Raising Ebenezers

I have blogged about this little sculpture before. It is "Community" by Sonja Landweer, and it is my very favourite piece in the whole of the wonderfully wonderful Ulster Museum. I have always loved the diverse mounds and pillars and surfaces, all of us in all our shapes and sizes, how we look and how we feel.

 We spent an evening in the Museum one Friday night last month. Such a hoot. It was open for one of Belfast's Real Sketchy events, where you roll in and wander, with a drink in your hand, live music in your ears, and sketching any of their treasures as you go!

 It was planned to coincide with the Museum's hosting of the Lines of Thought exhibition- sketches of masters from Michaelangelo (in whose fat belly this middle-aged and spreading woman found much solace) to Picasso. The Barbara Hepworth is all ours, but it was gorgeously intimate to be there after hours, able to look and consider, though still not touch!

 Some people took it very seriously. This is Colin Murphy, a Northern Irish comedian we laugh over when we watch the Blame Game on BBC1. He really didn't want to be disturbed. I'm afraid I did. Couldn't resist. I don't get out much.

This is our friend, the prof, who doesn't wear shoes inside. Ever. Anywhere. When we first met him, and his fabulous wife, in church, we presumed it was a standing on holy ground thing. It's not. He just doesn't do shoes unless absolutely necessary. Darlings! It was just his sort of night.

Other people didn't take it quite so seriously. However, what I have since appreciated about Prince Charming's artistic output has become something very significant. PC downloaded an app that allows you to photograph something, and then turn it into your own piece of art. Very David Hockney. Very now. Darlings.

And so here is Landweer's community re-imagined a la PC. (That's a very PC word- apparently re-imagined is an old hymn given a modern twist.) And what I keep thinking about now, is how perfectly it illustrates what is increasingly for me a very, very fundamental truth. I Samuel 7:12. "Thus far has the Lord helped us." It's the story of Samuel experiencing the loud thunder of the Lord's deliverance, and setting up a stone, raising an Ebenezer, as a visual reminder that time and time again God deals with the details of our lives, the fights, the struggles, the worries, the times. I know that we know this, but I am not good at remembering this. I love the notion of having visual reminders in the landscape that say to this generation and the next- thus far has the Lord helped us.

So, until I can get some big rocks into the garden, I'm sticking with PC's Landweer!

Idyllic II

or Reasons to be Thankful 705-762

 Thank you for Sandycove, a quiet and plush beach outside Dublin with two of my favourite quirky spots in Ireland- Joyce's Martello tower being the second. Forty Foot deserves a post all of its own, and yes, it is getting one!

 Thank you for beaches to play on and rocks to climb and walks to be had in the warm evening after a smooth drive down fast roads. Thank you for PC who just decided that we would go, that we would all go, and that we would all go for the whole weekend, and it just sort of happened and was just sort of perfect!

 Thank you for the sweeping beauty of coastline and waves and intrepid human spirit. thank you for people who swim in the sea, wetsuits or no! I so wanted to be one of them on Friday night!

 Thank you for unexpected and never quite believed fabulous weather, for blue skies and sun-drenched dusk. That's the top of the tower just to the right of the tree. I've still never made it inside, though I've read those opening pages of Ulysses three times now- once for every time I've tried to read the book- yes, a post coming on that too!

 Thank you for the National Museum- and for the fact that it's free to get in-  a frugal post coming up on Dublin too...- and for the novelty of getting off the Luas at the front gate! Thank you that we found both sites, and persuaded the strawberries inside them as well! Thank you for the heritage that is Ireland's, that Anglo-Irish mix. Is it a Chinese blessing or curse to live in interesting times?

Thank you for Molly Malone, and Trinity and Grafton Street and bikes and crowds and bustle and street performers and flower sellers and sun!

Oh thank you for two days of pure, unadulterated hot sun and blue skies and basking opportunities in St Stephen's Green. Thank you that we did think to buy suncream on the way down, and that we did pack sunhats- untouched in three years! If that was our Irish summer, thank you nonetheless!

 And the rugby- well, thanks for an interesting experience! I have now learnt all sorts of chants though the "Are you Clancy in disguise?" one seemed a bit unfair to Clancy (apparently a linesman who does occasional and ineffective stints as a referee) because even I could see how rubbish the referee games official was!

 Thank you for the hilarious crowds and the atmosphere and the craic! Thank you for the two hilarious Leinster supporters who talked to us all the way there on the bus. They were right to commiserate with us in advance!

 Thank you for dry weather all through the day, as that terrace would have been no fun with two strawberries under a deluge! Thank you for that blue sky into which the Stiletto in the Ghetto Spire of Dublin seems to disappear. Thank you for how long we all stood with chins in the air. I thought the Garda would come and move us on, as they did with the skateboarders!

