This morning was due to be an informal service at church. Having no vicar at the moment, we are allocated one priest a month but have been used to having two services so we decided to have a churchwarden led informal service on the second Sunday of the month - ie today. The only problem is that the churchwarden who normally leads this is the friend who lost her husband a week ago today - clearly we couldn't ask her to do the service. The other churchwarden is a nurse and was working today - cue a pleading phone call! Would I lead the service? Fortunately for me there is a Morning Prayer service sheet with a script for me to read, we asked the stand in organist (it was our regular organist who passed away) to pick the hymns, someone volunteered to read the bible passages and someone else volunteered to read the intercession prayers. That just left me a "sermon" to find - but even then there are published meditations/ reflections related to the designated scripture reading - job done! Did I get away with it - well I think so. People were appreciative that I had done it - it gave them a chance to talk over coffee about their own sense of loss and tears were shed by some - and I was told that I spoke clearly and loud enough to be heard. Would I do it again - if needed to then yes. Would I want to do it full time - no thanks!
Back home at the ranch, so to speak, it was time to complete another Splendid Sampler block
before starting to sort the conservatory out. With Sewingbuddy and Jean coming around for a ScanNCut "lesson" on Wednesday I thought that I would sort it out. It still has "stuff" for the "She Cave" stored in it but I thought that I would make space for them to work and create their beautiful works of art!! Of course, whilst I was there, I was tempted to go and paint some more fence - so, given that my Wi-Fi now extends to the end of the garden, I treated myself to a sunny 75 mins listening to The Archers Omnibus painting away. Standing back, I am shocked at how little I seem to have painted but, as someone once said, "Every Little Helps!".
I also ran up tops for a couple of bedside table mats for the cabinets upstairs. I love the furniture but some of the reviews have remarked about how easy it is to mark the varnished wood so thought a couple of small toppers might help. I used a mini charm pack from Moda, Lizzie's Legacy 1850 - 1880, and have a charm pack in the same range to make a longer runner for the set of drawers where I have put the tea tray. Well - let's start as we mean to go on I guess! I will finish them the next time I fit the walking foot on so that they can be quilted.
Tomorrow, at the Textile group, Jean and I are finishing our bag but Carine has already made hers (photo tomorrow - it's gorgeous) so I spent a few minutes looking out the pattern for her next project - ironically using a charm pack again. As I looked through my files of patterns I couldn't help going ooh and ahh - so many projects, so little time!
Tonight it's more handsewing - nearly finished the Christmas present last night so there's about an hours work to be done there. Then it will be time to start another one - 11 weeks today will be Christmas eve - allegedly! Just saying!
I expect taking the sermon was a bit like putting your teaching hat back on...well done for stepping in.
ReplyDeleteGood job and very kind of you to help out your church family when needed.
ReplyDeleteAnd then second I really like the design of the bags you have pictured would you know the pattern name or designer or other information so I can find the pattern