ruthspeaksthetruth

When your work makes you zing

2009-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have just been to a meeting and been inspired. It was about something called the Greening Campaign which is a not for profit organisation (ie like a business but where profits are reinvested into the business) enabling communities to look at climate change as something they can manage rather than a 'big brick wall' as the presenter explained it.

There are various stages involved - please look at the website www.greening-campaign.co.uk - but the beauty of it is that it gets streets and communities aware that each other, their neighbours, are doing their own 'bit' but the simple method of putting a card in the window if they are undertaking some simple things (like washing at 30 degrees, or using energy saving lightbulbs). Terena, the lady behind it and who gave the talk, likened it to how people decorated their homes during the world cup, and how it engendered a visible sign of community.

As I say, look at the website. This has taken off around the country as people look at their part in climate change as positive and tangible. I for one will be looking at this more - very surely though 'work' work, but in Hove... Could it start something in your area?

The inevitable

2009-03-15T03:48:00.000-07:00

Since returning to the UK, I have had a number of comments comparing me to me a year ago, generally starting 'since you've been back...' or 'you're more x since you're back'. They range from my physical appearance, to my personality, to my accent. Uncommented but possibly noted also are changes to my faith.

Comparisons are one of the ways that we naturally use to evaluate change, and it begs the question to me as to whether I like/am happy with/ the changes that have been mentioned (they are correct observations I should point out). Am I a 'worse' or 'better' person than 12 months ago? It's all rather subjective unless you in turn compare it with a universal truth.

I'm good at bimbling through life and enjoying it, but on a bigger scale that you find yourself considering when you are about to pounce on 30 years: what, where, who, when, and why?

A rock or rocks are used as a metaphor in the Bible to describe God/Jesus/faith, often meaning as a foundation (Matt 7:24), and as unshakable protection (Ps 94:22). I could do with some of that.

Pestered into blogging

2009-03-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted something.
Madness. And I hate it when people don't update theirs. Maybe it's because I am basically lazy. Ok, I put on or two notes up on fb, but I don't think that counts!

Anyway, I'm back and unwittingly challenged by a challenging person in my life to write something. Which I am in nearly in danger of not doing whilst still doing.

Some things that have made me happy recently:

my mini rose plant. Now blooming pink flowers on my window at home and just so so cute! It's a mini rose! It's so mini! I think you get the point.
a meeting running how it should. I not sure I'm convinced that the Government necessarily had to invent and impose the structure to bring us to that point, but nevertheless different agencies and groups sat round a table, had shared goals, offered services and generally made me think that some people are bloody great.
14/15 f my sweet pea seeds have germinated and taken off like rockets. Actually not quite sure what to do with them now, but can't wait till they flower because the scent is heavenly.
having my own white board by my desk. Yep, it's the thinking woman's flipchart.

And check out Iva Lamkum.

Holidays soon...and Mid Point

2008-07-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yep, by now Beth, Jo, and Nicola should be just about in NZ. I will be joining them for three weeks of fun-filled travelling and all the amusement you can have on long car journies packed with people!

Before then, I have a week and a half of work left at Audit NZ, and frankly lots of work to do. However, I have to most laid-back 'boss' ever who truly demonstrates the meaning of 'work-life balance', and if I don't manage to get it done he will shrug and say 'who's that Russian?'. The Russian being 'Toughski Shitski'. Another inappropriate comment that keeps me sane, and will make me sad to finish working with him soon.

In a break for the normal routine I was sent up the Tauranga office last week, and then to the Auckland office, to do some resourcing stuff (as I do). Was good to see the places. The TRG office is slightly out of town, so I didn't get to explore much (plus, working pretty hard I didn't have much time spare anyway) so one of my colleagues gave me a little tour of the place and Mount Manganui before dropping me at the airport. I got the smallest plane I have ever been in to fly between TRG and AKL - probably 20 people, 1 row each side. No hostess, just the pilot and co pilot who say hi and play you a pre-recorded flight safety announcement. I took a sneaky shot of two with my camera (didn't want to appear too much like a tourist!), which will probably appear on FB at some point.

In a big surprise to me, I quite liked AKL! Had been psyching myself up for hating it (huge, overcrowded, dirty etc etc) but being as I was hotelled right smack downtown, with taxis paid for, it wasn't a problem for me.

Had an amazing day conference by New Wine NZ at my Church a couple of weeks ago. I accidentally (yer really, I can't read the signs) ended up in the workshop on prophesy. NOT where I wanted to be. Especially as the blurb said we would be trying some. Oh man. It was an extremely small group as well, most people probably being naturally rather reticent. All Christians of course. Was great though. Was very sound background into what the Bible says about prophesy, when it is appropriate or not, 'am I just making it up in my own head?' etc. Very interesting. Then we just prayed for each other and if we felt prompted to say anything (positive, should always be an encouragement/positive, not a judgement) then we did at the end. Really glad I ended up there!

