I love all the seasons, but I’m particularly thankful to see Spring well and truly show its face over the last few days. I’ll let the photos do the talking:
Spring flowers
Violas on the windowsill
Spring brings visitors, who kindly brought across our bargain coffee table. Thanks, Adrian and Catherine.
On our doorstep - everything looks even better in the Spring sunshine
No spring connection - just a great service led by the children yesterday
I hope Spring is visiting wherever you are.
1. Thankful that You have a way of weaving good and beautiful things from the threads of the hard and difficult situations that sometimes come our way.
2. Good friends who thoughtfully prepare delicious veggie meals (thanks Susie and Steve).
3. Family members who show they’re taking the words of Jesus seriously by the way they live and serve others.
4. 24-7 Prayer spaces for Lent – I’m really enjoying this.
5. Also, another Lent plug – You Version – Lent for Everyone by N T Wright. His overview of each passage is great and really helpful (especially for someone who didn’t grow up observing this tradition).
6. The opportunity to drive a car again for a few days. It’s not a great loss not having one, but I always enjoy the chance to get behind the wheel again.
7. Being able to watch Raymond Blanc’s The Very Hungry French Man – love the beautiful scenery, his heavily accented English! – and the fact that he still occasionally makes mistakes in the kitchen!
8. Walking by the sea with our son, his girlfriend and her dogs.
9. I’m thankful for the creative process of thinking through and collecting all the different elements for the prayer room. Can’t wait to be part of putting it all together.
10. This place – it feels like coming back to a soft and cuddly blanket, partly I think, because I know it so well, and as there’s so much about this phase of life that is new and unknown, it’s great to have a familiar haven to escape to every so often.
Holywell, Eastbourne
Love this place
It’s a gift! We’re so thankful and it’s being installed on Tuesday. Looking forward to non-microwaveable food, although the slow cooker has definitely come into its own over the last few weeks.
Saying a prayer that it will get much use through cooking for family and friends; those we know and those we’ve yet to meet (friends that is; aware of who our family are!).
By the way, on the decorating front, we’re now four rooms down with two left to go and although it’s been a lesson in patience and hard work, it’s great to see it coming together.
I’d better sign off and plan some recipes for using this new addition to our culinary lives!
Today we spent some time putting up pictures, mirrors, shelves, etc and it’s surprising how much more like home the place is beginning to feel.
So, although we’ve still got some way to go before we’ve finished, here’s my thanks in photos:
It's taking shape!
A favourite print
Warm and cosy
Chambre
Kitchen ... and also a walk in larder
Kitchen
What is a lounge without little lights
Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference in our lives, isn’t it? Here’s some moments from the last few days that I’m grateful for:
1. A visit from Joel and his girlfriend Bryony. Our first visitors and it’s been fun showing them around our new town.
Joel & Bryony
2. Being able to get a few more things sorted out in the flat and the fact that it’s beginning to feel like home.
3. A visit from one of our neighbours offering us a spare red cabbage from the market!
4. Living back by the sea and being able to wander along the quay at a minute’s notice.
5. Conversations with my brothers via Skype.
6. Le Tribunaux – fast becoming our favourite new cafe.
7. The friendliness of the people in the town.
8. Not feeling compelled to get caught up in the craziness of the consumerist side of this season, and to enjoy giving meaningful gifts while remembering those with very little.
9. The gift of a new cooker – it’s a range! – and although it’s not here yet I’m looking forward to cooking up a storm on it when it arrives.
And my final one is more of a looking forward with thanks:
10. A simple ferry journey back to Eastbourne to see family and friends, and celebrating together the miracle of God coming into our world, because this changes everything!
Here’s my belated thankful list, in no particular order, except the first one:
1. Huge thanks to Katie, Mark and J for helping us move on Monday and carrying what seemed like thousands of boxes up one flight of stairs; mainly Dave’s books I hasten to add! Talk about true friendship in action.
