tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17147059344342594492024-03-13T23:37:40.749+00:00Strength and SongNatashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-2689910943924564202016-01-08T20:45:00.002+00:002016-01-08T20:45:48.658+00:007 Quick Takes: The Post Party Glow Edition<br />
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Life pretty much overtook the chance to document it, during Advent, due to extra commitments, medical appointments, and so on. Thankfully we had a wonderful Christmas holiday and a big part of me didn't want it to end. I'm optimistically (re)turning to rhythm and routine and awaiting a year of potential change, but today I may just bask in the post-party glow.</div>
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1.</div>
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I looked at my toenails today and they are still painted spangly gold (whilst dishwater long ago consumed the polish from my fingernails.) And I have no opportunity to show off my party toes other than the swimming pool.</div>
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2.</div>
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I no longer have a fridge full of leftovers so I can throw together meals as sensible as turkey and gammon pie or soups as random as celeriac, apple and stilton (currently simmering on the stove; last usage of leftovers. Sob!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for celeriac" height="320" 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" 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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My celeriac looked more Ood-like than this <span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">© </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Dr Who)</span></td></tr>
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3.</div>
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I do however have an inordinate amount of decorations, wrapping paraphernalia and so on to <strike>cram</strike> tidy away nicely into "the Christmas cupboard" in the corner of the bedroom.<br />
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My husband still has a stash of Christmas chocolate leftover so if, for example, we are catching up with the New Year's Day Sherlock special, I will beg and plead to be fed chocolate like a starved dog. (We don't have a dog, so, probably not quite like that, but that's what my imagination says.)</div>
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5.</div>
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Having devoured The Sculptor by Scott McCloud and Home by Marilynne Robinson in pretty much single sittings, because I didn't have to be doing anything else, it is now going to take me the whole of 2016 to finish (also by Marilynne Robinson) Gilead. (I deliberately read the books out of order; now wondering if it was such a good idea.)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for the sculptor" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQz2LHVUmjGeNfv8_ci7qbY6dEJqAnInyGq-kxzUlSv7B6D6L2_2w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a read/visual experience!</td></tr>
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6.</div>
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I was gifted a longed-for 5 year journal where one notes down just a couple of sentences a day - about the goings on, and what you are thankful for, if you feel so inclined. It's easier than opening up the laptop to blog, and I feel I haven't really had much to say really, but I hope to write things about life here in paragraphs in 2016 should I feel the urge!<br />
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7.</div>
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Finally, the laundry. Oh the laundry! I did run the washing machine a lot during the holidays, I know I did, but there are so many clothes that were worn - sparkly outfits, new clothing gifts, muddied articles, toilet accidents....and of course three lots of school uniform - I feel as soon as I make headway with the laundry hampers their contents replicate. And bizarrely, despite a ridiculous-but-works-for-me system of lights/whites, bright colours and dark items, which is meant to work in regular rotation, so much has been thrown haphazardly into the hampers and washing machine leaving not only others but me!!! with a bunch of odd socks and no matches. Today is the first day I can actually remember wearing odd socks because there is no other choice (thankfully I am wearing knee-high boots when I leave the house.) *becomes wistful* anyone else remember back in the 80s deliberately wearing one neon yellow sock and one neon pink sock because it was, ahem, on trend?!<br />
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<tr><td><img src="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=7201325" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bright socks<br /></td></tr>
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<i>What are you finding difficult about getting back to 'normal'? Do please leave a comment and join Kelly and other bloggers at the new and updated This Ain't the Lyceum for more Quick Takes.</i></div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-16726112093371948262015-11-28T07:26:00.000+00:002015-11-28T07:26:30.591+00:007QT: The Black Friday edition<br />
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<img src="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/seven-quick-takes-friday-2-300x213.jpg" /><br />
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I've seen posts from the USA and heard sentiments in the UK about how we should reclaim Black Friday and make it a time of peace, self-care and space rather than rampant consumerism. I can understand this sentiment. However, at a local supermarket early this morning - a supermarket that had advertised being open at 5am with sale items available - I peacefully shopped for cards and wrap, purchased my Christmas dress, and listened to festive music. The shop was busy, but not overly so, and I'm quite glad I had a little shopping to fit into <b>my last free day before Christmas.</b><br />
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It's true! There is no more time for me to scoot off by myself and get things sorted. So Black Friday is inadvertently a bit of a panic time for me. Yes, in a week's time I'm visiting <a href="http://lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lincoln Christmas market</a> and <a href="http://lincolncathedral.com/" target="_blank">Cathedral</a> with my husband, and having a company dinner at a <a href="http://www.thelincolnhotel.com/restaurants.php" target="_blank">good restaurant</a>. And in two weeks' time (a fortnight, for the British) I am taking church friends to a Christmas carol concert at <a href="http://www.southwellminster.org/" target="_blank">Southwell Minster</a> because they bid for this trip at a church auction. And then a Quiet Day, for the last Friday before the school holidays, at a local convent, to truly prepare. Three Fridays of luxury, in different ways - but no chance for self-care or shopping!<br />
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I am being <strike>forced</strike> sorry, encouraged to practice self-care though, regardless, because I have AquaZumba in the pool later which means the long-overdue razor is coming out as soon as I hit publish on these takes!<br />
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AquaZumba you say? Basically <a href="https://www.zumba.com/en-US" target="_blank">Zumba</a> in the swimming pool for 45 minutes, which basically means mad cod-African dancing and jumping up and down as far as I can tell. But it's aerobic, and I'm trying to do it every Friday I don't have a date with my husband or a Quiet Day.</div>
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And as well as procuring my Christmas frock (it's red! and Christmassy! But mainly, it fits! Pretty much!) I have my 8-weekly trim and colour today because unlike others before me (my Mum and <a href="http://www.catholicallyear.com/2014/04/why-im-letting-my-hair-go-gray.html" target="_blank">Kendra</a>) I am hiding my hair greying behind pretty colours. Today could be the day I boldly go for a lighter undershade and coppery highlights. Or not. (Do you think they would clash?)<br />
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But I truly hope that, wherever people are, whatever people doing, if they are buying gifts to celebrate the greatest gift, they are able to fit in something, whether it's shaving their legs, having a haircut, having some quiet time to pray or sitting having a cup of coffee with a friend. I know lots of people are clamouring that we should remember the reason for the season, and I think this starts with slowing down and realising that we don't have to get everything done <strike>today</strike> <strike>tomorrow</strike>....<br />
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For example, last year I didn't give a single Christmas card to anyone I didn't see. But last night I sat and spent a couple of hours writing cards and even writing little notes in some of them, to people I wanted to write little notes to. It felt like a chore in a way, because I hadn't rested at all in the preceding days before doing it, and I would have much rather been in a dark room lying down with my eyes closed. But I did it because it is important to me to maintain connections with friends and family who don't live nearby. I didn't do it because I felt I had to. And I hope that this is something we can take from today, as we get ready to move into Advent - let's focus on the important things, that feed us and build up the Kingdom; let's take a while to love ourselves, in practice for loving our neighbour; let's sprinkle a few fun festive traditions in amongst the serious and sacred preparations, as we remember that we are excited about celebrating a special birthday, which heralded a radical message about how we should live our lives.<br />
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And I really, really also think you should spend five minutes looking at what my priest friend (whose <a href="https://jenniesharpe2305.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> you should check out) <a href="http://whyismarko.com/the-50-worst-and-weirdest-nativity-sets/" target="_blank">posted on Facebook last night</a>: 50 Nativity Sets you will be wanting to buy! (But not on Black Friday. No.)</div>
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More (and possibly less preachy!) Quick Takes can be found at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a>.</div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-65643055097044047432015-11-21T08:29:00.000+00:002015-11-21T08:29:53.969+00:007 Quick Takes: The Advent of Advent<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">There are tons of signs I am getting ready for Advent. Firstly, I have gifts to wrap and cards to write and post, and in my head this is the thing I do </span><i style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">before </i><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">Advent, so I can </span><i style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">participate fully</i><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">. So guess what? Everything is just sitting there, with no time scheduled in to do these things. What a good starting point to reflect on my humanness and await the divine....</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">But it </span><i style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">has </i><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">been Bonfire Night. I know in the USA that the holiday season – and Starbucks squabbles – hit as soon as Halloween was done, but here in England we had the death of a revolutionary to celebrate. Guy Fawkes’ Night meant two weeks of pretty incessant fireworks. We had spontaneous firework and bonfire craft at home, and FabDad took the three eldest sisters to a firework display. 4thSister and I watched one from the window.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">Speaking of dead revolutionaries, everyone in our house is being made to listen to Hamilton: The Musical which 1stSister picked up on even before I realised Hallie Lord had. My life may be complete – a historical musical with rap. It sounds terrible written down, but listening to it, it is amazing. The rhyming couplets and cheeky references (Gilbert and Sullivan operettas anyone?) are MAKING ME SO HAPPY.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">It is another sign that I am ‘getting ready for Advent’ when I start to procrastinate and listen to musicals rather than actually doing much.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">Thankfully despite being on placement at a different church for the next month or so, I am helping with a Songs of Praise service on the 1</span><sup style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">st</sup><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;"> Sunday of Christmas so I’ve just spent a couple of hours absorbed in Jesse Tree stuff, Bible readings, prayers and poems to celebrate Christmas – and if that isn’t getting Advent-y I don’t know what is </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">J</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">When my 5 year old asked whether we were going to get the candles of all different colours out and light them, I didn’t ask her seven times whether or not she meant the rainbow candle 1</span><sup style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">st</sup><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;"> Sister had made, I straight away piped up “you mean the Advent Candles, don’t you?”</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -24px;">Finally – there is an extra compline service at church for Tuesdays in Advent which is in my diary. I am finally back on my feet fully post-op and scheduling in time with friends, the outdoors, playtime with small children and enjoying dates with my husband. It is requiring A LOT of self-discipline to balance everything within our domestic unit so I am relying on a lot of prayer. Advent gives me an opportunity to revisit my rule of life, in a way that’s slightly less penitential than Lent and slightly more about delayed gratification (mustn’t eat the Christmas goodies before it’s time, now.) I don’t really want to wait to get my act together this year, because I want to make the time to wait on Him properly. It’s inevitable in my humanness that there will be things that slip through the net. I know regular prayer won’t get the gifts wrapped. But it gives me a starting point, the very best starting point of all.</span></div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-9051955176534838022015-11-13T08:47:00.000+00:002015-11-13T08:47:14.108+00:00Mulch, mulch, glorious mulch<br />
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for a display of his splendour." - Isaiah Ch 61 V 3 (<i>part</i>)<br />
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I’ve always found the metaphor of a tree to be both
personally and professionally important to me. On an Ignatian Quiet Day in
Sheffield, I first really, <i>really </i>thought
about my role in the Church, in Christianity. I was starting to put down roots,
both in the church I attended and my developing faith. As I watched an oak tree
outside, I could almost feel those roots hooking into the ground, being
nourished. Like my roots. But there was also growth – not only a tree growing upwards and outwards, but
also producing fruit, launching acorns into the world, to start new life. I <i>knew</i>
God wanted me to give something back; this helped me see it fully. And this oak
tree image has resonated with me in a variety of situations just when I needed
it – acorn décor in the moulded plaster on the ceiling as I waited to be
interviewed about my vocation to the priesthood, for starters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As with that small
acorn, in the Gospels we hear about how it only takes a mustard seed, a teeny
tiny wisp of faith, to start a transformation. (I remember leading the Pram
Service with under 5s and actually taking in some of those teeny tiny seeds.)
As church, we are often brilliant at planting seeds and starting a chain
reaction in people. We are less
practised, I believe, at following up and sustaining new Christians. We may
think about that first spark of life, but not support the spiritual sapling
that is making its way in the world, trying to put down strong roots in the
earth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A little while ago I mused about <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/autumn-leaves-and-god-obviously.html" target="_blank">the wonder of leaves</a> –
their role in the life of trees, and in our lives, as they engage our senses in
their colourful death. This past week, however, I was thinking about ow dead
leaves become mulch (and not just because my Dad subjected me to no end of
gardening programmes on TV as a child!) I remembered that although it is the
seed of the tree that makes a beginning, in the death of the leaves something
also happens; the soil in which seeds grow is fertilised. Leaves decay; in
doing so, they enrich. They retain moisture. They <b>stop the weeds growing</b>. As such, spiritual mulch can help provide a
nurturing environment for people wherever they are on their faith journey. They
ensure that the plant will put down strong roots and grow fruitfully.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being part of an ageing church population means that I have
had several friends who I feel have “gone too soon” – they have seemed too
young, too part of things, to take their place amongst the dying and dementia
sufferers. But they set an example. They were themselves. They were accepting.
They were caring. They didn’t engage in self-publicity. They met you where you
were. Their hearts were big. They didn’t need to know you well to know you.
They helped sustain the life of the church through the Christmas Bazaar and
other behind the scenes work and oh so much more without ever inviting credit.
