Free Sundays all too often disappear in a blue of nothingness, and so easily that could have been the case today.  After a very long day out yesterday (travelling around 800 miles all told, in order to spend three hours with a special friend) I allowed myself to wake up 'as and when' before warming up an almond croissant for breakfast and booking a car so that I can go Christmas shopping tomorrow.

Then I looked out of the windwo, saw a cloudless blue sky, pulled on my boots, wrapped out and headed out for a walk, at the last minute putting my camera in my pocket.  Initially intending a yomp of maybe 4 miles, I ended up walking what was apparently 8.5, and had a lovely time soaking up the industrial and archtectural delights I saw as I walked along the river into town, on to the People's Palace for lunch and a quick look at the museum then into the centre of town and out again past the Mitchell library and through Kelvingrove Park on my way home.

Just a lovely gift of a day... perfect weather, enough people around to make it vibrant but not so many it was crowded.

And the camera allowed me to snap some things as I went along - including domes, spires, statues, bridges, lunch and trees.  I arrived home glowing from the exertion and glowing inwardly from a grand day out in this city that I love.

It was quite moving, yesterday, to watch the report of Nicola Sturgeon being sworn in as Scotland's First Minister, and I loved the softly spoken adress to her, rich in words of encouragement for what will be challenging, and at times thankless, task.

I hope, though, that her status as "first woman First Minister" does not prove to be too much of a burden... we 'first women' can become objects of curiosity, derision, insult, controversy and more... I am sure she's a tough cookie, but I hope that she won't need to be too tough.

Watching her at her first First Minister's Questions, I felt for her... everyone, it seemed, taking the opportunity to get their two pen'orth of "will you now do what you predecesor did not", and she was heard to say "this is my first day..." No honeymoon period, straight in at the deep end... at least churches are a bit kinder!

Evidently Ms Sturgeon's desire is for a more consensual (consensus based) form of government, not so far my own endeavours to be a collaborative minister.  That's not an easy path to walk, especially in an arena of huge personalities who may not share her desire.  If 'consensus' is 'something we can all live with' then she has a huge task on her hands, but it's one that has huge potential for the good of all.  This desire encourages me.

I don't have any party political allegiance, I am the archetypal floating voter, the one that everyone wants to woo but few bother with, because I am never in the target demographic; my thoughts would be broadly the same had she been from another party - this is not a covert SNP advert!!

Five years on from being a 'first woman' I have accommodated to the context in which I find myself; the novelty has long since worn off and mostly I just get on with the day job.  There are still people who 'blank', critcise or inslut me for being a woman, or being English, or being from The Gathering Place, or any permutation or combination of the above... Sexism, racism, worldview-ism: I guess Ms Sturgeon may experience two out of three of those locally, and all three more widely.  There are still times when the weight of responsibility is huge - and I am sure the same will be true for her too.  If we mess up it won't because we are bad, or merely fallible, ministers,  religious or political, but because we are women ministers.  That's not fair, but it's how it is.

So today, I offer a prayer for Nicola Stuegeon, a prayer from one woman for another, that the joys will outweigh the sorrows, that friends will be found in unexpected places, and that, as she fulfills her call (even if that is purely 'secular') with all its demands she will remain true to who she is.

God bless you, First Minister...

Today, friends in Rochester awoke to the news that a UKIP MP had been elected

Kyrie eleison

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Birmingham pub bombings

Kyrie eleison

Today, in west Africa, people will die from Ebola

Kyrie eleison

Today in the USA immigration rules are changed

Kyrie eleison

Today, TTIP and NHS funding will debated and decisions brought closer

Kyrie eleison

Today, I will take my cat back to the vet

Kyrie eleison

Tomorrow I will visit a friend, probably to say 'goodbye'

Kyrie eleison

Next week, I will begin preparations for Advent

Kyrie eleison

Next week, there will meetings and discusions and decisions

Kyrie eleison

Today, tomorrow, next week, I, we, you, they, will endeavour and achieve, attempt and fail

Christe eleison

Today, tomorrow and always

Dona nobis pacem

... were great fun and left us all wanting more.

Today we concluded with a real whistlestop tour of Ecclesiasticus aka Sirach aka Wisdom ben Sira, which had a freshness and relevance we found engaging, as well as some pretty strong stuff that challenged us.

Here's just one extract we looked at today, which spoke to me especially in light of my Amazon-free Advent...

Sirach 34:21-27

If one sacrifices ill-gotten goods, the offering is blemished;
   the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.
The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly,
   nor for a multitude of sacrifices does he forgive sins.
Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes
   is the person who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.
The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;
   whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.
To take away a neighbour’s living is to commit murder;
   to deprive an employee of wages is to shed blood.

Everyone went away to give some thought to what they'd like to look at next, but before that, four weeks of African American Spiritual based reflections for Advent.

Yesterday I signed up to the Amazon-free Advent pledge, whereby I won't buy anything from Amazon (although they give you a conscience clause on kindle downloads!!) from 1st to 25th December as a kind of protest about the way their employees are treated.... we can order something for next day delivery late at night because some poor soul is working a night shift filling orders with very bad employment conditions... and then there's the whole tax avoidance thing.

I love Amazon and buy heaps of stuff from them - but I've signed the pledge, so to speak, and will adhere to it.

So, today, I began real world Christmas shopping (I am allegedly on leave this week, but it hasn't quite worked that way!!) and am rediscovering the fun of wandering round the shops looking for bits 'n' bobs.  Indeed, I have been inspired to do Christmas 'lite' this year, filling "small parcel" sizes boxes with inexpensive treats for family and friends rather than buying one item at the click of a mouse (or other pointing device!).  So far I have purchased some fundraising calendars, some chocolate coins (essential!) and a few items that 'spoke to me'.  It's fun, it may cost me more and it may cost me less (I suspect less, except for the mortgage for postage!) and feels closer to what it used to be in days gone by.

Visits to small, independent shops at one extreme and bargain basement buys from UK-based multiples at the other; 'aha' moments as I 'see this and think of you...' and the buzz and bustle of it all.

It is 'lite' in as much as no big purchases, and 'heavy' in so much as some serious re-thinking of how I spend my money.  And definitely a lightening of spirit... just need to dig out the cheesy CDs ready of December 1st!!

Next task... buy a chocolate filled Advent calednar and a few other treats to donate to a foodbank.