The Truth or not the Truth.

Well, I have just finished clearing up from cooking for the final session of Alpha today. I set myself the ridiculous challenge of cooking something different each for 12 weeks.I managed it but only just and somebody else cooked for one week which was great.

I am a terrible cheat of a cook to be honest. What you cannot do with a jar of Dolmio sauce isn't worth doing. It has though put me in a bit of a moral dilemma. When people very kindly say how delicious the meal was I just smile serenely and say "Thank you." I made a rather splendid curry a few weeks ago. It went down a treat.Then disaster struck. Somebody wanted the recipe. What was I to do? Should I say it was a secret family recipe and that if I gave it away I would have to shoot the person I gave it to? OR should I come clean and say that Pataks do a fabulous korma sauce and at the moment are on special offer at Sainsburys?? All very tricky.

I'm ashamed to say I have become very reliant on jars and packet sauces. I dread to think about the chemicals, e numbers etc that I am forcing my children to eat. I have even been known to buy ready sliced carrots which is the height of laziness I know. I have become a sound convert of frozen diced onions. No freezer should, to my mind be without a bag. Why make your own Yorkshire puddings when Aunt Bessie has clearly helped out, is my thinking.

I do make my own toast though and am thrilled to say that I am training my children very well in the art of making toast too. It's my job as a mother I'm sure you'll agree. Actually my son is a dab hand at making bacon butties and has also discovered the art of boiling an egg. It is my deepest desire that at least one of children should develop the art of making their mother a cup of tea but I fear that may be some time off.

Oh well, in the meantime I shall make myself an instant hot chocolate and retire to bed. Oh, and what did I say to the person who wanted the curry recipe? Well, what would you do?????????

Much love,

Rachel.

Palm Sunday thoughts.

Many young, and not so young(!) girls dream of being a princess. The whole idea of a beautiful maiden being rescued by a handsome Prince Charming is the stuff of romantic fairy tales. Many boys dream of being that Prince, rescuing the princess and living happily ever after.

Palm Sunday is about the King, coming to rescue; but not in the way we imagine or dream about. This is not some fairy tale we are remembering today but rather the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ earthly life as God’s ultimate rescue plan reaches it’s amazing, incredible climax as Jesus dies and rises again.

The word “Hosanna” literally means, “Save us.” We, all of us, need
rescuing from sin, death and separation from God. In fairy stories the rescuer always appears with a sword and white charger; a conquering hero.

Yet Jesus comes humbly, riding on a donkey, coming in peace and as the ultimate, perfect and only hero...our Saviour, who slays sin and death and opens the way to God for all time.

As we walk the way of the cross again we can remember with joy and thanksgiving that God, through Jesus, has rescued us through his death on the cross and along with those there that first Palm Sunday, shout, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Rachel.

How much excitement can one Vicar's wife have eh?? Today I got to take a trip to B&Q to choose AND purchase a brand new kitchen tap! This really is a thrill. The house that we live in, we live in because it forms part of the salary of the vicar that lives here.

I love this house and I hope that we have made it into a nice home where people feel welcome and wanted. BUT it isn't ours which means that we cannot do a lot of the things to it that we would if it were ours. The kitchen, to be honest, has seen better days, as has the bathroom. I don't mind because I'm used to it but there is something quite thrilling about being able to put our mark on it, even if it is only to choose a new kitchen tap.

I have been thinking a lot about homes this week. The guy from Cameroon who came to stay with us for a couple of weeks last March left yesterday!! I feel very bereft and it is strange not to see his stuff about the place. Oddly, the thing that I miss seeing are his towels in the bathroom. It will all take a bit of getting used to.

Lent is trolling along. I failed miserably at giving up chocolate. I blame it entirely on my hormones and that "peri-menopausal" stuff so am not accepting sheer, unadulterated weakness as the reason!!!!!!!!!! However, I have done better at the other two things I resolved to do.

1) Give up swearing. Often I am appalled at the language that trips off my tongue so easily. Often I am NOT appalled and that appalls me...if you see what I mean. I feel much better, cleaner really, for making a concerted effort. I shall endeavour to carry on.

2) To pray on my knees each night before going to sleep. I always fall asleep when I pray in bed so this has been quite a big deal for me. But it has been really worthwhile and my little girls have done it once or twice because they have seen me do it and it feels good that they are copying something like that. I shall endeavour to carry on with that too.

Well, I must go as it is nearly time to be on my knees in prayer, ie: I'm tired and need to go to bed!! Hope you are ok.

Much love,

Rachel.

Spring is bursting out all over....

Hi there folks.

The sun is shining and the daffodils look spectacular along our road. We even have some in our garden, along with some primroses and a few crocuses. Just seeing them and feeling a bit of warmth from the sunshine gives a whole new perspective on life.

Not that I am much of a gardener to be honest. It seems to me that the more work you do in a garden the more you have to do. Our garden isn't huge and my Dad likes to come and do stuff in it which is great and relieves me of the burden of non-gardeners guilt.