Just for the love of God, the love of Jesus, the love of people. We can use
their inspiration to continue this being alongside our congregation, following
in the footsteps. Let the richness of their faith sustain the faith as others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gardeners don’t have to use fallen leaves as mulch, either. There
are lots of other varieties now available, which have been created over time to
meet a specific need. Does your church have multiple ways of encouraging
children, new Christians, those who are challenged in their faith, struggling
on their spiritual journey? How do we help them to grow? Do we make sure they
are seeing enough light? That they are well fed and watered with prayer, music,
the Word, pastoral care, us knowing their name, giving them love?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We need to be encouraging as congregations – without being
overwhelming! – in part by not expecting perfection, conformity or people who
know what they are doing and instead inviting humanity, creating a learning
environment and dispensing grace. In order to establish strong roots there
needs to be a soil that is safe and stable, yet is rich in breadth and depth,
with occasional threads of absolute beauty and plenty of earth that is nothing
special to look at on the surface but has itself been nurtured and inspired by
the lives – the leaves? – of those that have gone before us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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New life. New wine. New Testament. And always, a newness of
approach, where it is needed, to gently nurture new faith.</div>
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"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you may bear fruit" - John Ch 15 V 16Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-74387845912371698882015-11-06T13:18:00.000+00:002015-11-06T13:18:19.202+00:007 Quick Takes: Saints and Sinners<br />
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We definitely had a 'bit of both' last week. The kids were determined to show the devil who's really boss and wear their scary costumes. And were they scary! (Well I thought they were scary. Scarier than usual, anyway. Ahem.)<br />
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I know there are detractors against Halloween 'celebrations', particularly amongst some Christians I know, but it was a wonderful time of community and family where we live. So many of our </div>
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neighbours made such an effort to receive our littles and make a fuss of them, commenting on their costumes and sometimes dressing up themselves. It was lovely to see our girls working together to get ready, helping out.</div>
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Furthermore, some of us couldn't look scary if we tried!<br />
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And we had a fabulous Saints' tea party where we talked about relics (bowl of chicken bones), St Crispian and St Crispinian being tortured and beheaded (eating crisps), St Catherine and the breaking wheel (coconut ring biscuits), St Elizabeth of Hungary (a basket of bread for the poor), St Swithun (eggs that he made whole), St Peter and St Andrew (tuna fish) and St Rose (Cadbury chocolates)!<br />
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I told the girls that the first step to sainthood could be taken by filling shoeboxes full of gifts for "the poor children" overseas for <a href="https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child</a>.</div>
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And I had the privilege of attending Holy Communion on Tuesday, where we said the Collect for all the Saints, and the priestly robes and altar decorations were still celebratory red from All Saints and All Souls.<br />
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And finally, finally - the season is still all about the squash! As well as the fallback squash soup, there has been squash and vegetable curry, made entirely from scratch, and tonight I am going to attempt the squash and kale mix-up I didn't get around to last week. Slowly working my way through these beauties....<br />
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-46502621131380519892015-11-05T12:06:00.003+00:002015-11-05T12:32:01.923+00:00A Pair of Pink Trainers: Thoughts on Family, Fertility and Fitting InI had a pair of pink vinyl trainers, once. A university student during an amazing era of dance music and clubbing, I really wanted to be a part of it. I didn't always like the music. The drugs made me messy and panicky after a bit. But it was happening, my peers were part of it, I embraced it.<br />
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So I bought this pair of pink trainers. From Oxford Street in London. I think they were limited edition, imported from the USA. They were amazing. But you know what?<br />
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<i>They didn't fit.</i><br />
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Obviously that works as a metaphor, as culturally they weren't the right fit for me, like staying up late or loudly socialising (I could have been a part of the choir, the Chapel, I realise now, but that wasn't a right fit at the time either.)<br />
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But I mean, they didn't <i>physically </i>fit.<br />
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I wanted to have this pair of pink vinyl Converse trainers so badly; they symbolised the times for me. With my cute little plaits, original Adidas tracksuit top and flared Top Shop jeans I like to think I looked on trend. (This reminds me that I wore my Dad's big black fluffy 70's coat at this time, too. Oh I looked the bomb with a cigarette in my mouth. Or not. ) In the college bar and at parties, I looked the part. Or thought I did. And I so wanted these fancy trainers, that squeaked when I walked, that I spent a lot of money on them - even though they didn't come in my size!<br />
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They were always a little too big. So, if we're talking in metaphors here, it was the opposite of being too big for my boots. My shoes were too big for me. But it was a time of style over substance. Marlboro Lights. Tarantino films. Trainspotting. Good times. I found a lot that was good, and real, to hang on to. But I was always a little out of sync. Physically <i>and</i> metaphorically.<br />
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Twenty years on, I really feel for the young adult I was starting to become during those times. The things I thought I had to do, be, and of course wear, to enjoy myself. As someone who has never tried to lose weight by dieting, perhaps it's the equivalent of trying to lose a dress size; to fit the way you look to the way you think looks best to the world around you.<br />
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Now I'm forty, I've reclaimed a style of my own that's evolved over the last decade - I love what I wear, and it works for me. I don't even worry about being out of sync with the stylistic and cultural <i>zeitgeist</i>, because I'm past that. But it's funny, as yet another person today asked how I cope with having four children - my shoes are still out of step. I'm largely surrounded by families with two children or less. I think perhaps it shouldn't make a difference, but realistically, it does.<br />
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Not just practically, but that I made a conscious decision to have a 'larger' family - that I use and have used a fertility awareness method to both become and avoid becoming pregnant, because that is my moral, ethical and religious outlook. It's unusual amongst my peers, the people I was educated with, and the parents I know from the playground. And interestingly, it's out of step with the people with whom I worship. Although I feel that the Anglican setting I belong to is quite catholic, it's definitely not Catholic with a capital C. The only time I have seen another family of four in church is when I went to an ecumenical service at the Roman Catholic Church in our town.<br />
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I've stopped taking all of the children at once to our church because I find it too difficult to manage, rather than the fact that we stick out like a sore thumb - but at Christmas and Easter and other times we go as a whole family, we do! I don't think we are a talking point in particularly, and I would like to be a positive role model for having more than the average number of children; although, I probably do so badly trying to manage them that would never happen! But this doesn't cause me worry or concern; I just feel slightly out of kilter.<br />
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On the radio yesterday, however, I heard a debate about China's changing its policy to 'allow' couples to have more than one child, and I could literally feel my world grinding to a halt and my stomach start to churn. One of the participants was demanding that all people need is educating to see that having one or two children is enough, and the world would be a better place. A lot of economic, ethical and even moral arguments for population control were wheeled out and those who supported the Chinese government's position literally refused to see anyone else's point of view. I literally cannot comprehend this blinkered attitude. I understand all the rational arguments for limiting population size, and don't seek to dismiss them or nullify them. It's just that actually, humanly and spiritually, I feel that they not only destroy personal autonomy and choice (however 'selfish' these choices may be or are perceived to be), but equate to a political power assuming that they are greater than a natural one. I personally see the way the universe works in a spiritual way, but even if one doesn't - having another human being in control of your fertility doesn't sit right with me.<br />
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(My brother-in-law, his wife and children currently live and work in China. Our family might go and visit them in 2017. I suspect it may feel a little like wearing the wrong pair of shoes.)<br />
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I wonder what ever happened to that pair of pink trainers. And the girl that wore them. I don't mourn for them, though; I celebrate the opportunities they had. But I am thankful for the person that I have been allowed to become; the family I been allowed to have; and the constant process of personal change I am encouraged to undergo, as a person, as a political subject, and as a child of God.Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-59816900773110497872015-10-30T09:45:00.001+00:002015-10-30T09:45:25.504+00:007 Quick Takes: Snippets and Snapshots<br />
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It's half term holiday here, so it's been me and the Sisters all week. This has been both positive and... not so much. I would have preferred advance warning for 4thSister to drop her nap at such a crucial time, for starters! As such my Quick Takes are random, homespun and simultaneously of profound importance. For even more important, Saintly blogging, however, you should instead head somewhere like <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/50529/11-patron-saints-food-drink-and-those-who-make-them" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Every so often a family dynamic shifts, subtly or otherwise. It's been a drastic one this holidays. 3rd and 4thSister, ages 5 and 2 and a half, decided they were best friends. They have melded into a unit. Even when 2ndSister, the Babysitter and Fun Instigator has been absent, I have been able to do jobs while they play. Which has had me saying Hallelujah! because - did I mention that 4thSister has dropped her nap, just like that, no word, no warning?!?! And twelve hours of her incessantly is pretty, um, incessant. The sensitive, mature 5 year old has intuitively worked out how to manage her little sister, and, obviously, if that doesn't work, resorts to shouting loudly at her (she learned from the best, or, possibly, me). The relationship is not without conditions, however. Although fully potty trained, 4thSister likes hanging out with 3rdSister so much it's sometimes too much fun to make it to the toilet. Or wipe. Or pull up her pants (panties, for those across the pond) afterwards. 3rdSister is wise to this:</div>
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3rdSister: Come and sit on my knee! Wait a minute - you have got pants on haven't you? Phew, that's OK then.</div>
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They are busy, frustrating, messy, loud and startlingly cute at times. On Wednesday they ventured out into the night to collect 2ndSister from dance class. What with the clocks going back, it's stupidly dark stupidly early. The street was patterned with orange and red lights from the streetlamps and house alarms. They are used to venturing outside only in daylight, I now realise; they were awestruck.<br />
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3rdSister: Wow!<br />
4thSister: Oh! Pitty! [Pretty, for those who require translation.]<br />
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There has to be a food one with me. I tried the Pioneer Women's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/butternut-squash-kale-quesadillas/" target="_blank">squash quesadillas</a> this week. I didn't have Kale. Martha Stewart does hers with chicken so I tried that. I was not enamoured. Not my favourite way to eat squash. (Do even I have a favourite way to eat squash? Probably not. Just soup.)<br />
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2ndSister's Graveyard Cake creation with Grandma was much more of a success. Looked and tasted good. Or evil, as we are talking about marshmallow tombstones dripping with blood.</div>
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1stSister (with money she has set aside) chose to get her hair dyed at the salon (by my hairdresser and church friend who was also cajoled into lopping 3rdSister's off because, you know, why should she be allowed a coffee break?) instead of letting me do my usual patchy job. (I've been with the kids all week, I am allowed stupidly long sentences with too many clauses.) What with her book of drawings and love of literature, it feels like she will be swanning off to university before too long when I look at her in snapshot. (She just turned eleven).</div>
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I took two of the sisters to Holy Communion with me on Tuesday, because we stayed at home on Sunday. It was a beautiful service in so many ways. 1stSister listened to the priest talking about poverty in our twin church in Mutanga Nord, Burundi, and on the recent Diocesan trip to India - and got home and started googling to find out more. "I know, I'm such a nerd!" she said. (Refer to point 5.)</div>
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It's been different and definitely less fun without FabDad around this holiday. Also 2ndSister went on her first two night sleepover to Grandma's. She's our full on extrovert so it was definitely quieter without her around. On her return I played 'Family Rules' Monopoly with her (= "her rules".) These rules included using only one dice meaning it was impossible for me to roll a double to get out of jail. Inexplicably, this induced five minutes of hysterical laughter in us both.<br />
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4thSister has this gift too. This morning as I <strike>wrestled</strike> slipped her into her pumpkin princess outfit she spoke about the yummy gingerbread pumpkin she decorated and ate yesterday, and then frowned. "I DON'T <b>LIKE </b>SPIDERS!" she insisted. I couldn't stop laughing. (Extra points if you can guess which of the pumpkins below was decorated by a 2 year old who couldn't wait to eat it before I had chance to photograph them.)<br />
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Happy All Hallow's Eve and All Saints' Day, wherever you are and however you spend them!<br />
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More Quick Takes infinitely more amusing than these will be found over at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">Kelly's</a> this and every subsequent Friday. Enjoy!<br />
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-33165732842655056312015-10-28T10:39:00.001+00:002015-10-28T12:49:25.781+00:00The Chocolate Teapot Tales Part Two: Meeting the Baby<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Meeting the Baby: Advice which may be as welcome or useful as a Chocolate Teapot!</b></div>
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After 1stSister was born, I remember everyone turning up at the hospital at once. A best friend was flying back to the UAE and it was her only chance to visit; my grandmother had rocked up at the hospital unannounced, because that was how she rolled. There were two sets of parents meeting their first grandchild; baby's aunt and uncle lived nearby and could visit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum & 1stSister in hospital </td></tr>
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Only thing, I was in no fit state to talk to anyone, let alone introduce my baby.<br />
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1stSister was almost two weeks overdue, not ready to meet the world at all. 48 hours later, 'failed' water birth, 'failed' first stage, 'failed' second stage, epidural, forceps attempt (which got her down but she went back up - did I mention that recalcitrance to meet the world?) and finally an emergency caesarean that got her delivered safely. If I didn't have PTSD, I had something akin to it (and would soon be experiencing extreme postnatal anxiety) and spent the next couple of nights barely sleeping, experiencing anxiety and flashbacks, and trying to learn breastfeed a hungry baby who was desperate for my milk to come in. (Thankfully at this time midwives would still take your baby off to the night nursery on the ward so you could get <i>some </i>sort of rest.)<br />
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I can look back on this time positively now - I spent a total of five nights in the hospital before she and I were discharged, and although I was absolutely exhausted, I was well looked after and although the delivery was not what I had planned, there are some beautiful memories I take from it, and 1stSister was here to stay!<br />
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But still. FabDad was similarly completely out of his depth in managing the situation; he simply couldn't comprehend the unfathomable exhaustion I was experiencing following a difficult delivery which involved surgery. Add a first baby into the mix and even the simplest things became a challenge. Like talking. Thinking. Being. Neither of us had the wisdom, the innocence or the audacity to say: <i>there is no way on earth anyone else can come and meet the baby right now. Come in a couple of days when things have settled down. Better still, wait until mother and baby are home.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel your pain, 1stSister</td></tr>
