I've written my resignation letter. Just about to put it in the pigeon.
:*-)
Saturday, April 29, 2006
* * * * * *Starstruck* * * * * *
London’s famous Planetarium closes its doors for good next week. It is to be replaced some sort of Celebrity Cinema experience. I feel quite sad about this, as it does sometimes feel as if anything which is individual and different seems to have to succumb to the mad celebrity/mass-market hype.
Anyway, for the last week, entry is free to see the show. As this was one of my favourite places when a child (I wanted to be an astronomer!) and I work 5minutes away, I went down in my lunch-hour to catch a viewing. Even as a 25 year old, I still cannot fail to be totally captivated by it, literally Starstruck (no pun intended). I felt so small and insignificant to the point of feeling queasy whilst watching it, and all the time these bits of Psalm 8 were running through my mind
"O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world!.... When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have ordained, What are mortals that you should be mindful of them; mere human beings, that you should seek them out?.... O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world (Psalm 8, v 1,4,5,10)"
There are so many awe-inspiring things that God has created, so many thousands of billions of stars representing each and every one of facts of his glory and creation that we do not know, how can I have the arrogance to consider each of my petty gripes as important, how can I consider myself as superior and above worshipping the Lord Almighty with every ounce of my being. And yet, He is with Us, everywhere all the time, though we struggle to feel his presence sometimes. He is with us. I thank Jesus that he has made it possible to approach the throne of the living God, by his death and glorious resurrection. How amazing will the promise of a new creation be, when that which he has created for us now, is so unfathomable and immense.
Anyway, for the last week, entry is free to see the show. As this was one of my favourite places when a child (I wanted to be an astronomer!) and I work 5minutes away, I went down in my lunch-hour to catch a viewing. Even as a 25 year old, I still cannot fail to be totally captivated by it, literally Starstruck (no pun intended). I felt so small and insignificant to the point of feeling queasy whilst watching it, and all the time these bits of Psalm 8 were running through my mind
"O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world!.... When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have ordained, What are mortals that you should be mindful of them; mere human beings, that you should seek them out?.... O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world (Psalm 8, v 1,4,5,10)"
There are so many awe-inspiring things that God has created, so many thousands of billions of stars representing each and every one of facts of his glory and creation that we do not know, how can I have the arrogance to consider each of my petty gripes as important, how can I consider myself as superior and above worshipping the Lord Almighty with every ounce of my being. And yet, He is with Us, everywhere all the time, though we struggle to feel his presence sometimes. He is with us. I thank Jesus that he has made it possible to approach the throne of the living God, by his death and glorious resurrection. How amazing will the promise of a new creation be, when that which he has created for us now, is so unfathomable and immense.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
A monumental (but sad) day
Fact No. 1
On this day, on the twenty-sixth day of the month of June in the two-thousand and sixthyear of our Lord, I Kerenza successfully changed my very first violin string.
Fact No. 2
I have been playing violin/viola for twenty years prior to this day.
A Minor aside
Also cleaned said violin- and felt like one of the Luthier team- hee hee!!!
On this day, on the twenty-sixth day of the month of June in the two-thousand and sixthyear of our Lord, I Kerenza successfully changed my very first violin string.
Fact No. 2
I have been playing violin/viola for twenty years prior to this day.
A Minor aside
Also cleaned said violin- and felt like one of the Luthier team- hee hee!!!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
By the Band Stand
There amidst a lively concerto of daisies, the vociferous Regent ducks hold court. Many are the voices clamouring to state their case. I wonder what they are saying?
Change
I feel quite sad. I've just realised that now I must give my resignation in order for my replacement to be secured in good time for them to get to know my job alongside me. All of a sudden I feel an atavistic sense of loving this place and not wanting to go. I know that Teaching will be fantastic and I have thought about this long and hard,know that all things must come to an end, and there are many times in which I get incredibly frustrated with my job,know that someone else could do it much better than me, and it is the right thing for me to go, and God has helped guided my path, but all of a sudden I fear the unknown. The RAM has a lovely sense of family about it, and I will miss the immersion of music, the kindness of colleagues, the wonderfully unpredictable nature of my duties and the familiarity (ok, presently all the frustrations and things that make me ratty have made an exit Stage left in my mind). Lizzie Bee has reminded me that (very wise that one) there are of course, always positives and negatives to change in our lives, but we should embrace the positives.