Headed out to yet another cooler than school bar in Wellington in the wee hours of Saturday. Called 'Good Luck', it was a great place and just really cool but unpretentious. I already know how much I'm going to miss it here.

I'm starting to think about the future past NZ now, as next Monday will be half-way through my year away. Obviously, I'm having thoughts about staying longer, wondering if it is a sensible idea to come back to the UK if I'll just want to pack up and come back here again in 12 months time...and how much I miss my friends back in Hove and the UK (got to say UK, as Ieuan and Mary (and baby Erin) are in Wales...). Ho, and indeed, hum. I think I'm coming back. I mean, I've got a return ticket, a sister to see, and a wonderful wedding to go to (and hopefully help plan for...?!).

It's a strange time. I am leaving a job I have very much enjoyed, so to go on holiday with fantastic friends, and then who knows what? Slightly unsettling.

Doofers

2008-06-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday evening I felt the pleasure that comes with discovery of something beautifully simple. Like all of these things that make one exclaim 'It's so obvious! It's great!, I couldn't believe I had lived without it. I shall set the scene:
Having had a couple of beverages out with Jojo in another lovely Wellington bar, we decided that we needed a snack in order to survive the winter chill and bus journey home. We went to BurgerFuel which it would seem has a reputation in NZ as a good burger bar. Just slipping in under the closing wire of midnight, we ordered and were happy when our meals appeared fairly speedily. Jo looked at my tray, frowned and said "They haven't given you a Doofer". "A what?" I replied, wondering what she herself was doing playing with some kind of presumably free cardboard game/toy/hat. "A doofer", she replied matter-of-factly, holding up a sort of semi-circular mini-basket that she had assembled by slotting the edges together. Holding it to the bottom of her burger, she concluded: "It stops all the bits falling out the bottom of your burger".

Could anything be more sensible?

2008-05-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Scrap that. I've left. I got offered a job at Audit New Zealand (equivalent of Audit Commission in UK), who audit government depts/orgs/bodies. Really enjoying it. Bit of a novelty working in a place that I would never think/be able to work in at home. My two temping experiences so far have been great. They have given me a lot of insight into my skills, interests and options, and are a great way to meet people and get access to an instant social life - this sort of access into normal people is what backpackers generally miss and is what I really wanted. I'm helping implement a new (better in various ways) method of resourcing the audits so that it is better planned and staff are happier with what they are doing. I'll be here for a couple of months.

I now start even earlier, and start work at 8am. This means I am getting up at 6ish and leaving at 7 for a walk through the bush and gardens and into town, watching the sun come up over the high-rise buildings. It's very beautiful. Probably won't be so when it rains, but hey! A much higher proportion than other cities in the country get to work either on public transport or walk. Nearly everyone walking into work wears trainers, so to begin with it is a strange sight of men an women in smart suits with trainers (though there are also a good number of people who jog past me, presumably with their smart clothes in their rucksack...). I need to work out how to retain the ability to get up early, and using a healthy way to get to work. I think a bike is going to be the answer.

I'm clearly never leaving The Firm

2008-05-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

Yep. My previous boss sidled up to me and asked if I would be interested in some more work after the end of next week when my current job ends. Obviously I said yes. But that I wanted a few days off to lie in bed first. She said she'd negotiate it. I'm never going...

Right. So went to Napier. The best bit was the travelling in my car and discovering an incredible waterfall with noone else there or anywhere around for miles and miles and miles. It was amazing and when I can get some pictures here I will.

Napier was pretty and reminded me a bit of Hove because it was by the sea and relaxed. I found a brilliant ice-cream place and had manuka honey and passion-fruit scoops :)

Dangerously I have discovered a nice cafe that I walk past on my way to work every day. I am limiting myself to two per week. Aren't I good?

I am looking forward to this weekend to relax, cook, and read a book.

Feet

2008-04-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

My notes on what to blog about go like this, with meanings:

hidden bar - because I have found out that dancing places do exist in Wellington (as I suspected...) but that they hide them away around corners and through other rooms so that you presuem it is just another bar. Now I shall know what to look for.
Kimi present - Jo gave me a picture of lovely Kimi in a little frame. Well done Jo. All I need now is one of me gazing at him for the other side of the frame.
black feet - I was dancing barefoot in the club where we went for some dancing as part of my birthday. I had some VERY dirty feet when I looked in the morning.
rain - it finally rained. It hasn't rained a lot since I arrived, but it chucked it down on Saturday and it was nice.
extention of work - ACC have asked me to stay until the end of the month, such is my knowledge of templates, styles, and formatting in Word. That's one to brag about.
Shortland Street - Neighbours is on too early for me to get back and watch. SS is on at 7pm and I am now a big fan. Hurrah for headline-grabbing storylines about serial killers.
'my words' - I discovered recently the list of words on my phone that I have added, ie that weren't not in the dictionary that comes with the phone. It tells a certain story of parts of my life. If you have such a phone, I recommend a look at the words which you felt it necessary to text to someone. I shall share just a part of my alphabetical list: Sainsburys, seafront, rhubarb. plonker, podcast, snog, pootle, prix.
lack of fair trade - says it all really. Am very surprised and disappointed at how niche the market still is here. I am used to a lot of choice from Supermarkets, even in small dairy's, but not here. There is a shop called TradeAid where you can get all the stuff, but the cross-over to it being a normal item to be found in any shop, is still a long way off. Not even tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar. It's really sad.