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I hadn't read the words of wisdom I saw on the internet this week (that I will reference if I find out what it was!) that reminded me to write this post, which suggested that later on, no one will hold it against you that they didn't meet the baby until she was two, three, four days old. And, let's face it, some people will hold it against you, because people are people. But I think it's important to try and distinguish between other people's expectations, and your own.<br />
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Because I was overjoyed to meet my baby, and could have benefited from some time getting to know her, with her father sitting with us, becoming a family unit. But I had it in my head that others would be <i>equally </i>overjoyed to meet my baby, and that the sooner they met her, the better. I <i>knew</i> there was a priority order that should be followed - grandparents, grandparents, great grandparent, aunt & uncle, and that bad things would happen if this wasn't played out. Like most things to do with parenting at this stage, I was completely inflexible, and at the total mercy of what I assumed others' expectations were. In retrospect, those first few days at the hospital didn't need to have been full of people<br />
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Having just recently had a minor keyhole operation eleven years on, where I struggled to get out of bed for two weeks, I realised just how challenging a caesarean section is when you are having to attend to a newborn. To get recovered, you need sleep. You need feeding. You don't need to entertain visitors and you certainly don't need to put pressure on yourself for everyone to meet your baby. Whether in the hospital, or at home. I did feel completely different after my one vaginal delivery, and went home the same day, but I suspect it's the same principle. Introduce baby when you are ready. While it's not possible to have rational judgement post-partum, it's up to you and your partner to decide how imperative it is for other people to meet baby. If you have more than one child, it changes the picture even more - it's of primary importance for siblings not only to bond with the new baby, but to feel secure in the family unit rather than pushed out by a constant stream of visitors.<br />
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(Funnily enough, when 2ndSister was born and I was in hospital on my birthday, things worked out differently. My parents were away, FabDad had 1stSister at home to look after, and I felt unbelievably lonely! When my grandmother did her whole turning up unannounced thing this time, I was so happy to see her and the bunch of grapes she brought with her. 3rdSister, I was home in a hop, skip and a jump before anyone had chance to say "when are visiting hours?" By my third C-Section, with 4Sister, nobody <strike>was bothered</strike> came to see us at the hospital at all - my husband brought the girls in, and that was enough, and nobody questioned it.)<br />
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How you deal with things post-baby is certainly up to you, and you may be pressed upon to conform with familial and cultural expectations - but I plead with you not to do as I did first time round and assume I knew what other people's expectations were. I certainly see the lack of rest and recovery as a factor in post-partum difficulties I encountered. The first few days, the first week, need to well-managed if possible, especially if you have had a difficult delivery and/or do not have people to look after you and your home. If people <i>are</i> coming, get them to bring food and take your washing and ironing! Similarly, if there are expectations to be somewhere - work, church, someone else's event - and you simply can't be there, try and manage your, and others', expectations of this, if at all possible.<br />
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Once at home, I kept up with the steady stream of visitors because of a sense of duty to family and friends, as well as filling in birth announcements (all the while struggling to feed and get on top of washing nappies.) Once my husband was back at work, I obeyed the health professional guidelines of getting out and about and seeing people even though it was ruinous for me physically and mentally. (Perhaps this may have helped for someone more extrovert, but I could have done with quiet time at home just sitting with my baby). Again, it's important to work out what you can manage.<br />
Parenting requires you to be superhuman in many ways - any added pressures need to be carefully considered. If, like I did, you rush back to work to show off baby because your employers thoughtfully put a "can't wait to meet her!" note in with the flowers they sent, prepare to be worn out if you do it too early. (Such a phrase isn't usually meant to be interpreted so literally.)<br />
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Like all of the advice in this series, though - just work out what works for you. Family, friends, health professionals and the entire internet will be chipping in telling you what is best for you and baby. As a first-time parent can take some working out, but as a parent, you are the one who should be able to make these decisions.<br />
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Links that came up when I Googled this subject which may also help:<br />
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<a href="https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/10-big-tips-visiting-new-baby-%E2%80%93-and-being-asked-back" target="_blank">https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/10-big-tips-visiting-new-baby-%E2%80%93-and-being-asked-back</a><br />
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<a href="http://athomedad.org/the-dos-and-donts-of-visiting-a-newborn-and-hisher-family/" target="_blank">http://athomedad.org/the-dos-and-donts-of-visiting-a-newborn-and-hisher-family/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.madeformums.com/baby/10-rules-for-visiting-all-mums-with-newborns-need-to-know/12387-4.html" target="_blank">http://www.madeformums.com/baby/10-rules-for-visiting-all-mums-with-newborns-need-to-know/12387-4.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.scarymommy.com/rules-for-visiting-a-new-mom/" target="_blank">http://www.scarymommy.com/rules-for-visiting-a-new-mom/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mothermag.com/visiting-new-babies/" target="_blank">http://www.mothermag.com/visiting-new-babies/</a> - I like this one because it reminds you not to forget about Dad!<br />
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<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-64866458706889636112015-10-23T09:54:00.000+01:002015-10-23T09:58:53.913+01:007 Quick Takes: just random bits and bobs!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I often write my Quick Takes to a theme but it says a lot about what this week has been like that I haven't had much space or clarity to put a theme together. I've been on countdown to a school holiday (which starts today...yay!) And ironically finally getting on top of things at seven weeks post-op (back to work, back to baking, back to visiting grandparents every week, back to playing Legos on the floor)....and now it's time for a lull. A MUCH NEEDED lull. You hear me, 4thSister?</div>
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I can't ignore the fact that Halloween is approaching, especially now that 1stSister will be going to two parties and trick a treating with friends. As usual we will be doing a Saint themed supper the next day - which is usually gorier than the supposedly evil stuff, when you think about some of their deaths - but leave a bit of room for the kids to do and get into the dressing up and the scary. I don't advocate all the aspects of "celebrating" Halloween but agree to a large extent with the sentiments of <u><a href="http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/lord/08638.html" target="_blank">Dan Lord</a></u> and <a href="http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/its-time-for-catholics-to-embrace-halloween/2133/" target="_blank">this priest</a>, Christians of all denominations can be misplaced in their attitudes against it, I think. For those wanting to move away from the spookier aspects however, I noticed that the Christian charity World Vision, rather than moaning about Halloween or seeking to abolish it, have launched a fundraising campaign via supermarket sold pumpkins, asking people to carve hearts in their pumpkins and donate. This to me seems to strike just the right balance.<br />
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I made a shockingly awful soup with the above pumpkin (which I bought to eat after all not to carve) but am hoping to redeem myself with a beetroot and coconut milk soup. I also made pear and hazelnut cake yesterday, ostensibly to use up pears, but it didn't really taste of either major ingredient even though it was nice. (that was the obligatory food bit of this post.)</div>
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I have been telling people that 4thSister has come through her clingy, obsessive phase but now we have discovered tantrumsville! Bear in mind I had stomach surgery seven weeks ago...wrestling her into a supermarket trolley against her will was not fun. But we needed food staples, so I had to be the boss. And she did complain loudly for the first two minutes of the shop but then found something she liked to look at and forgot to be angry. Meanwhile around forty to fifty people probably looked at us making a huge hullabaloo. (I am so glad I have four kids and can be chilled out about meltdowns with this one as his too shall pass....)</div>
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Mind you her obsession with Wheels on the Bus hasn't moved on. Fair play she does like watching Peppa Pig on YouTube rather than endless #WOTB on repeat, but today all 6 chairs were pulled into bus formation as we drove some very special passengers <strike>around the kitchen</strike> to the seaside!</div>
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Theologically, I had a Quiet Day at a retreat house and learned about St Clare on Saturday, which was just amazing. And then I went on a church hop on Sunday, as potential priests often do, but had arrived not in time for a service, but instead coffee and cake! I did learn about their mission work but my main Sabbath thought was, thank you God for a straightforward gallbladder removal to enable me to participate in his event as fully as possible....mmmm cake! (See how I can make a theology post transform into something tasty? Hermione Granger you have nothing on me!)</div>
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This probably covers all the aspects of my week apart from music! As I am still not up to evening commitments I am not rehearsing with choir until 2016, which is disappointing but necessary...however wouldn't you just know that 1stSister wants me to accompany her clarinet practice on the piano so I have two tunes to learn to help me feel musically valuable! When at home I listen to BBC Radio 6 as much as possible as it plays lots of my old and new favourites and heard a song I hadn't listened to for ages by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Tom" target="_blank">Buffalo Tom</a> who I never appreciated in the 80s or 90s but first heard in my twenties. Not cheery but I love it. </div>
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Head over to <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a> for more Quick Takes and to read Kelly's essential post on essential oils!</div>
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The falling leaves drift by the window</div>
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The autumn leaves of red and gold</div>
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I see your lips, the summer kisses</div>
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The sunburned hands I used to hold</div>
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Since you went away the days grow long</div>
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And soon I'll hear old winter's song</div>
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But I miss you most of all my darling</div>
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When autumn leaves start to fall</div>
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(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_Leaves_(1945_song)" target="_blank">Kosma, Prevert <i>et al</i></a>)</div>
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It's not New England, but our pleasant corner of Nottinghamshire has been amazing recently for Autumn colours recently.<br />
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I was so struck by this that although the minutiae of such things usually eludes me (unless the kids have it for homework) that I wanted to find out more. And I got my question answered. (But ultimately, as most things do, it led to more questions!)<br />
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So apologies to the experts out there, but in simple terms, in transpires that trees use their leaves to breathe - that is, to absorb the carbon dioxide they take from the atmosphere. They are designed and positioned for the optimum absorption of the light that they need to enable the process of <i>photosynthesis. </i>(Even on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> they blind me with words like <i>stomata </i>and <i>phyllodes </i>- not necessary for my understanding, although it did remind me that phyllo or filo pastry is named for leaves, as are the delectable <i>milles feuilles </i>we ate in Paris recently.) (Unable to think about anything unless it has a food connection, me.)<br />
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And then the leaves fall. On an annual basis, parallel to our liturgical year. Unless I'm very much mistaken, however, we don't celebrate the trees becoming bare during Autumn; instead we give thanks for <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-changing-face-of-harvest-yes-its.html" target="_blank">Harvest</a>. And it's only because I live in temperate Europe that I see this, where many of our trees are decidious and so undergo the process of <b><i>abscission</i>. </b>Which basically means they die because the bad weather is coming. In fact it seems that the cold and the reduction in sunlight is what causes the leaves to lose their green pigment, and become discoloured.<br />
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So here is where the more metaphysical questions come in. I personally look on in awe and wonder as the leaves transform in colour, even to a mucky brown. The various shades of yellow, orange and red present a cornucopia of visual delight, striking just the right chord to elicit an emotional response when I look at them. This is first and foremost a visual response - wow, colour!! - but also a response to the wonder of God's creation. It draws my attention to the beauty of God's works, and to the intricacy of a system that is part of a wider system, sustaining and perpetuating all of nature. But primarily, it elicits in me a response that says - <i>this </i>is awesome. In the very end and death of something, in the leftover bits, the pouring out of colour, humans are programmed to visually appreciate this process in an extraordinary way. (There is also pondering in this process that can be given to regrowth, resurrection and perpetuity, if you want more theological food for thought.)<br />
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The fact that we react to leaf change in a deeply sensory way however is the question I simultaneously do and don't want answering. Just as we have an innate capacity for spiritual connection with the universe around us, we are finely tuned to aesthetically engage with the processes of nature. This bonds us to what is going on around us; reminds us that the world is turning, changing and growing, and we with it. As the leaves colour and fall, ending one aspect of each tree's development, we can read into this not only on a lifecycle basis, but also one of pure beauty. Can this be an accident? Like the joy of viewing a rainbow or hearing the splendour of a symphony, we have within us the ability to appreciate what is in the world at a higher level. We are uniquely able to comprehend aspects of nature at a physiological and emotional level. I won't discuss here how far we see this as purposeful design by the creator of a universe - but personally, I see it as just one strand of God's amazingness. I am still left questioning - like with much of my religion, there is an element of mystery and supernaturalness that surpasses my understanding. But sometimes it is just enough to remain awestruck and amazed, in a state of wonder. Setting one's mind adrift, idly pondering the universe, gazing at the beauty of the colours of leaves.</div>
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<i>How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands! The heavens declare your glory, the arch of the sky displays your handiwork. </i><b style="font-style: italic;">In your love you have given us the power to behold the beauty of your world in all its splendour</b>. </blockquote>
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(Jewish prayer, in David Adam 'The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer.)</blockquote>
Further links:<br />
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<a href="http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/pubs/leaves/leaves.shtm" target="_blank">http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/pubs/leaves/leaves.shtm</a> - Brilliant on colour. (And admits scientists can't explain the how and why either)<br />
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<a href="http://www.aish.com/h/hh/e/inspiration/48948666.html" target="_blank">http://www.aish.com/h/hh/e/inspiration/48948666.html</a> - Thinking through this in light of the Jewish liturgical year (Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, takes place in Autumn)<br />
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<a href="http://creation.com/autumn-leaves-fall-by-design" target="_blank">http://creation.com/autumn-leaves-fall-by-design</a> - says that it's no accident why leaves fall!<br />
