Dear Elliot

This video needs no other words.

'The Silence'

My husband is on a 2 week talking ban.  No, I did not put him on it.  It is per the Dr's orders. 

He has been having problems with his throat since October 2009; we think that he had a throat infection and then went back to work too quickly.  He is a Church Minister so that would have had a negative effect.  All through 2010 he visited our GP.  They referred him to an ENT Consultant who put a camara down, told him it was red and angry looking and then promptly dismissed him from his clinic!

He went back to the Dr in November 2010 who recommended a 2 week talking ban.  Can you start now?  My husband told him that as a Church Minister with loads of Assemblies booked, meetings at various Old People's Homes and the general Christmas Services that wasn't going to happen.  So by mutual agreement they booked the first 2 weeks of January for 'The Silence'.

So my husband wrote a list of all the things he was going to achieve during his 2 weeks off sick (the Church Leaders said he could take the time as sick leave).  He was sort of looking forward to the opportunity to get stuff done. 

Then he went down with the flu followed by a Chest Infection. He spent the whole of the first week of his Silence coughing and feeling like death warmed up.  I think he managed to read some of his books towards the end of the week but the first half was spent sat doing nothing or inhaling Vicks vapour from one of my cooking bowls!  (I will not be using that one to cook with again.)

We are at the beginning of week 2 and the antibiotics the Dr prescribed last Thursday are beginning to take effect.  He feels somewhat better. 

We communicate by me talking and him writing.  I can't understand his gestures (maybe that is a good thing) and he has been known to slip into whispering which was banned as well.  I am hoping the 5 days left will help heal his throat.  It is of the utmost importance; his job depends on it. 

Nick's Carol

As I am in the habit of posting my family's work, I will link you to this little short story.

Verse 2 here.

Written by my husband.  He has 2 more parts to write before Christmas.  He has wanted to write a story for years and the dead-line has spurred him on to get it finished.  This is one of many he has swirling around his cranium.

Baby blues

 There are some days when I miss the fact that my children are no longer small.  I miss that I missed nearly 2 years of my eldest daughter's life.  I hate that there is another mummy she thinks about.  I miss the babies I lost.  I miss the fact that I didn't have a birth child.  I miss the fact that none of my friends have babies that I can cuddle.    Sometimes, it just plain hurts. 

Back in the day when I adopted my two girls I naively believed these thoughts and feelings would fade away to nothing; and thank God for the most part they don't plague me.  Just today.  I was at the school play yesterday and saw a tiny baby and that longing came back.  I know that it will be there for a while and will go again.  It hurts though. 

I have two beautiful ragamuffins to keep me busy.  I work in a school and am surrounded by children.  So I am blessed.  So I will take a deep breath or two and wait for this to pass.  And I will long for heaven when these thoughts will never plague me again.  To quote my daughter's favourite verse:  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.  There is hope.

My youngest Christmas Play 2010

My youngest Christmas Play 2010

"Act 1:  Is it real?
Please can you tell me, is the Christmas tree real?  (Taps her chin.)
Shall we go exploring?  (Waves arms up in the air.)
Yes, then! Let’s do. 

Song 1 - Joy to the World

Scene Change - Set in the Park

Act 2:  Looking for trees.
Look here’s some trees.  (Pointing to the trees.)
Oh, these look real so maybe the Christmas tree is real.
We need to go and find some more trees.
So come on.

Scene Change - A different part of the Park

Act 3:  More trees.
Oh look over there, there is loads.  There is about 50 trees.  (Waves hand in a big arch.)
Ummm, I am not sure, that is real. 
Ah, that is a good idea, go and tap the tree trunk.  (Taps the tree trunk.)
It feels wooden. 
I am not sure that is real.  (She scratches her head.)


Song 2 - We wish you a Merry Christmas (with dance)

Scene Change - At the beach

Act 4: Moss On the beach.
Look over there, I can see some moss.  (Points to the distance.)
Oh look out, here comes a car.  (She ducks.)
Phew, the car has gone.  (Wipes her brow.)
Feel the moss, it feels soft and furry.  (Touches the moss.)
Oh look, here comes the parents, now we can sing our song.

