A good few days 'down south' seeing my Mum and worshipping at the church I attended as a teenager, indeed the church which is, at least indirectly, responsible for me being a minister type person, since it was joingin the GB there that led me onto what turned into this path.  It was good to see other 'girls' I grew up with - even if it is now as near as makes no odds 30 years since I left 'home' to go to university (scary, seriously scary!) - and some other friends who were considerably younger back then than I am now.

My one problem was the heat.  I'm not a sun worshipper at the best of times but add drug induced hot flushes and the heat became almost unbearable.  At risk of being 'tmi' (too much information) my daily flush count and nightly sweat count more than doubled whilst I was in the hot climes of middle England... I reckon around 20 flushes and 6 sweats is pretty 'good' going.  I am probably the only person glad to be back to the more temperate climes of Glasgow, which according to the TV are about 15C lower than London.  If the reservoirs are empty it's because I drank them dry!

Glad to be home to my own flat where I can fling wide the windows and enjoy the cool night air... and no doubt the late night revelry of my neighbours!

Looking forward to being back to work tomorrow - even if my inbox is brimming with stuff to sort!

... HT Annie for this video clip.  Caution, contains language ministers aren't meant to know!

I gather that someone who left SBC last summer will be moving from here:

to here:

There is a nice circularity as it is as near as makes no odds exactly two years since I made a near reverse trip, ending up pretty close to here:

God bless P & C and the good people of Dibley, from me and all at the Gathering Place

It was a good few days away (and a few more to come as I head south tomorrow).  The location of the lodge on the shores of Loch Linnhe was beautiful, and even on the wettest days (and there were two) it was a delight.

Highlight was the three isles excursion - Mull, Staffa and Iona.  Not long on any of them, but nonetheless the great day out.  In the course of the day I saw puffins, seals, eagles and dolphins.

The eagles and seals were far too far away to photograph with my simple camera, and the dolphins were there and gone too quickly for me to get my camera out of my bag.  But the on Staffa puffins came very close to where people stood and seemed to enjoy posing for a few photos!

Although it poured with rain all the way out, we were kept dry courtesy of the proper oilskins supplied on the small boat that took us out to Staffa and then on to Iona.

I have to admit to being a bit disappointed that now that Iona Abbey is administered by Historic Scotland you have to pay (or in my case produce an English Heritage card) to get in.

Despite all the touristy nature of it, there is still a quiet area where I wanted to go to be still and remember before God quite a few people - some I know in the real world, some I know only on line and some I met fleetingly this week.

As I lit some candles and began to name names, the sound of singing filled the air:

Put peace into each other's hands
and like a treasure hold it,
protect it like a candle-flame,
with tenderness enfold it.

Put peace into each other's hands
with loving expectation;
be gentle in your words and ways,
in touch with God's creation.

Put peace into each other's hands
like bread we break for sharing;
look people warmly in the eye:
our life is meant for caring.

As at communion, shape your hands
into a waiting cradle;
the gift of Christ receive, revere,
united round the table.

Put Christ into each other's hands,
he is love's deepest measure;
in love make peace, give peace a chance
and share it like a treasure.

Fred Kaan (1929-2009)    © 1989 Stainer & Bell Ltd

As I looked up the words today I found these addition verses as a "Permitted variant":

Give thanks for strong-yet tender- hands,
held out in trust and blessing.
Where words fall short, let hands speak out,
the heights of love expressing.

Reach out in friendship, stay with faith
in touch with those around you.
Put peace into each other's hands:
the Peace that sought and found you.

They seem quite apposite too.

At the risk of being a Pharisee on the a street corner, the candles I lit (a few of the many on this stand) are for

Annie

A and her family

GI Jane

Perpetua and C and J and R who are long term survivors

Remembering with gratitude R and G and J and Bad Fairy who go before us all.

Grace, peace, hope and love be yours.

Gallus is a good word I have learned since I moved to Scotland.  It is a bit flexible in meaning, but has a sense of rashness about it.  And it is a good word to describe how I feel about heading off on my hols today.  My logical head says this is nuts - I'm going a couple of hours or so up the road and I've been going off on my own all my adult life.  But this is the first time away from home, properly on my own, since last August and it feels almost like the first time again.

I remember the first time I went into town on my own after my surgery - it felt like a big adventure!  Now I'm ready for a bit bigger adventure, so maybe gallus is a good word to use.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I'm not not up in the wee small hours because I'm too excited to sleep, but because after yesterday's brill day at church I was so shattered I feel fast asleep for about an hour then woke up wide awake and convinced it must be morning!  Look on it as empathy with those in the thrall of St Eroid or who are too uncomfortable to sleep.