As much as I may say that I am just leaving the garden to grow as God intended it I do tend to wander down the road looking with unhidden admiration on my neighbours gardens with their perfectly mown lawns, their beautifully trimmed roses and their immaculately gravelled pathways.

I wonder if the state of peoples gardens reflects the state of their minds? Neat, tidy, possibly a tad too neat or, like me, chaotic, untidy and shambolic? I bet people have done studies on stuff like this, even PHDs.

It is my theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their cutlery drawer. Now here is no room or excuse for untidiness or shambolics. A cutlery drawer should be a work of art where thing are put away properly and in their rightful place. I get very, very upset when my cutlery drawer is messed about with; it's not a pretty sight. And I'm sure there are PHDs on that using words like"Fruitcake" and phrases like "needs to get a life."

My linen cupboard however is a tip. Maybe this balances me out and makes me as normal as the next person, but then everyone is normal til you get to know them.....

Signing off dear people.

Much love,

Rachel.

Well, that went well, didn't it?? There was I back in September issuing forth about how I was going to be a more regular blogger, update my posts on a more frequent basis and now it is the end of January and I have done nothing.

Truth to tell,I have not been at my most ravishing best. Since half term back in October one by one my children and husband and finally myself have all succumbed to various and horrible bugs and viruses. At Christmas we were all a heap of germs flopped out on the sofas, reading, playing on the Wii and sleeping, coughing, sneezing and believing death was imminent.

Death did not come and most of us are now better but I have to confess that these past few months have been hard. I didn't even write Christmas cards!! I have felt under a dark cloud, far from God and weepy. Not nice.

My Mum has had a brush with cancer, my sister and her husband have separated and it's just not been great. But, of course, that is life and with four kids, a busy husband etc, etc, etc you just keep going don't you? I guess I just haven't had any spare resources for anything other than just keeping everything ticking over.

So, that's me really....a bit of a heap at the moment but hanging on in there, trusting that the sun will shine and that my energy levels will rise.

Hope you are all ok.

Much love,

Rachel.

The Finer Things in Life.

I think I am reasonably easy to please! I don't ask for much to be honest. A trip to the loo without anyone shouting out wanting to know where I am is always a pleaser, getting the washing dry is fab and a cup of tea with a friend is the icing on the cake. But now....I have had a taste of some finer things of life and sisters, I like the taste!!!

The vicar that lives here bought me and my friend across the way some biscuits. These are not just any old custard creams or bourbons. Not for me the dreariness of Asda Smart Price (no offence, Asda!) NO! These are biscuits from a place I normally cannot even dream about...Harrods!!! OH MY GOSH. They are indeed the most sumptuous biscuits I have ever tasted. My husband is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!

My friend and I are being very restrained. We are limiting ourselves to just one a day...that is how special they are and eeking them out like this makes them all the more special. They are a real treat.

I must confess that since the children went back to school I have indulged in one or two other treats as my reward to myself for having got through the summer holidays without committing any heinous crime. My treats have included two new glorious items of underwear from a rather lovely new shop in the city (I feel like a new woman!) and getting my hair cut at a somewhat up market hair emporium.

And now back to reality. The school run is underway, the washing is never ending, my brain hurts each day as I try to think of yet another meal to cook and helping the children with their ever-increasing amounts of homework. Tonight was maths..mean, mode and median. To be honest I don't even know if I've spelt those words correctly never mind understanding them!

Now that the summer is over and normality is back (Ha ha) I shall endeavour to blog more frequently. I have missed doing it and now that we have gone wireless which means, apparently, that because we have more than one computer with internet access, I will not always be last in the queue to get on it. Huzzah!!!!!

Mind you, the house is quiet with everyone out during the day. We have had a great summer with some time away and good times at home and visitors and friends but I must admit I like a bit of structure and routine in my life so am always glad to see September.

SO...here's to a more regular blogging life, more cups of tea with fabulous biscuits, and energy, strength and enthusiasm to cope with the mundane but necessary things of life.

Much love,

Rachel.

Girlfriends.

My lovely friend who lives across the road has been away. Only for a week but it has seemed like years. We drink a lot of tea together.

My fabulous cousin has been really busy so we have not chatted so much. We share so much and pray together over the phone.

My sister, who is busy woman and another very dear friend have all had lots on their plates. So have I. We talk a lot.

Another friend has put up with me cancelling dinner with her..twice. We laugh a lot.

So the past couple of days have seen lots of catching up with each of them and it has been wonderful.

My girlfriends are amazing women...they inspire me, encourage me, listen to me, laugh with me (and sometimes at me!!) eat chocolate with me, pray with me, clean my kitchen while I catch up on much needed sleep and generally make me feel better about myself when the going gets tough.

I cannot imagine my life without them. Their wisdom, humour, tea-making skills and love are what makes me who I am. I am truly grateful for them and thank God for bringing them into my lives.

Girlfriends are a gift from God and I thank Him for blessing me with fabulous wonderful girlfriends.

With love,

Rachel.