In like a lamb

A feeling of satisfaction that February is at last gone. I'm not sure that March has "Come in like a lamb" though. It's been gorgeous weather, but slightly breezy.

Let me explain. The old saying of "March - in like a lamb, out like a lion', or the opposite "in like a lion, out like a lamb", is one of those familiar sayings I was brought up on. It means exactly what it says and is very often proven a correct forecast. I have used the term "breezy", as being brought up on the east coast of Norfolk, England (it's the bit that sticks out), I am used to real winds. Come to that, our time on the Costa del Sol was even windier (but not so cold)!

The couple of days in the eighties at the beginning of the week and a decent soaking have done wonders for bringing Spring seemingly closer.

Don't you just love Spring? A new awakening. With Lent just a few days away - yes, it is as late as it can be this year - the weather by Easter will, God willing, reflect the season of wonder and renewal.

Yes, I am glad to see the back of February. After a busy, sometimes hectic seven months, I eased off some of my church duties. I do feel refreshed, but am so glad to now be back in the thick of it.

http://www.saintjosephsdurham.org - I make no apologies for the plug.

You say tomato, I say tomato (again)

After five years of living here, I'm still struck by differences in American English (Am-Eng) and English English (Eng-Eng). Now you didn't expect me to say British-English I'm sure.

It's not just the pronunciation of a word spelled exactly the same. It's also the definition - sometimes similar, sometimes different.

As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I do now say to-MATE-toe rather than to-MAR-toe (probably the only American pronunciation Gail still doesn't use). Another great food example is AP-ricot as opposed to Eng-Eng APE-ricot.

Of the non-food differences there is, of course SKED-ule as opposed to SHED-ule (the American version does make sense, no one pronounces school "shool". Syllable emphasizing is another part of the language that takes some getting use to. IN-surance (Am-Eng) as opposed to in-SURE-ance (Eng-Eng); warran-TEE (Am-Eng) against warran-TY (Eng-Eng) and a-DULT (Am-Eng) versus AD-ult (Eng-Eng), are examples that come to mind.

I was discussing with some friends my views on the architecture of our church. It is, I suppose, a very English looking building. I was saying that in my opinion it could be improved (practically and aesthetically) by the addition of a porch. "What!", my Southern friends exclaimed, "It would look dreadful". I realized immediately what a goof I'd made. "Porch" in Am-Eng is a veranda (Eng-Eng) and so yes, it would look awful. They were thinking I'd gone out of my mind and probably had visions of some parishioners, quietly sitting in rocking chairs, enjoying a glass of iced tea! What I meant is the sort of church porch, a vestibule or lobby, found on the majority of older English churches!

A blog I read regularly and can thoroughly recommend is "Separated by a Common Language". The latest posting really makes a point about the layout of our neighborhoods. It uses the big 1980s hit "Our House" of English group Madness as a wonderful example of confusion. Check it out to see what I mean. Can you imagine a house "in the middle of the street". Of course you can if you're English. Not so if you are American.

February Findings

February. My least favorite month.

I'm still not sure why I think that, but I do. Already buds are appearing and the first tentative signs of Spring are in the air, so I should be happy about that. Indeed, I am. However, I just love the first day of March and am always happier when the second month has gone.

I do have plenty to celebrate. I completed my thee year vestry term (although I'm already missing that); we have a new vicar; yesterday was our eldest granddaughter Josie's 20th birthday (she think she's nearly middle-aged, bless her - I haven't the heart to tell her); I completed the redecoration of our kitchen; it will soon be "Valentine's Day" - hang on a second - is that a cause to be happy? I've never been sure about this. Many year's ago my mother called this and Mother's Day, "Woolworth's Day", her way of calling these simple days of appreciation a commercial heist I suppose. I have heard them called "Hallmark Days" since I've lived here.

Still, although I "love" all things romantic, I could never claim to be one - a romantic that is. Yes, I believe in love, was even a "make love, not war" follower in the sixties, but lovey-dovey, no. Remember, this is the guy who bought his wife of 41 years a wheelbarrow for her birthday! That's a exaggeration, by the way. As if I could really do such a thing? I guess I'm trying to say, go for Valentine's Day, if that's your style. My style? . . . . wait for it . . . . . make every day a special day for the one you love.

Gail has a daily thoughts calendar on her night stand which, after awakening and exchanging our private pleasantries each morning, she reads. This morning the quote (by Dale Evans Rogers) was:

Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insights into His great truth.

