Sunday 17th November - Gardening

I'm not a great one for doing the garden.

Back in 1984, when I walked the length of this road in order to view the house that was to become our home, I noticed that the majority of people clearly belonged to the "manicure and trim with nail scissors" school of gardening, at least where their front gardens were concerned. I almost turned back - it is a very long road - but I had already walked for about half an hour to get here, so I kept going.

The front garden of this house was not as neat as the neighbours - let's say "kitchen scissors" standard. We bought it anyway.

We still have the same neighbours, and their gardens have evolved over the years, but are still well up to horticultural standards. I like to think that ours provides good contrast, and makes their look even better by comparison.

However, there are two shrubs that are tatty enough that even I am getting fed up with them. To encourage myself, I have taken before:

 
and after

pictures. Passers-by no longer have to dodge the outgrabing mome raths of the bush in the front garden. I was pleased to discover that neither bush was of the thorny-spiky-draw-blood-from-your-fingers variety. However I did end up leaving samples of my DNA on the nearby rose bushes.

Sunday 13th October - "I am the cake of life"

 

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6)      

from http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/books/alice-in-wonderland-quotes.html

Well, that's where my Sunday School lesson to a little group of seven children aged between 5 and 7 years old ended up.
    
A lot of my Sunday School lessons seem to go like that.

I took in a candle, a tall candlestick, matches, a bucket and some torches.

Also a jug of water and a towel to act as fire safety measures.
Colouring sheet with the verse from John ch8 v12;
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Felt pens, glue sticks and sparkly sequins. Oh, and a Bible.With that lot I thought I'd covered most of the options.

I turned off the lights, and half-closed the window blinds.
We talked about light. We played with the torches. We read the first part of Chapter 1 of John's Gospel:  In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² From the very beginning the Word was with God. ³ Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. ⁴ The Word was the source of life,^[a] and this life brought light to people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.  Then we talked hatted  about how the Creation story begins.

It was all going so well, even though one of the livelier lads had drunk half a cup of tea with three spoonfuls of sugar in it just before we started.

I lit the candle (and the smoke detector did not go off - phew). We read Matthew 5:15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I took the candle off the tall candlestick and stuck it under a bowl. It duly went out.

Perfect! The children played some more with the torches, I relit the candle, the smoke detector stayed silent, the sugar boy stayed in his chair, we talked about Jesus and light and proper "Sunday School" things.

Then we started colouring and gluing and sparkling. "It's my birthday in three days" said one of the other lads. "I'm going do draw my candles on my birthday cake".
This set Sugar Boy off. He is well grounded in the Bible. "Jesus says he is the Bread of Life, but I'm going to do him as Cake of Life". 

Here endeth the lesson.

At this point, I gave in. All the children's interest and activity was now entirely focused on birthdays, cake, birthday candles, party games...
So we played a couple of games, tidied up, and took our sparkly gluey brightly coloured Bible Verse sheets back to church.

I'm not downhearted - although teaching "Sunday School stuff" is partly what Sunday School is about, these children are also making friends, being sociable, sharing ideas, and, most importantly, happy to come back again next week. Job Done. 

Saturday 28th July - First Harvest

...O Potatoes, come and walk with us!'

      I sweetly did beseech.

A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, .....

...And then I rested on a seat

Conveniently low:

And all the little Potatoes stood

And waited in a row.....

.....Now if you're ready, Potatoes dear,

We can begin to feed....

I noticed, in passing, that the leafy stalky bits of my potato plants were all dying, so took a chance and emptied the first of my three potato tubs.

There were several handfuls of darling little potatoes buried in all that crumbly earth.

It seems indecent to eat them; they are so small and cute. But what else can one do with them?

So, with the poem of the Walrus and the Carpenter echoing uneasily in my mind, I tenderly washed them, and carefully deposited them into a pan of boiling water. It just doesn't seem quite right.



pictures from wikipedia

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173170

The Walrus and the Carpenter

By Lewis Carroll  1832–1898

"The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright —

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done —

"It's very rude of him," she said,

"To come and spoil the fun."

The sea was wet as wet could be,

The sands were dry as dry.

You could not see a cloud, because

No cloud was in the sky:

No birds were flying overhead —

There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Were walking close at hand;

They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand:

If this were only cleared away,'

They said, it would be grand!'

If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,

That they could get it clear?'

I doubt it,' said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

O Oysters, come and walk with us!'

The Walrus did beseech.

A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,

Along the briny beach:

We cannot do with more than four,

To give a hand to each.'

The eldest Oyster looked at him,

But never a word he said:

The eldest Oyster winked his eye,

And shook his heavy head —

Meaning to say he did not choose

To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat:

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,

Their shoes were clean and neat —

And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,

And more, and more, and more —

All hopping through the frothy waves,

And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock

Conveniently low:

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

The time has come,' the Walrus said,

To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

Of cabbages — and kings —

And why the sea is boiling hot —

And whether pigs have wings.'

But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,

Before we have our chat;

For some of us are out of breath,

And all of us are fat!'

No hurry!' said the Carpenter.

They thanked him much for that.

A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,

Is what we chiefly need:

Pepper and vinegar besides

Are very good indeed —

Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,

We can begin to feed.'

But not on us!' the Oysters cried,

Turning a little blue.

After such kindness, that would be

A dismal thing to do!'

The night is fine,' the Walrus said.

Do you admire the view?

It was so kind of you to come!

And you are very nice!'

The Carpenter said nothing but

Cut us another slice:

I wish you were not quite so deaf —

I've had to ask you twice!'

It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,

To play them such a trick,

After we've brought them out so far,

And made them trot so quick!'

The Carpenter said nothing but

The butter's spread too thick!'

I weep for you,' the Walrus said:

I deeply sympathize.'

With sobs and tears he sorted out

Those of the largest size,

Holding his pocket-handkerchief

Before his streaming eyes.

O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,

You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?'

But answer came there none —

And this was scarcely odd, because

They'd eaten every one."