Wanted: Camels

If the Magi had advertised for camels before they set out on the journey to Bethlehem, how do you think they might have phrased their ad?

Wanted:

Sturdy Camels With Inbuilt Astral Tracking GPS.

Duration of Journey: Unknown.

Destination: Unknown.

Project Sponsor: Yahweh, God of the Jews.

Purpose: Greatest PR Event in History.

Hmmm....Any better ideas?

And just for thought, one of my favourite poems: The Journey of the Magi. (TS Elliot)

Back to Bethlehem

Well you'll be glad to know that the Heavenly Host came up to scratch on Friday! They sung their hearts out and presented the Nativity most resoundingly. I was/am really happy with them. The organist played with gusto and managed to cover up most excellently the children's and my glitches- I do really like working with him! The guitarist and flautist seemed to have fun too though they looked as wrung out as the organist and I felt. Wrung out and slightly hysterical actually...

The congregational hymns turned out rather antiphonally as one half of the church speeded up and overtook the organ, twice. Fanblinkintastic.

So school carols are done for another year.

And now I'm crouched over the laptop with You Tube and Bible Gateway sites open on several tabs, three hymn books, a Bible and a notebook open on the surrounding desk, trying to put together the Church Carol Service for next Sunday evening. I've lined up two soloists, the Sunday School teacher has wrestled the children into order for the Nativity, the Church is being decorated on Friday, so progress is being made. Now I've just to get the right hymns to go with each of the Nine Lessons.

I know its not everyone's opinion, but sometimes I feel that our Services have become so child-friendly and banal that we have lost the pure incredulity...incredibleness (??) of Christmas. Jesus isn't a doll dropped on its head and squashed into a toy cot face down, Jesus is God's Very Own Son. The children are important, and their understanding of the Christmas Story is essential, but there should still be space for amazement and respect and just good old-fashioned AWE. And children do love atmosphere and candlelight and favourite songs. Can I put 'magic' and 'Church' in the same sentence?

Well, that's my aim for next Sunday evening.

Little People, Heavenly Host and Music

Did I disappear? Wish I could as for a supposedly unemployed person of insignificance I seem to be beyond busy.

The main focus this week, and last week, but not the week before, is the school's Carol Service. Big eejit here overstretched herself somewhat in the choice of this year's music and the children and I have struggled to work our way through the Nativity songs. The teachers say it is sounding ok now but I think we will all be grey by Friday- I'm talking Junior Infants upwards here...

This morning I spent some time in the Church with the Organist (long-suffering man) and the bass guitarist (who is having far too much fun), over two hundred weary and over-excited small people, the Principal and all their teachers. I really don't know how it's going to pan out as the little people are wildly unpredictable, the heavenly host are having dodgy moments, Gabriel temporarily muddled his words and Michelangelo put his hoodie on back to front with the hood up, to hide...

We'll see.

Implosion pending, tunefully and musically, of course.

The Shop was quieter the last two Mondays, and on Saturday I wound up the children's sewing classes until mid-January. There seem to be eleven children now in the Sewing Club but as they never all turn up at one time it is do-able. Its been a fun but tough learning curve for me as well as them, since teaching outside school is vastly different to school teaching. Or that's my experience.

The Sunday school teacher has rounded up sixteen small people for the Church Nativity, and has her hands very full I think...putting the Church Carol Service together might be the next thing on my 'to do' list...I talked to the adult Choir last Sunday so we will begin by doing a number on 'Once in Royal' and then progress to doing a number on the Nativity Story. I say every year that our God must have an incredible sense of humour considering all the many ways in which the Christmas Story is told...and I'm saying it again this year.

Think of us on Friday at 10am...then again, you may actually hear us...

Snowish Advice

I can do this sort of advice!
 

Kit & The Widow vs Andrew Lloyd Webber - stereo HQ - '91

A Musical Ha! Ha!

I realise that many musicians have a dreadfully warped sense of humour, and that this clip of 'Kit and the Widow vs Andrew Lloyd Webber' probably epitomises the weirdness of heckety...but if it doesn't amuse you, you can always not watch!

I think its gone into the next post???or previous??? (not terribly good at attaching You Tube clips...)

Are We There Yet?

Well, this is a noteworthy evening in the Lyffe and Tymes of Heckety Beck
because
this very evening as is
I am after having given my
Very First
ICA Talk.

Whew! And I think I survived...maybe...almost...No really, they were lovely, I was just a tad anxious (um, read 'petrified' for anxious?).

The evening was filled with potential pitfalls but being the super-hero you all know and appreciate (!!!) I avoided them all!

For starters, the meeting was in a village about 30 minutes drive from town, well back in the hills along dark, twisty, narrow roads. A friend gave me very precise directions this morning but it is pitch dark by 6.30pm, I was heading out after 7, and country roads are not noted for their signposts in the rural West. By the grace of God it wasn't raining so I actually found the turn-off, as I had visions of ending up in Ballina otherwise ( 60 km as opposed to 18km!).

I remembered my notes, which was just as well, considering how I'd fretted and frowned over them for the last week and a bit. I hadn't been able to decide how to categorise all the crafts which needed to be included so I put them in alphabetical order- once a teacher, always a teacher, I guess?

There were about eighteen different crafts which needed to be covered, with samples of most, and I needed to speak for an hour.
No problem?
Well, I was so nervous that I rattled through the whole thing in twenty five minutes flat and was left staring at the ladies like a grounded fish...gasping and gulping with nothing left to say!

It wasn't meant to be a comedy act.

They were very kind though and asked lots of questions and discussed  the crafts afterwards, which in fact lengthened the session to nearly two hours.
Talk about getting it haywire!

Not exactly a roaring success. But I did turn up on the right day at the right place, right time and entertained them all somewhat, so really, knowing me, what more could anyone ask??

ICA- Irish Countrywoman's Association.