birthday cards

I am so grateful to my lovely friends for their birthday kindness and generosity. I have lots of lovely cards and presents and because my Mum was so generous I think I am going to be able to finally, after nearly a year of saving up, buy a macbook (they didn’t have any in at John Lewis when I went at the weekend – JL offer a 2 year guarantee so are my choice of supplier). So, I really am a very fortunate birthday girl. Except it isn’t my birthday anymore…and I would like some advice on how long to keep my cards up. I think a week is about right but I am already thinking they need to come down. What do you think? What is official card etiquette?

24: The Unaired 1994 Pilot

….when technology was much much more basic

http://www.collegehumor.com/moogaloop/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1788161&fullscreen=1

I post this here for Paul. xxx

not busy

Today has been quite restful. Apart from the on-going irritation about the suspension from Uni of Liverpool I am doing ok. Had a great lie in this morning while Mum and Eva played Uno and watched TV. After lunch we went to Tyntesfield House. This is a National Trust property which was purchased by the trust in 2002. It was a great afternoon, I can recommend it especially if you like late nineteenth century gothic interiors.

I made a giant lasagne for tea because we have a house full – Joe has come over from Bath, Elise brought her boyfriend Wayne over and Mark was very hungry. We had garlic bread which was just fantastic. Garlic bread has to be one of the most tasty things in the whole world. We watched TV then I gave up – I am starting to relax and when that happens all I want t do is sleep…so having done a few chores I am not off to my bed. Before I go I must just tell you about Mark and I’s James Blunt moment. We don’t really know what to do with our feelings about him any more, it was so easy before, but they have been compromised by this:

my clothes fitted this morning

Is it me or do clothes fit better in the morning? They seemed to look ok when I first put them on and now they feel all tight and awkward. Do I get fatter as the day progresses or is it that as I move about they bumfle up and become oddly ill-fitting? I would love to hear from anyone with similar experiences.

no post

I don’t know about you but I am finding it odd to not have post…

I don’t get very many handwritten letters (and to be honest I don’t send very many) but there is always the possibility of special post isn’t there? I do have some books on the way from Amazon and an insurance cover note that I could do with having – just in case. I am not missing the junk mail though.

I have just had a thought…I wonder if this is what God thinks of our prayer? What if there is was ‘prayer strike’? The sign would say – ‘for industrial reasons all prayer boxes will be sealed after midnight, please seek alternative means of contacting God’. What sort of prayer would God miss? The junk mail (those mail shots that are sent out to sell our ideas to God), the insurance cover prayer (to cover our lives against disaster), bank statement prayers (i.e. how much have I got left in the prayer bank to withdraw some prayer cover now), or the handwritten prayer – written in best?

Anyway, I need most of the post I get (in all its variety) and I am missing it…

how many times have I said I am tired?

I feel like I say this an awful lot…but I am tired. What is distressing is that I can’t see when I am going to be able to wind down enough to not be tired. Where is that holiday in the sun? When will I not have too much to do? Coupled with my insistence on getting wound up by every tom dick and harry, my protestant work ethic and that gift of ‘giving things a chance before you wipe them off’ there seems no opportunity for ‘time out’.

Anyway, since I last posted I have hardly touched base or seen Mark. As soon as he was back form Wales I went out to Foundation – which was a great service, with sculptures made by Lizzie and a Eucharist led by Paul. I took a friend with me who got a lot out of both the service and being with Foundationers.

Monday we had a day on leadership led by Mark Bailey. I have to say I found the day quite difficult and left with more questions about leadership and ‘big churches’ than I had had answered – but that’s another story. But it was one too many things for me to take on and I really could have done with the day to focus on what is going on this week and get going on that essay that needs to be done by the weekend. I then went to a birthday drink in the evening (I know I didn’t have to, but…3 people at College had their birthday on the same day so it seemed reasonable to celebrate.) So, not the early night I needed!

So, why am I wasting time blogging I hear you ask? – well, I reply – I have realised that this is a great way to turn things around, to get things in perspective. A bit like talking to yourself – but actually it is far more than that. I am much sterner with myself when I blog. I give myself a good talking to. When I read this I think ‘come on Ellen pull yourself together, this is just stuff that needs doing and you can sort it out. It really isn’t that tricky’. I could quite happily imagine I can’t manage, somehow imagine myself unable to get it all done. But seeing it reflected on here I take stock and pick myself up and get back on with stuff. I also get a lot out of your comments (both here, on email and in person), I am greatly encouraged by the fact that you read this blog and that you care enough to think about me in your prayers, devotions and meditations (and thanks for the music, cash and love).

