Busy times down under

Well at the prompting of my good blog friend Adrienne, I am writing this short post to let you know that I am still around.
I have been three days in Melbourne and spent the entire time moving furniture: various Chairs, Settees, Wardrobes, Tall Boys, Paintings, a Harpsichord, a Piano, lamps tables etc etc - my mother lives like a jolly Princess of the Realm!
No time to even read my favourite blogs let alone write a post for my own,
My only break was going to Holy Mass on Sunday and I must say that the Church has changed dramatically since my last visit. There is a more traditional scent in the air and I of course like it.
I shall take some pictures to post.
Meanwhile the parish is gearing up for world youth day and is hosting groups of young people from Zambia, La Reunion and Italy both before and after the big day in Sydney.
Now I am preparing to zoom off to a place called Daylesford for a couple of days well earned rest and then back to normal.
Stay tuned.

Back home and off out again

On Saturday I returned from a truly wonderful study school.  The photo is one I took in Aberystwyth so you can see what a lovely place it is!

After being so apprehensive about going and all my fears were unfounded. 

Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.  I made a lot of nice new friends and while the work is going to be fairly intensive there is such a lot of support that it is most encouraging.

So now I must gird myself for three years of study!

But not yet.

Today AGA and I are leaving to go and visit Australia.  Melbourne to be precise.  I am very much looking forward to it.  My mother lives in Melbourne at present as my sister lives there too with her husband and family and I am excited to be seeing them again.

Anyway that's all for the moment - I have to finish packing my bags and then we have to get to that plane!

O shall try and blog during this coming week. . .

Au revoir - for a week

My bags are packed and I am off to study school tomorrow morning.  I leave at 5:10 in the morning which is way way too early in my book.

Once I arrive at Birmingham Airport I am looking forward to a nice long leisurely drive to Aber through the countryside armed with my camera.  I am hoping to go to Wrexham to see relics of St Richard Gwynn but we shall see.

Here is a plate of cakes.  Bakewell Tarts.  Feel free to eat one while you wait for me to get back!  I have posted some photos of the Kentish Countryside for you to look at too. 

What's new?

I read one very interesting and one rather disturbing piece of news today in the Telegraph:

This one is a very interesting piece of archaeological news:

World's 'oldest Christian church' discovered in Jordan.

I wonder if tests will prove its veracity?

And this one is about the real threat of an attack on our beloved Holy Father :

Pope Benedict XVI sets up anti terrorist squad.

I didn't see it in the 'Agenzia Fides' site but it was reported in Le Figaro and so if you can read French you can look at the story here.

The picture I used comes from the Telegraph article.

Bake House

Representative Sheep

Representative Piggie

I have been cooking this evening: Making biscuits for a farewell dinner at school tomorrow.  The lady in question is retiring and we are giving her a nice send off.  We are all making things to bring to the gathering and I decided to make biscuits.  In the shape of piggies and sheep.  

I thought I would share a picture of them with you.

Confessions

I entitled this post 'Confessions' in honour of St. Augustine.  

In his book of that name, while it is naturally of a theological bent, he nonetheless gives you some insight into his everyday life and bares his soul for you to look at, which is what I am doing in a roundabout way, in this post. . .

So here I am, laying on my bed and staring out of the open french window and across the valley that is the gardens of the various apartments, to the buildings opposite.  The breeze is blowing the net curtains into the room like angry ghosts.  The air really is golden outside, thanks to the afternoon light across the rooftops.  

I can hear the muffled voices of people talking on the downstairs balcony and, looking out on to our own balcony I see one of the last Marigold flowers blossoming in its terracotta pot.  The rest of the flower heads are slowly turning to seed - which I shall keep and hopefully plant next year.  

I love pot marigolds.  So simple looking and yet so pretty.  AGA says that they are called Calendula something-or-others but I prefer their country name: Marigold.  Mary's gold.  A fitting flower for Our Lady's patronage.

A few birds are still singing, despite the latest of the day.  I am pretty sure that one is a robin bravely marking his territory with song.

The clock has struck 8 and usually at this time I would put the kettle on for a cup of tea. 

Instead I am in a ruminative mood.

