I was reminded that this is the final bank holiday of the summer by a phone call from Al this afternoon. Funny how you forget all about important events like bank holidays once you’re retired. He had taken a couple of days off to make this a long weekend, and is coming up for supper tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Fi’s birthday, but she and the family are in Aviemore on a Harley rally and not due back until Tuesday or Wednesday, so we won’t be celebrating together.
Becki, our youngest daughter, rang yesterday. She has a big birthday in November, so was eager to get the whole extended family together (again!) for a celebration. I rang Seasons, our holiday people, and have managed to get three lodges in Clowance (Cornwall) for a weekend in January, which was the best I could do. Becki is now busily ringing round the rest of the family to see who can make it. If everybody turns up, there’ll be 21 of us, so quite a party.
Ed is busy in the garage at the moment, fixing a seat and an umbrella holder to my new electric golf trolley, which he bought me for my birthday. Not a good idea to interrupt him, but I have one ear on the door, ready to scurry into the kitchen at the first whisper of a footstep, to make a nice pot of tea. Essential for the British worker.
Enjoy your bank holiday wherever you might be.
Steve and Rachel managed to get to church on Sunday, to hear their banns called for the first time (they have to be called on three successive Sundays, to leave room for anyone who has cause, to object to the wedding. So far in my experience, this has never happened, thank goodness!)
I asked them if they would like to come out the front and be introduced the the congregation, so Steve pushed Rachel in her wheelchair. I explained that Rachel is seriously ill, and asked for regular prayer from the congregation. There were a few tears, as they all saw this brave young couple, smiling and courageous as they face a very uncertain future.
I prayed for healing for Rachel, so who knows? We wait to see.
I visited a lovely young couple yesterday. They have a ten-month old son, and want a baptism and wedding all in the same service. Great – I love those services; they’re such happy occasions.
But on this one there’s a a deep underlying sadness, for last week, the young mother was told she had between three and six months to live. Hence a need for speed in organising the service.
I hope it can be a really happy occasion for them. They are so much in love and it’s almost impossible to imagine how devastated they, and the extended family of grandparents and siblings, must feel. The young mum has already asked me to conduct her funeral service, and will be planning it just as soon as the wedding is over.
Could you hold Steve and Rachel in your prayers? They need all the help, strength and endurance they can get.
It’s been a busy week in the Scott household, coming down to earth in the aftermath of last week’s celebration.
My publisher sent the first galley proofs of my new novel, so I had to read every word again in order to correct any mistakes. It’s a real chore and I wish I could afford to lob it off onto someone else. But I can’t. Have now gone through the second galley proofs as well, which is all I’m allowed. Have to start paying (through the nose, actually) for any corrections after that. Still, it means the final stage is nearer. When I’ve signed off on the galley proofs, the next stage is the front cover, which fortunately the publishers get designed for me. I’m no artist.
Then the rector here has gone on holiday, so I had three services to take last Sunday (and next), a midweek communion tomorrow, a wedding rehearsal on Thursday and the wedding on Friday.
Feeling less like retirement every moment, but our son is coming over tomorrow evening and we’re going out for a meal, as it’s my birthday. Eldest daughter is in Finland running another course (husband and small daughter go with her, so they combine it into a holiday – very nice) and youngest daughter can’t make it up here again having been here so recently.
So life is busy – but good!
When Ed and I drew back the blinds yesterday morning, there on our lawn facing the house was a garden bench festooned with red balloons with “Congratulations – 40th anniversary” on them. It was a gift from the neighbours, and the start of an amazing day.
On the doorstep we found a red rose – “Ruby Anniversary” – in a pot, and later, when we returned from church, there was another red rose, “Ruby Ruby”. And this despite the fact that we said “Strictly no gifts!”
We arrived at the hotel for lunch and all 65 guests turned up. Our kids had taken over the table decorations, and had a vase of red roses on each of the eight tables, plus red glass hearts and rose petals. There was a party popper for everyone, a disposable camera on each table to take photos, and a little pot of bubble mixture in the shape of a church. All loved by kids old and young!
They’d also blown up a series of photos from the past – you know, those really embarrassing ones you’d rather forget – and turned them into a caption game, inviting each table to write their own caption. The results were hilarious.
Then they’d put together a slide show of our old photos. Someone had transferred them onto a CD Rom, which played on a screen throughout the lunch, and which we now have.
It was a great meal and the kids had also provided a fabulous cake with red roses in sugar icing and congratulations – 40th anniversary in red icing on the white.
We’d put out a box for donations to Macmillans Cancer Care for anyone who wished to give, and collected £300 – amazing!
Just a brilliant day. So much fun and laughter, and everyone having a really good time.
Now we’re back to Darby and Joan, and having difficulty settling back into normal life again. Roll on the golden anniversary – I really want to do the same again!