A third pause in Advent - the Last Straw

I had a lovely surprise on Friday when a little boy I teach decided to read this Christmas story with me. His brother brought him the book and we began to share the reading between us (because there was rather a lot of writing on the first page, and he felt daunted). I want to share what I took from the story with you, because as far as I can see it is all about Pausing in Advent!

 

 

So, here's what I took from the story:

 

A camel who is slightly past his sell-by date is chosen to take the Wise Men to visit the new baby king. He's tired and rather sore but when the young camels praise him he laps it up and adds to his own legend by boasting that he has the strength of ten camels.

 

On the way to Bethlehem, ordinary animals and people stop him to ask if he'll carry their own gift to the new baby king. The other camels could have taken a bit of the load, but no, he doesn't want to admit his own weakness, and carries on accepting the charges given and staggering towards Bethlehem.

 

As he nears the town a little child comes to give him the famous 'last straw' as a gift for the baby king's bed. Of course he knows it's going to finish him, but he accepts it and lurches into the final stage of his journey.

 

Limping into the stable, his knees give way and he finds himself kneeling in forced humility before the baby king. Others follow his example, thinking he's kneeling out of reverence not exhaustion.

 

The baby king reaches out and touches him. His pains and his sense of having to carry the whole world on his shoulders disappear and he realises why he was chosen.

 

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Well, of course I was nearly in tears by the time my sweet little pupil had finished this. The author may be a man, but I sure feel that the story is that of millions of mothers around the world as Christmas approaches. We take on what may be ludicrous burdens, without realising that others are ready and available to share them with us, and we may be forced to our knees before we realise that Jesus is waiting to give us the real perspective, and the real healing, which are the centre of Christmas.

 

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Thanks for all your contributions for a Pause in Advent! Your posts mean a lot to me and I have managed to read all of last week's now, I think! Commenting is another matter, and as I'm trying to avoid my own Last Straw I hope you'll forgive me for being a 'lurker' rather than a commenter on your posts again, this week.







Heroes in the Hen House

There's been some interest in the fact that one of our new hens is called Valkyrie. I kind of wondered about that myself! But here's the story of how our hens are named...

The boys and I get to take it in turns to name them, based on characters in books we've been reading. Thus we have:

Holly, named after the first female officer of LEP Recon, a metre-tall action-fairy from the Artemis Fowl series:

Do you see any resemblance? Then there's a very clear connection between Annabeth the hen:

and Annabeth Chase, one of Percy Jackson's fellow half-blood heroes:

Nobody give that hen a sword! She has angry eyebrows! Next we move on to China. Don't laugh, please.

Son 1 named her after the pale, mysterious, blue-eyed beauty in the Skulduggery Pleasant books:

And here's Valkyrie, on the mend now,

but maybe some nerves in common with her namesake, Valkyrie Cain, also from Skulduggery Pleasant:

And finally here's Rosie:

She's named after a character in Henderson's Boys, who isn't featured in any fan fiction pictures:

But for me, she'll always be the hero-hen that gets the better of the fox every time:

I must admit, I think it's rather stunning to have so many heroes tucked away in our hen houses tonight...

Snapshots of five days in Edinburgh

Five days with my dad in Edinburgh.Enjoying the flowers outside, and in.

Charity shopping alone (finding this Boden), and with my dad's new companion.

Going to the theatre to watch an old favourite,

and a hilarious comedy, new to me (but Nana GoGo will know what it is!).

Eating with a very elderly friend of my mum's at a happening new organic restaurant near her home in Canonmills - she loved it!

Posing (yes, literally) for my dad's church art club!

Reading all four of the Twilight books...

and still, on this second reading, I have to say that I remain a wolf-girl. My friend Jo says I'm in a tiny minority...

Resolutions, an answer, and a winner!

Thanks for all your entries to my Pick and Mix Book Giveaway - I've really enjoyed reading your comments, your thoughts about the books, and the resolutions that you've mentioned. Some have gone so far as to do their own resolutions post! Thanks for all your interest and involvement. I thought I'd give you a bit of a run-down on my resolutions so far - I like the fact that posting resolutions here means that I am accountable! Otherwise, I really do forget...

