Our neighbors the cows

Between us and Falmouth there is a road which is busy in summer but quiet for most of the time. Our sitting room is upstairs so we are an upside down house which is fairly common in these parts. Beyond the road is a meadow which slopes gently down to the narrow beaches which are below the coastal path.
During the summer the meadow has a lot of visitors walking their dogs but now at the end of half term the cows are back. A herd of beautiful beasts of black and some tan ones as well. We have mummies, daddies and babies right now and they are lovely to watch as they play butting and mounting and tag.
The danger in this is that I get fond of them. I see them every day, they are our neighbors....by the end of the winter they will go to various places which I don't want to think about. The one thing I have to be careful about is giving them names. Once an animal has a name they are not just neighbors they are part of the family...
In Essex I lived by a field of horses. They were not as well looked after as these cows and I used to go out and feed them carrots and anything going spare. I was devastated one day to find out that when the farmer collected them at the end of every year they went for meat to France. It brought out the rebel in me in a big way and I had several altercations with the poor man who had found a handy way of making a bob or two.
I expect something similar will happen to these lovely beasts in front of me but at least they have had a good life here...they share their meadow with rabbits and hares and foxes and lots of birds....and even my dog Crispin doesn't bark at them any more...he just accepts them as a part of life in the country.

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My husband the builder

Very early this morning David appeared looking extremely smart and very perky. He was off to a retired directors lunch and is now the oldest membe who is still able to get about.
He started work with a large building firm after doing engineering at Imperial College. He built his way up over the years to end on the board of a large family firm who seldom brought in a non family member.
The first time we drove through London together he kept pointing at new building and saying. "I built that". From anyone else this would have been a bit of a boast but it was actually true. He project managed many of the new or restored buildings all over the capital and also oversaw the building of the midlands section of the A1.
He was the first project manager of Canary Wharf and sat through many of it's banking problems until the Americans took it over.
Now his old friends and colleagues arrive at our door and announce themselves as if I should know who they are. Or they ring from a boat in the harbor and arrange lunch or dinner somewhere. They all stay in touch.
Many are very amused that he married a priest.
His first wife had a stroke and David looked after her for a year till she died. We have now been married for almost five years but he is very laid back about my being a Clerk in Holy Orders. His brother was also a priest so he knows we are actually human.
The astonishing thing is that he hasn't told anyone here much at all about his former life. Only the local builders know because some of them have worked for him in his former life and the respect they show him is amazing.
He has driven himself to the station and will come back by train. He enjoys seeing all his old friends and by the time he gets in tonight he will be sober.

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Location:Truro,United Kingdom

a sort of an apologia

I have been conscious of a certain amount of feeling generated recently about my financial status so let me make it clear. By most peoples standards I am not actually rich but I am certainly comfortable. I started from a very poor family indeed and I only made it through further education by working every holiday and the odd ten bob note from my granny. I have worked the whole of my life and now have a pension. I married David five years ago and he also has a pension, a rather better one than mine since he became a company director having started at the bottom. We both have savings which we are using to be able to travel and do things we were never able to whilst we were working. I am also still working though not full time anymore.
I have never been paid for what I do in the church and nor would I want to be. Being a priest is a privilege and not taking money even in the form of expenses is my contribution to life and to God. We have a house with no mortgage and I recently gave my house in the next village to my children. David is over 80. We take our holidays with joy but we know that even next year we may not be able to manage it.I
love all my techno toys. I know that I am a very lucky woman and in the face of this desperate economic climate I am aware that I might appear to be one of the idle rich. I am not and hopefully never will be. I feel desperately sorry for those who are going to be affected by the cuts. my time as a single mum was a desperate fight for survival. Now I help in the only way I know how...by listening and by loving all those in need of any kind.

Funerals and directors

Now lost two blogs on funeral directors. Not sure why. Maybe someone somewhere doesn't like a blog with humor on a delicate subject but there are times when laughing saves the day..indeed I have had an agreement with one of our directors that a sense of humor is an absolute necessity in difficult circumstances.
He is very Cornish and used to pay me in used readies but we have gone into the twentieth century recently with the advent of cheques.
Once by an open graveside he passed me a photograph of the love of his life. It was a large boat he'd acquired in settlement of a bad debt.
Last night he asked me to do a funeral for a man I knew had died almost two weeks ago. I asked him where the coffin was now?
" Oh Jean." He said. "I am a bit embarrassed right now." I waited.
"You see." He was very hesitant. "There's no room in the fridge at the moment."
Ah. I see. We talked about the other priest whose service it is as the deceased had been born a Catholic
"But you know the wife. And more important she knows you."
So OK I agreed to go along and it was only after he'd gone that I realized he had not answered the question about the body.
I do hope the poor mans not still at home.

