Suffolk Clergy friends - if you see me after today’s chrism mass and I’m not sitting down, please remind me that I need to (my desire to talk to people will take over and I will forget I’m 8 months pregnant and very much should be sitting when I can)
I’m also meant to be thurifer at 4 services across Holy Week - really hoping things improve before then
For the first time in years I realistically have time to make some hot cross buns on Good Friday only to develop carpal tunnel symptoms over the weekend
We’ve still got a month and a half to go - people are much more likely to offer chairs now I’m visibly pregnant, but also much more likely to make strange comments - I could write a book of all the things that have been said to me!
I know the feeling, there’s also something more annoying to me about the “when you need it” medications than the every day ones - seems so much harder to keep on top of supply and making sure I have it with me. Hope the GP is able to be of some help to you
🙏 medicine shortages really are horrible, the 2018 shortage coincided with my prescription triptan also being unavailable in non tablet form and I’m so glad that a) I’m on a wider range of medications now b) a relatively migraine free pregnancy has meant I’m finally back to having a buffer in supply
Love how the enthusiasm changes along the line!
A screenshot of a tweet which is advertising some sort of crypto scam looking thing
Francis I suspect your account has been hacked in the other place
Have some extra health stuff going on at the moment, which is manageable but will take some time to get back to normal*. Prayers and cheering up very much appreciated at the moment
*or at least just less rubbish than I feel right now
A) I love this series of pumpkin recipes
And b) the crockery you have is the same as my grandparents were given as a wedding gift and has since been handed down (in part) to me, it always makes me smile when you post pictures of it
Successfully set up our very old printer to work on the WiFi today and honestly this may be the biggest achievement of my life
A black door with 20+C+M+B+26 inscribed in white chalk
Still not got round to having a proper house blessing, but we did chalk the door this evening!
Relatedly, if any clergy friends in Cambridge or Suffolk are able to bless some colourful chalk for me I’d be very grateful so I can do the same to my white painted door at Westcott ✝️⚓️
This is interesting to me, the church I was at today I’m on a rota with and enjoy being there - at coffee only one person spoke to me and no one invited me to sit down (this despite being visibly quite pregnant!) when I did get a seat no one spoke to me
My near universal experience of congregations that describe themselves as friendly is that they’re very welcoming to new people and friends within the core group of the congregation, but those who are somewhere in between are sort of lost - the question is how do we change that? ✝️
A white mug with “Mrs” written on it
A little less exciting than most years (and with some added hormonal tears and need for gaviscon) so Clergy Malt Club consisting of warm milk #clergymaltclub
Really enjoy that I get stopped in Sainsbury’s to ask if I’m free to help out with 9 Lessons and Carols or Midnight Mass
Thanks Gina!
I guess this is also a soft launch of my pregnancy
A picture of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, they are pictured in a boat and behind them are some pyramids
Visiting in-laws this weekend and they asked if we wanted to look through baby stuff to take back with us - I of course have come away with this little icon, which H apparently picked out as a child
Congratulations and thank you to me from 2 months ago who put my DBS check(s) in a safe, sensible and logical place so that the very frazzled brain of me today could find the right one easily this morning!
On 12 December I'm going to be speaking at St John's Church in Bury St Edmunds about the ghost stories of M. R. James in theological perspective. You can book tickets here: wegottickets.com/event/677163
It’s a Chimere, you often see them wearing the red version of the same thing
If you pray, I’d really appreciate your prayers right now.
There’s a lot going on in life and things won’t settle down for some time
Feels like I’ve hit a turning point again with bell ringing, seem to be seeing big improvements each week and tonight rang independently in rounds!
Okay it was a bit of a mess but it feels like a really cool achievement
A woman dressed as St Catherine of Alexandria. She is wearing a gold crown and carrying a large wheel.
The final costume!
Was it impractical - yes
Did I have to explain St Catherine’s hagiography to people all night - yes
Was it worth it - absolutely
A woman stands holding a large makeshift wheel (made to look like an old wooden wagon wheel) while wearing a gold crown
Props are done - just hoping they manage the journey on Friday!
Also I realised I’m wearing a top with a Catherine Wheel on it in this photo which was unintentional
A selfie of a woman with a dog inside a church
Made a friend at Bellringing this evening!
And I am almost doing all the ringing on my own - not bad considering I spent earlier today having injections in my neck!
Off to the hospital today in the continued quest to find something to help my migraines. If you pray, please do so for me.
It is! And hopefully means I’ll still look like I’m in fancy dress after I’ve stopped holding on to the 4ft wheel!
A Papier-mache crown
Panic made a crown to wear to a fancy dress wedding (yes really) - quite pleased with myself given it’s made from things found lying around the house!
Just need to paint it tomorrow