If you are in the habit of praying, please can you pray for courage for me to go forth and embrace this change in my life, to embrace it wholeheartedly, using my skills to their maximum and pray that Jesus will guide me every step of the way and that I may keep my eyes fixed on him.
If you are in the habit of praying, please can you pray for courage for me to go forth and embrace this change in my life, to embrace it wholeheartedly, using my skills to their maximum and pray that Jesus will guide me every step of the way and that I may keep my eyes fixed on him.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Strange things are afoot
- 7 herons all converged onto one area in Regent's Park- very sinister
- Every single swan I sighted seemed to have an unbearable itch- all of them scratching their backs vigorously with their beaks and flapping their wings lots
- Large ducks being chased and attacked by a very aggressive, very tiny coot
- Could not be bothered to journey to Ben and Jerry's Oxford Street to claim free ice-cream, courtesy of Metro (It's their anniversary!)- this is odd
- All copies of Shostakovich String Quartet no.8 are out on loan from the library.
- I managed to escape the lure of the staff-room after eating my lunch with enough time to walk in the park AND blog! It's power over me is ended!
- Every single swan I sighted seemed to have an unbearable itch- all of them scratching their backs vigorously with their beaks and flapping their wings lots
- Large ducks being chased and attacked by a very aggressive, very tiny coot
- Could not be bothered to journey to Ben and Jerry's Oxford Street to claim free ice-cream, courtesy of Metro (It's their anniversary!)- this is odd
- All copies of Shostakovich String Quartet no.8 are out on loan from the library.
- I managed to escape the lure of the staff-room after eating my lunch with enough time to walk in the park AND blog! It's power over me is ended!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Variety is the spice of life OR The Juxtaposition of Public Transport
Last night, having got on the District line train at Mile-End, I was merrily sitting reading Judges (well, as merrily as you can be reading Judges) we paused for all of 2 minutes extra at West Ham Station. Immediately, the driver very kindly apologised for the delay and proceeded to tell us that he wasn’t sure why we’d stopped, but then went on for the next minute conjecturing (very nice of him, but he was rambling to the point of hilarity) as to the cause of the hiatus. I found this highly comical, and blithely chortled to myself (the lady next to me obviously didn’t get why I was laughing and was perplexedly peering over my shoulder scanning the open Bible to locate the source of my amusement and probably judging (ho ho ho!) me to be somewhat insane.) Anyway, we continued on our journey, with minor delays, always helpfully commentated by our friendly driver. I like the District line- many don’t as it is renowned for being slow and always suffering from delays (fairly true), but it’s always sunny as in the Eastern regions, it’s above ground.
