I was mistaken for a nun today . . . !

I often stop for a coffee in our local shopping centre after work as a way of re-charging my batteries before tackling the shopping and other chores. Being a 'regular' obviously the staff have got to know me a little.

The majority of the staff are Portuguese and are delightful; always ready to help carry someone's tray if they're elderly or disabled or are struggling with babies and toddlers. They always have a kind word and a smile for the disadvantaged folk one often finds sipping a cup of tea in these sorts of places; those from the local care-in-the-community homes etc. and . . . poor old dears like me, of course!

Coming straight from work, I'm usually dressed in what I think of as typical office wear; smart-ish (I hope) work dress or skirt and blouse and sensible court shoes.

Paying for my coffee we exchanged a few words, as usual. I was asked if I worked in the church. Some of the staff know that I do. I replied that I did. 'Are you a nun?' came the response. Resisting the urge to laugh out loud, I replied that no, I was not a nun but worked in the office.

Of course if nuns dressed like this . . .

or this . . .

or, again like this . . .

then we'd all know where we were, wouldn't we? Just a thought . . .

Excuse for a few piccies . . . !

Here's one of those brief random posts I was talking about . . .

Today is my day off and I paid a long-overdue visit to the garden centre to get some bedding plants and other bits and pieces.

Our local garden centre, like many others nowadays, is a day out in itself. It boasts 3 coffee shops, outdoor areas for garden ornaments, gardening accessories, compost etc.; a designated area for barbecues, garden furniture, hot-tubs etc.; a plethora of candles, smelly things, outdoor clothing, china and kitchen accessories; and . . . oh, yes, if you look hard enough you can also find plants!

I looked at my watch whilst having my coffee and found it was approaching midday and time for the Regina Caeli. Here's where I prayed today.

A few friends looked on with curiosity . . .

And I couldn't resist this shot. Wheelbarrows for the girlies . . .

So all I have to do now is get cracking and pot up the bedding and do a massive tidy up in the garden. I'll let you know how I get on . . .

Back again - maybe . . .

It's almost 5 months since I posted anything on this blog, and I'd more or less decided that my blogging days were over, at least for a long while but it seems that there have been several occasions recently when I've been thinking, 'Oh, I could have blogged about that'.

So, I thought I'd just make contact again with the blogosphere and see if anyone out there still remembers me . . .

I have always said that this is not a Catholic blog but rather a blog written by someone who happens to be a Catholic.

I started this blog originally as way of communicating and sharing news with friends and family, especially as we have a lot of family in far-flung parts and don't see much of them.

Looking back, I noticed that I was blogging more and more about my faith and religion-related items. I think this is probably related to the way I'm becoming increasingly 'engaged' with my faith and what is happening locally and universally in the Catholic Church.

Recently, I've joined a group of people praying the Angelus (or Regina Caeli) on Twitter. No, I haven't lost my marbles. It really does happen and is very prayerful and supportive to know that others are praying with you.

Interestingly, I looked back at some of my old posts and found that I have posted about the Angelus at least once a year for the past few years. If you click on the Angelus label underneath this post you'll see the posts in question. No great theological insights just my thoughts at that particular time.

I think I will try and post a bit more often again. This is not going to suddenly turn into a 'Catholic blog' after all but I reserve the right to post now and again on a 'Catholic' or 'Religious topic'

There will still, I hope, be room for quite random posts and of course for garden-related ones too, although the garden has been sadly neglected of late.

I think that's enough for now and I must go and get ready for the Regina Caeli . . .

In deepest Winter - signs of Spring . . .

We're hearing a lot at the moment about how mild this Winter has been so far (careful, we've a way to go yet . . . ) and I can certainly say that according to our garden, Spring is already trying to put in an appearance.

I took these few shots on a lovely sunny day - Bank Holiday Monday (2nd January). Our camellia is a mass of buds, many ready to burst as the one above which has already opened.

