These are following me around and have now been emailed by two different people.
Seems I am to answer them as I have enjoyed the answers of others.

What is your greatest fear?
That I will not be worthy of my children

What is your earliest memory?
My Uncle Fred - Grandma's brother - coming to lunch on Fridays in his blue 'invalid carriage'

Aside from property what is the most expensive thing you bought?
My car. But I borrowed the money for that. Paid for at the time, by me? erm...my business.

What would your super power be?
Time turning, or somesuch. To be with all my children whenever they need me.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?
My relationship with my eldest daughter's mother

Have you ever said "I love you" and not meant it?
Yes. See above.

What is the closest you've come to death?
I'm not sure that I have. And I would rather not know.

How would you like to be remembered?
As one who inspired and encouraged, enabling people to fulfill themselves and their ideas

What is the most important lesson life has taught you to date?
The power of the freedom that comes with forgiveness. And that life is for living. There is so much joy and richness in every minute if you can just get out there and have experiences you will find yourself - and that's the most important discovery of all

Some focussed prayer for Kink over the past weeks seems now to be getting through.

the new part-time job (one of the key reasons behind the move out of the flat with Dn) is working well and she is getting on the extra hours rota more often. The pay is awful, but it does give her the opportunity to spend time doing what she wants to do.
Which includes a lot of photography.

This image is part of a photoshoot she did recently with the girl whose flat she is currently sharing. For two weeks at least.
I'm impressed. Her photoshop skills are also developing nicely.

Then, I think this coming weekend, she takes up a fantastic opportunity and moves into her own room in a 900 year old abbey! It's part of a long-term restoration project, and the building is 'occupied' by guardians on a very cheap rent, who have to do very little other than 'look after' the place. The abbey has underground passages, secret rooms, wine cellars etc etc and is currently inhabited by a dozen or so artisans - photographers, designers, musicians etc etc. Kink will fit in I'm sure absolutely perfect and I am happy for her and more confident again now that she is doing OK and so much better at looking after herself than she was a year ago.

I have successfully managed to do diddly-squit of the work I have brought home - the main focus today has been the corrections to the AA project that turned up unexpectedly this morning.
And alongside them, the first serious package of music of the year.
Not only the welcome and safe return of six bootlegs, but accompanied by Steve Jansen's (apparently very wonderful) 'Slope' and a copy of the celebrated (in small circles) 'Weather Report' album by Chris Watson - ex-Cabaret Voltaire and latterly industrial noises scientists The Hafler Trio

Come to think of it, this is a VERY nice website too. I love the presentation of the discography.
We should think about the way that works.

Also added a couple more LGS pieces to the collection. His new EP 'EST' is especially good. He's accomplished himself as a stand-alone electronic artist and really deserves to be heard. There are strong elements of Eno's early work in these songs - very different from his eclectic folky hip-hop psychedelia...

Finally I have learned that the trick with pancakes is to cook a pile first and then heat them in the oven wrapped in tinfoil. Saves such a lot of faff when everyone wants to eat them at the same time and now no-one has to wait

EST Louis Gordon

Beers with IW last night is always refreshing - and this month I managed not to rant too much about the office!
Difficult, because things have been quite tense since everyone blew up with D on Friday. Instead, we ended up talking about kitchen floors...
Takes only 10-15 minutes to cycle the couple of miles up river to the White Swan through the park. Coming back at midnight was hilarious. It was blowing a gale upstream and raining needles horizontally. I was absolutely dripping when when I got in. Excellent laugh though. Because I got soaked in seconds, caution was thrown to the wind and I whizzed through the huge puddles whooping and laughing aloud.

Most unbecoming of a churchwarden who that morning advised Mr Vicar and the Standing Committee on the content and presentation of our Begging Letter.
This is unfortunately what it has become known as - our decision to write to every home in the parish as part of our Giving in Grace campaign and ask specifically for financial gifts.
First time he's ever done this in thirty years of ministry, and new for our parish too. Should be an interesting exercise. I've arranged for the office Freepost address to be used which might encourage a few people.

Cooked for 48 on Sunday- on of the best attended meals for a while. SImple pasta/veg bake in a cheese sauce - bringing everything right back to basics. And pancakes. Not used the oven-ready ones before and it worked a treat.

Homemade ones tonight.
Working at home to try and catch up. It's not really working