Is it just me or do others find they're taken by surprise every so often when something you remember happening just-a-while-ago turns out to be nearly official history and happened about 30 years in the dimming-and-distancing past?!
I've finally got round to sorting out some of the things you just leave in a box to deal with later when you move house. I've been going through my LP's. Yes LP's - real vinyl proper records - yes, I know, I really don't look old enough! And with the sorting came the rediscovery of 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' - a Brian Eno and David Byrne brilliant collaboration. And it all comes flooding back with the record. I can still remember where I first heard it - a shop in Carnaby Street (London) sometime in the Eighties - when Carnaby Street was still a wonderful haven for the bizarre and outrageous and the place I did my clothes shopping - perfect for finding Goth gear, many-buckled boots and all that.
And playing the record again I see it says '1981'* and though I reckon I bought it probably nearer 1986 that's 27 years ago!! Nearly thirty years - but it's only five minutes since I was young isn't it? Time is a very strange thing. I look at family photos from when my brother and I were growing up and realise that I'm older now than my mum and dad were then - there's something wrong with that in the space time continuum! And though I'm still the same inside, on the outside I'm the mum - the one with the nearly 17 year old son.
I suppose God must feel like this quite a lot, I mean, he's been around rather a long time and seen a few kids grow up.
Perhaps sometimes it's a better idea to let unpacked boxes lie!
*Ah, 1981 - I was 11 - the year I got my first radio/cassette player for Christmas complete with 'Chart Hits '81' (or something like that) and I've still got that tape too!
The cat is asleep on my computer monitor... snoring!
It comes to something, doesn't it, when that's the best you can come up with to blog. I suppose, if I were to pinch something along the lines of Dave's blog categories then that could be listed under 'mundane' 'Essex life' 'cat stuff' and 'not-very-interesting-at-all'?
...well actually it's not but that was my random thought of a few moments ago, so that's what you've got. Perhaps I can turn this into a post of random quotes that I can remember off the top of my head? I'm presuming that rather than having simply gone mad it was farli who put random quotes in my head by including 'The Great Storm' in a post title... turning my mind of course to 'The Vicar of Dibley' and the great storm! "It reminds me of the great storm".... "Shut up!" Brilliant... my favourite episode!
Unfortunately, now I've decided to turn this post in a 'random quotes' type direction all the random quotes that usually mill around in my head to amuse me during dull moments have, of course, fallen out of my head*
Oh well, I'll go and make a nice cuppa tea instead.
*except for 'the machine that goes "ping"' which is always there, but I've gone on about that Monty Python delight here before, I'm sure.
Well, it's been a lovely day (and it's only early evening) and one resembling something like a 'normal' Sunday (from what I can remember). Today I've taken only one service in my lovely 'new' (to me) church (compared with last week's three services in two churches, a funeral to prepare and a youth group to finish in the evening), then TeenSon and I enjoyed a nice mosey over to Canvey where we walked in the sunshine along the 'sea' (Thames) wall. From there we carried on to Southend where we sat and ate nice vinegary chips by the sea on which the sun was also beautifully reflected. And now I'm waiting for the kettle to boil and the turkey roast to cook for our not-had-in-a-while roast dinner. And the evening will be unusually free of preparations for the week ahead as there's time tomorrow to start that.
Simple things, but contentment. We really do have a lot to be thankful for.
What is the post office coming to? Instead of piles of cards blocking my front door this morning there were two measly bills. Really, I think they should get their delivery service sorted out.
I really can't think of a snazzy summary of the following post to put in this little box...
(chelley, 5/02/2008)
It seems to be quite a while since I last blogged anything, due to the usual combination of nothing interesting to say and not enough time to say nothing interesting! Life has changed quite significantly in the last few months as TeenSon and I settle into our new home town, and I adjust to being Team Vicar instead of Curate, to my new team of collegaues and the new church family - and both of these are great! Despite their greatness it's still been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster at times as we've adjusted to all things new and missed our connections with 'home'. But NewHomeTown is a down to earth kind of place which suits me just fine and of course even when everything else is turned upside down, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever"... phew!