It looks as if these daffs by the front door will be open well in time for St David's Day . . .

I know Browning is not to everybody's taste and can be a bit sentimental but when I come home after a hard day and I see these flowers shooting ahead, it really makes me think, 'God's in His heaven - All's right with the world!'

The year's at the spring

And day's at the morn;

Morning's at seven;

The hillside's dew-pearled;

The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn;

God's in His heaven -

All's right with the world!

~Robert Browning

A different perspective . . .

Well, we've been and 'gorn' and done it, as the saying goes. For years I've been threatening to drag the family away for a few days at Christmas and after 30 years of hosting the family Christmas, we took the plunge and decided to spend Christmas away from home.

Not sun-soaked beaches for us, or alpine resorts but a lovely, comfortable, peaceful cottage a few miles from Salisbury and within driving distance of the New Forest for our Boxing Day walk.

Overall I think it was very much a success. Of course we missed being in the parish for Midnight Mass and exchanging Christmas greetings with all our friends there but we went to a lovely Midnight Mass in Salisbury and it was quite nice for a change to be the 'visitors' in the parish rather than the 'welcomers'.

We had booked the cottage on the internet but it was even better in reality than in the photos and description on the web site. We had lots of space for just the four of us and everything was provided - just down to us to provide and cook the Christmas lunch. Luckily all my 'menfolk' are always very willing and helpful in the kitchen so it worked very well.

I don't know that I would like to do this every year but it was the most relaxing Christmas for quite a while.

On the way home we stopped for a good look around Salisbury Cathedral and I couldn't help smiling to myself when the Cathedral guide took us to the tomb of St Osmond and explained what an important part he had to play in the building of the original Cathedral at Old Sarum and in the formation of the Sarum use and rite.

I say I smiled to myself, as the previous evening we had been to Midnight Mass in the Catholic church opposite the Cathedral which is dedicated to St Osmond. I wonder what the saint in question would have thought of the strange situation where his remains are laid to rest in the Anglican cathedral on one side of the road whilst Mass is being celebrated in the Roman Rite on the other side of the road in a church dedicated to his memory.

Rose vestments? . . . You bet!

Gaudete in Domino semper. (Rejoice in the Lord always)

I really enjoy Gaudete Sunday, as indeed we are supposed to. What's not to like about rejoicing?!

It does make a difference having the 'proper' rose-coloured vestments. We will have beautiful flowers in church again tomorrow after a bare-looking sanctuary for the past couple of Sundays, and I'm sure we shall have some lovely joyful hymns too.

It does us all good to have this Sunday of joyful encouragement to persevere with our spiritual preparations for the arrival of Our Saviour at Christmas

It's very tempting to get out the decorations and the lights etc. etc. and get into the full swing of Christmas as many of our neighbours here seem to be doing already but we still have two more full weeks to wait. I am happy to focus on Advent for a while longer. We have our Advent wreath at home and shall light the rose-coloured candle tomorrow.

I do like the quote from Pope Benedict in the CTS Sunday Missal that introduces tomorrow's Mass (at least it does in my version of the Missal. I assume it is the same for all editions).

"What does 'the Lord is at hand' mean? In what sense must we understand this 'closeness' of God? The Church, illumined by the Holy Spirit, already at that time understood increasingly better that God's 'closeness' is not a question of space and time but rather of love: love brings people together! This coming Christmas will remind us of this fundamental truth of our faith and in front of the manger we shall be able to savour Christian joy contemplating in the newborn Jesus the Face of God who made himself close to us out of love."

NB. Photo above is of last year's wreath as we shan't light our 'rose' candle until tomorrow, although as it's past time for Vespers I suppose we could light it now.

Updating my blog list . . .

I have just discovered that this little blog appears on the blog list of two other Catholic bloggers.

I naturally wish to repay the compliment and have thus now added two more excellent blogs to my own list. Do please pop over to Porta Caeli and Linen on the Hedgerow and see what they have to say.