Vastness

2008-03-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

I had one of those moments lying in bed last night, when you are dizzied by the vastness of possibilities. Luckily I was lying down already. I was thinking about what on earth I am doing here and what I want to get out of this year. People (myself included) have expectations about what I should be doing, and I could easily find myself just going along with that. Not that I wouldn't be disappointed in myself either way, I don't get like that...the journey is more important and all that (actually true for me, witness being happy to people watch in a cafe rather than hyper actively sight-see). However, I want to consciously do what I want to do this year. There are limits of money, time, safety etc, but they are not great.

The weather has also been unsparingly wonderful. I am sitting here in shorts and a vest. I fall asleep in the park at lunchtimes. No doubt i have now cursed the weather!

The F1 rocked.

Pub Quiz!

2008-03-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

I've been invited to a pub quiz team this evening. I hope they have a round of 90s pop or Kylie. Or possibly pictures of people to identify. Or a round in Frenhc. Otherwise I may not add a lot..should be interesting to see how it is carried out. It'll have to be pretty good to beat the quiz man and his wife and the Lion and Lobster.

General mooching, and job stuff

2008-02-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

This week I have been:

cleaning the house I moved into, and generally bringing it up to 'girl standards'. It's kinda old, but cool. It's pretty big, and like all the houses in Wellington, built on the side of a big hill so that half of it is supported underneath. Particularly I like seeing the garages that are built on platforms sticking out over the edge of hillsides. I'm sure they are safe and all, but they look odd.
looking for jobs and sending my CV to agencies and calling them to hassle. I now have two meetings with agencies for Monday, so Smart Ruth will have to resurrected from the depths of the cupboard
reading Harry Potter :) I know, not exactly a break from the norm, but I was very pleased to discover that Jamie has all seven volumes. I am r-reading no 7 at the moment as it's just SO good
sorting out car-related things - you have to have the MOT equivalent done every six months here, and pleasingly it is called a WOF (Warrant of Fitness)
enjoying pottering in my local 'hood called Northland. I poked my nose into the Church (open every day, how ashamed I was that even in this teeny tiny place they manage to keep it open all the time, whereas so many of our Churches are just shut and figuratively say 'go away'), noted that we have public toilets (no Councils making trouble for villages keeping facilities open here...), and bought a few items (yes, it included ice-cream!) from the rather well-stocked dairy
looking forward to the world cinema festival happening starting in March - 'Tell no one' is a French film I've wanted to see for a bit, and it's on on my birthday (yay!).

Tonight I'm hanging out with my housemate (the only one until the other one moves in next week) as he's off to Oz (the emerald city) for a week from Sunday.

Thought it was high time

2008-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

The longer it takes you to write your first blog, the more you want to put it off. That's how I feel anyway. I have no idea where to start or what to say.

I am curently in an internet cafe in Courtenay Place, Wellington. I am growing to like Wellington a lot, and to understand it's layout a little better. I still get supidly lost, though less lost in the car where I can go much further in a lost direction!

I am looking for a job and a flat/house share. Not in that order. I have seen a possibility today, which I really liked,m but I'm not sure it is in my best interests to take it. I'll say more if I end up taking it!

I've been doing a variety of pottering/getting to know the city, trips in my new Honda Accord (thanks Jen and Andy, it is doing really well), proactive searching for places to live/jobs, and random walks. The thing about Wellington is, apart from the very centre of town, it is basically a series of heart-attack inducing hills. I mean it. They are madly madly steep, and people just walk up them, even cycle up them. Ihave surprised myself already with how I've coped (dare I say even enjoyed?) a few of the hills and the views they afford.

I had a wonderful mini-break with Annabel over the weekend, in and around the Queen Charlotte Sound and Endeavor Inlet. Memorably, we stayed in a home-stay with a redoubtable old lady - to get to her house you left your car in a car park, walked down a road/hill, across a beach, through some bush and up the other side. The views were good by the time you made it though! We even walked a bit of the track one day...

hmm, ha, ha, um

2008-02-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

This time tommorow I'll be, well, somewhere. Horribly confusing going back (or forwards? - feel free to think about this for hours too) in time and changing zones, and then missing an entire day, so forgive me if I just close my eyes and set my phone for the final destination time!