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-85729992444448644152015-10-16T10:27:00.001+01:002015-10-16T10:27:06.849+01:007 Quick Takes: the favourite bloggers edition<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>Before we start - Kelly has challenged us to mention a blogger they have discovered through 7 Quick Takes. I think many of the bloggers I have read and read now were found through this method, so I had better narrow it down to some favourites! I honestly can't remember how and in what order I found people. But I do know that for a good long while now I have had a system. Because I don't count reading all the quick takes as high priority (sorry folks!) instead I ensure that I always at least read the quick takes posted prior to and after mine. I have found a few favourites this way!</i></span></div>
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First up is my favourite blogger <i>ever - </i>she isn't at the top of my list because while I think I found her through someone's Takes, to my knowledge she doesn't post Quick Takes. Instead at <a href="http://mychildiloveyou.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">My Child I Love You</a> we have heartfelt and inspiring tales from the home of Lindsey Boever. Her love for her faith, children and spouse are wonderfully put down on the page. (Please pray especially for Lindsey and <a href="http://mychildiloveyou.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-beauty-in-suffering.html" target="_blank">her mom</a> at this time.)</div>
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Lisa Melnick at the <a href="http://www.thelittlehousethatgrew.com/" target="_blank">Little House That Grew</a> is a blogger I <i>was</i> sure I discovered through Quick Takes but now I am not so sure! But it is always a joy to hear how things are with her family. Moving around for her husband's work, running, knitting, raising children and talking about faith are some of the topics you will find here. One of the reasons I especially love this blog is because Lisa never pretends to have it all sorted. She knows her life, and her blog, are part of a journey to develop and grow in faith, as a person, a knitter and a mother. She often talks about her joy for socialising and hosting but it is clear that having to establish new connections (and lose other ones) due to moving around is hard for her. I think that being part of an online community is important for many women - just leaving a short comment might uplift someone or help them feel connected. 7 Quick Takes is a great way of doing this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.briannaheldt.com/" target="_blank">Brianna Heldt</a> isn't concerned about being bang on trend (although she may well be, and she is often so right about what she says!) and like all the best bloggers, has ruffled a few feathers with some of her posts. But as well as her gigantic heart and beautiful family jumping off the page, Brianna's writings about the Catholic Church show it at its best, in my mind, and really makes readers think about what we believe in, and why. Oh and did you know she recently cut her hair? And is on pilgrimage in Rome?<br />
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Mary Lenaburg's <a href="http://passionateperseverance.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Passionate Perseverance</a> blog recently won most inspiring in the Sheenazing awards at This Knotted Life (so glad I got Bonnie's blog in here as well, as it's another favourite!) - but most inspiring doesn't begin to describe it. (I think its tagline reads something like "family, special needs, faith and food".) If you haven't read it, do so; read some older entries and see God in the service, sacrifice, joy and love in these words! I feel humbled and privileged to have entered into the Lenaburg family's world through 7 Quick Takes. <i>This </i>is another of the wonderful reasons the QT are so special!</div>
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<a href="http://katewicker.com/" target="_blank">Kate Wicker</a> probably wouldn't call herself a regular blogger at the moment but whenever a new post by her drops into my blog reader I enjoy sitting with a cup of tea and losing myself in it. Like many of us mothers, how much to blog and how much to write elsewhere, or how much time we can devote to raising our kids in combination with our other vocations, is something Kate has written about at length. She has also published <a href="http://katewicker.com/weightless/buy-weightless" target="_blank">Weightless</a>, ("making peace with your body"), done a lot of running and had to cope with not doing a lot of running, blogged about schooling, bedsharing, breastfeeding and more. I found her early on via 7 Quick Takes (or possibly vice versa) and still read and reference her writing on prayer!<br />
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<a href="http://jenniferfulwiler.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Fulwiler</a> needs no introduction but definitely deserves a worthy mention here! Having undergone an eerily similar conversion to hers (no scorpions at our house though, praise the Lord), I have found it both informative and comforting to read Conversion Diary, then her memoir and her e-book. And by developing Quick Takes, she introduced me to an entire community of faith-based bloggers who have inspired and challenged me. Thank you. Oh and did I mention how much her writing has made me laugh??? (The funny bits, I mean. The tragic bits only occasionally. The black comedy of what happened when they took Shaun the Sheep off of Netflix, for example.)<br />
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My winner, however, has to be The Amazing Sarah Reinhard (my moniker not hers!) who originally blogged as <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/" target="_blank">SnoringScholar</a>. I was first drawn in by Sarah's love of books and devotion to Our Lady, as well as her open and honest stories about children, Catholicism and living out on the farm! I don't think she regularly posts Quick Takes anymore, and I don't see her in my feed as much as I used to, but I always love to see how she is doing (and view cute photos of her baby on Instagram.) The main reason Sarah is the most important blogger I found via 7 Quick Takes however is that she helped me out - a random, itinerant member of the Christian mommy blogger community - when I was at a very low ebb, with wonderful kindnesses that she would probably brush off as the least she could do. In short, she wrote the <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-book-to-save-life.html?m=0" target="_blank">Book That Saved My Life</a> and is a must for every pregnant woman (The Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy), and will henceforth always be known as The Amazing Sarah Reinhard to me! Again, this is one of the reasons why 7QT have always been great - you may not know a person well, you may know them hardly at all, but members of this special tribe will send you a book, drop you an email, or even, in <a href="http://hallielord.com/" target="_blank">Hallie Lord</a>'s case, crowdfund you a much-needed couch!</div>
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<i>Once again, I think the importance of 'just jotting down the 7 short things on your mind this week' is extremely underrated. 7QT joins up people, challenges, inspires and helps on a regular basis. So find some new bloggers, or someone you didn't know about, this week at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum! </a></i></div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-80245497941817067962015-10-12T11:07:00.002+01:002015-10-12T11:10:48.887+01:00The Changing Face of Harvest (yes it's another post about food!)I attended our Holy Communion service celebrating Harvest yesterday, and, coupled with our Harvest Supper the previous evening, was struck by the changing face of Harvest Festival in our country and community, at least.<br />
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I don't think it was that long ago that UK residents ate seasonally as a matter of course. Before the rise and domination of supermarket shopping, the fruit and vegetables available were, originally, what was available from the farms; and later, what was available for import. Supply and demand had not reached the point where you could decide what you wanted to eat, and source it. Instead, you chose from what was available, and chose recipes accordingly.<br />
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Some households still practice this, but it's increasingly rare in 21st century living. In increasingly busy lives with a reliance on processed, pre-prepared and easy to cook food, seasonal living isn't the easy route. Spending time focusing on what will constitute the daily meal is rare. Even my French friends revealed to me this year that the concept of shopping for what one needs that day and preparing it, is dying a death even there.<br />
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So when we celebrate Harvest, we aren't thanking God after <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/10-michaelmas-facts.html" target="_blank">Michaelmas</a> for everything safely gathered in at a certain seasonal point. Yes, the farmers have gathered certain grains, vegetables and fruits in the UK, and in other areas of the world. But we grow and source things all year round. So Harvest has taken on a different form - thanking God generically for what He makes available to feed us (physically and perhaps spiritually, too.) I'm not saying that giving thanks is a bad thing, but in the developed world we have moved on from those early days of Christianity where the turnips and the barley were safely gathered and stored and it was especially wonderful if the weather had provided an abundant harvest. (The story of Joseph predicting the harvests and famine found in Genesis always springs to my mind, here!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvest Supper apple crumble in progress</td></tr>
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I do, wonder, however, that if we are mindful, and truly thankful for what He provides, that we might give more thought to the seasonal, as well as liturgical, calendar. And now I'm going to get preachy. Our family has the blessing and privilege of having enough. Enough to purchase not only the food we need to sustain us, but extras, too, if we so choose. And, being human, we do sometimes choose. But as the stewards of God's earth, with enough, we spend extra money not only on 'treats', but try and act responsibly in our purchasing decisions. Spending more on free-range and organic produce isn't only something we do to help our bodies. Ethically produced, environmentally friendly and sustainably fished items benefit creation; we are taking care of the lives of the animals that feed us, and food producers. Reducing the grocery shop to a certain amount by getting a good deal at discount shops may be good family stewardship, but it isn't reflecting the true cost of food, or helping others as much as we can.<br />
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(Disclaimer: as a former vegetarian and vegan, I do appreciate there is a certain amount of irony and perhaps hypocrisy is killing animals to eat them, then proclaiming that at least they have a good life.)<br />
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We still spend our money on utter rubbish for our bodies and the world. I don't set myself up as a holy example. And we don't have to make a great sacrifice in other areas to shop seasonally and ethically. Trying to balance the family budget for a large family can be difficult in itself, let alone when trying to make further sacrifices. Some are reliant on food donations. But I remember we started out just by making a small change or two. Financially, things are not always possible. But sometimes, they don't seem possible, and God makes them so. If we can, I think we should try and return to the old ways, the old Harvest, and:<br />
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<li>Shop for local produce which supports local producers and cuts down on airmiles</li>
<li>Grow our own fruit, vegetables and herbs (I don't practice what I preach here!)</li>
<li>Use a veg box scheme which helps the environment and farmers</li>
<li>Find out how and where to buy sustainable and ethically fished seafood</li>
<li>Buy organic fruit and veg which is better for the environment (and for your body I would say!)</li>
<li>Buy organic meat and eggs or the cheaper free-range version which is still better for the animals' welfare</li>
<li>Think more about what you are cooking and eating by eating seasonal foods</li>
<li>Prioritise food shopping and food preparation more in life (this is hard!)</li>
<li>Eat more vegetarian and vegan meals if you can</li>
<li>If this is too hard, eat less meat - a good organic chicken feeds six of us for 2-3 meals</li>
<li>Buy milk from the farmers and help sustain the hard-done-by dairy industry </li>
<li>Donate good quality food - and treats - to the local food bank. Or volunteer to help there!</li>
<li>Donate to charities which help provide clean water and help people grown and source more food in the developing world.</li>
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These last two items on the list really represent to me the changing face of Harvest in another way. When I was at school, we took in fresh and tinned items to give to the elderly in the community. They were seen as the poor and needy. This week, my kids' school and our church collected items for our town charity which provides food for the needy. Particularly local families who are signed up for food parcels at the food bank. People who can't manage, locally. In our community. Despite welfare schemes and the introduction of a living wage.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4thSister kept joining our curate and priest on the stage at Harvest Supper</td></tr>
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And our Harvest Supper supported <a href="http://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate/forwater-donate?id=UN0000,15/TPP,OnlineRG,15/TPP/01A&gclid=COfio57RvMgCFaoEwwodziQLrQ" target="_blank">Water Aid</a>. Financial donations were collected to provide clean water for those who don't have it. As well as our usual charity contributions we can now say as a family that we have provided two taps! </div>
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I truly believe that giving thanks is not just about being thankful. It is about being grateful for what we have and looking around at what others don't have, and helping out. Sometimes we may be the ones that need helping out, financially or otherwise. But if we are in the position where we can contribute to the welfare of creation - the seas, the fields, the animals, the farmers - then I really believe that we should; that we are tasked by Jesus to do it. Even if we can just pick one small thing to change, it can help have an impact. <i>This </i>should be the new song of harvest home.<br />
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[Edited to add - I would also like to publicly thank my husband for working extremely hard using the gifts he was born with to enable us to support ourselves and others.]</div>
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<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-58199757583912581312015-10-09T09:57:00.001+01:002015-10-09T09:57:43.405+01:00Seven Quick Takes on San Juan Diego<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">As it's the anniversary of 7 Quick Takes, I wanted to do something a little different today (can you believe this is my 33rd Quick Take, out of 257 total blog posts?) Anyway, e</span><span style="text-align: start;">arlier in 2015 (erm, at the beginning in fact) I vowed to find more about the </span><a href="http://saintsnamegenerator.com/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">saint chosen for me for the year</a><span style="text-align: start;"> ahead, St Juan Diego. Well, it's been a heck of year, turning 40, exploring ordination, looking after the 4Sisters, approaching 15 years of marriage, singing a solo in concert and having my gallbladder removed. So I think at least one of 'my' saints has been petitioning for God to hold me in His hands, and therefore St Juan deserves a little exploration and respect! (Or at least me reading Wikipedia and regurgitating stuff.) </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Copied from the <a href="http://www.saintjuandiegopgh.org/our-patron-saint.html" target="_blank">St Juan Diego Parish</a> website</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Firstly - we have tons in common! His Feast Day is December 9th, which is good, because I really like Advent already. And</span><span style="text-align: start;"> he's Mexican. Which is supercool, because I loves me some Mexican food! (How did this post get to be about food already?!) (Specifically, guacamole and quesadillas, if anyone is interested. Or cooking for me.)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">He is the first indigenous Roman Catholic saint from the Americas. In light of the recent Papal visits to Cuba and the USA, this feels pretty special.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">He saw Mother Mary four times. He saw Mother Mary! FOUR TIMES! Her image was impressed upon his cloak in what is known as "the Guadalupe event" - and those of you who know about Our Lady of Guadalupe know what followed. (Church/basilica built, thousands of local people converting to Christianity, St Juan seen as God's way of bringing the New World on board.) Wikipedia tells me that the Basilica of Guadalupe is the go-to pilgrimage spot for Catholics - in 2010 it received 22 million visitors.</span></div>
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St Juan de Marco is a relatively young saint. Although born in 1474 and died in 1548, it wasn't until 1990 that he was beatified , and canonised in 2002.by Pope John Paul II. Unlike some of our saints, he wasn't poor, but neither rich. He worked as a mat weaver, farmer, and labourer, and had a wife, but no children. He was extremely religious, and was particularly devoted to Our Lady. He pleaded with her to cure his sick uncle, who he looked after, and she did.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">He loved the Eucharist EVEN MORE THAN I DO! Even though it was extremely rare for it to happen, he was granted permission by his Bishop to receive communion three times per week. HE WALKED 15 MILES TO MASS. BAREFOOT.</span><br />
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I have gone all year thinking of St Juan as 'St Juan de Marco', having mixed him up with Don Juan de Marco, a Johnny Depp character in a film I have never even seen. Oops. Apparently they are very, very different.</div>
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Join Kelly and all the others for <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">7 Quick Takes at This Ain't the Lyceum!</a></div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-14635408298851027512015-10-04T16:25:00.001+01:002015-10-04T16:25:34.847+01:00пустынь - The PoustiniaWhen I had the absolute amazing privilege of going on retreat (which happened to be my first retreat) in the wilds of Northumbria, these were the best things:<br />