I am forty five years old and I can hardly believe it.  Forty five.  Encroyable (as the French might say).  

Five years ago and I was a fine and upstanding Insurance Litigation 'expert' in Melbourne, Australia, where my parents had moved to some years ago.  My 'bag' was claims over $1,000,000.  My clients were international and my claims were world wide.  Public and Private Liability. Major Malpractice.  It was an exciting life - if insurance can be called exciting.  Big money.  Big Names.  Investigation and evaluation.  Court Hearing and Settlement Negotiations.  Pushing and Jostling for position.

Then, I turned forty and thought: is this all there is?

AGA was going to go to Germany to work and I thought: 'Will I go too?  Dare I?'

I told AGA and he decided for me.  I would indeed go. 

He is good like that.

Discussions with those in the know and suddenly I was going to take charge of a section of a school library. An 'aide' with an aide's salary.  As opposed to fairly senior figure with a fairly senior salary. . .

It was going to be a bit different to my previous high flying job. . . 

I told my mum and sister.  And my grandmother.  They didn't like it much.  Pack in your great job?  Earn next to nothing?  And going to live in Germany of all places! 

My Grandmother was shocked.  In fact she screamed when I told her!  Didn't I remember her stories of the Zeppelins in WWI?  Yes I remembered but for me that was all historic memory.  It did not sit fresh in my mind as lived history. 

Not even the London Blitz was a lived history for me, and the relations who died in it are but people in old photographs, known only from stories and family recollections -  as are the people who perpetrated those outrages that took their lives too soon.

It could not, must not, provide a barrier for me.

I decided that I was going.

There were a lot of Discussions of course.

My mother quizzing AGA and I on what we thought we were doing.  100s of questions.  My sister frowned a lot. My Grandmother told me that my father would not have liked it.  Privately I was not so sure about that: He had travelled on horse back from Mexico to Canada in the 1950s so I thought he would be all for it, and his father, while in his late teens, had travelled around China disguised as a native of that land (complete with fake pigtail and accompanied by his Chinese girlfriend) when the place was still closed to Europeans; so I am sure that my grand adventure was going to be rather tame by comparison.

AGA's father and brothers didn't like the plan either but we were not going to be moved.

There were tears at the airport and away we went.

Now here I am having worked in a school for four years - and loving it.

My mother and sister have both been here to visit and have shifted their opinion.  They are happy for me.  My mother intends to be here next Christmas and it is proving a convenient stopping off point for her journeys to and from England.

And now, to top it all off,  I am about to undertake a University course in Librarianship.

When I was at school I wanted so much to be a Librarian - but it was not to be.  My father took me to the university board and pleaded on my behalf (I had been ill during the exams and so had failed to pass my leaving certificate).  They were sad for me but would not be moved.

That was over twenty five years ago and my father has been dead for fifteen of those years. 

Now I am doing it.  I am going to University.

On Saturday I board a plane and fly to Birmingham.  I then pick up a hire car and meander through the Welsh countryside to Aberystwyth, there to attend the study school for one week prior to beginning my three year distance learning course.

In a way I am doing this course for my father as well as for me.  He would have done well at University I think.  History was his forté and I have inherited his library of wonderful books.  I know that he would be pleased with what I am doing.

My family are thrilled and that is always pleasing.  My Welsh cousins are wanting me to learn a bit of Welsh while I am there but I don't think I will learn much in seven days.

Mind you, I feel rather nervous.  I hope it all works out.  Study is not something I have done since my apprenticeship in the Insurance industry some twenty five years ago. . .

I am also feeling slightly ridiculous.  I can't help it.  A forty five year old University student.  AGA tells me I won't be the oldest one doing this course but that doesn't help much.  I still feel rather silly although I know that that in itself is the more ridiculous part of it.  

'So what!' I hear you say.  25, 45, 55, even 95!  It makes no difference and of course you are right.  Once I get stuck into it I shall feel a lot better.

Actually my feelings of happiness at the thought of sinking even further into the world of books and information far outweighs the ridiculousness that sometimes creeps into my mind over my age.

How our life changes from one day to the next!

Anyway, that is what I have been thinking of this evening and as this is a blog I thought I would share it with you!