Air NZ have assured me that in the two hours of landing and processing in LA I will not have to pick up my bags or do much else than shuffle in a queue, try not to say the word 'bomb' or be sarcastic to immigration people, and sit in the transit lounge, so I'm hoping it will be much less stressful than last time :)

Most things are done. I seem to be taking hardly anything at all: one mostly full rucksack and some hand luggage. Karen is mildly disapproving at such a lack of stuff but can't seem to pinpoint exactly what I'm missing! I'll be buying a few things out there initially of course, and luckily it is summer so I didn't need loads of bulky jumpers.

I've applied for a job with Waitakere City Council (Auckland area) which sounds amazing. It is community development in a part of the city area and seems perfect for me. Fingers crossed for an interview please!

I feel I should be writing some sort of reflective peice about my ambitions and hopes for the year ahead, but I've never been great at that. I just want to have a good time, meet people, and be of use. I want to have a real life.

I'll miss everyone a lot, but we are very lucky to have so much communication available - please use it!

Much ado about one thing

2008-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

That one thing being packing up my life and moving to NZ. Such a simple thing as I write it in a sentence. Not such a simple thing in real life.

A quick update:

two more days of work
then one week of packing
then moving in for a yet unspecified number of days with the parents. Still flying 7th
party this Saturday evening in local pub...photos will certainly be shared
no idea about what work I will do 'out there'
still having to sit on hands to stop myself battering people about the head who suggest I am going to meet, marry, and sprog up with a sheep farmer within 2 mins of arriving. Give me at least 5! (wah HA).
no idea where I am going to live after initial week of being hosted by kind family friends
yes, I am excited
no I haven't got anyone for the flat yet...yes I am confident I will have
yes, I vaguely know one or two people 'out there'
I have reserved space in a storage facility about 10 mins drive from here for my stuff (thanks Karen!)

Having people round to see your flat with a view to renting it is quite a pain as I have to be ultra tidy all the time, especially at that inconvenient time of just before leaving for work. Whilst this is doable for me, it is not enjoyable. But never mind, I should get used to living in a bit of a mess.

I can't quite get on with the good stuff of actually getting all my clothes out and planning what to take, as this is something that needs to be done prior to then packing it all in loads of boxes and storing it.

I am very much looking forward to my party on Saturday as there should be quite a few people and a totally strange mix of al my friends, many of whom don't know each other. What did Bridget Jones teach me? Oh yes, 'Ieaun, meet Hannah. Hannah is into amateur dramatics and was last seen on stage sporting a ridiculous wig and bright pink period dress. Ieaun is Welsh and I used to beat him at spinning tops'. Should be a good night :)

'Would you like some ID?'

2008-01-05T02:09:00.000-08:00

...I enquired upon approching the bouncers outside a pub in Brighton centre last night, and seeing they were already checking someone else's ID. One of them looked at me and said 'nah, that's fine'.

Ha ha haa! Since he could barely see my face, I can only imagine that he wisely thought that even on a very wet evening only someone past the age of caring about fashion (and therefore clearly legal) would encase themselves in a big white waterproof coat and pull the hood drawstrings so tightly around my face that I looked like the Ghost of Christmas Future. Probably a wise assumption.

Kinda sad

2007-12-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

The trial was today of a boy from my District, who stabbed and killed one of his friends after a party in the summer. It's truly a horrible story and I'm not going into it, but his sentence was 12 years before it can be reviewed. Obviously everything about this is extremely sad, but what most shocked me were the comments on the online version of the local paper. I can't say more than that I was shocked, and whilst I understand the depth of emotion...well, anything I write doesn't explain what I want to say about such a complex situation. If you believe that prayer works, or even believe it might work, please pray for the family, friends and everyone involved with Michael (the boy who died), and Kieran (the boy who killed him). He showed 'no emotion' in court, and has never said what his motive was to kill one of his friends.

Cricketing and Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

You know, I have had another weird day. Not unusually for me I suppose. Will blog more later or at the weekend when I've got everything done, but today I was at a conference at the Oval cricket ground near Vauxhall station in London. Interesting day and made me think about how much is achievable if I could just cut through a lot of the (necessary and probably rightly so) faff that goes along with my work. Quite inspiring in other words. Also used those voting pads like they have on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? That was fun. More in another blog. Then want to my second Thanksgiving held by Joel and Adriel. Amazing. 32 people and great food. Photos up later. Great to have a laugh, eat, and catch up with friends; and above all to be thankful for our lucky lucky selves.

77 days!

2007-11-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

That's it.