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Poor old woman

I was sitting quietly playing angry birds when the phone rang.
"Are you coming to talk to us?" said a voice I recognized
"Yes, tomorrow ." I said.
"Now." she said firmly.
Oops. I had written my speaking engagement into my diary for Tuesday this week. It was Monday. Today.
David ran me down to the Memorial Hall asking me as we went if I needed notes or anything.
Too late to worry about that then. We were nearly there.
The Golden Age Club was waiting. All in rows, about 50 of them. I knew at least half of them because at some time in the past I had buried their spouses. They beamed at me as I apologized profusely and then I talked. I told them all about my several past lives as teacher, writer, producer. And finally got to the bit where I'd become a priest. Of course I didn't need a script...I didn't talk about God because they'd asked me not to but He'd had to come in somewhere...
They clapped. They tried to press food on me but I'd had a shepherds pie just a little earlier and then they gave me a bottle of wine and I came home.
What was extraordinary was that I then felt tired and I remembered that in the past I had given a talk a week to all sorts of societies in the north...it was something I was used to and was on the speakers circuit for years.
It brought home to me as nothing else has done that I am getting old. I never felt tired after talking..it used to exhilarate rather then deplete.
Poor old woman. Forgot the meeting and then fell asleep after it.. hey ho.

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Location:Truro,United Kingdom

Experiment

Managed to spend a little time with the new iPhone. It is a small minor miracle but there are things I have yet to get to grips with.
I am sure it's possible to send a video but I have to learn to do it....

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Mutterings

I am having a Saturday afternoon of techno frustration. It's the first time I've linked up the iPad since before we went away and wanted to unload some pics. It's taking a long time because it's up loading everything I've put on it for some time including a couple of audio books and films. It means they will be safe on my computer but it has delayed me by quite a long time.
I fear this might be the last day of summer. I am not wearing tights today but I will be tomorrow for church.
It's not completely desperate though as I know that the next holiday in January will get me back out of tights again.
The iPad is now being updated which will take about an hour. Hey ho. Time to pick some blackberries for the crumble. I know it's late in the season but the devil never gets to spit in my field!
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Communications

It's been a busy few days. Finding your way around a new bit of equipment always takes time but this time I sorted out the new phone fairly quickly. It has a much better camera and I can take videos! Also I can talk face to face with another person. Now all I need is to find one with iphone4 who I also want to talk too.
It's Bible Sunday this week and as always I wonder how St Paul would have got on with the new phone. His letters abroad might have reflected his thoughts in sharp focus. I wonder if he'd have used abbreviations.


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Location:Truro,United Kingdom

New phone

I've done it. I have iPhone 4. I have thought long and hard about it and have looked at other options but in the end I stuck to what I know.
The battery life on the other phone was getting shorter by the day and as I am going on another long trip next year I decided to plunge before we get into the Christmas rush.
I had a very pleasant young man who did actually help a lot and who looked uncomfortable at what they were charging me. If it was an act it was a good one.
So now I find my way around. I have already taken a video of Crispin who is used to such things bless him!
I don't mind being called techno rev. It seems to be the truth.


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Location:Truro,United Kingdom

Manic Monday again

Manic Monday has returned. I spent my time before breakfast looking for a lost file. Didn't find it but managed to put the blame on the cleaner who has been turning the house over in our absence. No actual lie. And it might well true. The day went downhill from there. School assembly went well before I got nobbled to attend several other events..not least to talk to the oldest class about the Bible. The teacher who persuaded me said they needed my passion!!! Not really the right word there.
Then I went to collect my dog who is looking great but I met so many people in the village I was late back.. Then I remembered that all I'd had to eat all day was one smallish banana. The phone was ringing non stop at one stage so off we went to our local pub which now is quiet and still has a wonderful view of the harbor.
This afternoon I have had several visitors including a thirteen week old baby who was delightful. What I havnt had are my feet touching the ground. I have to settle down soon to doing a Tesco shop to enable us to eat for the rest of the week.


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We are cold and old.

