It was time to mow the lawn again……………



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Boogielet 2 spent some time getting the mower out…





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Strimmed the edges…



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While Gavin and Callum watched…

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Oh ek…. …

The little green widget has broken and we have run out….

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Come on dogs, give us a hand…

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Get on with it Callum – lots more to mow yet – we don’t want to be replaced by a sheep

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Phew! Exhausted - All done at last

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Well done Gavin and Callum

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Now you can admire your handiwork

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Big cuddles for the workers

Hehe!

Well that was an interesting foray into RL.


I am glad I did it as I found out a few things,
but I’m pleased I only promised to go Cold Turkey for a day
unlike AMEN who has gone on the wagon completely!

I think Mark is right -- ‘addiction’ is the wrong word.
Something like ‘I enjoy it so much nothing else gets done’ might describe my problem better!

I really like Cassocks idea – ‘little and often’ and shall try that today.
It won’t be easy either as my mind is so good at going off on happy tangents!
So - self control will still be needed.


We will see!

Things are usually pretty laid back here at Boogieville mansions. We have yoofs coming and going all the time and Mr Boogie has a crazy, hectic job (working for a charity) with many people coming and going. But there is much laughter and fun. However yesterday was one of those EEEK! days.

It started when Boogielet 1 arrived back with all his stuff form uni. As he drew up in the car Gavin (crazydog 1) jumped on the chair at the window and started barking. Callum (crazydog 2) decided to join him, missed his footing and fell on a 2 ft high glass vase and smashed it. The vase was full of little pebbles – now mixed with glass all over the floor. Boogielet 2 grabbed the dogs and took them off to the safety of their bed. Boogielet 1 continued to back the car onto the drive but decided to park it sideways – so having a metal/stone kiss with the wall. Hmmm expensive these coloured bumpers…...

He then proceeded to fill the house with stuff – endless piles of it! As he was climbing into the loft he missed his footing and dropped a TV stand down onto the desk on the landing sending everything cascading down, breaking a light and showering glass over all the piles (Quick – grab the dogs again!) Then Boogielet one let us know he has assignments to redo………but he is off to Peru on Tuesday for seven weeks to save the Rainforest (ho hum – you know how us Mums worry)

All this just before I was about to lead prayers at St Pix…….

Soooooooo that was enough EEEEK! I had a quick shout at everyone in general and jumped in the car
(hmmm, bit naughty that, I shouldn’t be driving till next week) and went up on to the moors to pray. Ahhhhhhhhhhh - how blessed to have a place to escape and calm down and tell it all to God. It must be awful to have no means of escape from crazy times. Came back to hugs all round. Forgot to feed the dogs and they pawed me all through prayers - but no one noticed that

Here is a sheep on the moor. I’m sure s/he had no idea what I was on about but s/he was very understanding.

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Sock Puppets are not allowed at St Pixels, so I decided to be a rebel and sneak some in

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They were made by my class last term. I really miss them (the children not the puppets :)

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Well - I can't write poetry - but Mr Boogie can!!! he got home today - and brought this poem with him!! He is on his drums playing to Dire Straights, and I am rushing off to the poetry competition!

Ode to Rushden to Romania

It’s been a cycling adventure

Never to forget

So here are all the best bits

In verse as I have set

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We’ll begin with Captain Cully

And now where shall I start?

No matter what the mood of the day

He will act up to the part

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Next is Brian the techie

Whose great mechanical guile

Has kept our bikes upon the road

And always with a smile

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Now it’s good old Allan

A veteran of the game

He’s like a stick of Blackpool rock

With Spurgeons as its name

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These last few days we’ve missed Karen

And her happy ways

She’s also pleasing to the eye

Which makes Garry a lucky guy

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Which leads us nicely to Garry

What can I say about about him?

He’s had a sore bum from day one

Does he sprinkle his shorts with Vim?!

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Lets move on to Colin

Who you know is Gluten free

He’s eaten so many bananas

There’s none left on the tree.

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Speed Steve really looks the part

In tight fitting yellow atire

He’s kept the yellow jersey

To which all cyclists aspire

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Now Florin’s from Romania

Where cycling clothes are rare

But he’s bought so much along the way

He doesn’t know what to wear.

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Linda is a marvel

With a cadence speed so strong

She’s more than a match for most of us

And trundles Pete along!

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What can I say about Peter

My friend, a wonderful man

He’s also a world record holder

Getting lost 200 yards from the van!

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Now Toddy’s king of the mountains

But only when getting a tow off of me

It’s been where’s my passport, where’s my wallet

Has anyone seen my keys?

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And finally to your redoubtable leader

Who takes questions and quips with a smile

When asked ‘How far to go today’

Answers miles and miles and miles!