In stark contrast this morning, I arrived at the station to find that the mainline train was delayed on the Board, by 5minutes. (I can save about 10mins if I get this and change back to the District at West Ham), I was pleased, as my bus had also been delayed- I legged it to Platform 7, nothing there, so stood waiting. The train was on the Board. Nothing on the horizon. Minutes passed- it was still on the Board. A vague announcement occurred, roughly saying ‘We are sorry the 08.42 train is delayed by 5 minutes’ (5 minutes had passed five minutes ago). By this time, a District line suddenly appeared on another platform, which I couldn’t possibly get to in time (involves running along the platform, down a long and smelly slope, along the tunnel and back up an equally long and smelly twin slope). So I resignedly watched as it departed, and checked the board again. 08.42 had vanished from the display, to be replaced with the most displeasing sight of the 09.05 train. Whaat, where had it gone? No staff anywhere on any platforms, no other people on the platform, no announcement, nothing on the horizon. Am I going mad? Eventually, I saw a District line train in the distance and did the smelly slope sprint and just made it in time to get on the train. Most puzzling…
In stark contrast this morning, I arrived at the station to find that the mainline train was delayed on the Board, by 5minutes. (I can save about 10mins if I get this and change back to the District at West Ham), I was pleased, as my bus had also been delayed- I legged it to Platform 7, nothing there, so stood waiting. The train was on the Board. Nothing on the horizon. Minutes passed- it was still on the Board. A vague announcement occurred, roughly saying ‘We are sorry the 08.42 train is delayed by 5 minutes’ (5 minutes had passed five minutes ago). By this time, a District line suddenly appeared on another platform, which I couldn’t possibly get to in time (involves running along the platform, down a long and smelly slope, along the tunnel and back up an equally long and smelly twin slope). So I resignedly watched as it departed, and checked the board again. 08.42 had vanished from the display, to be replaced with the most displeasing sight of the 09.05 train. Whaat, where had it gone? No staff anywhere on any platforms, no other people on the platform, no announcement, nothing on the horizon. Am I going mad? Eventually, I saw a District line train in the distance and did the smelly slope sprint and just made it in time to get on the train. Most puzzling…
The New Doctor
Is it me, or has the new Russell T Davies produced series of Doctor Who gone really for the emotional?! I seem to have spent every episode of the Chris Eccelston and even this new David Tennant regeneration blubbing my way through every episode! I still cannot believe I cried over a Dalek. Yep, I admit it, am not ashamed (well maybe a little?). But it's been really lovely that there have been some real fantastic moves that the Doctor has pulled! First the Nanogenes and now the healing disinfectant! Much as I love the older Doctor Who, they didnt have the same regard for saving life that this new Doc has! He's got more humanity! (And yes I do know he's a Gallifreyan Time-Lord, not a human).
Have to say, I am loving having the Doctor back in my life! Nice to have something to look forward to on TV; Especially now Hustle has finished! (and no sign of Strictly come dancing and Strictly Skating on the horizon!)
But yay! I am indeed spoilt, as Lost is back soon! Haven't seen it? You can check out the synopses for Series one here
WHAT IS DOWN THE HATCH?????????????????
Have to say, I am loving having the Doctor back in my life! Nice to have something to look forward to on TV; Especially now Hustle has finished! (and no sign of Strictly come dancing and Strictly Skating on the horizon!)
But yay! I am indeed spoilt, as Lost is back soon! Haven't seen it? You can check out the synopses for Series one here
WHAT IS DOWN THE HATCH?????????????????
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Success
The problem:
Questionaires trapped in a metal postbox which is too thin to get your hand into. The key is lost.
The Solution:
Two brightly coloured fly-swats in an aggressive lobster-type manouvere, lots of patience and the ability not to look too suspicious.
The Bonus:
Several unread Agendas. Which can now be recycled.
Questionaires trapped in a metal postbox which is too thin to get your hand into. The key is lost.
The Solution:
Two brightly coloured fly-swats in an aggressive lobster-type manouvere, lots of patience and the ability not to look too suspicious.
The Bonus:
Several unread Agendas. Which can now be recycled.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Six go mad at the conservatoire!
Had a very nice day so far! I have waded my way through 3/4 of the student feedback- putting ticks in the relevant boxes. Apparently, as per usual, Practice rooms are the biggest gripe!
Brought hot cross buns from the lovely Bakery near my sister's on the lovely sunny walk from her house to Hainault tube. An independant friendly bakery seems such a precious rarity now, I can never contain myself when I go past it in the mornings- I usually end up buying 4 plain rolls for my lunch! Today was no exception and I came out with the rolls and 5 Hot cross buns! If you are ever in Hainault, near the station, I recommend going to it- it's on the corner of Lancelot drive and they sell all sort of lovely cakes including iced buns in the shape of little men with faces! I feel quite sad that my sister is moving- aside from the fact I see her very seldom, as she is so busy, and spends most of her free time with her boyfriend, it is lovely to have her nearby, and her little house is lovely.