Right I am off before little tears come out my eyes and I lose the focus. xxx

no walking to church

I didn’t walk to church – I had actually decided that it was a very good idea (thanks Dr John) – but I ended up taking Eva to circus skills in Shirehampton at 10am (the same time as church started) and Mark and I both went to church late…it being impossible to be in 2 places at once (apparently).

Eva is doing this circus day with Brownies all day today so Mark and I have had the day to ourselves. However, I am leading the Foundation little service tonight so haven’t really had the day to myself. Not that this is a big issue as I have quite enjoyed messing about with film editing and choosing music. Mark is great at this sort of thing so really it has been down to him that this service has come together (I hope). I will post about the service later as I am not sure how it is going to turn out. The readings for today are quite interesting so I will see how they fit into the other stuff I have worked on.

Tomorrow is the start of term proper. I am doing a module – church and the media – which will mean I have to prepare a thought for the day and take part of a debate on the pretendy radio (though it will be recorded for inspection it will not be broadcast – you’ll be glad to know).

wholly trinity

Yesterday Liz H and I had a go at out first edition of wholly trinity – the Trinity College student rag. I obviously don’t want to give too much away but I can say Liz and I had a great day and, thanks to Becky Andrea and Richard C, we have some interesting content. Liz H and I also did morning prayer together, which I have written about on the re:jesus blog.
Today I am going to spend some time doing some more PhD editing. I have a draft, which Liz H helped me to format yesterday (her reward was a fab lunch on Gloucester Road). So I just need to do some editing and then I want to get it off to Sara for inspection.

mark’s 1/2 marathon

This is a picture of Mark saving Claire Caddick and I from the rain after I left the lights on in my mum’s car and the battery went. He came out and gave us a jump start. He is my hero.

Mark is very serious about the 1/2 marathon. He is now in training and has a chart on the wall that tells him what to eat, when to run, when to train, etc. I am very impressed by his morning sit ups and healthy eating. Anyway, if you would like to sponsor him he has set up a handy webpage for you – Bristol Half Marathon – Sponsor Me.

oh mr porter

This is one of my favourite music hall songs. Unfortunately I am not using this in my PhD but it is still an excellent song. It was originally sung by Marie Lloyd

Oh! Mr Porter
Marie Lloyd

Lately I just spent a week with my old Aunt Brown,
Came up to see wond’rous sights of famous London Town.
Just a week I had of it, all round the place we’d roam
Wasn’t I sorry on the day I had to go back home?
Worried about with packing, I arrived late at the station,
Dropped my hatbox in the mud, the things all fell about,
Got my ticket, said ‘good – bye’ “Right away.” the guard did cry,
But I found the train was wrong and shouted out:

CHORUS

The porter would not stop the train, But I laughed and said “You must
Keep your hair on, Mary Ann, and mind that you don’t bust’.”
Some old gentleman inside declared that it was hard,
Said “Look out of the window, Miss, and try and call the guard.”
Didn’t I, too, with all my might I nearly balanced over,
But my old friend grasp’d my leg, and pulled me back again,
Nearly fainting with the fright, I sank into his arms a sight,
Went into hysterics but I cried in vain:

CHORUS

On his clean old shirt-front then I laid my trembling head,
“Do take it easy, rest awhile” the dear old chappie said.
If you make a fuss of me and on me do not frown,
You shall have my mansion, dear, away in London Town.
Wouldn’t you think me silly if I said I could not like him?
Really he seemed a nice old boy, so I replied this way;
I will be your own for life, Your imay doodle um little wife,
If you’ll never tease me any more I say.

CHORUS
Oh! Mr. Porter, what shall I do?
I want to go to Birmingham
And they’re taking me on to Crewe,
Send me back to London as quickly as you can,
Oh! Mr. Porter, what a silly girl I am!

Not much has been happening except writing. I am finding the isolation a bit tricky. Got cabin fever I think. Hey ho.