Pianist problems

Over the last year, we’ve struggled to find pianists to play for rehearsals and show week (meaning I end up sharing the playing for rehearsals whilst we’re between pianists). We were some way into the rehearsals for Fiddler before we found a pianist and it has been even worse for the summer concert. We thought we’d found someone (albeit someone whose sight-reading ability was on a par with the England team’s ability to win the World Cup) only for her to pull out a month before the show. It seems we have another replacement lined up – fingers crossed this time!

Cards and crafts

Trying to focus on writing whilst having a rug-making project on the go is not a good idea, particularly given my skills at putting off assignments and coursework! Giving up craft projects was not appealing - it seems I always have to have something to work on. So, the solution seems to be small scale craft projects – anything that I can get done within a couple of hours. I’ve started getting back into making my own cards again – it seems silly to spend so much money buying them when I have everything I need at home to make them myself.

Too darn hot

It’s a very British thing to grumble about the weather. When it’s raining, we wish it was sunny; when it snows, everything grinds to a halt and on warm summer days, we moan that it’s too hot. Today has been one of those days – beautiful sunshine, lovely blue sky and 30 degree heat. I love the sunshine, love the blue sky but if it could just be a few degrees cooler then the weather would be perfect. Our flat feels like an oven despite all the windows being open in an attempt to catch the slightest hint of a breeze.

Ramblings on rugs

It’s amazing what an incentive the prospect of a new home is when it comes to being creative! My third latch-hook rug has been finished in record time (6 weeks compared to 6 years for the first one) and I have also been trying my hand at making a rag rug. My first attempt was intended to be a doormat (but unfortunately turned out to be slightly too small). It took me a while to get the tension right so the shape is slightly odd but hopefully I’ve now mastered the basic technique so the next one should be better!

Engaging the church of tomorrow

I’ve been attending a church elders’ study day. This morning’s workshop focused on prayer – mostly vestry prayer and intercessory prayer (very useful as I’m on vestry duty tomorrow morning!) This afternoon’s workshop focused on youth and mission and was very challenging and thought-provoking. One of the phrase that really struck a chord was “We’re not disciples in waiting; we’re disciples in training.” It left me wondering if Junior Church is perhaps a little too passive – we sit around and discuss the Bible reading but do we encourage the young people in the church to be actively involved? Food for thought.

Picnicking in the park

A day off work, a lovely sunny afternoon with a picnic in the park planned. What could possibly go wrong? Well, hubby and I realising that neither of us had actually picked up our keys on leaving the house meant the planned day out was a little delayed whilst we waited for someone to come over with the spare key so we could get back in. Then it was off to Greenwich Park to enjoy the sunshine, wander round the Royal Observatory and take lots of photographs of some very friendly squirrels who seemed intent on partaking of our picnic.

So good we saw it twice

With a reasonable variety of different musicals in the West End (many of which Michael and I have yet to see) plus the added fact of ever-increasing ticket prices, Michael and I had never felt the need to see the same show twice. Until now. We were given tickets to see Jersey Boys as a wedding present last August. It was fabulous. Somehow or other we’ve not managed a theatre trip since but we finally treated ourselves to a night at the theatre this evening and saw it again. It was still fabulous. A different cast, but still great performances.

Fly frustrations

Ah summer time. Lovely hot weather, the windows wide open at home to let in any stray breezes that might just be passing by... and the flies. Not so nice. Big fat flies buzzing around the lounge so off I go to get the fly spray from the kitchen. When I get back – no flies in sight, not a single buzz. I wait, fly spray poised. Nothing. Back to the kitchen, put the fly spray away; lo and behold the flies are partying in the lounge again. Retrieve fly spray – they disappear. Do they have an inbuilt imminent-death alert system?

A lapse in time management

I normally like to book my first visit of the day sometime after 10am so that I can avoid rush hour traffic but lately I seem to have fallen into the habit of booking some very early morning visits. Today, for instance, my first visit of the day was at 8am. The trouble is, having arranged a early morning visit once with a client, it becomes harder to say no to booking future visits at that time of day. And so I end up crawling in the traffic wondering what possessed me to book a visit at 9am or earlier.

Hubby back home

Michael is back! It is so nice to have my hubby back home again! As usual, there was a bit of a 'Love Actually' moment at the airport – I always like to be there to meet him, to run up and give him a big hug as soon as he appears through the arrival gates. Unfortunately, my work and his jet-lag have combined to prevent us spending much time together this evening. I’m very glad that that’s the long trip away done and dusted for another year (it might only have been two weeks but it felt like much longer!)