Song 3 - Silent Night

Scene Change - The field

Act 5: Grass looks like tree leaves
I have just discovered that grass looks like tree leaves.
Ummm, lets pick some grass and put it next to a leaf.  (Puts next to a leaf and compares.)
Well, it doesn’t look like a leaf after all.
What do you think?  Do you think it looks like a leaf? 
Oh look it looks exactly like a Christmas tree leaf.  It long and thin.  (Pulls grass with hand.)
It looks like winter to me.  There is snow everywhere.  (Waves her hand.)
Right, lets pick up some snow and have a snowball fight.
Great idea!  Oh look up there, a bird.
Lets attract it into the window by the Christmas tree.  If the bird comes than the tree might be real because birds like trees.

Scene Change - A field of cows

Act 6: Why does a cow eat Christmas trees?
Look the bird has gone into the cow field.  It has perched on the tree.  That means that soon we might find out if that is a real Christmas tree. 
Lets go and feed the cows a bit of the Christmas tree.  It eat it so the tree must be real.

Song 4 - The First Noel

Scene Change - Home

Act 7: Finding out what Christmas is about.
So we know that a Christmas tree is real because the cow eat it. 
Oh but what is Christmas about?  We discovered the Christmas tree is green so maybe that is important.
Maybe a light on the Christmas tree means that a light came to the world on the very first Christmas.
Lets go and ask Mum.

Song 5 - Go tell it on the Mountain

Scene Change - In the kitchen

Act 8: Asking Mum.
Mum, please will you tell me what Christmas is about. 

This is the whole story.  Mary and Joseph travelled many miles to their home town Bethlehem to pay their taxes.  Mary was to have a baby.  Mary rode on a donkey and Joseph walked.  There was no room in the Inn so they rested in a dirty stable.  (Holds her nose.)  Mary had a baby at night.  There were loads of animals in the stable and they crowded around when the baby was born.  The baby was Jesus and the Christmas tree light reminds us of the light Jesus.

Song 6 - Hark the Herald Angels sing


Bow


The End."


I was told what to type.  Occasionally, I gave suggestions which were not always taken!  Stage directions are in italics!

That girl is a hard task master as she was very specific.  I am not sure where we are getting the scenes from or even where this play is to be performed.

Nostalgia

This weekend is the 25th Anniversary of our Church's existence.  We were not here in the beginning.  We were a long way away in a far off land (well the next county along).  We hadn't met each other.  In fact, we were just weird looking kids with really bad hair and terrible dress sense.  I know it was the 80s but imagine that and then some!  Any photographic evidence is hidden away at our parents homes.  So please take my word for it.  My ambition was to get to the end of my school days alive and Alan was going to be a hermit living in a wardrobe somewhere up a mountain.  Thankfully, I survived school days breathing and Alan decided that the inside of a wardrobe was only good if it led to Narnia.  So he choose Bible College and Church Ministry instead (or rather God called him along that path.)

We started going out in 1987 and have been together ever since.  This weekend we are having our own time of Nostalgia.  The "Some Kind of Wonderful" soundtrack has been sprung from its box and we both know the lyrics off by heart.  I think I look good wearing Alan's future (well, the CD collection that he sold to buy my engagement ring!)  Another of our favourite films was "She's Having a Baby". 



Back in the day it was lovely to spend hours together doing nothing and having no responsibility; having my younger sister sit between the 2 of us when we tried to spend a minute or 2 together!!  I have my suspicions that she was a spy from the family firm but I can't prove it.  Time spent in the Church Crypt listening to music on the old juke box; even now certain songs can transport me back to those days.  (I should explain that we weren't that weird but our youth club was held there.)

Looking forward to the next 25 years of the Church and also life with Alan.  One day this period of my life will fill me with wistful Nostalgia. I prepare the powerpoint for church and have inserted small pictures of things from 1985.  Not very mature but it was good fun doing it!  Our Church celebrates 25 years along with 'Back to the Future', 'Calvin and Hobbes', 'Live Aid', 'Elmo' and many more.

Nostalgia is good and leaves a warm fuzzy feeling but it will not get the cakes made for the Anniversary tea.  So I must away to the kitchen and start baking.  And at the party tonight to celebrate 25 years for the Church me and my girls are planning to whoop everyone in the guess the baby photo competition! 

Dedicated to my husband.

This post is dedicated to the man who has put up with me for a very long time. 



Because the original is one of his favourite songs!!!!!  Whahaha.  Oh so funny.  J/K.


Here is one he really likes:



Let us grow old and slightly crazy together.