Sunday service focused on Epiphany celebrations. It was a surprise how many weren’t really aware that Magi didn’t arrive at the manger when Jesus was a baby - but as much as two years later. For family time I brought out the frankincense and myrrh which a friend, Pam Lock, had brought me from the Middle East after a trip. The kids were agog that these were real things, with a real smell.Several of the congregation came for a test - and then told me that the word for incense here in Newfoundland is “myrrh”, but they didn’t know where it came from till now!
The children in the Sunday School made “peace” cards - to present to Yrs. Truly at the end of the service as a welcome. I’ve attached a photo, because they are just so wonderful.
Sunday evening came an invitation to dinner - yes another! Can’t complain I don’t have a social life! It was a nice relaxed evening in good company. The road home, however, was more than interesting. In the few hours of relaxing, snow had come down - a mix of flakes and icy pellets - and the downhills were more like ski hills. Plows and sand trucks hadn’t been out - and a normally ten minute drive was closer to half an hour. Massey Drive, the location - is very high up on a hill, and once again I am struck by the difference between the weather up top, and the weather in the downtown. It was snow up there, rain coming through the centre of the town, and snow again here at home. Thank goodness for good snow tires.
Monday is supposed to be a day off. Well, I guess it’s a day off church, but that means a day doing other things. My Monday: morning, some paperwork; late morning, a drive to First United to give back the borrowed Christmas decorations; then a trip up to the mall to look for drapes; then a jewelry party at a parishioner’s home; then Canadian Tire for paint, primer, and other assorted items to do the bedroom. Tonight I’ve done some removing of nails in walls and filling of holes. Have to wait for it to dry, then get to sanding.
The jewelry party was interesting - some very beautiful stuff, and most of it half price. Of course, all of us walked away with a fair bit. Not only is it beautiful, but the young woman selling the jewelry is trying to make a living. Yrs. Truly picked up a beautiful freshwater pearl necklace, an elegant black and green bead necklace, and a pair of earrings. Well, what can I say, it was for a good cause - and there *is* an April anniversary cruise coming up. Good time and good afternoon.
But I must tell you about the most beautiful cat - twice the size of an ordinary cat, looking pretty much like a Maine Coon with the tabby markings, long hair, feathery tail and large ears - but with a cream coloured chest and paws, and bright blue eyes. Just a beautiful baby - have to try to get a photo. He is beautiful!
Tuesday dawned beautiful - clouds cleared away and the sky was blue - sun shone in the whole day, warming the house. The plan was to work at the office in the morning, and then come home and start painting in the afternoon. However, then came a conversation with a friend online who is in crisis, which took most of the morning. So the bulletin for Sunday was finished here, as well as some appointments and agenda items for meetings. The afternoon was spent completing a survey for the national United Church, about our process for ministry, and personnel policies. Now, I don’t mind such surveys, on the whole - except: why do we need to pay large bucks to an outside company to do the work? It was clear from the survey that they really didn’t understand the subject. There were some actual spelling errors, which - from a company which purports to be professional, is ludicrous. The instructions said it would take 35 to 40 minutes to complete - it actually took two hours.
So in the end, sanding the walls and beginning the priming started about supper time. Since the new bed will come (hopefully) sometime this week, it seemed a good idea to get the painting done ahead of time.
Can’t remember if I mentioned before that this particular room was painted a dark blue semi-gloss. It was a children’s room - and when I arrived, had a large mural of “Lightning McQueen” (the hero of the movie ‘Cars’, if you didn’t know) and around the wall was a strip with all the car characters from the movie. Those were taken down a long time ago - but there wasn’t a lot of time to get at painting.
So, Tuesday night there was Yrs. Truly, clad in a pair of “Hello Kitty” pyjama bottoms, a dirty grey sweatshirt, white primer dribbled down the front, no makeup, and hair desperately in need of a brush if not a wash. Doorbell rang. Tippy-toed to the door, opened
it and poked an eyebrow around the edge. A member of the congregation, fortunately female, so she was allowed in. She was just dropping off a “little” cake she baked yesterday and then forgot to give me at the jewelry party. I think perhaps the best plan of action around here is to be fully dressed and made up, even for painting - because this was at least the fourth time the doorbell has rung and I am in pyjamas, or something equally sloppy. Don’t want people to think I look like that all the time! So - the cake - was apparently one of those wonderful things you can freeze, and then just cut slices off as needed without thawing.
As I am in the middle of priming and painting the bedroom, a lot of time is spent there and not worth writing about. However, I’ve added some pics showing the dark blue it was, and halfway through priming. Next week you will see the finished room, hopefully with the new bed in place.
So here we are at Thursday. I’ve been to the office, and then up to the hospital for the long-awaited mug-shot - an ID which will be done shortly - and a key so I can get in after hours. Home for lunch, and back to the priming of the room. Had a call last night from a parishioner who wondered if I would eat moose. Uh, yeah! I asked him please call before he comes in case I am in my Pjs painting. So today he called, and stopped by with a roast, two pounds of ground, and two pounds of steak. Now, moose - being a somewhat leaner and drier meat - usually needs something to moisten it up and hold it together. So mooseburgers need some ground beef or pork added, roasts are better marinated in something first. I promise to send a photo of the first “roast beast”!
It’s snowing here again. We probably have about four or five centimetres now - and by the end of tomorrow will have a few more. It isn’t all that cold though - and on my way to work today I noticed that another ship from the “TransAtlantic” company - the TransPine, is at the mill. The Coast Guard is back too - maybe waiting for some business??? Have a meeting tonight, but they’ve been so well organised they last about an hour and we’re done.
One of my friends went skiing yesterday in the “Blow-Me-Downs”, because the sky was so blue and weather just perfect; and those mountains are so high they will be covered in snow until at least the end of April if not longer. Next sunny day I am going up to check it out. It’s mostly snowshoeing and cross-country up there, plus there are lessons to be had. A yearly membership is $189!!! I’ve “borrowed” a pic of the ski trails....
Friday night I’ve invited some people in for dinner. Painting done, I run to Canadian Tire for some wineglasses, then down to Tim Horton’s and join some of the church people for lunch, then to the grocery store for food. Clean house, get the food ready, and even have time to relax a little before they arrive. They are ‘loaning’ me a coffee table and two end tables - which need a little sanding and refinishing, but are really quite nice. We have a wonderful evening....
Saturday dawns snowy, with a little sunshine in the morning. We’ve had some wonderful days here, with clear blue skies and clean air. At 1 I meet the group of women at the Pepsi Centre (stadium/hockey rink) for some walking on the indoor track. We do 45 minutes - which amounts to just under 3 km, and then head down to Tim’s for a coffee.
So here in the pic are Donna and Madonna (no they aren't related) on the walking track...and the ski trails at Blow Me Down.
So ends Week 8 here in beautiful Corner Brook.
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