 Thank you as always for Dublin Zoo. It's flat. No hill to climb- not that Belfast Zoo can do much about its mountain, I suppose! And it's gorgeous. And there are playparks and ice-cream kiosks and shady benches everywhere! And lots and lots of feeding sessions.

 But finding out that Africa Day was happening in the same place on the same day, well, that was a bonus. And that was interesting! So much celebration of diversity and community and identity. So much music and colour and kindness of strangers.

 I think there would be a lot to learn on the subject of kindness in the whole field of identity and culture and community and flags.

 And speaking of kindness, thank you for Ang of Tracing Rainbows. Thank you for her great concern, and kindness, and thoughtfulness, and sheer generosity. Their Great Stash really does have the perfect solution for every dilemma- even my virtual reading one! I can get further than the second page of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry now. It really has been a time of unlikely pilgrimages for me over the last week or so. Thank you for that. Let's see where they go!

Sonja Landweer made this. It's called Relationships: Community. It sits on the very top level of the Ulster Museum, just waiting for you. Basking in the bright, white, atrium light of that floor. Admittedly you do first have to prise yourself away from the display with the Venice Throne.

Just the very thing to find on the first morning of a new term when you've raced across town to pick up a birthday present from the museum shop (and therein lies another story!) and think maybe you just might have time to rise up through the levels of history, nature and dinosaurs to the section you never get to stand still in at all, ever!

Even better when you realise that there is definitely time for tea and a cupcake and a view of the park before you return! All this on the day when Ireland starts to vote on which of its paintings it loves the most...

Midweek

Today, galvanised by a good friend and neighbour's commentary on the pot at my front door, I went out and ripped up dead things. This was more emotional than expected when I found myself finally admitting that the huge, woody, lavendar bush was long past salvation. I planted that lovely thing when we moved in thirteen years ago. The last sprig is beside my bed with "a candle to lighten dark days"- it's the first one I've used from your package, Pom Pom! Gardening always makes me maudlin- all those visceral metaphors for life, and rebirth, and growth. That's probably why I avoid it at all costs!

Thankfully the strawberries and gang bring no angst to outdoor activities, and just get on with a return to tree house living.

There have been cupcakes this week. Many, many cupcakes. We had our now annual joint meeting of Mothers' Union and Men's Breakfast, and blue icing seemed fitting. At the time!

Duncan Morrow was the speaker- academic at the local university and recently Chief Exec of the Commuity Relations Council. Talking about where this little land has been and where it could go. Interestingly talked most optimistically about our present. It reminded me of the orange and green chocolate in Aunt Sandra's the other week. He shared much about his childhood, which was lived out partly in community, with great exposure to international influences. But the most formative influence, he said, was the fact that he lived amongst people for whom love and forgiveness were bedrock certainties. Food for thought, regardless of the colour of your cupcake!

I'm still going with my intention to bring you a Rend song for every Sunday in Lent- but have run out of official youtube possibilities, so I'm recommending you listen to Find Your Kindness this week- there is a guy on youtube who has it as a background to his video on working in Kenya!

It struck me last week during my little dip into Community life, that actually I'm not entirely bad at it, but I am poor at being gracious in the face of the things that really push my buttons.

So I'm glad that so many of Floss's Pausers are thinking about kindness this week. It has been much on my mind, which has been mulling over my inability to stay uncross sometimes. I had wondered if I couldn't recite "When you're cross, be kind" to myself. At least then I wouldn't maybe put my foot in it quite as often as I do! And the strawberries might be less lachrymose too!

Postcards from the Edge

Dear Pom Pom,

We have settled most satisfactorily into our latest little home. I have found a book with a whole section on water! Oh the rivers of Ireland, Pom Pom, are fine and flowing things. One is so black and so deep and so sleek that it reminded me vividly of dear Otter. Mags says that the salmon leap there, and men seek their knowledge. Close by we visited the spectacular Giants' Causeway, and Mags held on tightly to us, so heavy was the rain becoming and so shaken were we all by Mole's adventure. I'll let him tell his own tale. Hope all is well and happy with you? Our own book is a wonderful thing to behold now!

Well, Pom Pom, greetings from Ireland- it is certainly very agricultural and in places suburban. But there is exciting potential- do you see the title of this book? It has been done! Round Ireland with a fridge! I say! Mags' own fridge seems quite too permanently installed to be of use, sadly.

I must complain, Pom Pom, of Mole's behaviour recently. He has become quite, quite ridiculously unpredictable. Careering off into the dark without a word to anyone and causing all sorts of fuss and panic. Do send him a word of admonishment. Who knows what will become of us if he keeps this up- we have a quite a way to go, you know.