Marketing overkill/cleverness

2007-11-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today I attended a rather grandly titled 'roadshow' about a thing called Local Area Agreements. It was in a Holiday Inn in London. I had rather a range of emotions when I noticed that the drinks available were from Starbucks! Big dispensers with 'brewed by Starbucks' written on, and cookies and stuff, a la a mini-coffee station. Some thoughts I went through in my mind: 'ooo, coffee', 'oh my goodness I can't believe Starbucks have an arrangement to provide coffee to Holiday Inns', 'biscuits!', 'I really shouldn't have such a big cup', 'ooo real mugs', 'we look like a big coffee advert'.

As well as lots of information, one of the speakers did suggest repeatedly that the way to develop partnership plans is to take everyone to a tapas restaurant and get them to choose dishes together, as a rather yummy extended metaphor.

Word Watch: there was a good smattering of 'drilling down' and a guy trying to create the word 'innovational', which surely is 'innovative'?

I alos have a huge new bruise on my leg from falling off a chair. Not at the roadshow. Don't ask. Can't feel any bone sticking out...but it's going a very dodgy purpley colour...

Tips on annoying Ruth

2007-10-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

I will not be held responsible for my reaction if one more person says to me 'New Zealand? Ooo perhaps you'll meet a man out there!'. Because clearly I have no other option than to move continents as I have dried up the spring of potential in the whole of Europe? How rude. And because clearly the only thing on my mind must be husband-hunting? Living in another country. and more specifically NZ since I went there and found how great it was, has been planned in my head generally for about 10 years and more clearly for about 4. I have bigger plans for my life and I am certainly not waiting for it start. Thank you.

And one more thing, yes I am planning on coming back. I have 12 months off work and a moral duty to go back as Natalie has been extremely good about me taking the time off when some significant stuff needs to be done. However, if Gill (who is already in my team and hopefully
taking over) proves to be good at it and enjoys it, that certainly gives me more leeway. But HELL I DON"T KNOW!! It's freaking months away. Please let me get there before I think about coming back again.

Rant over. 115 days.

I [heart] Hever Castle

2007-09-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

For a mini-reunion of our Easter holiday at Word Alive, Mark and Sarah invited us up to Sutton!-Yay! Having got totally lost trying to get there (I BLOODY HATE DRIVING IN LONDON), I arrived at exactly the same time as Kathleen and Anna, so it worked out well :)

Today we lazed around in the morning eating breakfast and talking, then we went to Hever Castle in Kent www.hever-castle.co.uk. It's not National Heritage or National Trust so we didn't know what it would be like, but it is the most beautiful castle and grounds I have ever been to. I totally recommend it to anyone, especially just to see the grounds but the castle is really well set out too (not too much info to be boring, but what was there was really interesting). One of the best things for people of all ages is that there are three mazes in the grounds, one normal hedges, one sort of 3-d climbingy one, and one with water where you have to get to the centre across stones in the water but if you step on some they spray water etc (rocking brill fun). Utterly beautiful Italian garden and gorgeous rose gardens. Will definitely be going back.

Cappucino and prayers anyone? Or, CafeChurch

2007-09-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

My church, which frequent readers will know I am quite fond of, has now devoted an entire side of the building to cafe seating and tables! It's great :) My church rocks. Everyone loves it and we sit there after services drinking coffee and chatting. In theory it is meant to be more attractive to students, but pah, the rest of us love it whatever, and there are a couple of sofas coming. Who said church wasn't a place to relax and have a chat? Surely that is What Jesus Would Have Done with random uninviting C of E buildings??

Bank holiday weekend

2007-08-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

I took Friday off work and headed down to a village near St Austell with Anne and James. We stayed with my aunt and uncle Margaret and Jim on my Dad's side of the family. They were extremely welcoming and made wonderful food for us all weekend.

As we were basically surfing a lot of the time, I didn't have my camera, so most of the pictures are of us sitting around! But check the shot of me actually standing up on the surfboard (damn hard)! Couldn't say with fairness that I showed a lot of natural talent, and Anne labelled our group 'remedial paddling', but I loved it. I will definitely be doing it again, possibly not before I leave but I hear the surfing is excellent in NZ.

We had lessons and went to Fistrall and Town beaches. It was certainly useful having lessons in surfing technique, although we did just seem a constant disappointment to our instructor Augusto, who would give us an extra push onto the wave, tell us to 'paddle, paddle, paddle', and then just give you a look when you fell off sideways. Now that's what I call helpful instruction. And he only told us on the second day how to protect your head from being whacked but your or another's board when you fall off. Too late for James who has an inch-long scar on his head! I have got an amazing bruise from someone's stray board as well, but on my thigh.

167 days till I get my plane

2007-08-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Its very unreal.

Anticipation

2007-08-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am anticipating various :) things. I think anticipation is more active than waiting, and I'm certainly not wishing away my time.

One of these things is my surfing break I'm about to have with Anne and James staying with my aunt and uncle in Cornwall. Another is my Welsh adventure going in a week's time to Snowdonia for Ieuan and Mary's wedding. They are getting married on an organic farm in the middle of no-where in beautiful surroundings and inviting all their friends to camp and generally have a festival of fun for several days. I've been to quite a lot of weddings and I think this is going to be pretty memorable. And Steve, my ex-colleague and friend I am travelling with, and I don't have anywhere to stay so that makes it even more of an adventure!

