Exhausted

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I wish I could sit down when working. I'm exhausted. It's been such a busy two weeks.

Hopefully back on track next week eh?

Hope you're having a wonderful day.

Twenty Questions...

I came across this via Claire@Battlement of Rubies: Twenty questions for an abortion provider that wants the taboo removed. The letter is addressed to Marie Stopes International. The letter was sent in May, he quickly received a 'holding' letter, but has not received any answers to the 20 questions. I think he asks some good questions.

I pray that the debate is de-politicised and is opened up honestly.

Blog

I don't think I will go over to Wordpress, it's a bit of a faff to start changing blogs again! (To say the least) Blogger has rather been annoying me recently but I don't think it's worth moving (unless it gets worse).

I've also managed to merge my two Blogger accounts. I'm not sure what to do with my old blog. I loved the title of my old blog and I much prefer using my own name rather than an anonymous 'nickname'. But of course I was rather spooked by someone working out where I lived from my photos - hence me moving here and going anonymous.

Anyway, don't worry I'm not about to move blogs again. I may reinstate my old blog, just perhaps anonymise it a bit so that old posts can be accessed but continue to blog here at Like sunshine in the Home (keeping the old blog on my profile). Whether I'll use my real name or a pseudonym is something I'll think about carefully.

Thanks for being patient.

Shakes fist at Blogger. Ah you will be the undoing of me Blogger indeed you will. Keep logging me out. Then I get error messages. It's soooo tedious.

I have an account at Wordpress that I set up quite a while ago. Been having a look at it. Wonder if I might just move over there? Meow

I dunno. I think even my most patient readers will become mutinous if I change blog address again.

LOL just got another error message. Grrrrrr.

Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain,
With banners, by great gales incessant fanned,
Brighter than brightest silks of Samarcand,
And stately oxen harnessed to thy wain!
Thou standest, like imperial Charlemagne,
Upon thy bridge of gold; thy royal hand
Outstretched with benedictions o'er the land,
Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain!
Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended
So long beneath the heaven's o'er-hanging eaves;
Thy steps are by the farmer's prayers attended;
Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves;
And, following thee, in thy ovation splendid,
Thine almoner, the wind, scatters the golden leaves!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Just call me Mrs Vader

When visiting non-Blogger blogs I've been trying to come up with a good username. Like Sunshine in the Home is such a looooooooooong thing to type every time. But then I realised that if I ignore 'Like', then the initials of my blog are SITH. Hurrah, I'm a Sith Lord. Just call me Mrs Vader.

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Blogger issues

I just heard from Cabcree that she's been having trouble signing into Blogger. I've been having countless issues with being suddenly logged out, getting error messages, etc. I thought it was my computer playing up, but it seems other people are having issues.

I wonder if it's time to have a try with Wordpress?

Ha just tried to post this and got error message! Try again...

Busy busy busy

I've been a tad busy, hence the lack of blog posts over the past few days...how long has it been? 8 days, not that long.

Anywaaay, what have I been up to? My Mum and Dad are away so I'm in charge of Grandma. Lol, I go around to clean her house and it's cleaner before I start than my own house is after I've cleaned! But if I don't vacuum round she'll try herself, and at nearly 91 that's bound to end badly.

I'm also keeping an eye on Mum and Dad's house. So I popped in today to find a note from a delivery company pushed through the door. 'Parcel next to hosepipe in back garden'. "Oh man!" Since it's been raining solidly all weekend I wonder how long the parcel's been there, plus I thought the gate was locked?? So I check. Gate is locked. Parcel has been lobbed over the fence and is soaking wet. My Dad's new book is ruined. Grrrr. So spend morning trying to contact Mum and Dad and trying to find the purchase information on Mum and Dad's computer. Sasanfasanrasan.

On a more jolly note, we went out for a lovely meal on Saturday night to a local Italian restaurant. It was LOVELY although hubby's seafood meal with the little mini-octopus tentacles and my youngest playing with the inside of a mussel rather put me off my meal. "Look Mummy it has a tongue." Yuck.

I'm a bit manic at work. We're under staffed and I'm having to work extra - not a mega amount - but when you're trying to keep up with other stuff it gets tiring. I haven't cleaned the hallway at church for 2 weeks now and if I don't do it, it doesn't get done!

What else? I've been watching Castle on TV, that's a new one. I think CSI and Criminal Minds may be starting up soon, so that's enough crime dramas to promote nightmares for a year!! We've also started watching The Middle, which is OK. I've also been watching Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK, which has been fascinating. I think he's said some very good things, particularly in speaking out against aggressive atheism/secularism. Atheists and secularists of the more intolerant type have been making it increasingly difficult in the UK to even mention faith. If you mention your faith at work you're in danger of being sacked because you 'might hurt someone's feelings'. Apparently we MUST agree with them and keep our thoughts and opinions to ourselves or else we will be punished! Chuh!

Sorry this has been very rambling. I need to go get the girls from dancing now.

See ya later! :)

Why the title and why the anonymity

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You may (or may not) have wondered why ' Like sunshine in the home' as a blog title. Well, there's nothing like sunshine lighting up the rooms of a home. It makes me cheerful. I think that's why when it's a dull-day I put on a warm lamp and the fire. I long for the sunshine to enter in.

I'm not a huge sun worshipper, that is I'm not one for lying out in the sun. I love a good downpour of rain. I love being indoors when there is a storm raging - it make me appreciate the cosyness of home. But there's nothing like the sun streaming in through the windows.

I chose the title because that's what I hope to be, sunshine in the home. Ha, I'm not half the time when I'm rampaging around the house shouting, "Who didn't flush the loo?", "Why is there orange peel on the stairs?" and other End.Of.The.World issues. But I pray and hope that in all the darkness and horridness the world often brings, my children will be warmed and cheered in the home. To feel safe and loved.