Our new home is lovely and in a very nice street which is quite a change from the town centre/home-from-pub-route/church hall noise (though still our happy home!) we had before. I have to confess that there are still a few unpacked boxes tucked about the place... but it is only 5 and a bit months since we moved in!
There's not much more to say really, unless anyone out there wants to know anything in particular (as long as it doesn't involve breaking confidences/announcing too specifically where we are!)?
...having wandered around the great, the good and the verging on ridiculous of You Tube... and watched Mr. Bean at Christmas, Nelson Mandela on poverty, British humour and Basil Hume I have ended up with this delightful little blast from the past! Who remembers it... who loved it???
Right, having been inspired by Auntie Doris and the great stuff she's been posting on her blog, I thought I'd wander over to You Tube pick something, bung it up here and then say something about it. Who knows what it'll be... I haven't a clue at this point.... but I'll be back in a bit... you might want to do a bit of a drum roll... or not...
One of my good friends always says the same thing when I talk about what I wish I could achieve, she comes out with 'Just Do It' (I'm not sure if she secretly had anything to do with Nike's advertising campaign!). Oh how I wish I could - inside is an exceptionally organised, tidy and systematic person trying to fight their way out. Unfortunately another distracted, tired, juggling, don't-know-where-to-start person seems to beat the crap out of them every time they threaten to appear!
Right... to the to-do list....!
*the kind of dream where you hope for something that seems just beyond your reach rather than the kind of dream where you fall asleep and find yourself in an alternative universe where you're married to Mr. Blobby and can walk on clouds...
Thought I'd have a go at another quiz seeing as I've been in a blog lull lately. Despite the fact that this one's American, I don't celebrate Thanksgiving or halloween and the wrong kind of football was mentioned it does sound a bit like me!
[...well ok, quite a lot like me!]
You Are Thanksgiving
You are a bit of a homebody who enjoys being in the company of people you love.
It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. You're enjoying life as it is.
You have many blessings in your life, and you are grateful for each one.
You believe that life is about what you *do* have. You feel like you have enough of the good stuff.
What makes you celebrate: Family, friends, and the changing of the seasons.
At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The host of the party
On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Spend so much energy preparing that it's a full time job
"I am a new creation
no more in condemnation
here in the grace of God I stand..."*
So go the words of that familiar Christian chorus, and what an excellent thing to be able to state. But as a new creation I don't half drive myself mad with certain character traits and habits that I wish I didn't have - not to mention the many things that I wish I would just get on and do, but I don't. Somehow this frustration has a slight echo to that of Paul and his not doing what he wants to do and doing what he doesn't want to do** and all that. The only significant difference is that even with his stated little hindering element of humanity, Paul managed to make tents, travel a lot, start churches, nurture churches, appoint leaders for churches, write to churches, re-visit said churches, offend people and get thrown in prison, be a spiritual father, have the odd vision or two and so on. And I bet he didn't let the ironing pile build up either!
Lord, can I be another new creation again tomorrow - and can you tweak a few extra bits in the night? Thanks.
I have just noticed that it's nearly my first wibiversary! I can't quite believe that it's been a year (on the 14th) since I started posting my bits of nonsense around here. It's a good while longer since I first came wandering by leaving comments on other wiblogs... and then decided to have my own little corner of this community.
Well, it's been very nice getting to virtually know you all over the last year... and I'll keep watching the newsroom with interest to see what will happen over the next year.
Interesting for me to see what's changed over the last year - not least I am no longer living in 'the Shire' (see very first post for explanation of the name 'Chelley of the Shire') having moved from 'just north of north London' to 'just east of east London'! I think I'll leave the blog name as it is for now though - I don't fancy changing it to Essex Girl Blog or Tittle Tattle from the Thames Estuary!
I've got a pile a carpets on me drive
they've been there quite a while
can't deny
The bin men came on through
and offered something to do
with the carpets - but I'm not Brian and he's the one that booked them.
I really must be daft sometimes it's true
but honesty's the way I go
right through
I'll book it right
probably wait at least a fortnight
and then the same bloke'll come back and think I'm a complete nutjob!