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1) Being made a special apple pudding because I couldn't eat the one everyone else was having.<br />
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2) Being MADE A CUP OF TEA by a complete stranger, just because, when we were living in community; and<br />
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3) The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poustinia" target="_blank">Poustinia</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Madonna House poustinias</td></tr>
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(I may have missed out lots of spiritual stuff, but honestly, these are the things at the forefront of my mind as I type!)<br />
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Obviously it wasn't a proper Poustinia, but I had an amazing couple of reflective, contemplative spiritual experiences nevertheless, sat in blankets in a cold garden overlooking the beauty of fields.<br />
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It was an extra wonderful space to spend time with God, within a new monastic community that was already a wonderful space to spend time with God. And it led me to research on the desert fathers and the authentic Poustinia tradition, to place the whole experience in context.<br />
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The Poustinia is a tradition drawn from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and for those of you who don't know about them, a quick recap. Unsurprisingly, we are talking about a tradition of wandering off by ourselves, meeting with God in contemplation in solitude, and all of those other things as a mother I have got a hope in hell of experiencing (or so I thought before I discovered retreat houses!)<br />
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The original <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Fathers" target="_blank">Desert Fathers </a>can be found in the Egyptian desert during the 3rd Century AD, perhaps the most famous of whom is now known as St Anthony the Great. As an introvert I can completely empathise with them withdrawing from life and the material world to be by themselves and pray! Over time monastic communities emerged and whenever I think of these I think of what we do in our church, local and mission communities. Men <i>and </i>women lived in these communities; pilgrims visited.<br />
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Without the Desert Fathers and Mothers, we wouldn't have monasticism as we know it.<br />
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Their ascetic, prayerful, pastoral tradition travelled to the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as influencing the Benedictines and other western monastic settings.<br />
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And so to the Poustinia, which is a Russian word meaning - wait for it - desert! (Although it encompasses a dual meaning, of course, because you can find or make a lonely, empty place anywhere.) Modelled after the retreat houses of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, the Russian Orthodox Church established the practice of small huts where clergy or other spiritually minded persons could withdraw, preferably for twenty-four hours to medidate, contemplate and join with God. (Not that I managed twenty-four hours, but....it was cold, so very slightly after the Russian model!) Without an actual physical desert, one can still practice these elements, as Doherty's 1975 book 'Poustinia: Christian Spirituality of the East for Western Man' suggests:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">"an entry into the desert, a lonely place, a silent place, where one can lift the two arms of prayer and penance to God in antonement, intercession, reparation for one's sins and those of one's brothers.... To go into the poustinia means to listen to God. It means entering into kenosis — the emptying of oneself."</span></blockquote>
There are poustinias all over the world. Madonna House community in the USA, founded by Catherine Doherty, has <a href="http://www.madonnahouse.org/tour/poustinia.html" target="_blank">a whole lot of them</a>; I had never experienced one before I went on retreat.<br />
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And so we come back to a little wooden hut, in a new monastic community in the very north of England. Surrounded by plants, fruit and vegetables grown by people who lived and visited there. Not far away from an outdoor chapel. The hut contained a couple of chairs, blankets, a Bible, a cross, candles and matches in a tin to keep them dry from the damp air. I visited in winter so it was chilly outside and cold within, but I snuggled in a blanket and had some much-needed time in conversation with God, often silent, often listening. How fitting that the <a href="http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/" target="_blank">Northumbria Community</a>, providing sanctuary, silence, retreat and respite for its visitors, continues a tradition from those Desert Fathers of centuries ago.<br />
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(NB - I spent the first draft of this talking about a Pushkinya! And while Pushkin is definitely also Russian, it is not the same thing at all. Just, ahem, keeping it real!)Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-66400965380046774152015-10-02T09:13:00.003+01:002015-10-09T09:40:43.225+01:007 Quick Takes: The Michaelmas (or I love Autumn) Edition!<br />
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1: Michaelmas</div>
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I'm very excited because it's been Michaelmas this week. It is only recently after all that I <u><a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/10-michaelmas-facts.html" target="_blank">discovered its full meaning and that it gives me an excuse to put blackberries and orchard fruits into a cake or pie</a></u>. And squash and pumpkin are in season! And spiced pumpkin lattes! (not that I have had one yet.) Coupled with the fact that I missed the first few weeks of 'back to school' due to surgery is the exciting feeling I get with Autumn mists in the air, seasonal foods to cook with and Harvest Supper approaching! I was lucky enough to attend a Holy Communion service on the feast of St Michael & the Archangels itself, and share coffee and a <u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_bun" target="_blank">Belgian bun</a></u> at home with a new friend afterwards. I was wiped out, mentally and physically, afterwards, but it was worth the effort. Our priest has been on a missional trip in India, I didn't want to trouble the curate to minister the Eucharist to me at home again, so even though I sat down for everything but the Gospel reading & the Creed, receiving the Lord's Supper on that special day was amazing!!! (And so was the Belgian bun. Ahem.) (Edited to add - later in the week, another friend came round with Belgian buns. How blessed am I?!)</div>
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2: Link-tober<br />
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I am also extra excited because when I visited the hosting site for 7 Quick Takes today, I found out it is anniversary time! (I will stop the exclamations at some point. Promise.) Can you believe it, 7 Quick Takes has been going for 7 years. How special is that? Kelly is running a special <u><a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/sqt-link-toberfest/" target="_blank">Link-tober </a></u>fest with a competition and everything, and encouraging those of you who haven't posted for a while to post. Before I was at Strength and Song, I blogged at Musings on Motherhood and Ministry and posted <u><a href="http://mutteringsofamother.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/quick-take-friday.html" target="_blank">my first Quick Take</a></u> approximately five years ago. Coupled with the Autumn-ness of everything I've gone all reflective and spent half an hour looking back to this time in 2010. (You can tell no children are home.) It will have to be a whole other post though. Definitely not a Quick Take (although I don't think mine have ever been very quick!) </div>
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3: All about that squash (and pumpkin!)</div>
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I am <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-body-as-temple.html" target="_blank">purposefully making my blog posts more about food</a>, but believe me it's also just ON MY MIND. Partly it's because it took me a while post-surgery to get back into eating, preparing and enjoying food again. But it's also due to me trying to cut out the processed stuff and eat foods that make me feel well, and make me well. Last week I baked rye bread, made squash soup from bone broth and had berries from the freezer with plain yogurt. Although I missed out on brambling in our amazing English countryside, blackberries are going to be delivered today, so I will finally be making my Michaelmas cake - which this year is likely going to take the form of a pear and blackberry crumble, possibly made with maple syrup and oats instead of a traditional wheat flour and sugar topping. Nom nom! The connection between food and spirituality becomes so wonderfully and increasingly evident on so many levels the more I delve into it. Thankfully (and even the name of blog is to do with Michaelmas!) Haley, amongst others, has<u> <a href="http://www.carrotsformichaelmas.com/" target="_blank">a fabulous blog</a></u> which provides a wealth of ideas of what to put on the table. It's a great way to connect with the liturgical calendar, as was Bonnie's recent post on <a href="http://www.aknottedlife.com/" target="_blank">Living Liturgically in October</a>. Oh, and, by the way, instead of faffing around trying to make a proper USA pumpkin pie from scratch, I found out that the new supermarket I use imports Libby's pumpkin puree, so we even get a proper shot at Thanksgiving. (NB - I aware that Thanksgiving is Not a Liturgical Festival. As such. As far as I know.)<br />
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4: Harvest</div>
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I am (unsurprisingly given my current food obsession) looking forward to our imminent fish and chip supper at Harvest Festival, not least because I have been out of the church loop for almost a month now and I miss the fellowship. This week I lovingly prepared apples, cinnamon and sugar and topped them with crumble. <br />
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Some of them had fallen from my mother in law's apple tree. They are not the only windfalls I have been blessed with. As well as being held in prayer recently I may have kept visitors to a minimum but cards were very much appreciated and a few people gave me flowers. I'm so very thankful. (The ones below just shout "autumn" at me!)<br />
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5: Christmas (ahem)</div>
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Having said that I am loving Autumn, let's fast forward to Christmas temporarily. (Yes, really!) (Sorry!) There is a photo doing the rounds on Facebook that a few people have liked, featuring a Christmas gift box of pyjamas and other bits and bobs. Very cute. But, bang on-trend as I so frequently am (not), for once I am thankful to have been doing Christmas pyjamas as a tradition for a few years now - and that I have purchased this year's onesies! Because I've been putting money aside throughout the year we have also stretched to buying robes for them. And all have been washed in the special anti-allergy washing liquid we use for the kids and been line dried and boxed away for Christmas Eve. WIN.<br />
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6: More Christmas (kill me now)<br />
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Oh, and did I mention this?! I won't be participating in our choir Christmas concert this year, as I've missed (and will continue to miss) too many rehearsals to do the pieces justice. But I <i>will</i> be singing Christmas carols with <u><a href="http://www.torkardensemble.co.uk/" target="_blank">choir</a></u> in the local community as often as I can. And my friend dropped round my new book after she had been to choir rehearsal on Wednesday. (And also - it's time for me to make my Christmas cake....sssssh.....)</div>
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7: Autumn</div>
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OK, OK, I know it's not time for Christmas. Because it has been Michaelmas, did I mention? It is Autumn. FirstSister turned eleven yesterday. It is <u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Goose_Fair" target="_blank">Nottingham Goose Fair</a></u> weekend. And for dinner last night we had (organic gluten-free but I wouldn't recommend them) pork sausages with mashed potato and red cabbage braised with red wine vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, ground allspice, sliced apple and finely chopped ginger. AUTUMN. BRING IT ON. (Did I mention pumpkin spiced lattes....?)<br />
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Write and post your own 7 Quick Takes and reminisce over the past 7 years of posts over at <u><a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/sqt-link-toberfest/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a></u>.<br />
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-29061616477716016182015-10-01T09:19:00.000+01:002015-10-01T09:19:21.706+01:00The ChaplaincyAs some of you know, I volunteer in a Chaplaincy at a local hospital. Technically, it's actually called the Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care and as there are other things about it that aren't always known, I thought I would write a little about one of the settings I work in and what I do.<br />
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In short, of course, I work for God. He called me to this ministry, and it's a form of service where I help others but am also energised as a person and fed spiritually, not least because the team share ecumenical prayer at 9.30am every week before going to volunteer on the wards. At least one writer (possibly in the pastoral care or chaplaincy field, I can't believe I can't remember1) may have mentioned this, but as we move out to visit patients after this time of prayer, we are continuing our worship of God in another form; it has a beautiful continuity that I also try to practice at home, following (particularly Benedictine and Carmelite) monastic traditions. <i>Our life in service to Him, as a prayer to God.</i><br />
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Practically, as well, volunteering in a ward visitor team offers fellowship and opportunities for personal, social and intellectual growth. Two wonderful women volunteers have encouraged us all, staff and volunteers, to meet for a monthly breakfast in the hospital restaurant which has helped us develop as a team. Our employers run regular reflective practice sessions as well as induction and follow up training sessions. And did I mention we pray together???!<br />
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So what does the Chaplaincy do? Ultimately, it provides an aspect of healthcare for patients at the hospital. We are believers in HOLISTIC care - this focuses on healing the whole person, not just physical symptoms - mentally, emotionally, spiritually, people need support to get well, too. There is always a Chaplain on twenty-four hour call to deal with whatever needs dealing with - a person close to death, a problem in neonatal, a member of hospital staff who needs to talk. Traditionally, nurses would fulfil at least part of this role, but in our National Health Service (NHS) in the UK today, it is recognised that paid ward staff have enough to do without having extra capacity to talk to patients - which is depressing, but, in my experience, true.And they aren't just for people of faith - Chaplains are there to listen to anybody who feel they would benefit.<br />
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However, the faith aspect is very important to the people who work there and many of the people we listen and talk to. By its very nature, being ill and/or experiencing suffering can cause people to reach out to God, reject Him, or just need some comfort through prayer. As well as the Chaplains employed at my place of work, there are, thankfully, lots of volunteers. Every time I walk into the hospital to work I am reminded of the extreme need there is for this type of work. The NHS regularly assesses whether it should sustain this type of ministry in its hospitals and it literally breaks my heart that closing the Department could one day happen.</div>
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As well as providing prayer and a listening ear, the Chaplaincy enables worship too. Regular Holy Communion services are held and the EUcharist can also be ministered at the bedside. Our Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care is not wholly a Church concern. Various Christian denominations are represented including Free Church, Roman Catholic and Church of England. As well as the Christian ecumenical focus, we serve the hospital as a Multi-Faith Chaplaincy. In addition to a Chapel on site, there is a Mosque, Gurdwara and Mandir. There is a higher percentage of Christian volunteers, but also of different faiths. Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Chaplains are also available to minister to patients as well as the Christian core (trying to reflect the population admitted to the hospital).</div>
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Personally I work on children's wards, offering a service tailored to children and young people, their parents and carers. People have said to me this must be very difficult - and so it is. It is not easy to see such suffering and know that there is a lack of hope for the families involved. However, it reminds me time after time that hospital is not where you go to die, it is a place of healing, and in the majority of cases, people get well and get discharged. Additionally, the amount of sheer joy, energy and enthusiasm generated by children suffering from the most terrible of illnesses is evident on a daily basis. God is good.</div>
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So that's it, in a nutshell! It sums up what the Chaplaincy does, and I am so thankful that I can play my minor role within it, visiting patients for an hour or two every week. I regularly rejoice that God reminded me that the hospital was a place in need of me when he called me, and transformed my attitude towards the sick and the dying. What else might he be calling you to volunteer to do, that you had never considered as an earthly possibility?</div>
Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-40801154121525814752015-09-26T07:00:00.003+01:002015-09-27T09:23:31.991+01:00The Chocolate Teapot Tales, Part One: "The Croasdale Girl Hold"<i>Shortly after 4thSister was born (and before I was slain by my second bout of postnatal anxiety-meets-depression), I hit upon the idea of writing a book for my girls. I never intended publishing it, even as an e-book - I just wanted them to be able to have a reference manual on babyhood and childhood that both gave them the opportunity to see what worked for me as a mother, and gave a sneak peek at them when they were little. (It would work whether I had departed this earth or not, you see.) I fully intended to title it Chocolate Teapot, though, because sometimes (mostly?!) that's what unsolicited advice is as good as. And then in the wee hours I heard the universe (maybe even God) speaking to me. I don't need to let the project I abandoned languish because it didn't take form as a book. I can post short excerpts on the blog and collate them later for the littles. And it may even benefit other parents. And so it begins!</i><br />
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<i>Welcome to Part One of the Chocolate Teapot Tales - </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The 4Sisters Hold</span><br />
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As I hope to write about in some sort of general introduction one day, before I was a parent, I read a slew of books, magazine and internet advice about how to deal with a newborn. Some of it worked; most of it didn't.<br />
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Occasionally I would come across this type of gem - "but remember! a mother knows best. trust your instinct!" and think - this may be true, but what if I don't have instinct? And I know that my grandparents parented differently from my parents. And subsequent generations turned things on their heads. And when it came to things such as feeding, it turned out I didn't have instinct, and needed help.<br />
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So what I would say instead is - YOU NEED TO FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY. I will likely to say this in every post in the series. But it has got me through every time (even though I didn't have the confidence to practice it much with 1stSister, or even 2ndSister, but got more used to doing it as they kept coming.) And this is illustrated best with THE 4SISTERS HOLD.<br />
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By the time I got to 4thSister, I remembered from 3rdSister that this would work to placate a grizzly baby. Lest it sound too much like a football tackle, let me just say that over the years I found a perfect way that suited my babies to be soothed from the newborn stage. As a new mother, I had no idea that even once fed, babies may not be settled. Even if you are going to use a soother, they may not find it soothing. Even once they are happy with their nappy, they might fuss. And that whole thing about them falling asleep when they are tired - not in my book! Especially after a C-section, swaddling and snuggling your baby is a marathon in itself (although I will post on the swaddling controversy soon.) And imagine what this is like in a hospital ward when your milk hasn't come in, the midwives frown upon the soother you snuggled in yet your sweet girl is crying and can't settle! So - onto technique for THE 4SISTERS HOLD.<br />
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Quite simply, this revolves around placing baby near your beating heart. After all, this pulsing sound is something she* experienced in the uterus, and the shock of being away from it not to mention being born itself has been quite a deal for her, obviously. Sometimes just patting my babies gently on the back, in a pulse rhythm, when they were on their side in their cot helped soothe them. But the best way was, with me sitting or standing up, a vertical hold to my front left breastbone, baby's front lying against my chest, baby's head almost peeping over my shoulder, secured by the back of their legs, and using my right hand to gently pat baby. (Yes, sometimes this worked for getting wind up, too!)<br />
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This was especially useful for the first couple of days in hospital when I wasn't mobile due to a caesarean, and I could just yank the little 'un out of her cot and hoist her up onto my chest.<br />
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But I also have fond memories of my MotherInLaw volunteering to 'walk around with the baby a bit', where she would carry my children in a similar way. Which not only shows that this is a method with history, but that doing it with mobile probably helps, too. It also demonstrates why front slings work well, too (although I will post on the extreme lack of success I had with slings too)! People still tend to think that holding a baby in folded arms is helpful, but I wonder whether this is more to do with the rocking/jiggling motion that arms can make. (I also practised this, especially when a child was desperate to sleep, but it didn't always work the magic. Overtired babies of mine would hate the lying down position.) Again, another MotherInLaw tip - ask the mother of the baby you have been asked to hold, how the baby likes to be held.<br />
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I suspect that this hold works best when the midwife-encouraged 'skin on skin' contact occurs - i.e. when both you and baby are chest naked. Google 'shoulder hold' 'snuggle hold', 'cuddle hold', 'chest on chest' or 'tummy on tummy' and you'll find others recommend this type of hold for other reasons too. (Before I started this post I knew I didn't invent this type of hold, but neither did I know it had so many names!) I do remember this promoting bonding and being a lovely and wonderful experience. But again, not necessarily possible if you are in hospital. Or dashing around looking after several other children.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ICJQhfekRY/VgJrfK4wGFI/AAAAAAAAAsM/FIgIUSIBHa8/s1600/IMG_6973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ICJQhfekRY/VgJrfK4wGFI/AAAAAAAAAsM/FIgIUSIBHa8/s320/IMG_6973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FabDad with 3rdSister, August 2010</td></tr>
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Similarly, it will work for fathers, skin on skin<br />
or otherwise, as will the pacing around the floor trying to settle the baby in the wee hours while mum gets an hour or two of sleep. Your older children can try it too (with supervision if you feel it is necessary). Just make sure baby isn't hungry or she may start 'rooting' for the nearest nipple as source of food...<br />
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Speaking of which, I'll insert a disclaimer here to say that I don't advise falling asleep yourself with your baby like this. I've done it and lived to tell the tale, but health professionals in 2015 don't advocate falling asleep holding your baby, let alone in a hold like this one. I've been told this in the hospital and baby was returned to her cot by a midwife only to refuse to settle and keep everyone awake. But current advice is not to do this and although co-sleeping isn't advocated by midwives and health visitors either, if you are going to do this anyway there are health service guidelines published on the subject.<br />
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Similarly, although as I remember baby tends to do this anyway, some online information on this 'Snuggle Hold' method advises that you ensure baby's head is turned slightly to the side so that they can breathe, so perhaps I should mention it too!<br />
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Regrettably I don't have any photographs of me holding my littles like this, possibly because I used it at times when I was trying to comfort them at naptime. I do remember that my learning curve on this evolved, because I had no clue what I was doing with 1stSister who, in retrospect, was incredibly tactile but probably didn't benefit much from this hold because I thought that every time she cried she needed breastfeeding, so soothed her that way initially. And it wasn't until 4thSister that I knew what I was doing - well, with this one hold at least!<br />
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For other early 21st century advice on holding a baby, try these links:<br />
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http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-a-Baby - promotes the Snuggle Hold but also includes other ways like the cradle hold<br />
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http://www.nhs.uk/video/Pages/what-is-the-best-way-to-hold-a-newborn-baby.aspx - a video demonstration<br />
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http://m.raisingchildren.net.au/articles/pip_holding_positions.html<br />
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There is also plenty of information out there on how carrying a baby like this or this way in a sling is proven to be better than laying them flat or putting them in a stroller. I'll explore this further when I blog about our attempts with a sling. Just like the advice that promotes the snuggle hold, though, please make sure you don't worry if what someone else says is best doesn't work for you. You and baby will find your own way. And always remember - some advice is as much use as a chocolate teapot!<br />
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*<i>I will no doubt use the pronoun she a lot, because I have four girls. Please note this isn't some eway to disappear the male sex from the lexicon. It's just the way I'm going to write.</i><br />
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<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-7241887872990353892015-09-25T09:54:00.001+01:002015-10-09T09:41:21.197+01:007 Quick Takes: The Not about the Pope Edition<br />
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I'm loving all the Pope coverage from my favourite Catholic bloggers. But I'm here in the UK and, trying to get myself well post-op and with a chest infection, it's all about the food with me. Starting with, HOW GRATEFUL WAS I that our curate visited to pray with me and administer home communion?! (OK so while this is a religious take I can't keep completely quiet about the Papal Visit - I am absolutely stoked that Pope Francis drew attention to one of my heroines, Dorothy Day, and served food to the homeless instead of dining out with the political bigwigs.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MWYoTfLLGVk/VgUIpKsRMnI/AAAAAAAAAsc/1uJaPhYL4VU/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MWYoTfLLGVk/VgUIpKsRMnI/AAAAAAAAAsc/1uJaPhYL4VU/s320/IMG_0816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hopefully with enough vinegar...</td></tr>
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Amongst foodies and the world in general there seems to be a pickling craze going on. Even when I was pregnant I wasn't that bothered about pickles, although I do love gherkins on burgers. (The ones you get at our local Thai restaurant are to die for, too.) But I found myself spontaneously making a jar of brightly coloured beetroot in red wine vinegar. Why, you ask? Let me replay the following dinner conversation.<br />
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FabDad: Yeah, that beetroot doesn't have enough vinegar on for my taste.<br />
Me: ENOUGH vinegar?<br />
FabDad: Yeah, I like it more vinegary than that.<br />
ME: Well, the beetroot didn't have ANY vinegar on, because it was deliberately served fresh, like a side vegetable dish, not out of a pickle jar.<br />
FabDad: Oh, that's why I didn't like it. Can you make it with vinegar next time?<br />
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(Aren't I a great wife sometimes ? Because next time - the picture is the proof - I did!)<br />
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Funnily enough, I have been escaping overt dinnertime criticism lately because we're trying to get our family meals in order following my enforced bedrest. I returned to find the girls seemingly feral and unable to keep quiet when I was trying to talk or listen to another person. (My husband says they were always like that, I just forgot.) Now, to enable us to enjoy our food and time together, we allow them to go to their room once they have finished eating and put their plate in the dishwasher, and said "thank you for making my (lovely/delicious) dinner"! I am also cultivating an attitude of gratitude by suggesting when my husband should say "This is a lovely/delicious/mouthwatering dinner you have made, here, wife" when he doesn't do it spontaneously or makes a comment about the lack of vinegar in beetroot.<br />
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4.</div>
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The first recipe I want to rave about is Deliciously Ella's Gluten, Dairy and Sugar <a href="http://deliciouslyella.com/super-speedy-porridge/" target="_blank">Porridge</a>. Honestly, I generally find porridge quite yucky, unfilling and tasteless, but she soaks the oats in boiling water and then heats them through with added almond milk and serves with berries. Obviously I found it tasted better having the berries separately and pouring <strike>a little </strike>maple syrup on my porridge, but for those of you who don't want to have sugar in any form, stick with the berries!<br />
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And then, having tardily just cottoned on to the zeitgeisty food bloggers who write for UK Vogue, I made Hemsley & Hemsley's <a href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/2015/01/hemsley-and-hemsley-ginger-miso-broth-recipe" target="_blank">Ginger & Miso Broth</a> which I am convinced has wondrous healing powers for body and brain! SO tasty and uplifting, especially on an Autumnal UK day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHfCOBsaWBI/VgUI8uwFBaI/AAAAAAAAAsk/0Yi-76vHGOE/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHfCOBsaWBI/VgUI8uwFBaI/AAAAAAAAAsk/0Yi-76vHGOE/s200/IMG_0813.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad photo of lush broth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mCV8W_wejEk/VgUI-FSakCI/AAAAAAAAAss/3ChvU6Dwt8c/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mCV8W_wejEk/VgUI-FSakCI/AAAAAAAAAss/3ChvU6Dwt8c/s200/IMG_0815.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random photo of raw ginger root</td></tr>
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6.</div>
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The basic chicken stock (or bone broth as they call it) that I used for that soup and will henceforth be using in ALL soups I make from scratch sat on the stove all day and all night before my husband remembered to turn it off, but still didn't reach the requisite 12 hours simmering. Nevertheless, cooking the leftover chicken carcass and neck for such a long time resulted in a beautiful broth with definite mineral and calcium content. <a href="http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/" target="_blank">Hemsley and Hemsley</a> say this is also good for the complexion and cellulite so I will let you know if any transformations occur!<br />
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7.</div>
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And finally, tying in with <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/keeping-up-with-worlds-standards.html" target="_blank">the piece I wrote yesterday </a>about not needing to be perfect because, you know, JESUS - yes, I did cook an organic roast chicken this week. Go me! Then I made bone broth out of the carcass. I served chicken with carrots batons, celery sticks, olives, tomatoes, red peppers, beetroot (ahem!) and a green salad, along with oven-baked french fries. But yesterday - I made a chicken pasta bake using a jar of bought sauce, for ease and quickness. Tonight, it's processed curry with white rice and two types of naan. And the other night I ate, almost in its entirety (and it would have been the whole of it if two other people hadn't made me give them some) one of these:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for terry's chocolate orange" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" 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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not Terry's, it's mine!</td></tr>
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Join Kelly and all the other bloggers who have stuff to tell us about the Pope rather than what they ate this week at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a>!</div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-7565787294378106292015-09-24T12:50:00.000+01:002015-09-24T12:50:01.850+01:00Keeping up with the world's standards<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Luke's Gospel, Chapter 10, Verse 40.</span></div>
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The BBC drew my attention to the <a href="http://www.netmums.com/children/8-ways-mums-make-parenting-harder-than-it-actually-is" target="_blank">following</a> article today - a <a href="http://www.netmums.com/" target="_blank">Netmums</a> (yes Netmums, not the controversial Mumsnet!) piece on how breaking one's back aspiring for parenting perfection is making life difficult for many parents out there.<br />
<br />
Coupled with the fact that the <a href="http://teamwhitaker.org/2015/09/mary-in-a-martha-world/" target="_blank">Mary/Martha post</a> I read this week wasn't much about the Mary & Martha story from the gospels like I hoped it would be (although it did contain <a href="http://content.yudu.com/web/y5b2/0A3axgp/2015Fall/flash/resources/1.htm?refUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fteamwhitaker.org%2F2015%2F09%2Fmary-in-a-martha-world%2F" target="_blank">lots of beautiful American craft for the home</a>), my poor dear brain started thinking about <i>parenting</i> in terms of Mary, Martha and Jesus.<br />
<br />
In case this is all too holy for you, the REAL start of this was my husband and I trying to decide which child is going to get a bath next and when in this house. We decided it has to be the stinkiest with the muckiest nether regions. Granted, we are in a post-operative lull (I now have a throat and chest infection, despite coming on leaps and bounds without a gallbladder) and one parent is doing mostly everything. But it wasn't that long back that I had a bath schedule whereby each child took a slot - Monday and Thursday, Tuesday and Friday or Wednesday and Saturday. (Extra points if you realised that the schedule was inspired by 1980s UK TV programming. I still think of them in my head as the Blue Peter, Grange Hill, or Young Person's Drama slots.) We were <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/next-steps.html" target="_blank">moving on from survival mode</a>. What happened to that?!?!<br />