So, my first visit to the Library in a good long while has resulted in some good books:

I have three books in French - on Bastide towns (these are medieval planned checker-board towns and we live in one), on the pastel (or woad) trade in the area and one on birds of the region. There's also a rather lightweight book in English with pretty pictures of Toulouse and its heritage, but sometimes I just want the luxury of reading in English...

The news is becoming more accessible now that we have free digital TV. There are several French 24/7 news channels and Ben and I are both determined to watch a cycle of news per day. It makes a real difference instead of having to sit down too early (8pm) or too late (up to 11pm) for the terrestrial news channels. And I think it's really good to watch the French news, instead of just reading the BBC news website as I've done up until now. I feel more connected to France and the French when I follow the news from the national perspective. Possibly, if I listen to enough 'standard' French, I might even get rid of a bit of my local accent? Or possibly not...Here is just a peek at my two scrapbooks. I cannot tell you how much pleasure I am getting out of putting them together. They're just cuttings albums, the kind I used to keep when I was a child... and I think that might be part of the fun. A full post to follow...

And yes, you were right, it was the enamel coffee jug that was perjoratively labelled 'old'! It's true I wouldn't put coffee in it, but think of filling it with woodland treasures, as Betty the Wood Fairy suggested... It certainly has a future, as well as a past.

It cost me 1€, same as nearly everything else in Sunday's haul. The whole lot cost me 10€, and got me some good aerobic exercise into the bargain! (Steep hill up to the village.) The exercise resolution is coming on OK, BTW, but you really don't want photos... And enjoying life is indeed a habit to be learnt - I can see I'm making some progress there - you know I do such great things, and it's only a case of switching off the worry button in order to enjoy them fully...

... anyway, on to the winner! I'm just off to close down the giveaway and will come back with news of the winning comment...

Done!

The winner is Nikki, which is great as she is a self-professed bibliophile! I'm going to read more of her book blog, and have already enjoyed her wonderful photo-diary of walks and visits in her part of Northern Ireland. I do like the way that running giveaways gives you a chance to meet new bloggers! Nikki (who I guess found out about me through Serenata, as they have a fellow enthusiasm for Shasha dolls) has chosen Flea Market Style and How Green are my Wellies? as her two prizes. Congratulations Nikki - would you email me with your address, please?

C'est la Rentrée - Resolutions and a Giveaway - 2011

SORRY - GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

Hello blogging friends old and new, C'est la Rentrée! This means Back to School, but also so much more, here in France. Those who've been following my blog know about, and have even picked up the idea of, Rentrée Resolutions. The idea here in France is that a fresh start, a great new idea or a brave challenge, are things best started in September when the school year begins. It works for me and this will be the third year in a row that I've linked resolution-making to a giveaway. This year, I'm giving away copies of books that have been influential to me: But you have to make a choice! I'm offering two books, possibly new, possibly good-condition secondhand - that's very much in-keeping with my own thrifty ways, and I hope you'll see the environmental/cost advantages of getting the prizes secondhand too. The first set to chose from are all fairly frivolous, because where would we be without fun in our lives? I think resolutions should have fun in them too - I'll tell you mine later.

So, from the first set, you can choose from the following three books: Emily Chalmers and Ali Hanan write great books and work with a great photographer! This book was bought for me by my mum shortly after she came home from hospital a few years ago, and shortly before I started my blog for her. It's been influential to my style, but even more, has opened my eyes to possibilities... The style is not to everyone's liking, but it gives ideas...

This second book is a must if you ever go vintage shopping in France. It would also be good for someone who just wants to dream about the possibility, as the photos and descriptions are as lovely as the information is useful!

This third book is by a fellow blogger! I love 'murder lite' and I love Sharon's blog (she's The Queen of Fifty Cents - a must-read thrifting blog) and her book is also super - really good, friendly characters, dogs, antiques and an entertaining mystery. This one I would buy for you new, because the author is a blog-friend!

j

Now we come on to the second set. These are a bit less frivolous, but there's a light touch to all of them, too - easy to read and easy to take onboard the ideas.

