake and giving them a cream tea!  I was hoping for sun so we could have it outside but either way it will be good to see them.  

Good Friday

The sun is shining.   That's a start. Yesterday was great. I thoroughly enjoyed the service in the Cathedral and am probably going again today. First we have a service on the quay and hot cross buns.  I am still sure I can do a whole three hours this afternoon but I think I will give it a go. I always did it in my youth but the old bones are creaking now!  

Chrism

We went to a lovely service in the Cathedral today which was for the renewing of our vows and the blessing of the Holy Oil. afterwards we were anointed by the bishop. There were many old friends there and it was great. Very emtional and inspiring.

PS

Having now checked we have got off very lightly considering the damage to the pots. All the blossom is intact! Alleluia.

Storm

There was a storm here last night and I am dreading going up the field.  Pots have been turned over near the house so I am expecting that the blossom will have been blown off the fruit trees.....so whats new?  Its something I have to get used to living on the top of a hill. 

Someone sent me  an email with a recipe for chocolate cake in a mug.......it only takes 5 minutes.

Its the most wicked cake in the world!  Instant cake ready for eating!  I tried it     its good. Recipe on demand!   

This week

Holy week this year is not manic as it has been every other year. The last few years have been a haze of tiredness as I rushed from one service to the next so this year I am able to take it slowly  thank goodness. I shall use today for preparation for what I am doing at the weekend but that is a luxury I havn't had before.  I am still finding places to put all the stuff that Ann has brought over from Portscatho and our spare room looks like a bring and buy sale is in progress. 

Linking

I have now sent out links to this blog  to people who already followed the other one.   At some stage in the future I may scrap the other one but for the moment I will run them side by side. Its raining this morning which is actually good news for the garden. One of the mimosa trees I thought had died has put our new growth. Alleluia!  Many of the fruit trees are showing blossom so I am praying that the wind doesn't knock it all off again like last year!.

Archives

My daughter in law Ann is clearing my old house at a rate of knots. This morning I am taking all the stuff left over from my period at Gerrans back to the church before it ends in the dustbin! On Palm Sunday the gospel is very long indeed so I am Reading it from The Message. By Eugene Peterson. I am not sure that Gerrans is ready for this. But I will give it a go.

Poor cow

We were were woken this morning to the sound of a cow bellowing for her baby. She needed to be milked. The meadow is under our bedroom window so we got the full blast. Finally a baby bullock appeared also shouting. Peace at last.

School

I am doing the prayers at the end of term assembly this morning. This means I will meet the parents afterwards. Bearing in mind how angry they all are over the staffing situation currently looking unsolvable I am not looking forward to it.....but I could cope with all of that if somehow the chairman of the governors managed to have a meeting elsewhere!  

Two blogs running side by side

This is weird......I have yet to give anyone the link for this blog so no one is reading it.  I am conscious though that some stuff going into the original blog is unsuitable for this one and the other way round.    Ann is coming over today to go to a Lent course with me.  She will I think enjoy both the course and meeting people.  Ann is my sons partner. She has moved into my house in Portscatho with great joy and is currently making it hers!  Every time she arrives here she is bringing me relics of my past long forgotten. I am now trying to acclimatise her into the mysteries of life in a small village.....even more importantly   a Cornish small village.  She will I am sure be fine.......on her first morning here someone had left her a bunch of daffodils on the doorstep       thank you God. 

April fool

This morning I mislaid something. It was an important document and I had to go down to church to look for it. Poor old woman. There it was on the vestry and I was certain I'd brought it home. April fool was on me  this morning!  

Learning

I am learning as much as I can about combining my two blogs. The url   and how to paste links to various things are still mysteries to me.  Getting there though.  Today, April the first used to be a nightmare when I was teaching.  Now I have woken up to the delightful knowledge that it is a day with nothing in the diary!  This is most unusual and a day to be savoured!