<br />
And actually, I don't really mind. (I minded even less when I was whacked out on morphine, of course.) We have four kids now and although the regularity of bathtime, bedsheet changing, shoe cleaning, haircutting and nail clipping isn't as regular as most people's seems to be, I've made my peace with it.<br />
<br />
(Big confession time: FOR THE RECORD, I HAVE NEVER, EVER CUT MY KIDS' NAILS. )<br />
<br />
Mainly with us, this is because of priorities. Every 6 months I make sure they go to the dentist for their check up. They have an annual appointment at the opticians. They have to do swimming lessons until they can swim lengths. They eat three reasonably well-balanced meals a day containing a reasonable balance of protein, fruit and veg and carbs and I like to produce home-baked and home-cooked food as much as possible. They clean their teeth before bed. My priorities.<br />
<br />
Let's add in school's priorities. 20 minutes reading per evening, preferably supervised. Mathletics every week. Other homework. Clean uniform and PE kit. Coat or hat. Water bottles. School trip form and money. Charity donation. 'Fun' day fancy dress costume. Something for the bake sale. An entry for the colouring competition. A response to an assembly challenge. Class problems. Friend problems.<br />
<br />
JESUS, LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS THERE ARE TO GET DISTRACTED BY!!!!<br />
<br />
Oh, wait, there's more!<br />
<br />
As (and we, like others I know, do this prayerfully, so as not to burn out our children and their joy) we do encourage our children to practise their talents and get exercise. Whether or not this should be 4 dance lessons a week for 2ndSister, plus a musical theatre class, a regular swim and visit to a park or an outdoor walk, it is, we made that decision. Did I mention, too, that because I enjoy hanging out with my husband, there is special time with him to schedule in, ringfence and enjoy?<br />
<br />
And because I do listen to Jesus' requirements from <b>me </b>in my life, over and above general parenting, there are also my other priorities, of course. The church worship. The theological discussion. Sitting down to eat as a family. Thanking God for our food. Taking part in church council. Delivering young people's ministry. Trying out some preaching. Thinking about <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-body-as-temple.html" target="_blank">which desserts to make for our Chuch Harvest Supper</a>.<br />
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Has your head exploded yet? Mine does, regularly. But we are a family with four children and we are doing our best. And my best is good enough. It's rarely as good enough as anyone else's 'middling'. It's often as good as most people's 'scraping the barrel'. But it's enough. Because there's a lot to do without striving to be perfect at it and add in extra stuff too (cough, Pinterest, cough.)<br />
<br />
It clearly remains, however, a constant process of trying to catch up, always doing or thinking, in a 21st Century world. Despite my huge, unwavering faith, it's always easy to be distracted away from Jesus.<br />
<br />
But I still don't think I'm really a Martha.<br />
<br />
I believe the reason Martha couldn't sit down and listen at Jesus' feet because she wanted all the domestic stuff to be the best it could possibly be before she could rest in him. She couldn't let go. Not even for one afternoon. Because Mary wasn't helping, Martha played the martyr. She did over and above what was expected of her - domestically, at least.<br />
<br />
Martha to me comes across as an ideal comparison to the harassed, must-do-it-all parent. Surrounded by the ideal of what things should be like, much of our humanness is Martha-esque. We strive for perfection. We compare ourselves to others. We stress that we are not good enough. We try and guilt trip others for not doing things our way. We take over when they don't do it our way, or don't do it all, whether because we think they are incompetent or because they are prioritising other things over what we perceive to be the most important thing in the world right now! But we aren't getting any respite. And we are slowly killing ourselves doing it.<br />
<br />
Not that I'm suggesting we adopt a permanent Martha-state, dropping the domestic duties at every opportunity. (My other half would argue that's how I operate in general, I'm sure.) But in amongst the chaos of the workind and parenting week, when was the last time you took the chance to do any of the following?<br />
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<ul>
<li>gaze for a long time at a sunset</li>
<li>say YES to something unscheduled even though it means more mess/hassle in the household</li>
<li>engage in silly play with your spouse or child</li>
<li>bake a cake just because</li>
<li>draw something that's only good enough</li>
<li>go ahead with a craft idea that's not Pinterest worthy but is from the heart</li>
<li>take a walk in nature even though cakes for the PTA meeting won't get made</li>
<li>realise the Christmas cards won't get written this year, and that's OK</li>
<li>let the table get set wonky because your kid did it, without correcting her</li>
<li>realise that your spouse is resting because he needs to, not because he is lazy.</li>
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I really do think we need more Mary-ness in our lives.</div>
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And also, I mentioned that a lot of things that don't get done in our house seem to get done a lot more often at other people's. And this may generally be the case, whether it's due to perfectionist tendencies, a smaller family, or simply being better than I am in the domestic and parenting arena. But often, it's about perception. Possibly my favourite blog EVER, <a href="http://mychildiloveyou.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">My Child I Love You</a>, is a visual and narrative love letter by a mother to her family. I find it inspiring. The way that woman does so many things so well! It's an inspiration - but it's not a competition. It's an example - but it doesn't sit in judgement. I have never found myself drawn to compare our families, our parenting, the way we write, make dinner, do morning baths, get our children's hair combed and beautifully parted and make sure we exercise (OK there's maybe a little aspiration in there from me!). I just let myself be humbly and quietly guided by her, knowing that, as the food blogger <a href="http://deliciouslyella.com/thoughts-on-social-media/" target="_blank">Deliciously Ella</a> wrote so eloquently this week, what we see on the internet doesn't tell the whole story of someone's life. Because do you know - there's no point me worrying that I can't keep up with the Kardashians, when it breaks my heart that someone I know out there is made to feel she's not good enough, because she doesn't do things as well as <b>I </b>do! I won't even mention the many things she does that I can't even contemplate trying to imagine I could do (ahem, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bbc.emt/videos/1063758593641230/" target="_blank">raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity</a> on a regular basis.)<br />
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And Jesus doesn't do this. He doesn't make us feel that we are inadequate in our earthly tasks. When He asks us to serve him, He simply tells us to put Him first. We don't need to measure our achievements on a perfectionist scale. We don't need to compare our results to others. Yes, there are certain things that have to be done, but we can fool ourselves as to the importance of others. Are we regularly resting in Him? Does our prayer life feed what we do? Are we as spiritually full as we can be? Or are we being distracted by the incredibly demanding duties of parenting to the extent that become like Martha?<br />
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<span class="text Luke-10-41" id="en-NIV-25405" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">“Martha, Martha,”</span> the Lord answered, <span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">“you are worried<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-25405AQ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-25405AQ" title="See cross-reference AQ">AQ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and upset about many things,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Luke-10-42" id="en-NIV-25406" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” - Luke's Gospel, Chapter 10, Verses 41-2.</span></span><br />
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If you are struggling to be Mary-like in this season of your life, you may find inspiration in the following resources:<br />
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Lindsay's blog at <a href="http://mychildiloveyou.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">My Child I Love You</a><br />
Advice on finding your inner child and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playful-Parenting-Lawrence-J-Cohen/dp/0345442865" target="_blank">playing</a> more with your offspring<br />
<a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a><br />
Ann's blog at <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/" target="_blank">A Holy Experience</a><br />
The <a href="http://jenniferfulwiler.com/2015/07/feeling-overwhelmed-draw-the-pyramid/" target="_blank">Jennifer Fulwiler Life Pyramid</a><br />
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The book <a href="http://joannaweaverbooks.com/books-dvds/having-a-mary-heart-in-a-martha-world/" target="_blank">'Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World'</a><br />
The hilarious and heartfelt <a href="http://five%20kids%20is%20a%20lot%20of%20kids/" target="_blank">Five Kids is a Lot of Kids</a><br />
(and maybe even the reminder I wrote to myself about how to <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/kickstarting-your-prayer-life.html" target="_blank">Kickstart One's Prayer Life</a>).<br />
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<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-107507974153582542015-09-18T07:23:00.000+01:002015-09-18T07:58:46.015+01:00Seven Quick Takes: the Post-Op, Bedrest Edition<br />
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I had my gallbladder removed last week and in the subsequent days not being able to do much physically or mentally I had the opportunity to explore to the full what to do when boredom hits. Feeling redundant having withdrawn from my domestic and ministerial roles temporarily, I had no choice but to patiently wait until things returned to the new normal. And yes, I have the opportunity to move on from this stage, but I think the things I learned may apply to a longer period out of action.</div>
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The thing I am mostly thankful for is the radio. In the UK we are privilege to be able to access political, historical, arts and faith programmes via BBC Radio 4 but as I understand it there is a lot of talk radio around that can help pull a person out of a post-Netflix quagmire. Not that there aren't documentaries on Netflix, but I found looking at a TV screen helped maintain my jellified brain, whatever the programming. Quality radio engages the brain and helps you feel included in a community and/or society even when you can't get out of bed.<br />
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3.</div>
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Food! I blogged about part of this yesterday, because just thinking about preparing food enlivens me even though it can be disheartening not to be able to leap up and fix a snack myself. But I realised early on in my recovery that I needed to shove as many nutrients in my body as possible to raise it out of its post-op lethargy. And I wasn't afraid to task my husband with this, rather waiting for him to feed me when he was hungry. Chopped apple and raisins took me back to preschool days. There was a fruit salad. My evening meals were a thousand times better than hospital food, prepared with love and brought up on a tray by one or two family members. I even ate banana, which I don't enjoy much, because someone prepared me a banana snack. And it helped my recovery.<br />
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4.</div>
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Prayer. On the one hand, this is a no-brainer, but on the other hand I have found it difficult to concentrate mentally and spiritually. Spending time in contemplative prayer or even following a short service in a book eluded me. Luckily I have the <a href="http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/" target="_blank">Northumbria Community's</a> CD (check out their new prayer books!) on my iPhone and praying offices regularly during the day, however short, re-established some routine to both regular and prayer life. And can I just say that lying here, thinking of all the people I know, individually, in my family, congregation and wider community, asking God to hold them in his care at this time, was a darn sight easier than when I have my other commitments to attend to!</div>
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5.</div>
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People. I shared news of my operation with quite a few people, which is a step up for me, used to keeping it private. And while I was sat here, fatigued, unable to deal with visitors but feeling isolated and lonely, it was a pleasure to receive cards, flowers and other messages from people who cared. Despite my tiredness, I could still text or message on Facebook. I didn't feel completely alone.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VVKgNj1VA_M/VfrypUGatiI/AAAAAAAAArI/7wEOqGrh-zw/s1600/Nats%2BPhone%2BSummer%2B2015%2B239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VVKgNj1VA_M/VfrypUGatiI/AAAAAAAAArI/7wEOqGrh-zw/s320/Nats%2BPhone%2BSummer%2B2015%2B239.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playdoh fun<br />
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6.</div>
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The Domestic Arena. Prior to my operation, I was organised. I rearranged the girls' wardrobes and walked my husband through where the clean clothes lived for each child. I reminded him of the laundry schedule (including bedsheets and towels) and planned dinners and ingredients for the first week, and then the next two weeks once I felt a little better. I mentioned things like playdoh craft as a good activity they hadn't done for a while. I even drew up a plan of what the girls needed in their packed lunches as what is a relatively straightforward task can actually rely on a lot of variables! By the time I was able to, I could listen to music practice and encourage homework. I couldn't do much, but I did what I could to ensure things went smoothly.<br />
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Finally, I consciously and unconsciously practised an attitude of gratitude. It is easy to always want more and different when you are lying there incapable. At times I needed socks on, wanted my laptop and couldn't make it out of bed for fresh water. But I had to be patient and tolerant and lower my expectations as I knew my husband had 4 children, a house and a business to look after at the same time. I'm sure I was at least a little snappish but I tried to show how thankful I was for the small things. My other half has been a complete hero and attended to so many of my needs. Which means I am going to put up with extremely overgrown leg hair for the moment as I think asking him to shave them would be just a step too far!<br />
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Join Kelly at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a> for more Quick Takes to find out more about the lives, Catholic and otherwise, that inspire me to blog, parent, learn and live life well.</div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-16671327321102960562015-09-17T15:36:00.001+01:002015-09-18T07:59:25.725+01:00The body as a temple?As I sit here recovering from having my gallbladder removed, I'm reminded of the duty I have to myself and my family to keep the body I was blessed with in the best condition I can. Which isn't easy because:<br />
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1) my parents were steeped in post-war dietary habits when I was young including bread and beef dripping, fried bacon with white bread smeared in lard from the frying pan, deep fried chipped potatoes and egg cooked in the same pan (did I mention had to have my gallbladder out?!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure beef fat! Once used to fill hungry tummies as a last resort.</td></tr>
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2) I like chocolate. And cheese. Especially cheese. Exploring a low fat diet over the past decade has not been simple. I lack willpower even when I know foods are harmful.<br />
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3) I am limited by the exercise I can do. I would love to go on long hikes but I don't have time, I can no longer swim comfortably due to pelvic problems, it's a hassle to get to the early morning aerobic class I can attend (see note above on willpower)<br />
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4) I'm human!<br />
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Nevertheless, I feel I owe it to my family, the congregation I minister to, the hospital I volunteer in and most of all myself to do my best on this one, keep moving as much as possible and eat (and drink!) healthily so that nothing is in the way of me doing my work here on this earth. A lot of it is about honouring God but I feel I owe it to myself too, to be kind to my body, to expose it to good nutrients (as well as a small amount of indulgence because I want to fully experience life). And luckily there are other people around to help me do that.<br />
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Although I don't need to be gluten or dairy free I'm inspired by people like <a href="http://www.ameliafreer.com/" target="_blank">Amelia Freer </a>and <a href="http://deliciouslyella.com/" target="_blank">Deliciously Ella</a> who help me pack protein, vitamins and minerals in my body and make it tasty too - breakfast pots with chia seeds, oats, yogurt and fruit are like a dessert in taste and so brilliant. Jamie Oliver's new book is on my Christmas list too; he is currently on a crusade for us to consume less refined sugar, which I find helps with not only my energy levels and my temperament!<br />