If you haven't heard me mention this one, have you ever read my blog before? It was recommended to me by another fellow-blogger who had found it influential, and in my case it has been a blessing to read through the last few years - hard times have been easier to cope with, and easier to understand, whilst great times were better-enjoyed because of what I was reading and learning!

Of course another blogger put me in the direction of this one! I've given it to friends and family since - it's very unassuming and fun, and manages to look at green-living on a month-by-month basis without making it all seem like hard work.

And finally another blogger's book! The Happiness Project blog is a real biggie, not like mine or Sharon's, but reading the book and the blog you do get to feel you know, like and can learn from Gretchen Ruben. Like Anna Shepard's book it's divided into months and gives the writer's own thoughts and experiences as she attempts to appreciate her already-good life all the more. As that's pretty much the goal of my blog, I have found this book really helpful in clarifying how we either make the best of things or can, quite accidentally, get bogged down into letting a lot of the good stuff slip by us...

j

So now, for the rules. Leave a comment to enter, telling me which of the 'frivolous' books and which of the 'worthy' books you would like. If it just so happens that you already own all of these books, you could always just say, 'Surprise me!' and if you win I'll send you something else! But ideally, choose two and tell me what they are. Tell me why, if you like! If you'd like to copy the giveaway button at the top of the page and link to me from your blog that would be most appreciated, but I'm not doing the complicated 'two or three entries' thing. Anything for a quiet life! The same for becoming a follower - if you don't follow already, it would be lovely for you to join if you're intending to come back, but your entry doesn't require it.

j

And finally, what are my Rentrée Resolutions for this year?

Enjoy life to the full (I have a tendancy to plan ahead/worry ahead, instead of living in the moment). Actual examples of how I can do this (Ms Ruben says we need concrete resolutions!) are to spend time with the boys where all I do is have fun with them, instead of wondering what I'm going to cook for lunch later, and also to listen fully to Ben when he's talking to me, instead of planning either my own response or (a theme emerging here) lunch. And just to stop thinking that something bad is going to happen! Where does that weird little black cloud of dread come from, to spoil the happiest occasions? As you can see, I've already thought this one through. It's really an on-going resolution...

Watch the cable news once a day, as all my previous resolutions about keeping up with the news have proved flawed. Maybe this year we'll get it right!

j
Keep on going with my scrap books (magazine cuttings, not scrapbooking as such), but also don't feel bad when I don't keep up with the scrap books!

Keep going to the library! And maybe a bit more often...

Do a short session of toning exercises at least three times a week - I'm working more and have less time for the long bike rides I used to do regularly.

So that's it! If you'd like to tell me a resolution of your own, as part of your entry, I will very much appreciate reading it. But all you really have to do is leave a comment with your choice of two great books! Very best of luck to all of you. I'll close the giveaway and announce the winner in a week's time - Tuesday 13th September.

I'm now deleting any 'non-entry' comments just to make sure I enter the correct number of entries into the 'hat'...

Eating and reading...

... in red, white and blue, of course! I found this lovely tablecloth on the vintage linens stall at the wonderful VG I cycled to last month. The nicely-toning bowls came from the same event and the tomatoes were picked just before lunch today!
When that tablecloth's in the wash, the red, white and blue one below (from Veti' Relais last Friday) steps in nicely on the patio table.
In honour of all the red, white and blue outside, the little camping table on the patio which holds our breakfast stuff (toaster and coffee machine) has also been given a touch of white vintage linen and red, white and blue Ikea runner. The photo's only cropped because the rest of the toaster turned out to be even more grubby (!) Honesty in blogging, friends...
Although most eating is done out of doors at the moment, on the odd cooler evening we are still eating indoors, where the blue and white china and garden veg look equally good on the dotty oilcloth.
The kitchen remains blue and white. I'm not adding red to it - like our green bedroom, it's one place where I don't want to keep varying the colour scheme. Even the berries in the muffins are blue!
So now to the reading. Son 2 has been keeping a close eye on Amazon, and informed me last week that the next book in his favourite series had been published. Since it arrived in our post box, he's been somewhat uncommunicative...
This is my after-lunch reading matter. A great book on garden birds I bought years ago and never read before and the letters of the Mitford sisters.
Son 1 (yes, of COURSE he tones in with the red, white and blue theme - don't you match your children's outfits and medical equipment to your décor???) is on the sofa re-reading one of his big favourites. Magical adventures and witty one-liners are where it's at for him.
Son2's more into reading about relationships and emotions. I can see him getting into Twilight soon...

