Unveiling Of Plaque - St Margaret Clitherow

"Why do you always bring me to places full of old people?" Moaned Jessica.

Friday lunchtime Andy headed back down south as his summer leave ended, so we had time to bomb down the A1079 to York for the unveiling of a plaque on the Ouse bridge, to mark "near" to the place that St Margaret made the ultimate sacrifice for her faith.

(Apparently the bridge that now stands there isn't the same one and it is also not quite in the same place.)

I wish I'd known the event was happening earlier, as it would of been great to take a few more kids with me (apart from lowering the average age a little), but people like St Margret Clitherow are such a great example to them. Ordinary people showing extraordinary courage for their Love of Christ and his Church.

I suppose when your fourteen and surrounded by mature ladies in flowery skirts, it's not the sort of thing you really want to conform to. Romans 12: 1-2 Jess - St Paul is proud of you.

BAD BOOKS

Andy has decided to have a go at making a cake and in the process broken my mixer.

It's the last calamity in a whole series of doing things to generally get in my bad books. I can't quite pin-point when it all started but it certainly climaxed on my birthday a few days ago.

To be fair he had asked in advance if I would mind him going to the Hull City away game against Blackburn, and I was quite happy for him to go. I was a little disappointed when I found out it was actually on my Birthday, but hey - I could live with that.

As we couldn't spend the Saturday together I decided to take the Friday off work so we could go out as a Family.

Friday arrived a beautiful sunny August day; blue sky with white fluffy clouds. Unfortunately the nearer we got to Whitby the darker the sky got and the more bruised the clouds looked. As we arrived in Whitby the heavens had opened, the car parks FULL, the streets packed with tourists armed with lethal eye extracting umbrellas. We did have a very nice lunch of fish and chips. We then attempted a little bimble up the narrow cobbled streets, but it was the sort of rain that even ducks hate.

Back home apparently it had been beautiful all day.

Saturday, my birthday. So what does the loving husband who is deserting his wife on her birthday buy as a gift to compensate?

An ironing board cover and peg bag! (Oh and a wok which Andy has been after for ages).

I really tried not to look disappointed, but failed miserably, which annoyed Andy.

While I was in the shower he did pop out to the local shops and bought me a box of chocolates and even bought some wrapping paper and a ribbon.

After dropping Andy and my Dad off at the KC stadium to catch their coach I did feel a little guilty, after all if they had a horific coach crash I would treasure that peg bag and ironing board cover forever.

The day did get better, I had a nice lunch out with Jessica and after Mass Sandra had brought a cake to go with the cup of tea. Jessica and myself went over to see James, Ella and Leona. They had written me a special Birthday Poem.

Your husbands gone to football,

and we think that's really bad.

He didn't go on his own,

he even took your Dad.

And now you have to pick them up

you must be really mad!

But today it is your Birthday

So we hope you will be glad!

Wednesday Already

Andy keeps pinching the modem to play his horrible playstation on line, so my good intentions for blogging are out the window.
Sunday I went up to Mount Grace, Osmotherley with James and Ella for the 50th (re-instated) Diocese Of Middlesbrough, Feast Of The Assumption Pilgrimage. James has written loads about it so check it out HERE (if it works).
My car is now all better, apparently my fan belt was shot to bits.

I really feel like I've been living out of a suitcase for the last few weeks.

On Thursday we came back from a couple of days down south. We stayed at Andy's parents in the village of Hartley Wintney. We didn't actually see his parents as they where in Canada at the time. A very cunning way to visit the In-laws.

We popped over to Hever Castle on Wednesday. I had gone the week before on the afternoon trip from Woldingham; much to Jessicas disgust. She has wanted to visit Hever for quite some time. As there was a lot of the grounds I didn't get to see due to lack of time last week, the three of us had a family trip out. We don't get to do things like this very often.

After we had supper with my Aunt and cousin in Cranbrook.

Back up north again on Thursday.

Friday- The feast of the Assumption. I didn't get to make such a big event out of this feast as I would of liked. Obviously we went to Mass.

Apparently in some countries, the Assumption is the day for blessing herbs. An old legend held that all the flowers and herbs on earth had lost their scent after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. On the day of the Assumption, the flowers and herbs were given back their scent, and the herbs their power to heal.

Taking this in to account I put some Lavender in a little vase. Just a small gesture in honour of Our Lady.

The Assumption

The Mixieblob Blog Bounces Back

After nearly two weeks of three cooked meals a day complete with pudding, bouncing back isn't just a metaphor!

Fist things first, humble apologies for the lack of blogging over the last couple of months, I've had my wrist verbally slapped by Mulier Fortis. To be honest I don't really expect anyone to read the twaddle I come out with.
I arrived home last night from the Faith Summer session down in Woldingham. I've had a great week and come home feeling Spiritually calmer and confident. On the down side I always come away feeling a little cheated that I never knew about such things sooner, that perhaps if I'd been given a fuller vision of the Catholic faith at an earlier stage in my life, I maybe wouldn't have had to learn life lessons the hard way, but God in his goodness has got me through. Unfaithful as I was he truly did bring me out of the wilderness.

Oh dear, I've gone off on one. Back to Woldingham!
The title for the conference was, "Male and Female, He Created Them" : the role of the sexes in the plan of God.
I'm not going to give an in depth review of the talks, to do the speakers any justice I would have to listen to the talks several times over, but the emphasis on marriage likened to Christ and his Church was beautifully put across.
I would also like to briefly mention that the clarity on the Church's teaching on contraception was also wonderfully explained. I was even in my inarticulate way able to explain to my non-Catholic husband in a more convincing way, why the Church is right in what she teaches.
My Point is, if I can do it then so can other people in the Church who are far more qualified to do so (but choose not to).
Our very own Fr William Massie was one of the speakers and he did us proud. So much so that the guest speaker, Monsignor Charles Brown quoted him on several times in his (also very good) talk.
I am now with eager anticipation looking forward to the winter conference.
Last week I was helping out at the "Faith Summer-time". This is for 11-14 year olds, all our kids love it. However I don't have the time to write all about this now as the state of the bathroom after leaving Jess and Andrew home alone for week requires my attention and probably a fall-out suit.