Personal Blogs

This is how I spent my Saturday afternoon, relaxing in the garden and pottering about putting some new plants in pots. Feeling very tired today for some reason.  Mostly I was just making the most of the good weather.

This morning I managed to study and get through some more reading. Book 3 is almost finished but I still just have the EMA to do in May.
Just putting in the final touches to TMA 04 (2, 500 for the word count) then it is ready to type up and go!

Good luck to all of you doing TMAs this week!

Gill

I stuck to my lent fast today! abstaining from all food! It was very hard, but I have a friend who is also on a lent fast, so we could console each other!

The weather was sunny and mild, so my friend and I went for a walk,  around the village and through the park. We took the little footpath off the beaten track through the field, leading to the next village, where it was all quiet, a deserted field, where we met no other walkers.

We called in at the lovely little old chapel, where much earlier on there had been an Easter service/mass for good friday. The door was  always open during the day until 5.30pm so we went inside to pray.

We lit a candle there and said a little prayer, each for our families.We stayed like this for a few minutes in silence. Thinking also about what is happening in the world, the bigger picture of which we are only a very small part.
Leaving the church,  we slowly  strolled back towards our village.

We then ended up walking back through the wood, close to my home, there we sat for a while, chatting, listening  to birdsong and admired and tried to identify all the different flowers growing in the wood.

 We also waved to some of the elderly people,  looking out of the window of the residential home for the elderly, as we passed by near the woods.They smiled and waved back to us.

I think in a few weeks there may be many more Bluebells growing in this wood,  so really looking forward to seeing that, as it's always such a spectacular display!

It had been good today,  for me to have a break from housework, and  studying, my friend she also enjoyed her time off work. Yes, it had turned out to have been a very good Friday!

🕯📖🙏✝️

This afternoon as the weather was mild, I was able to take a walk. I walked through the park, through the cemetery and on into the wood. Where many new flowers had grown recently since my last visit. There were Bluebells and whitebells, tulips and red Campion as well as a few remaining daffodils! 

In my cottage
I feel safe
A cosy winter hideaway
Is my kitchen Snug and warm with Coffee pot, and breakfast tray

In winter time
I stay for hours
Because its far
from winter showers
Wiith wooden table
White painted chair
There's lots of fruit and flowers 

To the other rooms
The door is closed
It's In the kitchen
I will remain
And look outside
to see the garden grow
And watch the winter rain or snow

In summer the door
Is open wide 

Then it feels like I'm outside

And  part of the garden

The grass is my rug
the trees my wall
There's the fountain and waterfall

The birds fly down
From lofty trees
While at the  kitchen table  I sit and read                           

birds fly down

To Hop on the garden table
And gather up the seed.

Gill Burrell

It is the time of Lent and for many Christian followers, this means fasting, starting  on Ash Wednesday,  then every day or every Friday until Easter.
This is to commemorate the time, when Our Lord Jesus was fasting in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil three times. He was able to resist the devil and pray,  he stayed close to God. It is also a time to prepare for, and to celebrate the mystery of Easter, the time when Jesus paid the sacrifice, to blot out the sins of the world, to those who believe.

It is a time of self denial, to repent of sins. when we give up eating for the day, no meat must be eaten during the day,  so it is a good opportunity to practice being vegetarian.
If you are over a certain age or on medications you do not have to fast.

Instead you can choose to deny yourself something like choclate, alcohol, a holiday, a cake, watching TV or using the social media, something that you usually really enjoy doing. The main thing is to deny yourself, so it should feel slightly uncomfortable like a discipline, then you can pray and repent of sins.
It is also a time for acts of charity or kindness, a time for alms giving.

I myself am fasting every Friday before Easter now, some people do more or some people do less(all depending on health, age or lifes circumstances) For some they will just give up meat for the Friday, others do a full fast. If you do a full fast you can eat after sunset and before sunrise. You can drink water but not have any solid food during the day on which you fast.

It is a time to draw nearer to God to depend on him, to pray and read Holy books such as the Bible or other Christian books including poetry that inspires devotion to God. You can pray for certain things like healing or forgiveness or for a good cause.

The main purpose is to come  closer to God as we depend on his help to get us through the day of fasting. To show gratitude, being grateful for what you do have,  like the basics of life like a shelter, a home,  enough food, money, clothes to wear and so on. Being thankful to God.

🌷🌻🌺🦋🌾⚘🌼