What’s the Story in Dalamory

The expedition went well yesterday despite horrendous rain and bad roads. I did get the intended phone, but don’t have the energy to get it all set up with my computer today. A much needed rest day is required. How lovely to be able to indulge myself. The weather is still vile, rain like nothing on earth, gales and waterlogged countryside. How dreadful it must be for the poor people who are flooded out of their homes in Cumbria.

A day out today to collect my new mobile phone. The intention at the start of the day is that it should be an iphone. It will be interesting to see what I come home with.

Yeah! Monday – a Day Off.

It was lovely to see friends yesterday and to catch up on all sorts of things.  Wish I had written the following, but it was by Frederick Buechner:

You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives with you.

I am not so sure about carrying the world in my stomach, though sometimes it reminds me vividly of all sorts of things. But I absolutely agree with the rest of it. As we get older, it becomes more and more true, for we are always aware of our friends and our family, whether they are close by or far away, whether they are living or dead. How many times do I say, “As my Granny used to say……..” And now I am the grandma myself. And so the circle of life goes on.

No thank you – I do not want a cairn terrier angel ornament. It looks like a demented bat!

One of the more pleasant of things to do approaching Christmas is to think about adding to my Fontanini Nativity set. I hasten to add it is only 5″ tall, and sits on top of the piano. Each year for the last few years I have been choosing a new figurine. T

his year it is, hopefully to be a shepherdess with a lamb and a set of three cats. I figured they would make a nice point about the myths and stories surrounding Christmas.

For me what matters is actually being there myself. If that is too surreal for you then I do not apologise.

Living in the wilds of the West I do a lot of my shopping online. Hawkshead deserves some praise. I had to return an item which was too big – OK too long, I am shrinking these days. Postage is a bit of a faff and costs money, and I was wary of getting umpteen press button menus if I phoned their returns people. Nothing like that. In fact when I phoned yesterday afternoon, I got through straight away to a real person who was cheery and helpful. The return parcel is to be collected by a carrier today.

Everything worked out fine so they get 100% for service.

The cat is improving but only very slowly. He cannot jump up on things, is nervous about going outside, and doesn’t seem able to lift his tail up high. In other words he is a very sad cat. At least he is drinking a little cat milk and eating some of his favourite food.  Will monitor his progress and then maybe phone the vet again.

Big news! The external cladding of the porch/extension has now been completed. (You thought it had been done long ago didn’t you? But remember this is the West Highlands.)

Not many leaves left anywhere. The earth sleeps.

Take time off each day to think and pray
To care how your life is going.
Give your roots rain.
Take time with a friend to do nothing too important.
But just be together, to enjoy another person.
Give your roots rain.
Take time to write a poem or grow a flower,
To create something that is of you.
Give your roots rain.
For in your roots you find who you are,
And there too find who God is,
For he has not forced you into his home,
Rather he has made his home in you.

Sacred Space