Life, the universe and everything!

It's scary how the time flies.  Can we already be nearly at the end of October?  Yesterday we celebrated a whole year in our little St Heliers home, and recalled what fun we had making it ours, a place to live and think and relax....

It's been 7 weeks since my last blog.  Why the long silence, you ask?  Busy?  Yes, always.  But actually the main reason is the arrival of our beloved daughter, Louisa, who joined us out here on 29 September.  She is a delightful and most welcome distraction :)  Somehow the time for blogging has been in short supply.

So, what's been going on over here?

I've already told you about our 2 weekends away in July and August, all whilst Michael is away playing naval things and getting trained.  But that is just 2 weekends out of 8 weeks.  The weeks themselves are pretty full.   There are sermons and pew sheets to write; a parish dinner to put on and perform at (yes, 3 Little Maids from School, with only 2 of us; and Nyasha and I offer My God from Sister Act!); a women's retreat to plan and lead; bible in schools lessons to plan and deliver.   Then there are a lot of tennis matches, sometimes 3 a week!  I start Pilates classes, too, in an effort to resolve a niggling knee/leg issue (seems to work, thankfully).

And Roy and I manage 2 Saturday jaunts to catch up with each other, to walk, relax and breathe away from work and busyness.  We visit Shakespear (sic) Park on the Whangaparaoa peninsula, about an hour north of Auckland, where we are dive-bombed by magpies (I don't recommend it, the magpie bit that is).  

[Ancient lava swirls at the foot of the Shakespear cliffs]

[View looking back at the long Whangaparaoa peninsula]

And Tawhitokino Bay, on the east coast about an hour south east of Auckland, which can only be reached on foot and at low tide.

[One deserted beach]

As you can see both offer us much-needed space and beauty.

It's also the time of year for ministry gatherings.  In September we have Diocesan Synod. Never been before, even in the UK.  Here all licensed clergy are expected to attend, and each church sends a couple of lay representatives.  We meet in Auckland cathedral, which is turned into a conference centre for the 2 days, with desks for everyone, all numbered and named.  There are several motions to be debated, and 2 presentations to break up the routine.  We discuss mission, the environment, sexuality and marriage, social justice, cathedral governance, sustainability, and the cathedral building project.  There is enough variation to keep it interesting, and thankfully no unpleasantness among speakers (unlike last year, so I'm told).  The banter between bishops helps things move along.  At the opening Eucharist our new assistant bishop preaches on the need for tolerance and restraint during Synod. We have a collective responsibility to make wise decisions and to acknowledge our role as co-creators with a loving God, he says; but, he reminds us quoting Yoda, 'God we are not'.  Quite!

Along with all the sitting and listening ('bring your knitting next year,' they say), I do a great deal of coughing. Sure enough the local lurgy finally hones in on me, and I spend the next couple of weeks battling a feverish cold with cough (no, it's not flu!  Had that back in 1975, the Asian variety, and hope never to repeat the experience).  Anyway, it means that I end up missing the concert I've spent the past 5 months rehearsing for....  Not clever.  Product of being busy and getting tired, it seems.  Coupled with several lengthy and uncomfortable (not to say wildly expensive) trips to the dentist, a large part of September passes in a bit of a blur.

Michael returns, at least in body (much reduced in size, as it happens).  He has quite an adjustment to make.  Will he decide to join the military full-time?  We are all 'watching this space'...  Don't think he knows himself.

And then at the end of September Louisa arrives, and 2 becomes 3 as our little house absorbs its new long-stay visitor.  She is here just in time to celebrate both Roy's birthday and our 31st anniversary.  Lucky she likes 'bubbles'.   Once jetlag is over we take her up Sky Tower.

[Louisa foreground; Roy peering through giant binoculars]

[Roy's fiefdom bang in the middle - the imposing Auckland War Memorial Museum. 

It stands on the Domain, one of the many volcanoes littered round Auckland]

[31 years sharing life with a wonderful, inspiring, handsome, supportive and loving husband.

We celebrate with a wine-tasting and platter-eating visit to

Ascension wine estate, near Matakana (about an hour north of Auckland)]

We soon establish new routines - and I have someone to 'play' with again (there hasn't been anyone since American Julie left).  We buy some lycra and trainers and Louisa and I begin some early morning jogs.  We watch lots of lovely films in the evenings.  Roy takes her sailing, and together they explore the joys of Brown's Island and Islington Bay. And we all have a wonderful evening experiencing the incredible stage production of Mary Poppins at the Civic theatre, in central Auckland.

But other things must at times take precedence. I attend a 2-day ministry conference, where we have 4 sessions on Hermeneutics (remember Jeremy Ganga, my St Mellitus friends?).  The bishop asks me to write him a 2-page reflection on my learning and training, and then to spend an hour with 2 of his ministry advisors.  And at my final interview with the bishop himself, he confirms that he is happy to ordain me priest!!  My ordination is to take place in Auckland Cathedral on 1 December 2012.  Let me know if you fancy coming out to share the day.....

And finally there's 24 hours of post-ordination training - the last of the year - looking at 'theology in the public forum: expectation of the community on ordained ministry'.  We get to watch The Artist and reflect theologically on its themes, and then discuss the use of film in spiritual reflection.  Quite a gentle way to finish a year's official training, actually.  We are all very happy to take the foot off the pedal....

So, as you can see, it has been a filled and fulfilling time.  Time to finish this blog, but before I go I have one other exciting piece of news to share.  We are to be grandparents!!  Our daughter-in-law, Gillian, is expecting their first child, April 2013.  Joyous news indeed :)

So much to be thankful for.  Praise God!