It's glorious sunshine here today and not really cold enough to wear tights. The day I am driven to putting on tights for the first time is the official start of winter for me.
Our homeward journey yesterday was not without it's problems though not as bad as the seven hours we waited at the beginning. It started well, we drove down to Palma by way of a small shopping complex where I found a padlock small enough for the suitcase so I was able to relax about it going without protection. After a coffee we set off for the airport and drove right past it. Tried again. This time we got in but failed to spot the sign which took us to the hire car bay and found ourselves back on the motorway. This maneuver we did three times altogether. We are getting old.
Successfully leaving the car we got into the terminal and spent some time looking for departures until I realized we were on the wrong floor. Ok, then something went right. I approached an empty desk with no queue and said hopefully Exeter? The magic word worked. The girl nodded, took our suitcases and by that time a massive queue had formed...but we were through with no long stand.
The plane took off at the right time. And because it's a two hour flight we got back into Exeter in record time . We got our bags easily and phoned the car parking facility . Ok said the voice so we went to wait outside. Nothing. Ten minutes later we rang again. The girl said
"I am on my own just now. Sorry."
I rang a mobile number. A man told us that it wouldn't be long now. Half an hour later we were getting cold and cross when the man finally admitted that they couldn't find the car.
"You had better do something" I said. "We are cold. And we are old."
We went back into the airport to have a hot drink very cold and very cross. Finally a man arrived with our car keys. He said they had thought we were coming home on Saturday not Friday. David showed him the paper work which clearly had the date on it. He then offered to pay for our coffee.
Words failed at that point. We had waited in summer clothes for an hour and a half whilst they found the car.
We have always been happy using this service but now we will have to find another way of sorting it out. Not sure what right now.
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Home tomorrow

Our last day here and we have more or less packed. Our wagons ready for rolling. It's been a day of heavy rain and the brilliant sun. We went to one of our favourite places for lunch and I found a shop which sold small padlocks.
At some time on our troubled journey out one of the locks off my suitcase disappeared. Nothing was taken so it remains a mystery. I felt very pleased to get a replacement only to find that it's too big so the case will have to go home without full protection.
We really have had a lovely holiday and we do know how lucky we are.
When we get back I shall be busy as always but I enjoy that. Hoping crispins still ok. He is an old dog now so I worry every time we leave him.
The flight tomorrow is at a civilised time during the day which makes a change for us. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly this time.

Domestic violence

Tonight at dinner I saw something which has worried me. At the next table sat a large man in his fifties. His wife looked a little younger but was almost bald and had a sore arm.
I first heard his voice of suppressed anger. He was German. I don't understand German. But I do understand the looks he was giving his wife. In a low voice he was clearly finding fault with her. It went on for about half an hour until I realised she was weeping. She wiped her eyes and took her daughter out of the room.
The man sat and seethed. I saw the fury in his eyes andy I fear for the woman. I have been the victim of domestic violence and know what the outcome of this scene will be. God help her because I am not able to.
He finally paid his bill and left. I am very anxious. But nothing I can actually do here. At home I would get her into a refuge. Please God let her be alright.
PS. I saw the woman on the following day and she looked alright. I hope so.

Evacuated to a dry flat.

We have had wonderful weather here in the last couple of weeks but this morning saw it end. We sat up in bed discussing the day and I managed a short spell on the Internet before anyone got up and then we went into the kitchen. The rooms are all tiles here and my bare feet soon detected water. A lot of it lying around. Our table was also dripping so I put bowls to catch it and went for a mop bucket. We had had a small flood previously but this one beat us. Water streamed in under doors and through the roof. I turned off the electricity as it fell from the light fitting over the table. We hastily moved everything to safety until we found two more rooms getting wetter by the minute. I rang for help first getting my clothes on and then a man arrived, pronounced the apartment hopeless. "Please leave now."
What did I grab? The iPhone. It went down to reception with us and we had breakfast whilst the hotel decided what to do with us.
After the electricity had been switched back on we got back into the apartment to get all our stuff together. We were being evacuated. My trusty iPad had got wet but only the case...all was well. So off we trundled ,helped by the staff here who were marvelous.
We are now rehomed in a similar ground floor apartment so far dry. The original one had a roof garden and that was where the water was coming from. So we packed, unpacked and dried off this morning. Then we had a little rest. Then lunch then another little rest. Outside it's still pouring but we are dry and full of admiration for the management here who came to our rescue in fine fashion. We have only two days of our holiday left. The forecast on the iPad says it's rain all the way. But it's fine. We can't find anything anyway.
Before we married I warned David that things happened to me. He now believes it.


