Lent 2010

We have begun the season of Lent. In the Catholic Church this is a time for reflecting on our daily life to see where we need to improve. A time to enrich our Spiritual Life, to examine our failings and to make an honest effort to turn again to God and live life in the way he would want us to live.

It is a time of sacrifice too. We give something up. Or we start something up that has been lacking...prayer...mass attendance....confession....relationships with our family.

It should not be a sad time, where we moan about the little sacrifices we might make. But isn't it strange that on Ash Wednesday, a day of fast and Abstinence.....I could not get out of my mind the desire for a roll and sausage!!!

I will be out teaching for the rest of this week, so early start tomorrow.

The weather continues very cold, but beautiful sunny blue skies.

Our daughter Therese has been here for the last few days. She has been unwell. We took her to Casualty on Friday morning, and to the GP today. He disagrees with the Hospital diagnosis. He has given her some anti-inflammatory pills, and wants to see her in 3 weeks if she is still in pain.

Valentine's Day

This is St Valentine's Day. It is a little known fact that some of the bones of St Valentine are to be found in St Francis's catholic Church in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

Last night we saw "The Price" an Arthur Millar play at the Royal Lyceum Theater.

It was a very entertaing piece, well acted by the cast of 4. The set was aamazing too. Well done! It was an enthralling piece, and I suggest you watch out for it. My only complaint was that the American accents were not the best I have heard.

We went for a Chinese buffet just opposite the theatre before the show with son John.

Just before the show started, we saw John Byrne. our John spoke to him later on in the evening after he has finished his Greyfriars' Kirkyard Ghost tour.

John Byrne wrote a lovely letter to the boys after he had seen "The Sundowe" at Inverness. And of course, John Byrne is the writer behind the upcoming Lyceum production of "The Cherry Orchard", in which our John has a part. Too many Johns????

I took these photos the other night as the sun was setting. I am fascinated by the colours of the setting sun. They even make Pylons wonderful!

Friday in Largs

Today was yet another glorious sunny day. It was a bit warmer too, around 6C.

After mass this morning, we took my mother and one of my sisters down the coast to Largs for the afternoon.

Largs is a pretty sea-side town in Ayrshire. It is sometimes nickmamed "God's waiting Room", because it a very popular place with the older generations..............pas moi.....

We had a nice lunch and a wander through the streets. My wife and I got separated from mother and sisiter, and neither of us had the other's mobile number. So a call to another sister....400 miles away, and we were back in contact....lol.

Tomorrow wife and I are off to Edinburgh later to see an Arthur Millar play at the Royal Lyceum. "The Price" John has got us some cheap tickets, and we'll meet him there. I'm looking for a place to perhaps stay over for the night. Have you heard of "late rooms.com?"

photos from the sea side.

It was a lovely sunny day here today, but still quite cold...not shirt sleeve weather yet. But the sun was nice.

Been a busy day. Lots of bits and pieces done around the house, shopping, coffee, soup making, evening meeting at the church.

John was in for a while. He had a dental appointment.

He will be going back to san Francisco for a couple of weeks soon, and then will return to beging rehearsals for the Einburgh Royal Lyceum's production of Chekov's "The Cherry Orchard."

This version is the work of Scottish playwright and artist John Byrne.

I met John Byrne once. It was at the Glasgow Film Centre, where they were screening the entire version of Tutti Frutti.

I happened to have a copy of the book, and John was delighted to see it.

Our John will take the copy to reharsals, and ask the other John to autograph it for me.

http://www.lyceum.org.uk/

Some garden shots from winter.

Canada

We have been invited to have the use of our cousin's flat in Toronto again. I jumped at the opportunity!

I have booked seats with Air Canada. We will fly on 30th march from Glasgow to London with BMI, and then catch the evening flight to Toronto. We'll be there for about 3 weeks. I am tickled pink at the prospect.

There will be places to re visit and places to see we misssed last time.

In adddition, it looks like 3 days after our return, I will be flying to Turin for a conference about The Shroud. Sounds really fascinating. The Conference is being organised by the TFP.

So April is going to be a busy month indeed.

More later.

Photos of an ancient Saxon Church taken on a bitteryl cold day. It was colder inside the church than outside.

http://www.shroud.com/

http://www.tfp.org/

Decisions

I have been looking at flights for out trip to Canada. The best value lies with either British Airays, or Air Canada. I think my first choice would be BA, but there is the threat of strikes in March....so....hesitating.

The exchange rate is not as good as last trip, but that's life.

Tomorrow we have our monthly TFP meeting, this time at the Seat at Milngavie.

I have been asked if I am interested in a short trip to Rome at the end of April, a few days after I come back from Canada, for a talk on the Shroud. I am very keen, if it is not too costly. I'll let you know.

Some more photos from last break.

Snow???????

I was back in school again today. It was a bitterly cold morning, and it took a long time to clear the glass on my car, even with the engine running.

It was a good day at school, and I managed to keep to the plan of the class teacher.

When I got into my car for the journey home, the scraper was lying on the rear floor mat, still ice covered.

While driving to a Parish Meeting this evening, the snow started, and 4 hours later, it is still falling. Glad I will not be needed at school tomorrow.....or will I?

Our cousin Rose in Toronto has offered us the use of her flat while she is here for 3 weeks in early April.

tonight's snow pics.

Snow and School

I awoke this morning to more snow. It continued to fall for most of the morning, but has all gone already. Then, around 9.15am, I got a call from school. They were in desperate need of cover.

I had been told that it was unlikely I would be called out again. New rules, that retired teachers should not be employed. Understandable. But the truth is that the Office in Glasgow seems unable to respond quickly enough to calls for supply. So I'm not complaining.

I was in school within 25 mns of being phoned. I had a really nice class. They worked hard, behaved well and were no bother. We did language, maths, some thinking games, some RE, some French, and ended with a general knowledge quiz. And I am back tomorrow. Just in case, I had looked at the plans for tomorrow, so I am prepared.

Some more photos from our trip last week. We visited Tow Law, a village high in the Penines, where my wife's uncle was once Parish priest.He died on 25 December 1972, while celebrating Christmas Midnight Mass. We left flowers on his grave.

There are pictures of Richmond, a Georgian town with a huge castle, and a view from the cottage at Hury reservoir.

Barnard Castle and more

I found Barnard Castle an interesting place to wander round. We have been here before, but never with so much time available. And we had never found the Catholic Church before.

The castle is huge and well worth a visit. Bowes museum is a must too. If you want to see "TheSwan" in action, you have to be there for 2pm. It's worth it. A rarity.

We spent many holidays in Wales, and became "adopted members " of the parish there, Our Lady Queen of Peace. The priest became a great friend. Fr William Higham SJ. He wrote a wonderful series of booklets on a variety of subjects. He died a few years ago, and sadly there is no resident priest any more.

I have the same feelings about St Mary's in Barnard Castle. It felt right as soon as we went in. We did not feel like strangers.

There is a big fuss in Glasgow Archdiocese over the Old Rite Mass. But in St Mary's, Father Elkin celebrates the Old Rite and the New Rite with no fuss, and both forms with great dignity and respect.

How wonderful it would be if our Bishops could see this example, and encourage other priests to follow the simple example being set here in Barnard Castle.