2. My bookworm husband who can also turn his hand to DIY when necessary – it has been (and still is).
3. Paint, and the difference it can make to a room. Two down, four to go.
4. I’m thankful that when the decorating, unpacking and wandering around wondering where to put things all gets too stressful, I can walk out through the courtyard on to the quay- side and get things into perspective again.
5. The use of some Internet; it’s not the full package yet but it’s been helpful.
6. As I just finished typing number 5, we discovered that we’ve now got the complete package, which means tv, telephone and internet.
7. Coir, sisal, or whatever you call it carpet that’s been put down in two rooms so far (see what I mean about my handyman husband?!).
8. Market day – it’s the biggest in Normandy. Love seeing all the locally grown produce, linen and beds, yes beds! Singles, doubles, whatever takes your fancy.
9. The huge, high windows in this flat, which is a challenge when it comes to curtains, but they let in so much light.
10. I’m thankful that tomorrow we can make our second visit to a local church and hear a sermon in French, join in with the worship and hopefully have a conversation with the (bilingual) pastor.
Here’s a photo of the flats opposite us in the courtyard, complete with the neighbour’s cat sitting at an open window two flight’s up!
Two floors up!
The cat in perspective (if you think these walls look a bit ancient, that's because they are! This building dates back to 1647.)
I’m just emerging from being surrounded by boxes (think David Bellamy peering through the jungle foliage!) to offer up some gratitude for the following:
1. Greek yoghurt – with honey – love the two flavours together
2. Both of my sons’ and my husband’s sense of humour = lots of laughs
3. Good skype conversation yesterday
4. Parquet floor wipes – makes cleaning our flat so much easier
5. Fantastic friends helping us with our upcoming move
6. Polyfilla, which will hopefully fill the holes in our walls in time for our inspection on Monday
7. Thankful that Dave was able to go and watch his football team play (on TV) last night, and that they won!
8. I am so grateful that I’m well and able to do all this packing and moving stuff, without too many aches and pains
9. That even the mundane tasks, when offered up to Him, have purpose, value and meaning
10. Once again, I’m thankful for you, reading this now – for your time and interest
…giving thanks! Especially if you’re from the other side of the pond.
Here’s my offering:
A welcome break from the boxes and packing.
Pain au raisin - my favourite
Good friends who are always willing to help us out, even with the not so glamorous jobs.
Family – and the opportunities we have to spend time together (looking forward to Christmas!).
The fact that I’m sustained moment by moment by God’s love. Every breath, movement, thought – all held together by Him.
The understanding that all good gifts comes from Him, so I’m thankful for the Giver. He also has a way of weaving good from the bad stuff that sometimes comes our way, if we’ll let Him. That’s definitely something to give thanks for.
How about you – what’s on your list?
I didn’t grow up in a tradition that placed a lot of value on liturgy – more on the ‘pray as you feel led’ with the occasional Lord’s Prayer offered up, but nothing set to music, unless you count the off beat tambourine or three-chord guitar player. I’m talking about the late 70s now, in case anyone’s wondering.
However, I’m learning to really value it as a spiritual discipline, and Dave and I have just started using this helpful book in the morning and evening.
Another source that I’m finding really helpful are the content-full prayers posted over at BlogBlunders.
So, somewhat surprisingly to me, I find myself thankful for a diet of refreshing liturgy, alongside those spontaneous arrow prayers offered up throughout the day.
I guess that for those who pray, we will all have different and preferred styles, but sometimes we find resources that help us recapture the amazing possibilities of having a conversation with God.
On a different note, we’ve got our second Dinner with Friends coming up on Friday so the flat’s littered with recipe books again!
Monday morning seems like a good time to call to mind some people/situations to give thanks for, so here goes:
1. My husband! He’s been away for 8 days and just returned, not in the best of health but getting better. 28 years on, I’m still genuinely so thankful for this man!
2. This project - for reflecting the love of God in a tangible, down-to-earth way, and also because it’s being promoted by someone else close to me.
3. You! - yes, you reading the blog right now. I’m thankful that you take the time to look and also for the comments you kindly leave.
So that’s my chosen 3 from many others today.
How about you? I’d love to know what some of yours are.