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Mistery

Cala Esmeralda

Lamb and lobster.

At the end of our second week we are now extremely relaxed. The weather is wonderful, the food extraordinary and the sea blue. We have had some minor set backs though. Yesterday we went out for a meal to a place we've eaten at before. David ordered a sirloin steak and I knew I couldn't possibly eat one so I ordered some lamb. Gosh. What arrived on my plate was a complete leg. Not even a shank but an entire leg roasted with rosemary and garlic. At home it would have been a Sunday roast for two but there it sat on my plate with a few chips waiting.
I tried very hard to get through it but of course I couldn't. I managed about half of it and then had to stop. Last night at supper I coped with some soup and then some yoghurt. At breakfast I had more yoghurt. So by lunch time we were ready for another experiment with the local cuisine.
We had seen a nice looking restaurant in a beautiful courtyard and went in determined not to eat too much.
Alarmed we saw other diners coping with huge platters and I prayed...not again please.
We had ordered some rice with fish and lobster. When the huge platter came our way my heart sank. We had a lobster each!
Sharing a meal for two is good for me because David can have much more but today it was simply too delicious. We cleared the plate with the help of a stainless steel plier each to crack open the claws.
Back in our apartment we are getting ready for our evening meal. Fortunately it's a buffet.


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Class hatred

Over the last days I've read a lot of stuff specially on Twitter which is getting very close to the sort of class hatred I used to hear as a child. Remarks about someones dress costing as much as two weeks pay sound quite funny but in fact are the start of a feeling that can grow into something damaging to the person expressing them.
We can all feel jealous sometimes when we see someone being able to afford an object which has been the centre of our desire for years. Jealousy is part of the human condition. But I believe that it stems from a much better feeling, that of a need for fairness. We want life to be fair...we cling to the idea that we are all born equal but the fact is that we are not.
Striving to make everyone equal is what started the politically correct idea which took over many institutions, particularly education an which had some really daft outcomes .
We are all born as individuals. Some highly intelligent, some gifted at a music, some as athletes..we can't all be good at everything . Some then have health problems, some can't cook. We are not born equal. What we are is equal in the sight of God. He loves us just as we are and as we strive to become better people.
Being born to a family of talent and who also have money does not seem fair to those who have little or no chance of being able to make money. And it's not fair of course. But neither is it fair to judge harshly those who have what we want...
Class hatred is born of jealousy and can only harm those who have it. We have to try to live with all our disabilities and not envy those who seem to have everything in life that we havnt got. I am not advocating being content and keeping our station in life....striving for something better makes us better people.
It's not the hand we are dealt in life that counts it's what we do with that hand.
I don't often preach in here and I am fully aware that it comes ill from someone on holiday with her iPad but I do know about poverty. As a child in a home where food was scarce and tempers were short I often heard hatred aired for those who had more then we had. I learned the politics of envy on a daily basis so I recognize it when I hear it.
We can't grudge people their good fortune without damaging ourselves. In order to become the people of God we have to do the very best we can with what we have and help those less fortunate whenever possible.
There ....sermon over.


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Nude on a beach.

Yesterdays post was eaten. It might be languishing somewhere because it told me it was posted but there's no sign of it in here..Or I could have been subject to some editing . The title included the word Nudity.
It was about getting undressed to go swimming on a beach.
Last year we realized that almost everyone on the beach was topless and some bottomless as well. I really can't do that. My problem was how to get into the swimming costume without going through the gyrations of tugging everything into place underneath the original outfit.
I noticed that no one else used this very English method. They just took off their clothes and then put on what they wanted. So I joined in with that. But I still had a a proper decent cossie on.
Yesterday there were waves. The little cove was much like our Cornish ones and the waves were channelled into an almost respectable size.
Their attempts at surfing were laughable. The boards were tiny and they were not timing it well either. So I did a bit of body surfing and rode a few waves without a board.
Showing off never gets you far though. As I swam out into deeper water I was greeted by a half dressed German lady on a raft to tell me there were jelly fish out there, so I came back hastily. Where was the life guard? He was in his deck chair typing on his iPhone. He might even have been twittering.


