Yesterday midday I was sitting in the sunshine on a gravestone (1823) eating chocolate (mint) having just left the hairdresser's (lovely thanks) before going inside to practise the organ and it came to me that right then was complete contentment.
Sunshine, the quiet graveyard, keys to the Church, anticipation of spending a couple of uninterrupted hours working on music and playing our beautifully repaired old organ; all that added up to peace.
Its been a difficult few weeks for various reasons and now is not really a good time or place for me. Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, do they not? And moments of peace are definitely gifts.
How often do I miss those moments of peace or contentment, being too busy perhaps in my head to notice them? When I was a teenager I had the notion that perfect moments had to be savoured, stored and treasured. They came in many shapes and sizes- a day with a friend, Dad visiting me at College, watching hot-air balloons on the Royal Crescent on sunny summer evenings, cherry blossom, snow against lamplight, walking by the sea...just good memories. Its a long time since I added to that collection and longer still since I took them out and examined them, but yesterday's gift is such a one.
Just a moment of peace, a gift beyond price.
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Wind up the week...
Yesterday's Studio Tour was such fun and I freely admit I received lots of ideas for storage and organisation from visiting other folk's work spaces. It was a great idea and it was lovely having visitors and reading their comments.
On Friday evening we received a call from Dilly (in Dublin) saying she'd arrived home from College to find almost every flat on their floor of the building had been broken into and trashed. A lot of people had valuable items stolen, but Dilly's flat was 'just' destroyed; I guess as students they haven't much worth taking, but their building is mostly young professionals rather than students. As soon as they all notified landlords security guards were sent over and at about 9pm carpenters arrived as there wasn't a whole door left. Dilly and flatmates went out to work for the evening and have been sleeping upstairs in a friend's flat whilst they sort things out. Nasty though.
That evening Dilly was on Fire Warden duty in the Theater (the variety of jobs she does!) and fell asleep in the sand bucket- shock I expect. I had a text from her later saying she felt like a 'psammead'! Any of you remember the children's books by E. Nesbit 'Five Children and It'? Well the 'It' is a psammead, a sand creature, and a very grumpy one at that!
What else? I played for Church this morning but have to say that I am still not up to full strength after the 'bug'- I could have keeled over by the sermon, and the Minister is far from well too. The Hub was reading the Lessons and helping serve Communion but in fact the Congregation was small enough today.
The Dean preached on the verse 'It is better to give than to receive'. Consider the joy with which children receive gifts of any sort and then consider the almost embarrassment with which many adults receive things. He pointed out that every single day God has gifts for us if only we will take the time to visit with Him and receive. As the Father of many children (us) He desires to bless us and give things like the Holy Spirit, daily provision, treasures from His Word, answers to prayers...and in turn we should eagerly await His gifts. And not sometimes or on special occasions, but EVERY DAY! I hadn't thought of it like that- it kinda turns every day into a special occasion, doesn't it?!
This afternoon I've been looking in my book of quilting patterns and trying to design for the various sections of my quilt. I think a rope pattern on the green border, a sort of leaf and tulip swag on the blue border, and four tulips and leaves on the big yellow patches- they need something quite elaborate. On the coloured sections I am just going to do a trellis/grid as anything fancy would be wasted.
Sos went to Church Youth Group in Cavan last night with friends and was staying with the Dean's daughter so we haven't actually seen her today. She is really enjoying the freedom of being a student- lucky she hasn't a car yet or there's no knowing where she'd be!
On Friday night B had another attack of the grumbling appendix which was exhausting and painful for her.
My older sister is visiting the folks this weekend so came here yesterday for a visit which was nice. She admired the spare room too- as when she was last here is was still a junk-filled concrete shell!
And yesterday we had an email from one of my sisters to say she'd booked a trip to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica...as one does...She had just returned from a trek in the mountains somewhere in Columbia and just as a matter of interest the guide had shown them how cocaine is made. Quite apart from the ethics of drugs, she said that the rendering of the drugs is frightening- gasoline and battery acid are certainly used, and that stuff goes into people? Its amazing every single user isn't killed outright, she said it was an eye-opener.
And on that charming note I will leave you!
On Friday evening we received a call from Dilly (in Dublin) saying she'd arrived home from College to find almost every flat on their floor of the building had been broken into and trashed. A lot of people had valuable items stolen, but Dilly's flat was 'just' destroyed; I guess as students they haven't much worth taking, but their building is mostly young professionals rather than students. As soon as they all notified landlords security guards were sent over and at about 9pm carpenters arrived as there wasn't a whole door left. Dilly and flatmates went out to work for the evening and have been sleeping upstairs in a friend's flat whilst they sort things out. Nasty though.
That evening Dilly was on Fire Warden duty in the Theater (the variety of jobs she does!) and fell asleep in the sand bucket- shock I expect. I had a text from her later saying she felt like a 'psammead'! Any of you remember the children's books by E. Nesbit 'Five Children and It'? Well the 'It' is a psammead, a sand creature, and a very grumpy one at that!
What else? I played for Church this morning but have to say that I am still not up to full strength after the 'bug'- I could have keeled over by the sermon, and the Minister is far from well too. The Hub was reading the Lessons and helping serve Communion but in fact the Congregation was small enough today.
The Dean preached on the verse 'It is better to give than to receive'. Consider the joy with which children receive gifts of any sort and then consider the almost embarrassment with which many adults receive things. He pointed out that every single day God has gifts for us if only we will take the time to visit with Him and receive. As the Father of many children (us) He desires to bless us and give things like the Holy Spirit, daily provision, treasures from His Word, answers to prayers...and in turn we should eagerly await His gifts. And not sometimes or on special occasions, but EVERY DAY! I hadn't thought of it like that- it kinda turns every day into a special occasion, doesn't it?!
This afternoon I've been looking in my book of quilting patterns and trying to design for the various sections of my quilt. I think a rope pattern on the green border, a sort of leaf and tulip swag on the blue border, and four tulips and leaves on the big yellow patches- they need something quite elaborate. On the coloured sections I am just going to do a trellis/grid as anything fancy would be wasted.Sos went to Church Youth Group in Cavan last night with friends and was staying with the Dean's daughter so we haven't actually seen her today. She is really enjoying the freedom of being a student- lucky she hasn't a car yet or there's no knowing where she'd be!
On Friday night B had another attack of the grumbling appendix which was exhausting and painful for her.
My older sister is visiting the folks this weekend so came here yesterday for a visit which was nice. She admired the spare room too- as when she was last here is was still a junk-filled concrete shell!
And yesterday we had an email from one of my sisters to say she'd booked a trip to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica...as one does...She had just returned from a trek in the mountains somewhere in Columbia and just as a matter of interest the guide had shown them how cocaine is made. Quite apart from the ethics of drugs, she said that the rendering of the drugs is frightening- gasoline and battery acid are certainly used, and that stuff goes into people? Its amazing every single user isn't killed outright, she said it was an eye-opener.
And on that charming note I will leave you!
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