Saturday 29 December 2012

Definitely December

What can I say?
School:
Explorers Day - dressed up as Tudor sailors, map-making, experiencing life at sea...
Christmas lunch and party games
Carol Service
END OF TERM!
Home:
Christmas cards and yearly news letter
Preparations for Christmas
Catching up
Christmas shopping
Away:
Family visit: Cambridge
Family visit: Norwich
Proclaimers Church
Arrivals:
Jonny. Cat.
Adele
Christmas!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Christmas

Christmas Day comes rushing towards me. School is now finished, and I have a blessed free week to catch up on all the things which have gone neglected over the last term, clearing up the detritus of a teacher's life.
Blessed week.
I have learnt not to stress with a 'to do' list. Yes, I make the list, I prioritise, yet if something doesn't 'get done' then perhaps it didn't NEED to get done in the first place. Perhaps 'it' was one of life's little optional extras. Nice if it happens, not the end of the world if it doesn't.
Because there are indeed only few things in life that are really important. Like breathing. Loving. Laughing.
This coming Saturday is important. Saturday evening Cat and Jonny return home, landing within minutes of each other, flights permitting.
Saturday afternoon my dear friend Kareena brings her dog Howie to play with Pickle. Best of friends, these two little dogs know each other's names.
Saturday morning friends gather here for breakfast. A brief pause in their Christmas rush, a reconnecting.
Loving. Laughing.
So I thought I might show these cute little films which have been doing the rounds. Coincidentally, they are from a church in Auckland and Cat has seen a live showing of this year's offering at their Christmas celebration GLOW.
Look at this fresh take on an everlasting story.


What I love most about these brilliant films is the last line of the credits: BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
Indeed.

PS Tammy Maltby has some great insights about what is IMPORTANT about Christmas. It's Jesus. Obvious, but we forget it.


Friday 7 December 2012

No...vember!

Where did November go?  Washed away in fog, gales and torrential rain. Driving home one night, we crawled through the lanes as the rain lashed down, reducing visibility to just a few yards. Flights were delayed or cancelled and my bike barely saw the light of day some weeks. WEATHER!

In many ways, I barely noticed. The pace at school accelerated to breakneck as we struggled to get reports written (8,500 words) and parents meetings (more than 6 hours in total, spread over 2 evenings on the same week of report deadlines) fitted in. Add to that the start of the build-up to Christmas!

Inbetween, I fitted in the breakfast I host every month for a small group of wonderful friends. Brilliant to get together over the croissants and share our lives as we follow Jesus. We're even in touch on facebook as we are part of an online Bible study with Good Morning Girls.  Then there was school open day; catching up with old friends; coffees and lunches; and, of course, Pickle's weekly playdate with her best friend Boston Terrier Howie and a walk on the beach.

It seemed as if November passed me by: yet it was an unusually packed month.  Certainly NOT a non-event!