Beginning of term

Monday and Tuesday 5th and 6th September   Oh dear, I've fallen behind in my blogging venture already  --  quite apart from not being able to edit posts in the right order.  Monday did include exercising the horse over the soggy fells and enjoying the sense that I can rely on her instict and initiative to find a route avoiding the boggy patches.  We enjoyed a sense of mutual trust as I looked in the general direction of my chosen destination and she did the steering.  I allowed her the full length of the reins so that she could inspect the ground with her nose whilst I was ready to steady myself with her mane if she decided it was saftest to jump the collapsing edges of a drainage ditch.  As ever, these rides help me to reflect on the rewarding experience of trusting in God's as we take risks in life.  A good hour.
       Not such a good idea to trust the dog.  A less good half hour.  Running up a field, he saw at a distance more than I could.  He reached the dismounted cyclist first.  He noticed the picnic tea first.  Whilst the cyclist was bandaging a bloody shin (caused by an encounter with a car and a ditch), Zeb snatched his doughnut.  Poor man.  Not a very good visit to Bellingham, but he was more worried about Zeb's digestion, fearing that the gobbled-up clingfilm might cause problems.  I apologised and invited the man to tea to compensate for his loss.  However, he declined and gave me lots of advice on feeding Zeb a remedial diet, which I did put into practice but which I won't publicise  here since it's not official veterinary advice.
        Well, that was the sum total of time off during Monday.  I did try to fit in eating a lunch of cabbage, heated up stew,  plums and a cup of coffee; but the telephone and doorbell meant that the meal which started at 12.20 didn't get finished till 2.30.  I decided to make supper a quicker meal by having baked beans and lettuce.
         Over these two days I have contacted four of the schools in my parishes so far, asking whether there were ways in which they might like me to help this term.    There has also been quite a lot to do in connection with the Harvest Supper for the whole community organised by the Roman Catholics, Methodist United Reformed Church and Anglicans together.  Various pastoral visits and enquiries on topics ranging from memorial stones to water supply.  Some of this may sound trivial but people's lives are made up of lots of small things: Christians believe that God cares about everybody to such an extent as to be willing to be involved in their lives as Jesus.

       The rhythm of my hectic days is punctuated by being in church at regular times for Morning and Evening Prayer when I ring the bell to remind people that we are praying for them in their busy lives.