The filing cabinets* are calling from the lounge
what a faff
but at least I had no need to scrounge
some help from someone practical minded
who wouldn't make the job long-winded
and who probably wouldn't have used the instructions which make about as much sense upside down.
*Bought a pair of cabinets from Tesco Direct
They came in nice flat boxes
for me to erect
Be nice when the papers and boxes and files
are in their new homes instead of in piles
all over the place - but blimey, I wish I'd had whole filing cabinets delivered because I'm sick of trying to put them together.
The other day I was just sitting remembering things. I suppose this is quite a good time of year to be remembering, seeing as Remembrance Sunday is approaching - but actually that is purely coincidental to my remembering thoughts of last week!
I don't feel particularly old in the grand scheme of things but there are quite a lot of technological and other items of day-to-day life that I remember the beginning of... digital watches, CDs, video players (including the VHS/Betamax debate - my Uncle Ron was convinced that Betamax would win!), telex and fax machines when they were the 'new thing' at work - and I remember when it was all paper and we had to get all the files entered up as the 'computer age' hit. I don't remember quite as far back as my dad who has a photo of himself as a young man at work, with a computer that was the size of a large room!
And how bizarre it seems to imagine life without the internet and the mobile phone - I remember seeing a man outside Sainsbury's a long time ago with what must have been one of the earliest ones - and thinking how stupid and weird it looked and sounded to see a man talking on the phone, outdoors, in public!
I remember not being convinced by or particularly impressed by those CD things - I liked my box of tapes and beloved vinyls.
I remember when people used to ask "are you on the phone?" rather than assume that you were and when the streets weren't overrun with cars because families had one between them (if they could afford it) instead of one per 17+ member of the household as is the trend now.
I'm sure there are lots more things I remember too, isn't it funny how the world changes but we don't change a lot. I should probably add that I don't regret all these changes (except perhaps the cars - though I did get my first little mini when I was 17, so who am I to comment?).
Perhaps the best thing to do with remembering is be thankful and not let go of the values and priorities that have held humanity in good stead for generations... don't forget to say "good morning" to the neighbours when you switch off the computer.
I thought I'd add a rather belated update on the 'Frank' situation!
Well, one day the bruising and swelling had gone down sufficiently to reveal that 'Frank' (TeenSon's finger) was not quite the same shape as it had been before he bashed it in playing rugby. So the trip to have it X-rayed was undertaken and it turned out that the finger (I can't keep calling it Frank can I!) was indeed broken. TeenSon tried to avoid asking the very enthusiastic-towards-rugby Fracture Clinic doctor when he could play again because he didn't want to hear the answer that he knew was coming - another 4 weeks!
The doctor - despite delivering this considerable blow - did redeem himself slightly by entertaining us with a 'soppy footballers' account of a footballer who'd been brought in, in an ambulance, with a sprained ankle! I have to say that I am more of a football girl than a rugby one, but the doctor was a rugby man through and through and he was rather amusing after a two and a half hour wait!
Well, we are settling well into our new home and I'm gradually getting to know the names of people in my new church. On Monday I did what clergy do and had an afternoon out finding our new local crematorium and hospital. My hospital visiting will no longer take place in the hospital where TeenSon was born and has been taken to for emergency visits through subsequent years - croup, plastic trowel stuck on thumb*, broken bone in foot from falling off bike, broken finger from playing rugby, torn ligaments from playing rugby... It's another one of those changes that feels like a wrench from our roots. But anyway, I was walking round this new hospital with my clergy colleague and having had A&E pointed out, I mentioned our familiarity with waiting around for X-rays and such-like and mentioned my hope that we wouldn't need to visit this one. Well, I'm glad to say that we haven't visited it yet, but it was a close call after rugby training today when TeenSon came home with a finger looking like this...
The photo doesn't really do justice to the delightful purple shade and swelling, but I promised him I'd blog his finger anyway. Oh, and he's named it Frank. Frank is insistent that an X-ray is unnecessary but we're keeping an eye on him!
Chelley of the Shire 
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