The Flea Markets of France - a little book review

Ben gave me this great little book for Christmas - it was on my Amazon wishlist! If you ever come to France I really suggest you put it on yours too...

I took it off the shelf yesterday when an American blogger sent me a lovely email about her forthcoming visit to France - it really answered all her questions, and now I've got it out I'm going to read more of it.

The information about Flea Markets in different areas of France is useful (it even mentions our all-year local one which I think of as a Vide Grenier...)But for me the introduction is the best part:

When to go * How to get there * What to bring * How to communicate * How to bargain * Checking market schedules * Special Sales * Transporting your purchases

If that section is useful to someone who's been here for six and a half years, it's likely to be helpful to anyone who uses it, visitor or resident. I loved the vocabulary and bargaining advice - I've been doing a lot by facial expressions and gestures up until now!

j

We have an interesting week coming up. Son 1 is currently travelling to Spain for a four-night visit with school, which is just marvellous - what an opportunity! They will be staying in Santender and visiting a lot of museums and galleries. Son 2 and I are going to enjoy some time together after school, walking the dog in our rather variable weather. Our holidays don't start until Easter Saturday, so I will be posting for Thrifty Week and Holy Week whilst working. Things might get a bit scatty... I am doing very little commenting on your blogs at the moment, although I often do have time to read them. I just seem to have energy to read what my friends are doing, without having quite the mental oomph to respond! I'm sure you know the feeling...

j

PS Blogger went nuts and posted this as I typed the second word of the title, so it's been on my blog for the last half hour simply as: 'The Flea!'

Bread for the journey

In December, or maybe even in early January, I finally read a little phrase which made sense of something important that has been happening in my life. Here's part of the quote: "Many of us will be aware in our own experiences of this food for the journey - the 'viaticum' of Catholic piety. When we needed it most, God fed us. Our 'manna' may have been literally the Eucharist... but it may also have been another's prayer, or a friendly visit, or a word of scripture... Like manna in the desert, it was not to be kept and hoarded: it was food for that day, and that day alone. Food is given to be gratefully consumed, to become part of us. As the modern health slogan says, 'You are what you eat'."

I can't tell you how much that quotation, from Hope in the Wilderness, by David Winter, jumped out at me! It applied so directly to the books I'd been reading, the blogs I'd found, and the support of some of you super bloggers out there. What had been surprising me all year was that many of the most profound things I was learning were coming from non-Christian sources, so how was God speaking to me through them all? That quotation seemed to put it all into context - these books and blogs and blogging contacts have been God's way of feeding me in a difficult year, and also of preparing me for both challenges and blessings which continue to come. Without them (and therefore without you, blogging friends), I don't quite know where I would be, or how my family would be coping. So this year I continue to gratefully consume what God is putting before me, even if the source of some of it isn't what I would have thought of as 'kosher' before this last year! I need to test it as I read, but that is second nature to me. The harder part is not rejecting it simply because it's not what I'm used to.j

Lent is coming - Mardi Gras is on Tuesday 8th March, the day we fly back to France. If you would like to join in A Pause in Lent with me this year, do have a look at this logo on my sidebar, because it includes a link to tell you more. Just leave a comment on this post or any later ones if you'd like to join in!

I nearly forgot - the photo at the top of this post is of Son 1 doing sit-ups in our Coulée Verte - the 'green corridor' provided for recreation in our market town.