This afternoon, one of my colleagues e-mailed me to say that there was going to be an Easter egg hunt, and several of us excitedly dashed down to the main office, and were given our first clue! There were six of us, running in a pack around the building for 10mis. Goodness knows what people thought! The RAM is a perfect place for a treasure hunt! It is so vast and labyrinthine. I have to say I discovered lots of places and doorways and stairways I never knew existed before, which was most exciting, and once again, I felt like Anne Kirrin, running to catch up with my colleagues! Finally, the last clue was 'You've got mail :-)' and we ran to the main office, to find a cream-egg in each of our pigeonholes! Kristina is lovely! It then reminded me of something I had forgotten about- my induction at the Thistle City Barbican Hotel, where we were sent on a trail to find clues, which I thought was a great bonding exercise, and helped familiarise us with the building! Maybe that should be part of all Personnel inductions, esp. in catacombed buildings!
Happy Easter Everyone!!!
Brought hot cross buns from the lovely Bakery near my sister's on the lovely sunny walk from her house to Hainault tube. An independant friendly bakery seems such a precious rarity now, I can never contain myself when I go past it in the mornings- I usually end up buying 4 plain rolls for my lunch! Today was no exception and I came out with the rolls and 5 Hot cross buns! If you are ever in Hainault, near the station, I recommend going to it- it's on the corner of Lancelot drive and they sell all sort of lovely cakes including iced buns in the shape of little men with faces! I feel quite sad that my sister is moving- aside from the fact I see her very seldom, as she is so busy, and spends most of her free time with her boyfriend, it is lovely to have her nearby, and her little house is lovely.
This afternoon, one of my colleagues e-mailed me to say that there was going to be an Easter egg hunt, and several of us excitedly dashed down to the main office, and were given our first clue! There were six of us, running in a pack around the building for 10mis. Goodness knows what people thought! The RAM is a perfect place for a treasure hunt! It is so vast and labyrinthine. I have to say I discovered lots of places and doorways and stairways I never knew existed before, which was most exciting, and once again, I felt like Anne Kirrin, running to catch up with my colleagues! Finally, the last clue was 'You've got mail :-)' and we ran to the main office, to find a cream-egg in each of our pigeonholes! Kristina is lovely! It then reminded me of something I had forgotten about- my induction at the Thistle City Barbican Hotel, where we were sent on a trail to find clues, which I thought was a great bonding exercise, and helped familiarise us with the building! Maybe that should be part of all Personnel inductions, esp. in catacombed buildings!
Happy Easter Everyone!!!
Friday, April 07, 2006
Goody goody gum-drops
I went to fill my waterbottle from the faucet in the canteen earlier and was struck by the smell of COLACUBES. There was nobody around, so I am puzzled as to its origin. Now that is an aroma I haven't smelt in years. Do they even still make them? I had a hunt on the net. Now, what about my favourite Pyramint? It appears I am not the only person lamenting the loss of this delicacy- My Pyramint Easter egg was possibly the nicest I have ever received! And then it hit me; I could possibly find evidence that Tootyminties were not a delusion on my part. For the last couple of years, when it has come to atavistic musings on confectionery, I have been mocked in more than one group of people for my assertion that they were indeed a true sweet. It even got to the stage where I doubted my own mind (and bear in mind I have filing cabinets of useless information in my mind) and look, look, look I am vindicated! There are other believers!
By the way, did you realise that Terry's Chocolate Orange started out as Chocolate Apple?
By the way, did you realise that Terry's Chocolate Orange started out as Chocolate Apple?
Monday, April 03, 2006
The Joy of mindless tasks
I'm having a really really nice day so far! I am having to prepare a huge mailout for our first Vocal summer school, and basically this involves writing names on envelopes, stuffing envelopes (though I'm in a good mood, so don't get me started on the environmental issues I have!)- and I haven't had such a happy time in ages! Sitting here listening to the Worship hour on Premier and dancing around whilst stuffing! It may be monotonous, but it works for me!
Reminds me of the happy times I used to have stuffing the City newsletter with Rach! I'm intrigued? If anyone's out there- what's your opinion on these type of activities? Hmmmm?I'm off to lunch!
Reminds me of the happy times I used to have stuffing the City newsletter with Rach! I'm intrigued? If anyone's out there- what's your opinion on these type of activities? Hmmmm?I'm off to lunch!
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