Mags took us to the very edge of the land at the weekend, and it was most pleasingly grand. Don't you think I am looking remarkably dapper after all this globetrotting? Shame Mole can't say the same, ha ha!

Dearest Pom Pom, how are you? Congratulations on the latest addition to your most lovely family. Mags showed us the photographs. I fear I gave her the most dreadful scare at the weekend, but secretly to you I can confess what a thrilling time I had!

I know she didn't at all mean to drop me from her bag. She was really quite preoccupied at the time. She was hurrying from a shop where she had spent quite some considerable time, and was talking to her (fine) husband on her phone and rummaging for her car keys at the same time. I am hoping to spring clean that bag sometime soon.

All was well in the end. I didn't lie in the middle of the street for too many hours, and it wasn't Mags' fault that it started to rain. Some of the local Wombles did shuffle along after dark to ask if I wanted to join them in their burrow for some hot berry juice and a nice forty winks, but I trusted that Mags would return. And she did! And really, I'm sure those lovely volunteers at the Corrymeela Community had much better things to do than worry about me, but I was very touched by their kind concern.

Best wishes to you and our faraway home. Please pass on our deepest, most humble thanks to all the wonderful families who have hosted us thus far. We are having a fine time!

Emily, USA; Emily, Canada; Catherine, Germany; Matt, USA- thank you!

Greatitudes 498 - 527

This week I am very grateful for Lent. The time where you clear a space to find more of God and He rushes straight in and says, "I'm here for you." Thoughts rush in too and so many of them are shared through Floss. This is a very special, and a very tangible, result of bloggisme! Thankful for pancakes and a husband who'll make them continually all week!

There is progress on the blanket, and it is slow and erratic, but as some of you so beautifully pointed out, where's the rush?! Its width is the perfect length for a sun who stands above my shoulder and it is now just deep enough for him to snuggle under!

However, today I am overwhelmingly grateful to Cooking Catherine for an invitation to join her on a duty weekend at the Corrymeela Community. Living in community fascinates me, because I am so bad at it! But in the Croi for worship, looking at the cushions so intricately laid out on the floor, I was struck by how they lay cheek and jowl, jostled by each other, rubbed by each other, uncomfortable maybe with each other. But there they were, laid out before the cross, and fit for purpose, getting the job done.

"Come for a weekend of peace and quiet," said Catherine. "Come and get your head showered." (Interesting Northern Irish? expression for clearing the mind- no doubt linked to climate!) So I took my crochet and my book and my Lent journal. And barely touched any of it- so much noise and bustle and tea to drink and food to eat and volunteers to chat to and jobs to be done and tea to drink and food to eat and noise and tea and food..... I had the most fun, genuine, belly laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh fun that I have had in ages!

I did also walk lots and lots yesterday and there was much time to breathe and look and stand in awe. This is a wondrous land.

Now. Confession. I am deeply, deeply grateful that he who was lost has been found! Bedraggled, paint that has run, bit grubby from his ordeal. Oh dear! The full sad tale will be told tomorrow- but Mole has had a real live dark and scary adventure!

days 22 and 23 Gift tags and radio and TV!

This has been a very exciting week, dear readers! And for reasons I shall discuss tomorrow, it shouldn't have been so at all!

We were interviewed at 8.40 am on Good Morning, Ulster, and then all appeared on BBC1 Newsline at 1.30pm. Our road safety campaigning group- three walking buses coming down the road with 200 of our pupils and their parents. Three count stations, media coverage, our local Stormont MLA- bless you, Alastair Ross, and sunshine for the first time all week. I don't believe in coincidence!

Lots of gift tag making for teachers just now, for two establishments. Must get back to the ribbon. If you'd like to hear a squeaky middle aged woman ranting in the voice of an irate 8 year old, move the Radio Ulster timer on to 2:05:30....

Days 20 and 21: Solstice

So it's the longest day. Last year Prince Charming and I were enjoying this, but this year we are enjoying torrential rain and all is grey!

Black and white photography is definitely not grey, when it looks like the above. Darragh Casey, photographer and parent at the suns' school, has started the visual campaign. So, between making a difference and making apple cosies, and the usual, the making month goes on, the earth turns, and life revolves.

Darragh's website is fabulous- in the Exhibition section there are very beautiful portaits of poets and authors alike. More than enough to brighten a grey night!

Days 7,8,10 and 14: Making a difference

There haven't been many waking minutes this month unfilled with thoughts of road crossing possibilities! Out of my Lent thinking, and especially out of that day away I did with Cooking Catherine came some meetings and lots of emailing and an impressively accessible range of elected folk and even a facebook group called Cross the Jordanstown Road! Do join us! So far we're a fairly friendly bunch!