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I have always found that feeding other people feeds me; I love the creative process of entertaining, in particular. Being able to see others enjoy wonderful food is a special gift. Hospitality is crucial for creating a space where people can comfortably develop relationships, learn new things and feel that they have had a blessing bestowed on them. Attending a church course where we were fed bread and soup illustrated mission in action so simply and effectively to me. Reading about the <a href="http://www.thistlestopcafe.org/" target="_blank">Thistle Stop Cafe</a> in the Church Times this week reminded me how I important I think this type of behaviour is. There is plenty of other writing on this - I think in particular of my copy of <a href="http://www.shaunaniequist.com/project/bread-wine/" target="_blank">Shauna Niequist's</a> "Bread and Wine".<br />
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To go off on a tangent, it strikes me in the 21st century that although some people simply need a generic type of physical - as well as spiritual - sustenance, because they are hungry, we might need to practice food inclusivity for coeliacs, vegans, vegetarians, diabetics and others who need specific types of feeding. I remember reading that we may pat ourselves on the back for using fruit as a prop in children's ministry rather than candy, but this does not help if we have a diabetic kid in our midst. It's about meeting people where they are, in a way, showing them we care, and teaches us patience when it can seem difficult or that certain diets are awkward. St John's Church in Carrington, Nottingham has introduced gluten-free Holy Communion where it is necessary. I hope to bake a gluten-free apple or rhubarb crumble for our Harvest Supper - just in case! Ooh, how about a maple syrup and oat crumble - getting excited now! I miss being able to plan and make beautiful, tasty food which is also healthful:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chia pots topped with peach, honey and vanilla <br />
compote and sprinkled with seeds.</td></tr>
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It's not long since my general anaesthetic and subsequent morphine haze so this post is all over the place, but I think my message is this - serving food feeds the stomach, the mind, and the soul. I strive to do this and hope I can encourage others to do so, whether they are culinary whizzes or not. And if cooking for large numbers in a home or faith setting feels intimidating, you only need something like Sarah Stancliffe's 'The Christian Aid Book of Simple Feasts: Cooking for a Crowd Through the Christian Year.'<br />
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Harvest Supper, here I come :-)<br />
<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-22181154006044111122015-09-04T11:15:00.001+01:002015-10-09T09:42:11.680+01:00Seven Quick Takes: The Still Catching Up edition!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Except this week we are at <a href="http://fountainsofhome.com/" target="_blank">Christy's blog</a> because Kelly is busy <strike>sending out lots of messages asking us to look at her sexay photos (she <i>said</i> her site was hacked, or something)</strike> travelling!<br />
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I realise, woefully, that in <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/7-quick-takes-my-standards-are-slipping.html" target="_blank">my last Quick Takes</a> I was so out of the loop that I didn't even use the current, competition-winning Quick Takes logo which is certainly not that new. At least I realised we are at Christy's this week. Hi, Christy!</div>
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I am also - spoiler alert - trying to get past the fact that I have only just learned the real understanding of the Biblical use of the phrase 'apple of my eye'. This phrase crops up in Shakespeare, and much earlier, but its use in the Bible is to translate a Hebrew phrase. Which doesn't so much mean apple, but "aperture at the centre of the eye", or pupil - so, to God, we are like the tiny reflected self we see in someone's pupil. I think. Except in Zechariah, where it means something else. Who knew? Obviously I'm relying on Wikipedia for my info, but when I conduct deep theological research, who knows, we may have a HIGHLY FASCINATING BLOG POST or even a sermon on our hands!</div>
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Yes, you read that correctly, SERMON. (You did read the previous take, didn't you?) I have now preached two sermons at my beloved home church as part of testing my vocation to ordained ministry in the Church of England. The last one was on the devil, despite sensible people trying to dissuade me from the topic, the one before that, I can't even remember, but I hope someone in the congregation does, vaguely, in the back of their mind. Again, there is much more about me testing my vocation to tell....too much to report here.<br />
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I also realised I completely forgot to publish my post about<a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/next-steps.html" target="_blank"> how all caught up I was</a> in a post-survival mode, and now we've had 6 weeks off for the summer and I'm all running about frustrated and overwhemed again. I <i>am</i> still celebrating that my 2 year old no longer pulls at my dress and screams for "Wheels on Bus!". My dress still gets pulled though.</div>
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Weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of many of us in the UK is the plight of refugees trying to escape diabolical circumstances. One of our newspapers, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Independent</a>, posted the image of a young, dead, Syrian boy washed up on the seashore, and people have been shocked by this photo. I heard on late-night radio last night that the people who live in the area where the boy drowned are past being shocked, as this type of death is not an unusual occurrence for refugees trying to flee. A bit of a serious take this one, but please just pray about it if you would.<br />
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Nowhere near as important but nevertheless causing me consternation is the fact that the new school shoes we bought for 1stSister, who is still ten, did not fit, and they were the same size as mine (UK size 5 - which is average for a female, miniscule if you are a Jennifer Fulwiler), So now her feet are LARGER than mine, as well as being so narrow the customer service team on the shoe website I use told me it's a physical impossibility that her feet measure that long and that narrow.<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">To be fair, it's possible I didn't measure correctly, as there are many mistakes I carelessly make as I try to remain organised. I try not to get too fazed by them. Even when 3 electric toothbrushes get abandoned in our French holiday home. In this current back-to-school madness, I find myself frequently apologising for infractions and trying to bear the weight of all the things I have to do. Sometimes, like today, when saying Celtic Daily Prayer, a snippet of scripture with which I'm unfamiliar leaps out at me. So if, like me, it's a minor set of struggles or one of epic proportions, just remember, as 2 Timothy 2 reminded me today, that you don't need to worry about the boss having everything sorted out, because He's the big boss of everything, so neither do you need to worry about you yourself having everything sorted.</span></div>
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Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-19445082576605487172015-09-04T10:41:00.001+01:002015-09-04T10:44:20.012+01:00Next StepsI'm not going to post trite metaphors here, but I read the Very Hungry Caterpillar enough times still to perceive this as a butterfly moment.<br />
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And not to devalue the vocation of motherhood and marriage, either....<br />
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But I feel like I'm currently flying after a very long crawl...a very long haul!<br />
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It wasn't long ago I was posting about how I still felt in survival mode with a toddler. I couldn't get anything done, even regular housework. There felt like no way forward, even though I had committed to going through the process to have my vocation to ordained ministry tested, which took a lot of time and energy.<br />
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But somehow, in amongst ensuring I spent special time with all of the girls, especially 4thSister, and carved out rest time and work time and husband time, and no one suffered too badly....<br />
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I made it through!<br />
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I made it through the first stage of ordination testing, and after a new round of church hopping, which I aim to blog about, I'm on to the final interview.<br />
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I made it through life with a toddler holding onto my leg while I made hot dinners.<br />
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I turned around and suddenly this girl, in all likelihood the last girl, the last child, was in a big girl bed, and toilet trained, and I was passing the baby stuff on at last.<br />
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And it wasn't as bittersweet as I imagined.<br />
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I think whatever was ahead, it would feel like a new phase. Whatever came next would be me building up the kingdom, I would hope. It just happens, we think, for me, to be ordained ministry.<br />
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As the four sisters play together these school holidays, sometimes four, sometimes two, three in different combinations, I get this wonderful sibling thing, and embrace it. I sometimes wish there were more but it feels right that there are four, and I can go on mothering without feeling like I'm in the trenches forever. I'm forty, so I've pretty much accepted that this is the bend in the road; I hope if there were other plans, I'd be happy with those, too.<br />
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I feel that in the newborn times, and in the two-under-two times, and the how-can-I-cope times, I never saw this day coming, and it's quite a surprise. The girls have high-maintenance emotional needs (they are girls!!! and <i><a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/talking-about-gifted-child-useful.html" target="_blank">this</a></i>) although they are very independent in practical terms. I have a little freedom to try a new rice salad recipe or read a book - or blog, even!<br />
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I'm not here to gloat, of course. It makes me realise that we do all survive young children, though, and I don't think I will ever forget the struggles, and I hope to NEVER tell anyone "enjoy while you're able/you're tired/you're at the end of your tether as this soon shall pass".Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-40027770271538937142015-06-05T08:43:00.000+01:002015-10-09T09:42:37.953+01:007 Quick Takes: The "My Standards Are Slipping" Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1) I know my standards are slipping because this is the first Quick Takes I have posted at Kelly's rather than Jen's. Obviously I don't mean I'm slumming it at Kelly's (feel I am about to dig an even deeper hole), but that it's been SO LONG since I wrote a blog post, let alone a Quick Take, that their home has since moved. And I haven't overly worried....so there. Standards lowered!</div>
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2) I just ordered a Tankini for my 10 year old rather than a cover-your-entire-body bathing costume. And I didn't bat an eyelid. Because it was easier just to say yes. A Tankini, people. Standards... [edited to add that she didn't like it, and wants a regular swimsuit. See, she gets taken care of with or without my help or hindrance!]</div>
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3) When I microwaved coffee that had been left in the jug yesterday, I didn't know whether it had been freshly made that day, the day before, or the time before that....</div>
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4) My daughter has 3 school dresses which have ripped pockets, well not so much ripped pockets, but the pockets have ripped off the dresses, creating holes. And I haven't had, I mean MADE time to sew them. So she went in a dress that she'd previously worn. Which, because she'd actually listened to me about shoving it in the washbasket to wash, was <strike>completely</strike> ever so slightly creased.</div>
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5) To be honest, the one above isn't about standards slipping. I have always put off sewing. Although, the day before the May dance show 2nd and 3rdSister did, was literally the only 7 hours I had to do 7 hours worth of sewing, so the girls got their own breakfast, lunch and snacks while I LITERALLY just sat and sewed.</div>
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6) As you might imagine, that was not my favourite day ever. My favourite day ever was the time I took this morning to listen to the mix CD my husband made for me. And, God forgive me, one of the tracks I had to know what the song was, so I Googled it, and found the lyrics and <i>who the song was by. </i>True mix tape sacrilege. Couldn't wait til he gave me the track listing after I'd listened to the CD. Standards, Standen! (ooh that sounds interesting.) Damn you, internets!</div>
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7) However, I'm happy with slipping standards, as <a href="http://strength-and-song.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/shifting-away-from-survival-mode-um-nope.html" target="_blank">my post here</a> will testify. Yesterday morning I gave pastoral care in the classroom to a parent of several children. I washed towels. I put away milk (finally). I was only two minutes late to go and collect the Sisters from school. And I'm happy with that, because I can only do what I can do. With God's grace of course - dreading to think where my standards would be without it!</div>
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Feel free to tell me how your standards have slipped in the comments section, and/or find more Quick Takes at <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/" target="_blank">This Ain't the Lyceum</a> !</div>
<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714705934434259449.post-57721586661391970962015-06-04T11:33:00.003+01:002015-06-04T11:33:43.261+01:00Shifting away from survival mode? Um, nope!So...I note that my last post was about all the books I was going to read in 2015! (And didn't.)<br />
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To be fair, I have read a few books.<br />
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But at the moment, the things I am making sure I do is eat and sleep. And no, I'm not pregnant.<br />
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Oh yes, and sometimes I even clean.<br />
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You know that time when you have two kids under the age of two, or a newborn in a family of three, and you are smack bang in the middle of survival mode for a long time.....<br />
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And that law, I've forgotten to whom it's attributed, where as soon as you have time, you fill it up with something?<br />
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My girls are now 10 and a half, 9, 4 and a half and 2 years old. And I feel like I'm in survival mode. (I haven't even blogged in months!!!! Although I don't think anyone noticed!!!) How did this happen?<br />
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When 4thSister was in day nursery for one day, I felt it was cheating to sit and watch Downton Abbey or Call the Midwife on catch-up TV, so now I'm a volunteer ward visitor for the Chaplaincy at our local hospital one morning a week. When I say local, it takes at least 1.5 hrs door to door to get there in a morning, and by the time I get back it's almost time to pick the kids up from school, so bang goes getting else done on a Tuesday.<br />
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And the last few months of 2015 haven't disappeared, but being affirmed by the Diocesan Director of Ordinands that I likely do have a calling to the priesthood has meant a whole lot of extra study...<br />
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And I'm now leading our Junior Church once a month...<br />
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And I'm now on the leading and preaching rota....<br />
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Which means I am writing sermons, which because I have the luxury, takes more than a 5 hour day....<br />
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And the one time I sat down to read a theological book before bedtime, I ended up spending pastoral care time with my ten year old...<br />
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So novels, and even parenting manuals, can pretty much do one!<br />
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I feel I've missed out so much, like the dance show 2nd and 3rdSister did for which I ended up doing about ten hours worth of costume sewing (and I don't do sewing), and the concert I had a (extremely tiny) solo in that took a lot of rehearsal time, and the time I'm trying to spend cooking semi-wholesome food for a family of 6 and discourage a 2 year old from potty training herself RIGHT THIS MINUTE because I haven't got the time to supervise accidents.....but that would probably just transfer my anxiety to you!<br />
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But let's just say -<br />
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It feels right - or I wouldn't be doing it.<br />
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God makes time for everything, or gets someone else to do it (thanks, FabDad.)<br />
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There really is a season for everything.<br />
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Even though I feel I should be out of survival mode, I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD and even if I only had a 2 year old and no other children, I would probably feel the same!<br />
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And finally - I read two really good science fiction books - <i>The Stars My Destination </i>by Alfred Bester and <i>A Wrinkle in Time </i>by Madeleine l'Engle, which I thoroughly recommend. And also <i>Playful Parenting, </i>which is encouraging in that it helps me interact with the children rather than, erm, clean. And there's been some theological reading along the way. And nobody, nobody but me is counting.<br />
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Amen.<br />
<br />Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210654343161593719noreply@blogger.com0