I've hardly had a day off work since Easter and I can barely remember what it's like, so I'm giddy right now. Pictures to follow. There are lots of other things to anticipate but I will talk more about them another time.

I love conservatories

2007-08-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Such a long but lovely day today. I'm very happy.

This morning my church (see new website and spot me in a picture!) was having a very much needed tidy-up day. There was a lot of crap in the church that needed to be dumped (like about 40 old chairs and kneelers that were gathering dust in the cellar, and lots of bookcase stuff and an old piano etc etc). It was quite fun, I do like getting messy :) It also just needed a general good tidy up. I started often relatively cleanly by hoovering all the chairs and wiping them down, but then I got embroilled in putting up the Alpha course banner (as I am running the next one from end of Sept). Then I helped bring up v dusty things from the cellar and finally I picked up all the debris from the hedge outside that had just been cut. I was pretty grimy by the end.

Having had a bath I had a great bus journey right to the other end of the line to Patcham to Nicola's parents house who are away at the moment. A few of us had a bbq there and drank Pimms all afternoon, it was fabulous. Then Nic and I sat in the conservatory and longed for conservatories of our own :)

Countdown, and I've still got it

2007-07-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sooo, 192 days until I get my plane. I bought my ticket today and I'm happy but starting to worry (in a good way). I know it will be fine. I swore I would never travel via LA again, but circumstances conspired against me and I have to go that way (have booked a return via Hong Kong which I hope to be able to keep although the date will have to be altered for further in the future at some point). The silver lining is that I can take more stuff if I so desired (not so much desire there).

T'other thing is that I went to a party last night (yes, another one, woo hoo!) and stayed til early this morning and felt great when I got up (10.30ish). I purposefully didn't drink much. If that is the answer to staying awake and feeling good the next day someone should have informed me of the joys of fruit juice, or at least drinking slowly, much earlier.

And in other news I have linked up a very old walkman into my stereo so that I could listen to Kylie's 'Enjoy Yourself' album on tape. There has been some dancing.

Things are moving on

2007-07-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

I have applied for and been granted my visa to enter New Zealand within 12 months, which they will hopefully then exchange for a permit once I arrive. This is the first major step in getting there and I am very excited :)

I am now back to consolidating and sorting out my finances so that I can be sure how much I have and what each bit will pay for.

This is great.

High on a hill...

2007-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a party this weekend and I shall be dressed as Heidi. Can't wait. I will try and get a pic or two on here or facebook or something afterwards. Get on FB Annabel you bint.

Today I had one of my Fridays in Chichester where I had to get a hideously early train. I got soaked to the skin on my bottom half and spent the whole day interviewing people whilst being in various states of drying out.

Can't wait until tomorrow when I will spend the ENTIRE day (apart from getting dressed and partying as Heidi) reading the new Harry Potter. Brullliant.

Not a lot of news really. Did I mention Heidi? I have a flowery shirt.

Lesson Learned, or Ode to Sleep

2007-07-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Today I learned what happens when you set your wake-up alarm in the logic-free pre-slumber fog that overcomes you just as you drop off at night.

Yes, this morning, I - not famed for my enjoyment of early rising - got up at 6.10am, washed and had breakfast before my brain finally clicked into place and I thought 'ummmm, that's not right, I am an hour too early'. I had an early train to catch or I would not be up at 7.10 either! (flexi-time gets it's name for a reason :)).

I did briefly think about going back to bed, by frankly that would have been a Very Bad Idea. I so did some reading and joined the ranks of those smuggards who have always got up, started work, and saved a couple of orphans all before I normally open my peepers.

I just love sleeping.

Leadership, giftings and a beautiful garden

2007-06-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

(Scattered through here are piccies of my garden - see the end for further details!)

I've now finished a year-long leadership training course run at my church called Growing Leaders. We met once a month and for away-days and looked at various subjects.

Firstly I am very impressed with the level of training and support us leaders are getting, especially as having talked to many friends from other churches, they would love something like this as it's just not happening chez them.
Secondly it has confirmed a lot of things (as training often does on a topic you have been doing for a while anyway).
Thirdly, it reminded me of what I really enjoy doing, and consequently I have joined the group researching and consulting the church and Prestonville (our Parish name) communities to see what they need and want to help reach conclusions about what to do with our church building and the church hall a few roads away. This really gets me excited, and we've just started planning the approach.
Fourthly, each of us had a mentor for the leadership course and I am grateful that it has put me in touch with Martine who is a wonderful French lady I hadn't met before. She's great, and every time I meet with her I come away remembering what I love about France, and how much more there is to explore than little England.

