All will be revealed

After 7 years of prevaricating I have finally put my money where my mouth is (since the Diocese won't cough up) and had patio doors installed in the kitchen in place of the badly-fitted windows. This will mean that for my monthly Coffee Mornings in the warmer weather the doors can be opened and people can move out onto the patio area instead of being cramped together in the kitchen.

This house now has 5 external doors, plus the garage, which is a bit excessive, but I wanted these put in so that I can use that outside area with much greater ease. It also means that if I host a summer Garden event, then teas can be easily served without tramping through the main hall or up my back passage!

The kitchen had to be cleared before the work began as there was going to be a lot of dust created when the brickwork was removed. All is now cleaned and put back.

We should know better

Mad Priest has put up an excellent piece about employment discrimination in the Churches, including the CofE, from today's "Guardian" newspaper.

My comment? About bloody time too.

Don't blame me ...

... this came from a person in the parish ...

LET'S JUST SEE IF I'VE GOT THIS RIGHT

IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOUR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE U.K.BORDER ILLEGALLY (AND AVOID DETENTION), YOU CAN FIND A JOB (SOMETIMES IN A POLITICIAN'S HOME), GET STATE BENEFITS, A DRIVING LICENSE, NHS HEALTH CARE, CREDIT CARDS, SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE, AND FREE EDUCATION FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

A breathing space

This morning I received a letter from our Diocesan Bishop informing me that for the present no new appointments are being made for clergy to have their biennial review of their ministry with a Bishop or Archdeacon as the system is changing from "Episcopal Review" to "Ministerial Development Review".

Our Bishop writes: I do hope that the changeover can be achieved as smoothly as possible. Not least because Episcopal Review was taken up universally.

This is not quite the case. Clergy didn't have an option of refusing a review, or at least I was never told that we did. The letter would arrive telling me that my Review had been booked for such and such a date, and I was expected to be there.

If I'm honest about it, I learnt very swiftly to keep quiet in these interviews about what I see as my weaknesses, as they are pounced on and written into the report that goes into my file. I'm afraid if the church wishes to use management techniques such as this to replace the informal chats over coffee or tea when the archdeacon or bishop drops round (HA!), then I can't be blamed for playing the game along with them.

And when the letter comes with my next Review date, I shall dutifully go along.

Sunshine after the storm

Norwich today was brilliantly sunny, and after my short swim I had a very nice light lunch in Cafe Rouge.

Enough about me, already!

The wind is rising, and occasional moaning noises are coming from behind the curtains in my sitting room. I think it's the windows, but I'm not looking to find out!

Oh to be in Brighton, now the storm is here ....

Ow!

Well, it's not a frozen shoulder, but a hefty inflammation of the rotator cuff, and so my normally dour Doctor stuck a needle into my left shoulder four times with a mixture of local anaesthetic and cortisone. I also have some tablets to take with food, one twice a day, which may have indegestion as a side-effect! I'll look forward to that then. Got a smile from the doc again though (which is a major triumph) as he used a naughty word when he saw how inflamed it was, and I said that was the sort of language I'd been using as well!

Came home and have slept for four hours! I have already been offered a lift to church on Sunday morning as one of the problems is that I find it very painful to lean forward and change gear. Have never wanted an automatic, but in this instance it could be useful.

Just wish I had a firm chest like that in the picture!

He may have been on to something

We know that the physical body decays, and I have a fairly practical outlook on that. It won't last, and our Christian faith tells us that something better awaits, but Dr. Frankenstein's approach to spare-part replacement seems quite attractive as the years advance and parts of the body start to protest. On and off my lower back has caused me problems since the mid-80's, and for the last 4 years it's aggravated the sciatic nerve in my right leg, which can make simply walking uncomfortable. Nine weeks ago the right side of my jaw decided to feel as if it was dislocating every time I opened my mouth. Unfortunately for my congregations it didn't stop me climbing up into the pulpit and delivering 10 minutes of blather every Sunday. That coupled itself with an inflamed inner ear canal which seems to have sorted itself out - almost. Then last Saturday afternoon my left shoulder began to ache. It was better on Tuesday, but yesterday it got progressively worse through the day. This morning I can hardly lift that arm above my chest, which made dressing an interesting challenge. So, it's another appointment with the Dr. who will probably look at me, ask the symptoms, and then say, "Yes I've had that as well. I've no idea what it is. Take two aspirins." Heigh Ho.

Thankfully I've upgraded to Vista!