Thursday 7 August 2008

A strange light in the sky

A bright light, burning gold and yellow, too white hot to be looked at too closely. I believe some people call it "the sun".We actually managed to get the side of the tent up and air it out.

A bit of a change from this:A very busy few days, so not much time to blog. Mog would like to tell you that she has been shoppingAnd that this made her very very excited, so excited that she had to wake up at 5.30 just incase we went shopping again.I'll be kind and spare you the details of why exactly both girls needed new jumpers to replace their pyjamas in the middle of the week. Meanwhile, how can you be cross by being woken up by that?

This mud patch persists.For some reason, it holds huge attraction for "The Youth" - the 50 odd* teenagers camping in the centre of the field with youth leaders and without parents. It's just outside our tent. I got to escape last night and listen to Adrian Plass which was great. Courtney got to sit in the tent and try to help the girls not listen to the youth who had gathered in the puddle for three hours. We love "the youth" - actually I do; it's really really great to listen to young people fired up with enthusiasm and just celebrating. But not outside our tent. So today we found a Cadbury's Outlet and have bought them each a (small!) bar of chocolate. Bribery to go and celebrate at the other end of the field. Sadly I suspect that whilst this may work for tonight, tomorrow the families on the other side of the tent may feel the need for similar bribery and hand out bigger bars. I have visions of us needing, by Saturday night, not just bars of chocolate but fish and chips and MP3 players. What's the value of sleep?

Wednesday was the official "day off". Family communion to start off with. Our chosen venue doubles as a bar in the evening; very strange to see the bread and wine balanced between the beer taps.
Little Fish saw me taking the picture and wanted to add her own. First Courtney, as she checked her messages before the service started.
And then, proving that she is indeed her mother's daughter, she became rather interested in the wheelchair user sitting in the row in front.

After communion, a free day with no onsite activities. So we decided to take a trip to one of the area's more interesting stately houses, Longleat.
A beautiful house, beautiful gardens, and some rather intriguing additionsI can't imagine the owners of the car were terribly impressed, although the rest of us did find it a little amusing. And there were big signs warning of the possibility probability of damage. Little Fish was hysterical, especially when the monkeys then jumped onto our bus, but Mog thought the whole thing was very funny.

Another busy day today, and we escaped this afternoon to buy bribes for the youth go swimming. All of us now nicely clean and free from mud refreshed, Mog and Courtney have gone off to the evening celebration. Little Fish is sleeping soundly, and I am finding excuses to avoid doing the washing up resting.

Have a peaceful evening,
Tia


*some very odd

5 comments:

Alesha said...

Tia,

This all sounds like a lovely change of pace from your usual crazy schedule; and yet, I'm sure, it's had challenges of it's own (mud hole, etc.). I hope you're being able to rest some, and are being refreshed in your spirit as well.

Alesha

Doorless said...

What an interesting trip! I've never seen an offering table like that. Nd the monkeys! Can I come and get a Cadbury chocolate? I'd gladly jump in the mud for one!

Sarah said...

Love the jumpers :)

Hope it stays dry for you all from now on ... and hope the bribes work, too!

Caroline said...

Sounds like you are having an eventful time.

I absolutley love the photo of Mog
smiling from her sleeping bag - truely beautiful. Caroline x

Claire said...

I think that the paddling pool full of foam may be all the bribery they need!

I just got back from a canal conservation camp. We spent the first evening doing playdough modeling! It was most popular with the 19 year olds!

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