Well, there we are then. I guess I'll learn to love February.

January thoughts

Into the second half January already. It's been very cold here in North Carolina, probably our coldest winter so far.

January is not my least favorite month, but it comes a close second to February. I have recovered from a stinking cold and like most men made the most of it. Usually when I have the signs of a cold, Gail proclaims that it might be best for her to emigrate. "You've done that twice already," I tell her, so it counts as an idle threat.

Our street was always passable, but with extreme caution

It's hard to imagine that we have lived here for five years. Sometimes it seems just like yesterday when we finding our way round. There is so much of this wonderful state I still want to see. I really must make time to put my thoughts and words into action.

A second cousin of mine recently contacted me regarding our family tree. I hadn't been in contact with her for far too long and we finally got round to having a chat by phone. She was keen for me to see photographs she has stored on Facebook. Hmmm! A dilemma here - I recently made my views of "social networking" well know. Shall I rejoin or not?

Call me a hypocrite (I'm sure you will) but, after a considerable amount of thought, I have done just that. I'm still determined not to be involved with the banal gossip and to strictly limit my time on FB. I'm also determined to spend more time actually having real conversations.

With just ten days of January left, I look forward not in the least to February. There are only three good things to say about this month: (1) my mother and my eldest granddaughter were born in it; (2) we can see the signs of spring giving us hope; and (3) it's the shortest!

Happy New Year

Status symbols I need not, just the love of God and of my neighbor.

Let's worry about the needs of others this year and not our own wants.

May this year by joyful, peaceful and healthy to you all.

Twas Christmas Eve in the Workhouse . . .

May I wish everyone a Joyous and Blessed Christmastide.

Christmas Eve 2010, our fifth Christmas in North Carolina. Of the past ten holidays we have only spent one in our country of birth. That's not a complaint, in fact 2004 was a very special Christmas for us as we were moving from Spain to NC a few weeks later.

As I write this I am surrounded by our two felines, Hartley and Nimbus, quietly snoring, and at my feet is a sleeping dog. Sammie's owners are out of state for the holidays and Sammie is spending Christmas with us.

Gail is at church, where the turkey she is cooking should be in the oven by now. Although many of our church family are away for the holidays, we expect quite a good turn-out for Holy Eucharist this evening and for our annual Christmas dinner which follows.

It's been a tough six months since our Vicar left, but I think we have coped pretty well. Thanks to our dedicated supply priests not one Eucharist has been missed. We have continued with Bible Study, Daily Office (now six days per week), had a baptism, a funeral and a wedding, and will shortly be starting Catechesis to prepare candidates for baptism, confirmation, reaffirmation and acceptance at Eastertide. For a small church with no clergy, that's no small achievement and a tribute to the lay members.

Tomorrow Gail and I will have fun chatting to our family in Norfolk, England at 6 a.m. before once again going to church to worship at Morning Prayer, cooking breakfast and sharing table fellowship with members and friends, including some of our homeless neighbors.

Gail will then be at her own stove to cook (another) Christmas dinner for our North Carolinian family.

Who said Christmas is a relaxing time? It certainly wasn't in that small town 2000-odd years ago.

It's get that gift time

Gifts, whether they be for a birthday, anniversary or Christmas, usually mean much more to the giver than to the receiver.

As the retailers tell us that time is running out to purchase our gifts, you know their ploy, "it's so-and-so many shopping days to Christmas" (aren't ALL days shopping days now?), together with the constant advertising in the media, I guess the usual panic of, "what are we going to get Uncle Jim", or "can you remember what Aunt Mable got us last year?"

I always enjoy the surprises I received from our family in Norfolk, England. Sarah always plans early and enjoys choosing original gifts, quite a few of which have travelled with us to North Carolina, via Spain! In fact already today I have used two gifts received from them in previous years.

Stuart, a typical man, leaves everything to Leslie. She is okay with that(?) as she, too enjoys surprises and takes immense pleasure in choosing gifts. I am, I suppose, a big let down for her expertise in this area as I am a simple man who enjoys simple things, and am happy for them to buy me magazine subscriptions. By this I have a surprise gift every month when our mail-man (oops!, I mean letter-carrier) delivers a copy of a favorite magazine.

Have we done our gift shopping yet? Oh, yes, gift-wrapped, packaged and shipped. Well, almost. Gail, together with a team from our church, will shortly be shopping for Christmas "boxes" for some of our homeless friends and my goodness, is she excited about that? You bet!