About
The life and thoughts of Freda Marshall, a retired Church of Scotland minister living amongst the mountains and glens of Argyll.Pages
Category Archives: Blog
Day Off
When I was working as a parish minister Monday was my Day Off – barring emergencies of course. So Sunday evening was a general collapse and Monday could be used for whatever I felt like doing. Sadly, it was often … Continue reading
Waiting
Not long now till my favourite time of the year. Come March – my Birthday Month, in case anyone has forgotten – the signs of spring are evident all around: crocuses, buds swelling on the bushes, birds getting vocal … Continue reading
Doggy diets
Misty had her annual check up at the Vet’s this week, along with her injections and kennel-cough drops. She was very good with nary a squeak – just the odd rolling of the whites of her eyes. However, the … Continue reading
The Black House
The Black House by Peter May is a superb read and indeed is much more than the traditional who-dunnit kind of thriller. The writer has an immediate and dramatic style which makes good use of shifting time frames, taking the … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Book Reviews
Tagged detective, God, Hebrides, Isle of Lewis, murder, Peter May, spirituality, The Black House
11 Comments
Twelve Resolutions
#1 is already set – all about being prepared to be braver in my opinions. In other words, not to be a wimp because I am worried about upsetting people. I suspect this is a non-starter as I don’t do … Continue reading
Tail end of the year
Like many another blogger I have found myself in the midst of a whirl of activity and travel. Hence the long gap – and all of a sudden we are at the tail end of the year. I have been … Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged Benefits, Courage, Disability Rights, God, justice, Resolutions, spirituality
4 Comments
Extra Christmas
This is a Christmas shaggy dog story. And a story about extra Christmases. Last weekend we went to visit Son #4 and the two littlest grandchildren. It was just supposed to be an exchange of presents to go under the … Continue reading
The Season known as Christmas
So – is this the Christmas season or is it not? Technically, as far as churches are concerned this is Advent (lit the coming) and purists will tell us that this is when they concentrate on the second coming of … Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged baby, cd, celebrity, love, Michael Buble, music, nativity, Prayer, spirituality, tragedy
3 Comments
The Awakening of George Darroch
The Awakening of George Darroch is a 1995 novel by Robin Jenkins. It is no longer in print, though secondhand editions are still available. It is based on “a momentous event in Scottish history – the Great Disruption of 1843, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Book Reviews
Tagged bishops, church, Church of England, Church of Scotland, George Darroch, God, justice, Sexuality, spirituality, the Disruption
5 Comments
Creeping paperlessness
To be honest I’m not even sure if paperlessness is a word – I suspect it is not. However, it describes what is happening. Bit by bit companies are snidely sliding towards the cost-saving exercise of arbitrarily deciding that bills … Continue reading