At Church we have been having sermons on spiritual gifts and have been praying for them as the Bible says God will give them and they are useful for building the church (eg words of wisdom, healing, prophecy, interpretation of tongues etc). I am testing out (by doing it) what God seems to have given me which is words and pictures which I just seem to get in my mind when I'm praying sometimes. Most recently I've had a couple which when I've said out loud or to the person I think they were for, have resonated with them, which is positive. Frankly it's a bit of a tricky gift because as humans we associate pictures and words in our minds all the time, and so of course you can explain it away as something co-incidental or just from me. However, I am being practical about it and trying it out, and having faith that I have heard from God. I have no idea if I may get prophetic things from God to pass on, but those of you who believe in the God I do, please pray for me and more pray for St Luke's and that we will be receptive to what God is up to. I also personally heard words in my head back (not in a mad sense!) in January during one of the services talking about building joy and also about God wanting to build on the firm foundations he had laid in me. I wrote it down but didn't tell anyone, but again those things were written down and given to me from two different people recently as they had been praying for individuals on the leadership course. I know I shouldn't doubt God, but it is always amazing to get a reminder (or several) that he knows about me as an individual and cares about everything to do with me.

Sorry if you don't believe in all that!, but I just wanted to share what has been gong on with me spiritually.

And to finish this mammoth post here are some pictures of my garden which my parents and I finished last weekend and is now in full bloom.

Not quite inconclusion, and types of clothes days

2007-06-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Sort of inconclusion
Today I met with Natalie my boss, and Peter her boss to discuss my career break. We talked through the things that need to be thought about, that needed to be done, and that needed to be checked (ie how the work might be covered by someone else, writing a project plan for reviewing the Community Strategy, and talking to HR and the PCT who part fund my post).

The conclusion is that the District Council are happy for me to go (and come back!) but before I can actually book a ticket I need the agreement of the PCT as well. This shouldn't be a problem, although you never know.

Presuming they say yes, if anyone has great has advice about what sort of ticket I should get for a 12 month return or where I should get it, I'd be very grateful.

Clothes
Jen and I on camp used to sense some mornings that it was a skirt day. You can just tell in the morning.... Today it would appear that it was a black t-shirt and black and white skirt day as Natalie and another colleague Jacqui were in almost identical clothes (Monsoon junkies...). Watch out for those days.

Mini-Happiness, Or Gifts from Strangers

2007-06-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

I boarded the train to come home yesterday and sat opposite a man. He had several small squares of pink card on the table between us and he was folding one. Rather dismissively I thought 'uh oh, freak' and tried to keep looking out of the window, but the next time I looked back he had folded it into the most amazing little pig!

The train journey is only very short and we both got up to leave at Hove. He must have seen me looking at the tiny origami pig because he pushed it towards me.

The little pig is now sitting on top of my computer. Pictures below. Thank you stranger with an ASLEF identity chord. Train drivers clearly have deeper creative talents than I give them credit for.

My walk home

2007-06-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday evening I walked back to Hove after a meeting in Brighton, and this is some of what I saw and thought:

Pretty bandstand still being repaired.

My feet in my Crocs.

Colours are nice.

The pier looks quite dramatic today.

Friends having a sit down.

God bless Brighton and Hove.

We love boys playing football.

Why is there a random yellow pole here? (the sticker did not provide any clues).

Cool.

What is the point in putting a flag up when you can't work out what it says? (and even then what that means).

And - oh dear look at the clouds.

6k/7k? The true price of beach huts on the Brighton/Hove border?

It's me!

Letter

2007-05-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today I put a copy of the letter requesting my career break on the divisional head's desk. I was scared. I was actually shaking. Why I'm not quite sure, I guess it is making it Real. Now he has 14 days (unspecific as to whether this is working days or if it includes the weekend!) to reply.

I'm feeling rather stuck really. I just wish it was all happening and I could get away. Ho hum.

Randomly I was early for a meeting today and bought a beautiful necklace for £2 bargain. It's lovely. And it has sparkles and it made me feel better :)

Dancing around

2007-05-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

This evening I have been mostly dancing around my flat pretending to be either a pussycat doll or possibly J-Lo. I'm so cool. Lucky neighbours may have caught a glimpse of me pirouetting through the kitchen.

Try dancing today.

And here's a gratuitous picture of darling Hugh.

Favourite workshop/seminar moments

2007-05-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was at a talk tonight and one of the things which happened made me think of all the seminars and workshops I have been too (or been part of, eek) where something very amusing goes wrong. Usually technology-based.

Tonight's classic was a comment from the chair as one of the speakers was bringing up their presentation on a screen where you could see what was on the laptop. The wallpaper was of a child, and the chair said 'ah, lovely picture of your daughter... er, son!'. Nice. To be fair it did look like a girl...

