Molly comes home

Saturday 30th October 2015

     After the operation on her foot and five weeks away for  convalescence, Molly is enjoying tidying up the area outside her stable.  (Let's see how long it is before she begins to look like a proper riding horse again.)     For me Saturday means getting ready for Sunday, mostly at my desk.

Around the parishes

Thursday 29th October 2015

Today's preoccupations

Tuesday 27th October 2015

Indie has more important things on her mind than paying attention to her new companion, the bull.

I had other important things on my mind, including  a meeting about future events for the under 18's; and sending letters out to invite people to Sunday's evening's All Saints'/All Souls' service when we light candles in memory of people who have died in the last year and others whom we wish to remember.

With the Methodists at Falstone

Monday 26th October 2015

The North Tyne at Falstone as we enjoyed a reflective walk organised by the Methodist Church.
[See more pictures on Events Page]

Dedication Festival

Sunday 25th October 2015

During this Dedication Festival service we lit candles in thanksgiving for all the baptisms, confirmations, weddings, people who had died and everyone who has worshipped in this church for the last thousand years.
     The candles were carried forward by people ranging in age from about ten to eighty, who had been christened, confirmed or married here.
     Next Sunday evening the emphasis will be on the commemoration of the faithful departed and on the future.

Working party

Saturday 24th October 2015

The sun lights the beech tree just before sinking below the horizon as I make my way to Evening Prayer.
No picture of the working party at Falstone because my hands were too occupied with fork, secateurs and bramble-pulling gloves to be able to manage a camera as well; but here's the view after the verge clearance: 

 

Looking after the flock

Friday 23rd October 2015

There's work for the shepherd in all weathers.  (It applies to the "shepherds of souls" as well as to the farmers.)

Our children can walk

Thursday 22nd October 2015

West Woodburn First School returning to school after Harvest Festival in church

A problem?

Wednesday 21st October 2015

When the air ambulance comes this near to home, it's always hard for the rector (as the parish priest) to decide whether it would be caring or interfering to go and find out who may be in trouble.  I didn't go: I'm sure someone will let me know if anyone would like a visit from me.

A lull after Sunday

Monday 19th October 2015

     The first two services of the morning were both in Bellingham: Holy Communion followed by a Family Service including a baptism which was attended by over a hundred people.  They were squashed together in the small church  --  which was lucky as it helped us to keep warm without heating. 

     New health and safety regulations demanded that the church should install a new kind of oil tank; so now there's no money to buy oil for it.  (Much warmer walking in the woods with the dog on Monday!)

Straw collection

Wednesday 14th October 2015

Unloading straw for the stable

One thing leads to another

Tuesday 13th October 2015

 

Welcome to St Aidan's Thorneyburn

for the school harvest thanksgiving

This year we let the Head teacher ring the bell.

 

After the service the children walked back the half mile to school whilst I collected a cardboard boxful of produce to take by car to the school for them to parcel up as gifts for housebound neighbours.

     By the time I arrived with the goods, the plan had changed.  Firstly, in view of hardship in the towns, the school suggested sending the tinned and packeted food to a Food Bank.  Secondly, too many gifts, not enough local recipients.  So I would deliver the non-perishables to the Food Bank collection point and take the surplus fresh fruit and vegetables to some other parishioners.  I would return to school in the afternoon after they had sorted everything out.

     Each visit led to something else and eventually I was juggling baptism preparation with harvest visits and invitations to a "taster" evening on our new Pilgrim programme and plans for the next Messy Church.  Before I knew it, I had to hurry to get to Evening Prayer and to the Rectory to write a note which never got done because of the doorbell.  Callers about the Deanery website and readings for Bellingham's Sunday services up to Christmas took us to the evening  --  with some undelivered fruit and an(other)  unwritten letter.



Autumn

Saturday 10th October 2015

Back to normal life

Tuesday 6th October 2015

The morning in school...

...and taking Holy Communion to a housebound parishioner at home; the afternoon in my study and the evening at a meeting.

Harvest Festival

4th October 2015

A display at St Cuthbert's Bellingham to symbolise the local harvest

Return from pilgrimage

Saturday 3rd October 2015

Sailing back to the Scottish mainland on the way home from Iona.
[See pictures on separate pages: Deanery Pilgrimage to Iona;       and Thought for the Month]