Over the next week we're announcing our desperate need for a lollipop person in local church services on Sunday, and trying to pull together a Big Morning Out next week- hopefully with media coverage- wow! If you're on this side of the Irish Sea, you'd be be most welcome to join one of our walking buses!

At our first meeting, the local station master described our route to school as a country road with motorway traffic, so, when no post appears to say otherwise, a difference in how hair-raising it can be walking less than a mile will be what I am trying to make!

Christmas Presence!

So, at Mothers' Union on Monday night there was to be a Secret Santa exchange of presents. Absolute embargo on anything more costly than £2. Not a lot to go on- unless you are confident in your cooking and crafting! I would have happily wrapped up some shortbread or Christmas cake, but there wasn't a crumb left after Sunday afternoon, and as it transpires that this was quite fortuitous!

I therefore arrived with my tiny little envelope, containing Most Ingenious Idea. And placed it with not a little trepidation on the table groaning with surprisingly large gifts. £2?

Seated at the very end of the long table, between two happily friendly (Grand)Mothers, I grew increasingly concerned as my turn slowly came. Numbers were drawn which would correspond to their numbered present. To my two pillars I expressed the fear that my Most Ingenious Idea would not be up to MU scratch. They were both appalled that this might indeed be so. No comfort there!

Unbelievably the little envelope had still not been drawn before our turns. Anne received a large wrapped present from her number. I received a silver wrapped present from my number. Molly drew the final 18. A little red envelope. She looked at me in disdain.

"Anne, let me tell you my Most Ingenious Idea, and if it's awful, tell Molly to take my present instead."

Frantic whispering. A face lit up. "Molly, swap with me; let me have Margaret's envelope!"

Presence, not presents. I told Molly to bring her diary to church on Christmas morning. Hopefully she'll read the message inside the card and not just use the teabag...

Vsiting and loving idle saints

There are two saints I know. They are most graciously generous with their saintliness and mine was the pleasure of being in both their homes today. A good day! No tearful strawberries in these domains!

Saint J made us lunch. No, the Saint Husband of Saint J stood outside in his raincoat and barbecued our lunch. The real sun came out in time for us to sit and eat with our four assembled suns. Most gracious on both their parts.

Then Saint J packed my suns off to rooms filled with toys to play with her suns, and I spent the next three hours being pumped full of life and encouragement, all rounded off with a lesson in the rudiments of crochet. Oh my!

This evening neighbourly Saint K took my suns away so that Prince Charming and I could drive the dismantled remnants of our living room to Bruce Lee's dump, and then she made us all green tea on our return. It should be noted that Saint K was simultaneously running her evening drop-in for All Daughter's Friends. It should also be noted that this same woman had in addition read today's newspaper- today...

Community is not dead, nor is it now reserved for Blogland. It is growing quietly still wherever the gentle war of child-rearing wages. Thank-you both muchly...

One day early for Bench Monday

I have not yet managed to have the right feet in the right place on the right day, but I feel a Bench Monday debut approaching! The title could be: Jojo drying dishes and stacking them on the kitchen floor until he's ready to put them away. Working quite smart* I thought. He should be in teaching...

I'm realising this weekend that all you bloggers (bloggettes, bloggesses, blogguys?) really must take your cameras everywhere, or have those new-fangled phones with cameras as well as music systems and sat nav and personal assistants and the rest.

Hence my beautifully worded post entitled French Feast remained unpenned as I forgot to find PC's camera in the midst of chopping onions, apples and mushrooms. And there was no mention of the twenty-two Americans and their stew on Wednesday for much the same reason! So tomorrow I resolve to take a camera on our exciting excursion and to complete my draft post on ducks!

On the notion of blogging per se. Now that the sheer thrill of the thing becomes more normal, and slightly less euphoric (mostly because PC gravely pointed out the level to which my obsession had risen), I do wonder what a blog is for?

Are we all so desperate for attention now that we crave the publication of something that is ours? Are we certain that others are interested in the daily jottings of our lives? Do we not recall the lengths we went to in hiding our padlocked five year diaries when we were eleven? Or is this where the post-modern individualist finds community?

PC preaching again on community this morning. Finds it elusive without "huge chunks of uninterrupted time" (inspired by our holiday read from John Ortberg). And I suppose that huge chunks of uninterrupted time are what you can find on the Internet?

Once all those dishes are dried and put back in the cupboard!

*Something, something, achievable, time something, something. I am thinking about next year's PRSD, but not smart enough obviously! Serve the teaching community right for abusing adverbs...