Another one which made me smile was at an 'important' central government-hosted event in London, where the speaker talked for so long that the screen-saver came on behind her over her slides. The screen-saver was the organiser's name (something like Alina) which then continued to bounce around the huge presentation screen for about 10 minutes until the presenter moved onto her next slide.

One where I could hardly contain my laughter was a workshop where the flipchart paper with headings had been blue-tacked the walls of the (big, echo-y) gym we were in. The guy leading was trying to do his introduction and one by one they kept detaching and falling onto the floor. Perhaps you had to be there... That was the same night that I was made to use the 'Madonna' head mike (think telephonist). Which could not be used in conjunction with the roving mike, causing delays of about 5 seconds between questions and answers whilst there was a manual switch over into the amp.

I once held a surgery session in a village hall where I literally spent half an hour looking for the light switch. Also same place where conversation was all but drowned out by the generator from the mobile fish and chip van parked outside.

There are certainly more of these stories...I may have to do further installments...they may just be under the title 'things wot made me laugh when working in the villages'...we'll see.

Please feel free to add your ridiculous stories of seminar-going. I'm going to one tomorrow, so I'm hoping for fodder...

Frou Frou, sandwich advice and new shoes

2007-04-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have just got the album Details by the band Frou Frou, and I can't stop listening. I think it may be my music of summer 07. Anyway, it is pretty old now (2002) but as you may know, it takes me a while to decide I like something enough to buy something.

I have just be trying out a new sandwich option to see how it goes. Variety being the spice of life and all that. It was melted cheese and Skips in wholewheat pitta. I can now with integrity tell you that it is probably not worth you reproducing.

Anne and James gave me an amazing present to thank me for looking after the catties whilst they were on holiday. I now have a wonderful pair of crocs (brown, Mary-Janes for anyone that interested!). Irrationally happy about this, considering they are just shoes. I'll put a pic or two up once my camera battery is charged...

Turned

2007-04-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have now managed to articulate what I have been thinking for many months, possibly years now (especially having got my own place):

A Friday or Saturday night out has to be mind-bendingly, life-affirmingly, great in order to beat a night in at home.

Don't care how that makes me look. I love home.

Also, update on the PMT (Possibly Moving Thing) my boss told me today to look at the 'career breaks' section of our work policies, and indeed I can (in theory, if my head of division agrees) get up to 12 months break and then come back to my old job. This is an amazing answer to prayer. Now all I have to do is persuade him (whose initials are PD so many call him P Diddy) to let me do it...

Straplines and splat

2007-04-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Inspired by something on the radio I have been looking at the strap-lines/taglines of some of the films I own. Think it gives a little too much away about me but some of the interesting ones are:

Finding your inner princess can be such a royal pain
He's the best thing she ever borrowed
Little kids, big words
Grab life by the balls

Also, it was officially the start of summer for me today as my first insect of the year splattered against my windscreen.

Lent

2007-04-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lent has really been a useful time for me. I gave up sweets, chocolate, basically sugary snacks and quite a lot of puddings. Having done this for weeks and weeks, Easter day is a bit odd because by then you have established a diet which is pretty much without these things (except Sundays!). I found this morning that I didn't really want to eat much chocolate, although my parents had given me some nice-looking eggs. Obviously it would have been rude not to have a bit :) They did taste nice, but I don't have much appetite for chocolate or sweets at the moment. I imagine it will come back.

When I really wanted some sweets it was always a day other than Sunday, and it reminded me that often what we can't have just heightens our desire for it. God gave me the strength (and distractions!) to manage to not give in.

I don't seem to have lost much, if any, weight tho. Ho hum.

Being clean in the capital

2007-03-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have had to go to London fairly frequently in the last 3-4 months and I am very pleased to have my trusty anti-bacterial handwipes with me :)

I think it is something about travelling on trains, then touching underground handrails and generally being in London that makes me really want to wash my hands when I get to my destination, and then when I get home.

Ah. there is nothing like clean hands.

Quite how truthful to be in your annual review...

2007-03-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

This came up last week. I was having my annual review (or PDR - Personal Development Review) and was discussing how I would like some project management training. My boss told me about a course run through work which is 1 day a month over 2 years which would be great for me to go on. That was the point when I felt a bit torn. If I want to get to New Zealand on working holiday visa I need to get it before I'm 30, in 2 years and 2 days time. Having asked to go on a course, I felt it would look a bit stupid for me to then have no very good reason (that she knew about) for not doing it. So I said that actually my plans were to be in NZ by two years' time, which she was a little surprised by.

I am really not one for playing any kind of game at work, or being political (with a small p) about what I do, because I'm just not clever enough to make it work for me, so it's better not to try! However, basically telling your boss you are going to leave some time between now and a year and a half's time, just may not stand me in the best stead.

It's tricky. I wanted to be honest, but I also didn't want to have that 'she's leaving' label. However, I feel I couldn't have said anything else or I would have either lied or implied something different. So there we are.