My good friend Julie is getting 'handshaked' at Baptist Assembly next week and so far as we know is the first person in the line up (yeay!  Though we'll miss Geoff leading off with Central :-( )  The disadvantage of her being first is that we will only just have been told we aren't allowed to cheer (and yes, we do understand the logic) so to do so would be to risk the ire of Uncle Paul - not a good idea.

So, in a moment of subversion and copying the silent monks Hallelujah chorus I have a designed a silent cheer which will find the middle course.  Simply print it off, roll up and hide under your jumper until the relevant moment then wave it silently and defiantly.  An alternative is to cheer in BSL - I'm not exactly sure how this is done, but applause involves 'jazz hands': raise your hands to shoulder height (or higher) and wiggle your fingers.

We all know that by the time it reaches LBA there will be klaxons, rattles and wonderul elderly black women in big hats shouting 'hallelujah' at the top of their voices. But we who are near the start will have to settle for silent subverison - or even behave ourselves in case the stewards have been tipped off!

Lots happening here - and hardly a weekend that's normal for weeks on end!  Some exciting stuff in prospect.

Baptist Assembly in Bournemouth over the Bank holiday will see some silent cheering for Julie and others getting their handshake - we aren't meant to cheer with our voices (BUGB suffer from Marlow disease if you know the hymn-singing debate of the 17th century) so I am VERY tempted to make a very large sign to wave!

The week after a BMS Action team visits D+6 and we have a joint service at D+2 which they will lead - always inspiring to hear young adults talk of their adventures with God overseas.

Couple of normal weeks and then Pentecost with Churches Together.

In between is a week walking the West Highland Way with a friend who used to be a Methodist minister, her father and possibly someone I knew through work in East Kilbride and her father knew through a choir in Stirling...  Looking forward to some great Scottish hospitality and some good walking.  Should be fun.

A book arrvied from Amazon called 'Historics' but I miss read it as 'Histrionics' - does that say something?!

(PS the image is a test of ingenuity to the reader!)

Last night our girls were listing the schools they attended as part of their local knowledge project.  One of the schools has a name pronounced 'Beaverdale' and the girls were telling each other how it should be written.  Only if you live in Leicestershire would you know that the word pronounced 'beaver' is actually spelled 'Belvoir'.  But then only if you live in Northamptonshire would know that 'Nene' (the local river) is pronounced 'Nen' (as in 'men') or the village spelled Cogenhoe as 'Cookno.'  And only if you live in Scotland or have a mother who grew up in Glasgow do you stand a chance with Milngavie (~Mulguy) or Strathaven (Straven).  What chance does anyone have?

Anyone want to add any oddities?!

This morning is our annual lunch club coffee morning.  A couple in their 70's open their home - a very ordinary semi-detached house - for the purpose and people zim along the road to get there (to zim v. art of walking with a zimmer or wheeled walking aid).  A few of us drive round gathering those whose zimming days are over, then we sit around drinking coffee and sorting out the world's problems over digestive biscuits.  Another church member acts as 'shopkeeper' for the bring and buy stall and we part with our pennies in exchange for secondhand books, bars of floral scented soap or tins of exotic or unusual foodstuffs.  After the event ends any left over stuff is taken to one of the charity shops in town.

Today's efforts are to support the local community hospital - a place where many of our folk get their chiropody and physio done, where many have been treated in the specialist stroke unit and others have been tended in their final days.

It promises to be a good morning and seems to tick rather a lot of boxes of what church is really about.  Now then, where is that box of barbie pink stationery I was given for Christmas....

Tonight at GB we began a local knowledge project, led by someone who is a history teacher so it has a good slant towards local history.  As part of the warm up exercise I asked the girls where we live.  One six year old immediately put her hand up - unusual, she usually is a bit reluctant to answer - 'in God's hands' she exclaimed.  That was unexpected!  So, having got the theological answer we then worked our way down via earth/world (they reckoned there was a distinction, earth being bigger than world) to UK, to England, to 'Carbonton', to the exact locale of the church.

We had a good time thinking about the raison d'etre of 'Carbonton' and who was the Mr Stephenson who is responsible for its rocket-like growth, as well as identifying the things in the town including a toy shop, police cars, trees, dogs, people and lamp posts!

This is why I love working with my girlies - and if nought else they are beginning to think theologically!!

PS When we explored the linguistic origins of the word 'ville', which is the non-fiction ending of the town's name, at least three girls were adamant it was Scottish and one that it was Australian!