Yesterday I was back in my old stamping ground, conducting the funeral of a friend who lived there, but who I met as a result of our cancer diagnoses after I'd left there.

I arrived at Bretby crematorium to be greeted by one of the undertakers who said, "Dave is looking for you".  Who is Dave, I thought, and then he appeared - the guy who does "front of house", who I hadn't seen for over five years, and who greeted me as if it was five weeks, seemingly not noticing the short hair instead of long.  It was odd, but nice, and helped me relax a bit.

As I stood at the door under the canopy waiting for the hearse to arrive, I found myself recalling the last time I'd stood there, and that I had never expected to be there again.  Very surreal.

Little had changed, the huge 200-ish seater chapel was full of people who had come to say farewell to a woman in her mid-forties.  Some I knew, most I did not.  The singing was pretty good (her relatives are mostly Catholics from an area where Catholics sing lustily), the visual tribute (photos set to music, a new development sinece I was last there) tasteful and moving, and my bits were well received.

I got home whacked, physically tired from the travel, emotionally drained by the event, and without the opportunity for my own "post funeral rituals" which involve scruffy jeans, a huge mug of tea and an hour's walk.

Today, back on home turf, reminded of some regional differences of funeral customs, and with a full load of important work to be done, I am reminded that ministry is never what you expect and always more rewarding and more frustrating than you could imagine!

Now, as my kittens (cats) start to settle in to their new home, and explore the limited space they have been introduced to, I have my scruffs on, will make a cuppa and finally get my own ritualised release.

Just for the kitten fans... Sophie and Sasha have landed, are utterly gorgeous and are tentatively exploring their new home, even allowing their new human to snap a couple of photos for the waiting fans!

Sophie (tabby and white) had a good look round and then snuggled under the piano.  Sasha (white with black markings) preferred to be underneath the old treddle sewing machine in the hall.

Very cute, very curious, a tad disorientated and utterly gorgeous!

The inspection by the Cat Home is now complete and passed (phew!).  Now as soon as the papers are sorted out and the foster carers get in touch I can meet my two girls.  How good that sounds!  "my" girls.

Watch this space for updates... will quiet for a few days as I have to travel south to farewell a good friend and former chemo buddy.  But that's the rhythm of life - birth and death, or at least adoption and death in this case.

Feels like Good News for Crazy-Cat-Lady-kind

This afternoon I have begun some serious preparation for our, now five weeks, of mindfulness based reflection/worship, which has involved listening to almost a whole CD (though I did skip a couple of tracks as it was self-evident what they would contain) which culminated in a reading of this poem.  I've a feeling mindfulness won't teach me new ideas, but instead will help me establish forgotten practices... and I think it has been worth delaying the start of our series by a week to the time and space for me to get into an appropriate head space after a totally manic few weeks!

Hokusai says

Hokusai says look carefully.
He says pay attention, notice.
He says keep looking, stay curious.
He says there is no end to seeing

He says look forward to getting old.
He says keep changing,
you just get more who you really are.
He says get stuck, accept it, repeat
yourself as long as it is interesting.

He says keep doing what you love.

He says keep praying.

He says every one of us is a child,
every one of us is ancient
every one of us has a body.
He says every one of us is frightened.
He says every one of us has to find
a way to live with fear.

He says everything is alive-
shells, buildings, people, fish,
mountains, trees, wood is alive.
Water is alive.

Everything has its own life.

Everything lives inside us.

He says live with the world inside you.

He says it doesn't matter ifyou draw,
or write books. It doesn't matter
if you saw wood, or catch fish.
It doesn't matter if you sit at home
and stare at the ants on your veranda
or the shadows of the trees
and grasses in your garden.
It matters that you care.

It matters that you feel.

It matters that you notice.

It matters that life lives through you.

Contentment is life living through you.
Joy is life living through you.
Satisfaction and strength
is life living through you.

He says don't be afraid.
Don't be afraid.

Love, feel, let life take you by the hand.

Let life live through you.

- Roger Keyes

This is the title I'm using for a six week preaching series looking at the first couple of chapters of the Gospel of Mark.

When I looked through the lectionary readings for the period from Holy Innocents to Easter, I was struck by how confusing a chronology it portrays (e.g. the innocents are slain before the magi arrive) and how it repeats readings in pretty short order (Baptism and temptation of Jesus) so I decided to side step it for a bit, using the same (or a very similar) division of the text, but running it sequentially and then doing something else (not quite sure what yet, though have an idea) for Lent.

Yesterday I spent a happy couple of hours reading commentaries and finding some ideas for the first sermon, "The Beginning of the Good News".  I hadn't imagined that there would be quite so much written about just this first phrase that would intrigue me, and set my creative juices flowing, but there you go!

After a slightly crazy couple of weeks, life is settling back into a more even pattern and tonight the Cat Inspector calls to see if I am fit to be trusted with rescue kitties... so later on the hoover will come out and the newly washed cat beds put on prominent display!  I am feeling optimisitc about 2015 - even if I know I need to pace myself.