I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.

~Abraham Lincoln

The other thing you might have wondered is why I left my other blog and went all cloak n' dagger anonymous. Well, I have no doubt watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds, but when some anonymous person visited my other blog and started pin-pointing where I lived I got all of a nervous.

New teapot and for prayer

Had a busy day today. Swimming. Shopping. Bought a new teapot today. Chuh! It pours terribly. Oh well. I've cut out coffee for a while so it's cups of tea all round. :)

Notes containing prayers in the Western wall, Jerusalem

On a more serious note, I'd be grateful if you could keep my Nan in your prayers. She's been diagnosed with lung cancer. We don't know the full details because my Nan and Granddad have chosen not to know everything. The hospital have told them that the only treatment they recommend is pain medicine. My Nan and Granddad are in their 90s and my Granddad does everything, despite the fact he is unsteady on his legs.

I'd be grateful if you could pray for healing and pain relief for my Nan and that if they need help that they will accept it. My Granddad is wonderful, so independent, but we worry that he will take on more than he can cope with. I love them both so much.

Thanks. Here's hoping you all have a wonderful weekend.

My white rose

My second pregnancy ended in miscarriage. We were devastated. Especially as the hospital treated our tiny 10 week baby as 'clinical waste', although they did claim that the ashes were scattered on a garden of remembrance. Why can hospitals not understand that a woman going through miscarriage firstly ought not be on the maternity ward with all the happy flower bearing congratulations going on around and secondly that her baby is not 'clinical waste'.

Ugh, I could cry right now, even though it was over 7 years ago. I was too numb at the time to complain. I couldn't get my head around what had happened. I felt in a dream. I wept with a nurse whose only words to me were, "You're getting blood on me."

Our Pastor was wonderful, he came round to our house afterwards and after prayers we planted a white rose bush in our garden. Every year it had flowered until early this year when it died. It seem to just rot away.

Imagine my joy when in Spring shoots started to appear! Here it is now. My beautiful white rose.


Call me silly, but I'm convinced my baby was a girl - we could never know because it was too early. Perhaps because my other two children are girls. I don't know. But she's in heaven now, my little one.

Is it going to rain?

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My Mum regaled me with tales of very heavy rain heading our way today. So with great trepidation I've hung my washing out.

I live an exciting life of danger and intrigue.

;)

Books

I know, no blog posts for ages and then four come at once.

So I've just finished reading the delectable The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge sent to me by the lovely Dulce Domum. I was so excited but then disappointed that it wasn't as compelling as the wonderful Herb of Grace (or Pilgrims' Inn for my American pals). I put the book down for a week or two whilst I read In His Steps by Charles Sheldon (wonderful) and Suprised by the Power of the Spirit by Dr Jack Deere (wonderful, except I got a bit bored towards the end). Anyway, I re-picked up The Heart of the Family for my recent holiday and absolutely loved it. Elizabeth Goudge has a beautiful peaceful quality to her work and I love the way she gently explores the spiritual aspect of suffering and struggles. Home and family are wonderfully portrayed. The novels aren't fast-paced or dramatic but rather poetic and descriptive. If you enjoy that style of writing then I fully recommend these books.

My next Elizabeth Goudge book is The Scent of Water also sent by Dulce Domum.

I'm currently reading The Shack by William Paul Young, a very interesting book. A friend from church raved about the book, she claimed that everyone must read it. Another friend said, "Hmmmm". Our Pastor said that there was good aspects and dubious aspects to the book. So I had to read! :) It's certainly very different, the first few chapters are very engrossing. When Mack, the central character, finally meets God it isn't the most theologically sound description, but very lovely. I don't know I've not finished yet, so one must reserve judgement. So far I'd hazard to say don't base your doctrine on it, but approached for what it is - fiction from the imagination - it is a warm fuzzy read so far. Somehow a bit too warm and fuzzy. If you read the reviews on Amazon the book is quite controversial. I'll write more when I've finished the book. Watch this space...

Onto my eldest's books. Despite the fact I moaned about Enid Blyton in a previous post, I must say we really enjoyed The Island of Adventure and The Castle of Adventure. I think they were abridged, you know took out all the old fashioned non-p.c. language. We are now reading Five God Adventuring Again in an old 1950s hard back. It's quite simply delicious! The characters are so jolly hockey sticks and 'I say!'



It has fantastic pictures in too. Hubs complained about the old fashioned language. "Why do they keep saying, 'rather!' about everything?" I'm hooked. I want to buy all my books in their wonderful unabridged version.

So what for my youngest. Nothing new except What About Heaven? Which is a lovely book written in poetry. It has lots of scripturally based answers to questions children might ask about Heaven. At the end of book it covers the scriptures on which the poem is based. I enjoy reading it with her.

*Sigh* the girls go back to school tomorrow and I go back to work (only 2 hours a day, but still *sigh*). Don't know when I'll post again.

Pip, pip.

Eagle Owl

Thanks for all your lovely comments on yesterday's post, it's so nice to know that people are still reading despite my lengthy absence.

The picture of the bird I posted was an Eagle Owl. We visited Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre which is situated in a walled garden in the grounds of Lowther Castle. We didn't visit the castle, as you can see from the website it's being renovated at the moment (take time to look at the photos and the progress being made, it's wonderful).

Both hubs, my mum and my youngest had an opportunity to hold the Eagle owl and to watch it fly. It really was wonderful to enjoy the ancient art of falconry, they behave almost like a dog with its master.









Such a beautiful creature.

She's BACK!

Hello there. Is there anyone still out there? Lol.

We've just returned from a beautiful holiday here.

Here are a few pics from the holiday (I'll perhaps share some more when I have time):







Hope you are all well and happy.