Harvest Service

Here's something to amuse you: I went out to empty the ash bucket into the compost bin this morning and, as usual, knocked on the bin to evacuate the mice before lifting the lid. You can often hear them skittering away but this morning the skittering was somewhat stampede-ish and I could feel it reverberating up through my feet! 'Janey!' I thought, 'some mouse!' Then I realised there was a cow behind the tree behind the compost....its OK Heckety, the mice haven't grown overnight!!!

Yesterday Morning the Children's Harvest Service went pretty well I think. My singers sang fine, and although they didn't all turn up, and there were several minor hiccups, I think they enjoyed themselves. I didn't manage to get a photo in between all the hopping on and off the organ stool and sorting out of queries, but I did get a few photos (when they were rehearsing) of a modern parable which Sos and B presented:
The Parable of the Gardeners.
Once there were two Gardeners who went out and got fine seed and good tools and came home and planted everything.
After planting, the first Gardener sat down for a cuppa tea, watched gardening programs on TV, and read gardening magazines to find out all about gardening. The second Gardener watered the plants, built shelter for them, and weeded around the seedlings.

At the end of the summer the first Gardener came out to inspect the plants and was dismayed to discover his were dead, but the second Gardener had a fine harvest from his patch of earth.

'What happened to mine?' asked the first Gardener.

'Its all about nurturing,' explained the second Gardener, 'you have to nurture your plants if you want a harvest.'

I think the Youth Worker wrote the script, and it was most effective as well as entertaining the children, as, needless to say, Sos and B played to the gallery somewhat!
The Youth Worker then gave an Address which was her 'Top Ten Things to be Thankful for'. She involved the children and they appeared to be paying attention throughout. She comes to teach in the school and the Secondary school, so they all know her and respect her which helps I think.

I hoped to get some more photos of the Church which was beautifully decorated, but there were people to speak to at the end and things to sort.

Today is a lovely bright, cold morning. I've just been outside and soaked my good shoes due to the heavy dew on the grass, gumboots would have been a good notion!

P.S. Lastnight when I got into bed I found two odd socks (not mine) and a stapled together Spanish vocabulary list. Since the Hub is away I did a Papa Bear impersonation, and the items were claimed in short order- but why my bed?

I blinked!

Its Wednesday, did you notice? Last I knew it was Sunday evening...Some big blink that was, to lose half a week!

Monday morning I was in School to sort out the week's Music teaching...and I quilted all afternoon.

Tuesday I talked to a small spider in the bathroom who wanted to know why people so often shriek when he pops up to say 'hello!' He said he wouldn't mind them shrieking if he was a whopping great hairy gazillion-legged fanged beast daring folks to turn on the tap...but he isn't. I couldn't explain that one to him. The Hub spent the morning finishing the month's Church accounts and packing his case (and wondering whether I'd done his laundry, darned his jersey, ironed his trousers, polished his good shoes, etc...and what did his last servant died of? Insubordination, I fear!)
After lunch I went into school to start Sunday's singers and get them to paste the songs into their copy books. It was a bit of a disaster as they were just away with the fairies. Afterwards at home I started reading a new Brother Cadfael mystery which I liberated from Dad's bookcase! It was so cold in the evening that when I went to collect the girls we stopped in at the store and bought two sacks of firewood so we could light the stove. Early to bed, then woken at midnight when the Hub came home from work because he'd lost his ticket for the boat and the Sat-Nav, silly man. Eventually found. Woken again at 4.30am to make sure he had everything in the car as he left to drive to Dublin Port to get the ferry to Hollyhead, Wales.

Wednesday, got up for the second (or was it third (?) time) at 7.30am to get girls to College, School and myself to School to teach all day. (no voice left now- 'hurray' from my girls!) At breakfast B informed me there was a mouse in the bottom of the store cupboard and showed me a chewed up cereal box...which was thrown in the fire immediately. Mice don't scare me but I object to them making free with our food. Rats terrify me. After school I drove across town to visit the folks and d'you know THREE times people stepped out in front of my car without checking whether the road was clear! Honestly! Collected girls, and am now about to head back in to town to leave Sos to Kick-Boxing and for B and I to do the grocery shopping. I have trouble staying in a shop long enough to do everything, I panic and leave, which means that we are down to flour and yeast and cornflakes for food! Not terribly nutritious...I guess we could make like mice and eat the packets?!

So, yet another a dull, quiet day! The children in school were very entertaining today so it was rather rowdy! But Music generally is!