The Going to the Zoo to See the New Red Squirrel Corner Day

The strawberries have had their own list this month. We went to see Brave- bit disappointed. Had such high expectations of that hair. PC took them to the cavehill advencher park. Yesterday I took them to the Zoo.

The new Red Squirrel Nook. Impressive- there are binoculars on those little ledges, and you look into a magical forestscape of tiny houses and leafy glades. Didn't actually see any red squirrels...

Penguins queue up to be fed. They wait patiently for the keeper to glide a fish into their grateful mouths, and then they toddle happily away leaving space for the next penguin. What? Penguins feed more humanely than strawberries?

It is turning out to be a gracefully mellow end to the summer. All the suns really want is lots of time outside with friends. I think we all know that the end is nigh!

Lists and Links

Today was supposed to be the Getting All Things Else For School Day. By lunchtime, today had become a Writing The List For Getting All Things Else For School Day. By half past two I was acknowledging that today was in fact a Lie Around Watching DVDs and Thinking About Writing The List For Getting All Things Else For School Day.

At 3.57pm Jo put the last piece of jigsaw in to the puzzle and I looked at the clock and screamed. At 4.20pm I was thankfully driving into my new place of little employment (this is a long story for quite another time) and today was relegated to the Forgetting All Things Else For School Day. There's always tomorrow, although that's sort of supposed to be the Going To The Zoo To See The New Red Squirrel Corner Day....

Now I am home and waiting for pasta to cook. So in the meantime, I would cordially invite you to visit Hookery in the Bookery for tonight's latest adventures in yarn, and a very special orange photo-shoot, and then do please visit Queen Niqi's blog, and follow it, and comment thereon. You'll find a much more efficient class of bloggiste there!

In the Collective!

So, here it is! A while ago on facebook Rend asked for volunteers to come down to the beach to help them record a live Campfire Worship album. But you had to be young, so obviously I didn't think anymore about it. Then, on the deadline, they said that they had a few spaces left, so I stuck my brass wrinkled neck well out and emailed to ask if two over-ripe strawberries, one of whom was able to sing, could come and play with the other children. And they laughed a lot, apparently, and said we were in!

So here are just a few of the many out of focus photos. There would have been copiously more were it not for the fact that it's jolly hard work singing on a beach for six hours, let alone bouncing up and down enough times for the camera crew to be happy! (If you want to hear them, they were also on Songs of Praise tonight at 12 minutes 20.) The album will be released free, hopefully around Christmas Day 2012- and fear not, as soon as there's a link to a video, you'll be invited to spot the small jumping strawberry with the brass wrinkled neck!

Bursting with excitement!

I know. I know! More Rend! You see, Prince Charming thinks that I probably can't tell you why the both of us will be on a North Down beach from 3 to 9pm tomorrow, with a set list and a raincoat (or two). But believe me, as soon as tomorrow is over, I won't be able to hold my water, as we say, sometimes, some of us. Suffice to hint, for the moment, that I think it will all look something like this...

Strawberries and Almonds 2012

We have had a fabulous weekend. Joint ingredients in a very sweet thing indeed! Saturday: morning coffee and cake, followed by lunch with tea and cake. Quick walk round sunny, sunny Belfast, then off to build Titanic. First walking with the workers in the streets of the late C19th city. Home for dinner, tea and cake.

Sunday: church, lunch in the garden with some (lots of) friends followed by an afternoon of coffee, cake, and deep discussion. Alternative venue hosted Cluedo tournament. Tour of murals and peace walls abandoned in favour of evening of reading, tea and cake.
Monday: traditionally mysterious happenings, more of this later in the week. Eventually off to inspect the new visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway, and of course the stones themselves. Which have been controversially eclipsed by Hans Peter Kuhn's art installation "Flags".
We discovered that we were all erudite modern art critics, and discussed our conclusions with any volunteer who would listen- above we are on to our third and wondering if they will let us polish off the barbecue that had been laid on for the artist and the BBC.
No food (not even a sausage, Frances), but undaunted, Bob procured a TV and radio interview. Ang looks proudly on.
Soaked quite through by a rain storm that we had happily watched approach as we munched our picnic, we spent a significant part of the afternoon in a warm coffee shop with hot chocolate and cake, but the warm air enticed two thirds of the party into the water. One brave third didn't even need wet suits. Atlantic swimming- a rite of passage for visitors to Strawberry Land! Monday night was Hookery Jam for hookers and jammers alike. Thank you immensely to Heather Boss for setting that up x
Tuesday: trip to the Museum. Almonds did art and inspiration, strawberries did dinosaurs. And only then did poor Bob get his Ulster Fry.

Thank you, Almonds, for being such a highlight of our summer. Before the school experience filled our lives with homeworks and military timed days and action plans and worry, I believed that hospitality was a sign of the kingdom. It has been very good to rediscover the blessings of an open home and hearts spilling into it. Angela, you have now been to the Land of the (sometimes tearful) Strawberries twice in two years- here's the link for your hat-trick!

A weekend of almonds

Prince Charming has repainted our bedroom in duck egg blue. It looks a different colour at different times of the day, actually, but it is very lovely. He had absolutely no help from me. Whatsoever.

The Almonds are coming tomorrow! Also the Willows Wanderers have surfaced with Floss. We are very excited...

Greatitudes 621 - 630

This is deep and hurting thanks for the woman who stayed home to bring up four siblings, and keep contact with the one who went elsewhere, being too young after their mother's death to stay. Later she didn't sit in the wistful Mill thinking about life's parallel potentials, but went back to school, and then to Art College and then to work in days when Sailorstown girls didn't fly in the face of convention on gold-coloured Vespas, clinking heavy amber rings on the lightly touched brakes. She decided with the irony of arthritis setting in just as her true life set out that they would journey together.

Thanking the God not quite trusted by her that she would pack up the thin small namesake and travel her along too, not overly concerned that Macbeth at the Southbank might be frightening to an eleven year old or that forming a critical opinion on Rembrandt and Picasso could ever be expecting too much. For sunsets over Florence and boat trips on the Rhein.

For all the books for my literature degree that were already on her shelves and in her head, for the long talks and walks and dreams, for the huge picture window that poured hot sun, for thoughts and thinking and wrestling and truth. Freedom.