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Family Benefit as it's now called

Knotty problem coming up today re family allowance and high earners. My husband's terse comment was. "We never claimed our family allowance anyway". And this is something I believe. He is an honorable man. Not sure how many can say the same.
I did claim family allowance. I needed it...
I was a single mother raising two children on my own for the years of their infancy up to teenage years. Money was very tight indeed. The FA in those days paid for all their new clothes, and often food....at times the choice was wether to buy food or put a much needed new tyre on the car.
Holidays were always in a tent. We loved camping and even the bugs that occasionally spooked my daughter failed to put us off.
I taught. But only a half week because that was all I could get for a while. The car was necessary to get me to work and the children to school.
The FA was the only state hand out I ever took but it was an absolute essential to giving them the good things of life that they deserved.
I am sure that more people like my husband exist. He did not need the money so he didn't take it. Lesson there.


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Grumpy old woman!

Most of the time I go through life barely ever getting cross. When someone asked me at my selection meeting what made me angry there were two things I could state accurately. One was racism, the other bullying.
I am not claiming to be Pollyanna but I do drift through life with a smile on my face most of the time.
Today is different. We had a wonderful drive out to a lovely place where we had a really good lunch.
Back at our hotel we went down to the pool for a swim and a sit in the sun. A cat nap was not out of the question.
Within a minute of my getting into the pool there was a very big noise...a man with a microphone in his hands was exhorting the children to play a game. This seemed to be laid on by the hotel. They played the game which was shooting at iron birds. About ten children had joined in and were very happy with it all.
Afterwards though the organizer of the game just couldn't stop...he worked the children up first into a frenzy and then into hysteria by shooting at them and getting them to jump into the pool. After ten minutes of this the noise was amazing....why do girls screaming always hit on the exact note that makes your teeth stand on edge.
This continued for about an hour, no other children could use the pool and any grown ups were dive bombed in the water and this included the very elderly in deed who came out spluttering in indignation.
We left. Half an hour later it was still going on. Where were the parents? Two hysterical little girls can not be good news for any one, least of all the child.
It all boils down to good manners in the end and being aware that your actions impinge upon others.
Or maybe I have grown into a very grumpy old woman!

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Dolce Vita and protestant guilt.

I've had two swims, a great lunch of paella and have been sitting in glorious sun shine. It is possible to get used to the dolce vita. I am just about there. Tonight we will have a wonderful meal with a bottle of rose and then sit outside on the terrace with Tunel in a brandy glass with ice.
This drink made locally is like Pernod in that it is based on fennel and is very good indeed. And green.
We weave our way back to our apartment and fall asleep trying to watch the news....and I'm getting used to it. Protestant guilt hits me occasionally when I remember those in Pakistan and even Britain for whom life is hard and I do feel bad....and then I thank God for his goodness. And this thanks is heart felt. I know how lucky I am to have all this. And the best bit of all is that we have another two weeks of it. Then back to work and I do work hard when I'm at home.
E mails arrive every day to tell me something I need to follow up on our return. And I realize that the new church year starting in Advent will not be all that far away. And then Christmas. So remembering all that I will try not to be too guilty or smug and just accept it with very greatful thanks...amen.


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Garlic

Pic of cala

Garlic or no garlic?

We have had a truly wonderful day. Which has left me with a small ethical dilemma. We drove to a very beautiful cala where I had the best swim in warm sea ever. The Mediterranean gets bad press but its very beautiful and clear.
But that's not the dilemma. Then we went off to find food. We were both hungry and there was only a shack on the beach where I swam so off we went to the next cove where we remembered there was a good place to eat.
And there was. He had a beer, me a sangria and we looked at the menu whilst overlooking a beautiful inlet with white boats tossing on small waves..
We then ordered our food. Mussels in white wine.
They brought us the usual olives, bread and ailioli to start the meal. David frowned at the ailioli as he always does and said he didn't like garlic.
And that's the dilemma.
He told me he didn't like garlic before we were married and for a while I stuck to it. But there are some dishes that demand garlic...they just don't taste the same without. So I added a litle...not much. And he ate everything I gave him with relish. I did try telling him once that when we were abroad most meals had garlic in but he didn't really believe me.
Today the mussels were wonderful. But of course they had garlic in them. You could smell it from the other side of the road..so that's it. Do I spoil all our meals out here by giving him the brutal truth or just keep up a polite fiction.
You may be wondering if he reads this but no....he's is not into social net working so the secret is safe... For the time being.
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