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And so our adventure is over

Cycling day after day after day

But now the hard part really starts

Getting our sponsors to pay!

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All that’s left is to wish a safe journey

To wherever you call home

Until the next time I give you a call

With some daft idea to roam.

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The End!

Only 40 comments to go in the 'Comment on AlanH's blog entry' competition. I feel a bit sorry for Alan - and a bit responsible tooo.

His other entries get little attention due to the great excitement generated by the twins comp.

By The Way - Alan doesn't win the prize - whoever posts the 200th comment does.

Clerk won the 100th comment prize.

Exciting possibilities for the next prize are currently being discussed

Boogs - facing the RIGHT way for a change!

Psalm 8

GOD, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewellery, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?

Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.

GOD, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world

St Pixels is an amazing community. There is so much going on! My enforced rest has enabled me to spend a lot of time here without feeling guilty that I'm not 'getting things done' - and I have still barely scratched the surface.

It is also a very supportive community. People worship, share, laugh, cry and pray together more naturally than I could have imagined. I have met the occasional 'troll' in LIVE and even they have been treated with love and care.

I was in my 'thinking place' (the bath ) this morning and considering all those people who wander round St Pixels without ever registering, for whatever reason.

I would love to know what they are thinking about us! Some of the discussion threads are so brilliant and have helped me to begin to think clearly about many things. Others are very challenging and often bring me up short in my prejudices.

Some blogs are deeply personal and bring me to tears of sympathy and intercession. Others are great fun and I end up crying with tears of laughter. Many are a mixture of the two and all the more special for that.

I am beginning to make forays back into 'Real Life' - going out to tea this afternoon - YAY! .........and I often find myself thinking about my friends here.

It is a bit confusing...having good friends who can't just pop round and visit, even when you have only met recently.

I also am going to need to find ways of participating here when life gets busy again, and my usual life is crazily busy.........hmmmmmmmmm, maybe THAT is what I should really be thinking about.

It's a hard one - work/life balance - when you need to keep the pennies coming in.I have never got it right yet in 30 years of teaching - maybe now is the time work that one out?

Saturday morning ramblings.........thanks for reading them dear blogger

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I light a candle for this special place and everyone here.

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My Dad died on March 11th this year. He was the best – I miss him all the time.

He was 87 and the whole family were round the bed when he died – I still feel it was ‘too soon’ – he had so much left to give.

The changes he had seen in his lifetime were enormous! And like our lovely older members, he was very computer literate – talking to all the family on msn and using web cams and digital cameras.

My thoughts to God as he died were ‘You can’t have him’ and ‘Thank You for him’

Dad was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He had many, many qualities – and we will all remember him for them.

One of his amazing qualities was that he was interested in everything- he showed his interest, support and enthusiasm for everything we did – and always encouraged each one of us. It didn’t matter what we had decided to do – he always said ‘Go for it’ even if they were craziest hair brained schemes.

He loved the outdoors, and rarely let a day go by without going for a walk with Mum – he also loved to spend his time at my brother’s sailing club – sharing, again, in his children’s enthusiasms.

He was a craftsman who took pride in excellent workmanship – always giving attention to detail, and always ready to make exactly that thing you needed – in wood or in metal. It didn’t matter what is was you required, Dad found a way to make it!

The last thing he made for me was a ‘Treasure chest’ for my school – for a scheme of rewards I am setting up.

It is also very special to me that, for much of his life, my Dad was the Lord’s servant. A minister who cared for his flock with just the same love and attention to detail – he had a daunting regime of visiting which he never missed. Dad was a brilliant listener – able to help the quietest of people to share their joys and sorrows. Many, many people have reason to be thankful for his pastoral care.

Just at the moment that my Dad died his grandaughter, my niece, Carolyn, said some wonderful words which I will never forget – she said ‘The sun is getting brighter’ and she was right.

The scripture that came to my mind was from Luke 2 verse 29

“ Now let your servant go in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people”

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Thank You God, for a wonderful man, my Dad.

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It was Boogielet 2's 19th birthday yesterday....

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As usual he asked for money....

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But we wanted to get him a surprise too....

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So I asked Daffy's advice....

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She gave me some good advice ...

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And we bought him a farm...

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Here it is ....

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an ant farm!

The ants live in an enclosed environment in blue jelly.

The jelly is food, nest, everything they need.

It was developed by NASA - not sure what for....

Anyway, it's good practice for Boogielet 2, he's studying Environmental Management and is off to Peru soon for seven weeks - to save the rain forest.

The ants have already started digging their tunnels.

So they must be happy in their new life in Boogieville.

I will let you know of any future ant developments.