Hot, cross bunnies

Today I'm making hot cross buns for the first time this year. The name always appeals to my childish sense of humour and I imagine lots of overheated, angry rabbits scurrying about to fulfil their Easter Bunny duties. It's traditional to eat hot cross buns on Good Friday, although I'm not sure why - something to do with the cross on the top for sure. Anyway, mine will be my contribution to the picnic tomorrow when I go to Stirling with Mr and Mrs Blethers to take part in a choral workshop in the Church of the Holy Rude (yes, that *is* how it's spelled - cue more childish humour).

Thanks to the wonders of my beloved iPod I've been able to practise some of the music for the workshop - much to the startlement of the dogs who both suddenly remembered urgent doggy business outside!

Mother?

Today is Mothering Sunday in this part of the world. It's a weird feeling, because although I'm a mother myself - I could easily be a grandmother - I still feel a daughter on this day. I find this very strange because my mother has been gone for eleven years, and although I frequently talk to her, I know she's not around any more. She died in the spring and her ashes were scattered among the bluebells in a wood she and my father loved (he's there with her now). I always feel very close to her when the bluebells start to come through as they are now, with promise of a mass of blue on the hillside behind my house as spring progresses.

Ain't technology wonderful?

Last night I had my first taste of iChat's video link chat. It's really awesome - Skype with pictures! My husband Rob is in London setting up a computer for a colleague. They each got the camera so that they could conference (can that be a verb?) while working at the computer. It's just a wee gizmo that sits on top of the computer, and although seeing myself on camera is always a shock - where did all those wrinkles and grey hair come from? I still feel 16, dammit - it was great to see Rob and Bill (neither of whom appear to have *any* wrinkles) and to 'look' around Bill's new flat. The dogs went bananas when they heard Rob's voice in the room and rushed to the door to greet him, barking joyously, but eventually settled down once he didn't actually appear - just another human mystery dogs have to live with, like why their owners could possibly eat smoked salmon without sharing.

Okay, next time I'm on video link I'm going to put on some make-up and brush my hair *g*

What's happening to my posts?

How odd. Blogger is eating my posts. They appear in the archives but not on the main page.

Judging others

It's surprising how quickly we judge people isn't it? And surprising how often we're wrong.

Yesterday my 'work' started up again and I spent the day closeted in various cupboards in the school. I had met the first boy before for a maths exam and, to put it kindly, it was a struggle. Yesterday was music and when I opened the envelope and found a Credit paper there I thought there must be a mistake. Surely he'd not manage Credit level! How wrong I was - he did really well, better than any other kids I've scribed for.

The last couple of weeks have been spent in the process of choosing a new rector for Holy T. I've felt a great weight of responsibility over this because, for the first time in my life, I'm one of the folk doing the choosing, and what's more, as secretary of the Vestry I have to co-ordinate the whole process. We were duly offered a candidate and told to discern whether that candidate was right for us. How terrifying is that? What if we got it wrong? Church is such an important part of my life that to have to live for the next five years or so with the result of a failed discernment process would be disastrous!

All the incredibly spiritual people advising me - the bishop, the present rector and a couple of others whose perception I trust - told me not to worry, God would help. Fine. But how do I know what's God and what's me?? All I know is that *I alone* am not a great judge of character and I have been known to get things very wrong.

Well, the process is over and the candidate chosen. I think it's a great choice and I'm delighted. So is everyone else concerned. Time will tell if we're all right.

Snow at last

I've been wishing for snow all week since everywhere else in the country seems snowed in. A meeting in Perth was postponed because the folks from up north are snowbound, but here it was wall to wall sunshine, albeit freezing!

Rob and I decided to take the dogs up Blairmore hill since frozen is good for walking up there (Blairmore is roughly translated as 'big bog!). We set out in lovely sunlight, but by the time we were halfway up it started to snow. Below us, the weather remained sunny, but at the top we could hardly see a thing - including the way down. You have to find a certain wall and follow it for an easy descent. We missed the wall completely, so our way down was 'interesting'. The dogs loved every minute and charged around in the snow, noses to the ground in ecstacy.

When we got down, there was no sign of snow at all. However, I got my wish.