Hello everyone. I hope you are all ok. I'll be honest, I haven't checked back on the blog or done any social media this week. I do usually check back a few times during the week. Not just to be overwhelmed by the power of my writing you understand but to see if everything is okay re comments etc. because I am very sad and I love it when I get contact from people. Anyway, I'm sorry I was so lax this week. We have quite an intense situation at work at the moment involving the words "financial" and "cuts" and it is taking a lot of energy and wisdom to pick my way through it. If you have been reading this blog for any significant time you will know that I am not over-blessed in the energy and wisdom department but I am trying my best.
Anyway, I have cheered myself up a bit by planning a bit for Christmas. Well, I say planning. I sent out a message to the family with a three-line whip demanding times and days of arrival, details of length of stay and if anyone would be offended if, we went out for a meal for one of the days they were here rather than me doing all the cooking. (see the reason for not being able to rouse myself properly in the first paragraph) Anyway, no one was offended. Everyone seemed quite pleased and that made me offended. I mean, I'm no Mary Berry but really.
We went to IKEA to replenish the Christmas Decorations. (See above) They didn't need it really but HOH has a plan. HOH is in charge of all the Christmas Decorations - especially those involving hanging things from the ceiling. I am not to be trusted with stepladders apparently. I just turn up towards the end, put on the Phil Spector Christmas Album at full blast and then spend a pleasant hour singing and putting baubles on the tree. And, if HOH is reading this, I am aware that, as soon as I go to work, you rearrange all the tree to make it more aesthetically pleasing. AND, if FOW2 is reading this, don't think I have forgotten that you still have the tree decoration that I bought at Versailles that cost me an arm and a leg and it better not turn up on your tree. You could have bought your own but you preferred a Marie Antoinette Make Up Bag. We all have to live with our choices in the end. Obviously, all that is a few weeks off yet. We usually have a real tree so that means we don't get tempted into putting anything up too early (not like SOME people down the road). At least have the decency to wait until December.
I don't know about you but I am getting a lot of emails and messages from Marks and Spencer and the like insisting that I don't leave it too late to buy my sequinned party wear. Unfortunately for them, it's falling on deaf ears a bit with me. Firstly, unlike Trinny, I'm not that keen on sequins. Apparently, they never die and then they float out to sea and choke any passing seals to death or something. Also, I never go to parties. I can't remember the last party I went to. I can't think of the last time anyone I knew had a party. (Unless they are having them and not telling me which is perfectly possible). Lastly, I would only want to wear sequins if you could guarantee that I would look like Hannah Waddingham in the M and S advert and I think we can all agree that that particular ship has certainly sailed.
While I am on it. Christmas Ads. Good grief they go on a bit now don't they? Marks' felt like it was about twenty minutes long and everyone was in a mood - at least I think they were. I didn't really get it. I quite liked the John Lewis one with the Venus Flytrap but I think we have all had quite enough of that carrot now.
We did go out this week. We went to see the Rev. Richard Coles. I said last week that I was a bit worried about going somewhere where there were no seat numbers so I insisted that we set off a bit early. I was, of course, correct. the place was packed for we are Plymouth and we are not used to celebrity. Although Take That are coming to the football ground next year and I am pretty sure that Larry, the Blue Lobster is building up quite the following on Secrets of the Aquarium. I don't know if you saw the programme on the National Marine Aquarium this week. It's based in Plymouth, if you don't know and it is indeed a marvellous place, even if everyone in Plymouth has to sell a small body part to afford the entrance fee.
Back to Richard Coles. What a cracking evening. He seemed really lovely. There were lots of gossipy stories - all of them generous rather than nasty and a great insight into him and his everyday life. what surprised me was how profound it was. At least it seemed so to me. He told tales of himself and the things that people did to find what he called "a liveable life". He seemed to be a man who has seen a lot of life - either as a pop star making loads of money, a political figure who spent a lot of his twenties campaigning or as a vicar who has held hands with the dying and made friends with the lonely. He talked about Jesus with undisguised love and affection and left us in no doubt that, despite plenty of distractions, he felt that loving God was the centre of everything he did.
He made me think about what I am doing with life. I don't mean singing in the Communards or appearing on Strictly. I mean being open-hearted both to people and to life. He's seen a bit of sorrow as you probably know, yet he hasn't given up. Recently retired - his days seem full of friendship and things that interest him. Weirdly, he made me want to do exercise, spend more time with God, improve my skincare, and actually look at my "to-do" list. Have you ever seen someone or read someone who made you feel a bit inspired to do more with your life? But where you are - not moving to pioneer a church in the Canaries but, if you do hurrah!
I never really liked the Communards - I don't suppose he cares - I don't really like "Don't Leave Me This Way". The original is MUCH better. But, I am grateful to Mr Coles for his joy in life - quite ordinary life sometimes - and the ability to focus on the important.
Have a good week.
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