10 People I would like to spend 10 minutes with

Today I learnt what a 'meme' is. I had not heard of it in a blog sense before. I was reading Whitestonenameseeker and at the end of her latest post, which was about ten people you would like to spend ten minutes with, said wrote that she 'tagged' the reader. In fact she wrote 'yes YOU!' and so I thought: 'Okay, why not! I shall give it a try'.

So these are my ten people:

Mother Euphemia of Wherwell

a medieval gardener of some note. I chose her because I love gardening!

King Henry III

one of my secular heroes - I even wrote a book about him but the agents rejected it because I am not an academic grrr.

Dame Edith Sitwell.

I so enjoy her writing and her poetry. I would ask her if she would kindly recite a selection from Facade and her famous war poem: Still Falls the Rain

That is her sitting on top of this post. I would love to take tea with her.

The Queen

A tough question for her: Will she veto the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill? And if not then why not?

Nicole Kidman

I do think she is a wonderful actress - and so beautiful too.

Pope Benedict

There are some questions I would love to ask the Holy Father as well as a blessing!

Jean Philippe Rameau

One of my music heroes ( the other is Georg Friedrich Haendel) Perhaps he would help me with some tips on my harpsichord playing!

Stephen Fry

He makes me laugh and I would enjoy talking with him for ten minutes.

Frank Lampard

To get all the latest news on my beloved Chelsea!!!

St Nicholas Owen

A Saint, a carpenter, a clever and an extremely heroic man. I would love to speak with him on faith and carpentry...

So there you are, these are my ten, now if you haven't undertaken this meme then I tag you!

Where do I live? Part 2

Here are some pictures of where I live:  The first one is of the almshouses and the side of the basilica, in the old market Square.  The second is of the meadows just outside Kaiserswerth which I pass on my way to school.  The third one is another view of the old market square.  The Big building is part of the hospital.  Kaiserswerth was were Florence Nightingale undertook her nurses training!

Later on I shall take some pictures of the inside of our church so if you are interested stay tuned!

Learning Experiences

On Saturday evening I wrote two posts.

I posted one and saved the other as I wanted to prepare an appropriate picture to go with it.

This evening I posted it and lo and behold it is placed lower than the one I posted yesterday!

So now I see that if I write a draft and save it, it when I eventually finish it, it will be posted as if I wrote it on the date I first began it.

That is something to remember.

I am a bit like Winnie-the-Pooh, or Winnie Puuh as they say here in Germany (actually they pronounce it Vinnie Poo which makes it sounds like a term of endearment to a chap named Vincent).  Anyway, I am a bear of little brain and sometimes I think I would like to write a sparkling post with a theological bent, as you see on other blogs, but this proves somewhat hard and so those prospective posts are sitting as drafts while I think more about them and marshal my thoughts better because sometimes a thought that sounds okay at the time, looks rather ridiculous and clumsy when you read it later on, and then you feel so thankful that you didn't post it!

But if I post those drafts when I think that they are finally fit to see the light of day, they might turn up in last months archives (or even the month before) and no one will even know they are there!

It is all about learning the ropes...

For the time being I think that I shall just enjoy writing the posts I write, save links to the more learnéd ones and occasionally write a comment on particular posts, or perhaps even link to them if I am really impressed and want to pass the word on.

Where do I live?

I was recently asked by a lovely fellow blogger where I live and so here is a picture (postcard actually) to show you.  It is a very old town called Kaiserswerth.  It was originally an island in the middle of the Rhein.  It was also originally a monastery founded by St Suidbertus, an English Missionary who I think was part of the great St Boniface crusade to bring Christianity to the pagans living in this part of the world.  St Suidbertus was given this island and founded a monastery.  His remains lie within the church where I go to Mass!  I shall take some pictures to show just what Kaiserswerth is like.

In the picture you can see the ruins of Barbarossa's castle.  Barbarossa was a Holy Roman Emperor who built the castle.  I believe he was drowned in the Holy Land while on crusade.  the castle was blown up by the Spanish in the 17th century.

The Basilica of st Suidbertus is the other large building in the picture.

If you like old houses, cobbled streets, old ruined castles, beautiful churches and nature, then you would love coming to visit Kaiserswerth.  Many many people come to visit and we were just told that the town council has been told that we may be included as a World Heritage site!

I love living in Kaiserswerth.  I like strolling to the bakers of the shops, riding my bike along the Rhein, strolling under the Lime Trees, eating and drinking in the out door cafés. . .

Well more on my part of the world in another post.

Hooray!

Yesterday I received four prayers cards from my new blog friend Adrienne.  AGA and I now have four bowl people.  I took all four with me to the Sunday Vigil Mass and read all the prayers on each of their prayer cards for them.  I remembered them at Holy Mass and they are sitting nice and snug in my lovely Missal.  They are laying on the page for the appropriate Feast Day so I will be able to remember them on their anniversaries too.

Thank you Adrienne!

A sad week

It is a rather sombre week here.

A work colleague and friend died suddenly, tragically, on Monday.

Our school is in mourning.  Flowers sit on the desk where she worked.

Students cannot understand it and we adults are coming to terms with it slowly.

What her husband, son, parents and siblings are going through I can only imagine.

I miss her and I grieve for her greatly.

I find tears spring to my eyes as I pray this week.  Even the prayers in my new missal seem lacking somewhat and I say, within the depth of my heart: Please have mercy on her O God.'

Anniversary

Happy Anniversary dear blog!

You are one calendar month old today!

Prayers for the dead. . .

These past few weeks I have been in the midst of putting all the family photos into a nice big album, as a present for my Mum when I go to visit her in June (as she doesn't understand the world of blogging yet she will not be reading this).

Photographs of all sorts of long dead ancestors going back to the 1860s have been put in and I am copying each one to put on a CD, for ease of reprinting.

It is a strange thing to look at all those people, long dead. You get immersed in their celebrations. Here is everyone enjoying a picnic, laughing into the camera. In another they are in their best clothes for a wedding. In yet another they have decided to have a formal portrait taken and stare solemnly at us from the make-believe scenery of the photographer's studio. Babies, pets, children, grandparents, houses, at home, in the countryside, family groups, individuals, black and white, colour: It is all there. The partially recorded history of a family.

You end up thinking about them a lot. You remember stories of what they were like. Facts that don't appear in photographs. Some were good, some were not so good.

And then there is their Faith.

My family is somewhat unusual in that they are a veritable all-sorts when it comes to Faith.

In common with everyone else I have eight great-grandparents: Four were Church of England, one a Baptist convert, one was Catholic (from a Recusant family and from whom comes my own Catholic Faith) one Jewish and one Atheist (son of Congregationalist Lay Preachers, who turned totally against any belief and tried to order it that at his death he was to be buried by the roadside rather than in a churchyard). Further back and there are even Puritans as well as followers of Archbishop Laud.

Some were luke-warm in faith, others fervent. One was the embodiment of the Beatitudes, while another was the total opposite by all accounts. In the distant past one was heavily fined for his faith, another was a veritable chameleon dependant upon who was in the ascent.

But each one lived their lives, made their choices and now await final judgement.

I have been specially thinking about this since reading a post that Adrienne wrote some time ago regarding 'abandoned' prayer cards up for sale on the internet and which she purchases.

Adrienne is going to send me one of these prayer cards and I shall adopt that person to remember in my prayers, especially on their anniversary.

But what about these great grandparents of mine.

I know of no prayer cards for them. I must remember to pray for them and for all my ancestors.

We light candles and we say prayers for those who are ill or who have recently died. We do the same on anniversaries. I always pray for my father on his anniversary (and every day actually) and I have started to do the same for my grandmother - but many are forgotten.

Praying for the deceased is important. Praying for the conversion of sinners is important. Our prayers, when sincere, are always important.

How many of our prayers have helped set souls free from purgatory?

Many?

Some?

None, because I have never considered them in my prayers?

I must increase my prayers for the souls in Purgatory and I am going to write a list of those ancestors whose anniversaries I know, so that I can remember them and pray for them on those dates.

P.S.

While I was saying my Evening Prayers last night I realised that I do make mention of deceased family members, in an all-inclusive way, in the closing prayer of the De Profundis.