A NEW Laptop.......

And a whole new learning curve.

BUT – it mostly connects to the Internet on the FIRST attempt, and it tends to STAY CONNECTED !

Wheeeeeeee !

(If you have been in this situation you will understand the excitement………. And the frustration ! )

ChickPea will be around again soon.

Good Friday

And some good things happening in ChickPea’s life – tho’ the kitchen has been much neglected…………

Job adverts are still surfacing, allowing incalculable hours to be spent merrily (?) re-jigging CV or compiling application form and letter or email. After the disappointment of the first two applications of 2009 being rejected without even a sniff at interview, ChickPea has been trying to be more philosophical. And has stopped counting. Kind knock-backs have included the insight of 70–plus applicants (even for part time low waged jobs), numerous competitors having perfect previous experience IN a similar role – so an aspiring post-holder like CP fully appreciates they would want to employ the bestest and most ideal candidate…….. (****** !)

Ms Mog is still – ASTONISHINGLY – in residence, frail as a frail thing but eating like a horse, and waking TH and CP up at 5am if she’s scoffed all the food from the night before but is still feeling peckish…….

Chooks are laying well and waking TH and CP up at 6am because chookies got up at dawn and are now bored with pellets and want an INTERESTING breakfast. NOW. (Oh yes – and HAVE you seen my egg – BEST egg in the world – in fact – in the Entire Known Universe !) Aye. Vocal, our chooks……

Voluntary receptionist hours are proving to be great – and filing system activity at S Elsewhere’s is FUN – yes – really fun – and satisfying – providing a sense of achievement and fulfilment - and even a bit affirming for the ole battered ego - and reassuring CP that a career change in the direction of office administration-type stuff really could be feasible (even tho it’s not actually happening yet….)

AND - The most recent blood test for cholesterol was great (seriously !) – with a family history of this calibre, and cholesterol at ‘time bomb’ levels, diet and previous statin therapy making no appreciable impact over several years, it was indeed an excellent moment to discover that current medication and semi-industrial dosage has finally battered the numbers into mid-range scores. So ChickPea seems likely to get a bit longer in the tooth yet, and able to stave off pushing up daisies meantime……..

And so we have got to Good Friday. I highly recommend visiting Kelvin's blog if you are seeking some seasonal food for thought.

"Just us chickens......."

Er...... 'Hello'......

Spring, they say, has arrived. And the church calendar has brought us into Lent……forty days of prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial……..

All good Episcopalians will be engaging with this season to sort out their lives and nurture their faith. Episcopalians such as ChickPea have loads of Good Intention but find a wayward step or ten takes them off track…..

And why the neglected blog ? - a rampaging viral infection grounded ChickPea, stopped her singing and kept her out of circulation for a number of days, underlining how important all her friends are for her sanity and quality of life…………. recovery has been a two-edged sword – surrounded by the virus both at home AND at work, TH has now succumbed…………..

Meantime, the recent cash flow crisis appears to be past, voluntary receptionist hours are going well, Myna’s hormones have stabilized finishing her second broodiness of the year and she is laying again, the snowdrops are out and the daffodils are coming on apace…… and even if the evidence of increasing spare holes on the belt IS just cos the belt is stretching, general fitness is gradually becoming established for ChickPea ………. and the boiler is at least only ‘on the ½ blink’ – so is heating the house………… and a lukewarm shower is MUCH better than COLD !

Hibernating.........

Snow has been visiting and swathing the whole country of UK – except the West of Scotland. Brief smatterings of the white stuff – but not enough to really notice, or to feature on the weather report. Mid-afternoon the tiny powder flakes started. And persisted. During pre-service rehearsal and Evensong it evidently got heavier. By the time TH and ChickPea left the Cathedral (after the Assistant Organist’s surprise 21st party) there was a couple of inches lying – enough for snowballs !

In a moment or so Mr Mutt will be off out to visit the park – for TH and ChickPea wellies will be wequired, methinks. In the snow visibility will be good enough for a foray into the park at even this late hour of the night.

ChickPea has now completed a month of school cleaning duties. General fitness (slowly) improving, and the belt now reaching the 5th hole (formerly straining on 3rd). But the scales are adamant that only 1 lb has been shed………

Tomorrow she starts some voluntary office hours with a counselling centre to hone her ‘Receptionist’ skills. And resumes filling out Application Forms……………..

An evening - and a morning - with Auntie.......

Last night’s exercise was to entertain Auntie’s Argonauts – that intrepid band from Auntie who quest to produce The Ultimate Sunday Morning Service for the airwaves……...

Yup. The Cathedral is hosting Radio 4’s Sunday morning’s broadcast service this week – ‘twill be Matins (kerumbs – I have to dust off the memory banks to recall last time Chickpea sang Matins – was it at Salisbury in the days of the RSCM Cathedral Course ? Or was it in 1990, visiting all the (main) Cathedrals of Scotland in 24 hrs, singing a service in each, being Matins in both Oban and Inverness (different music for each service ? _ but OF COURSE !), Eucharist in Aberdeen, Evensongs (full choral OF COURSE – weren’t they ALL ?) in Perth and Dundee, with Complines in both Edinburgh and back home in Glasgow – under the scaffolding, and singing ‘The day Thou Gavest Lord, is ended’ – with n’er a dry eye in sight (NB - a 24 hour feat never yet repeated ! – come on next generation !!) – don’t believe me ? - visit Mr Lay Clerk’s blog to see the photographic record of the intrepid choristers involved !)

Anyway. Notwithstanding. So there they were, sorting out ‘timings’ last night, at the regular choir practice, rather than the usual ‘day before’ routine becos there’s an RSCM gathering in the place tomorrow. Sound levels, etc will all need to be sorted out on the day - roll on 7am !

So – if you’d like to invite TH and ChickPea into your home on Sunday morning, all you need do is tune in to Radio 4 at 8.10am. (Or surf the internet and visit the BBC website – either then for ‘Listen Live’, or during the seven days following for ‘Listen Again’ /Radio 4 Sunday morning service – available worldwide !)

Seriously, though, it’ll probably be The Provost preaching, and his sermons are usually well worth being awake to hear – visit the Cathedral’s website at http://www.thecathedral.org.uk/ and find out for yourself !

Have a great day !

Yawn.......Creak........Stretch......... (Groan..........)

Yup. ChickPea is getting fit(ter) – tho isn’t yet at the stage where she feels the benefit…….’hitting the wall’ seems to be the phraseology……

(How are you getting on, Mr Lay Clerk ? How is it for you ? You seem kinda silent just now…….)

Dear, much neglected Reader - you’ll maybe remember ChickPea’s joy at gaining 15 hours part time working, just 3 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays……..which started on Monday 5th January. She is kinda tall (5 foot 12 in her bare feet when last measured a while back), and junior school tables and chairs ….. and, er…. ‘things’……are kinda low to clean, clean around, hoover under, and generally maintain in a satisfactory state of cleanliness. Fine blue carpet in abundance – shows every last bit of detritus ! And Jollyface Hoover has a mind of his own as to Everywhichwaytogo…….. Three hours of frantic scrambling to accomplish the required tasks and Achieve A State Of Order And Cleanliness…….. (Who needs a gym ?)

Not to beat about the bush, ChickPea has been feeling a trifle ‘exercised’ when she gets home……. (This has been an excellent excuse to submerge herself in a hot bath...... lit candles.... incense stick............open window for a refreshing breeze.........and a charged glass within easy reach………. Ahhhhhhhhhh…………… Bliss). Past two days the glass was not utilized…….. but TODAY – aha ! (Maybe this is what’s got her onto the keyboard again….).

Unlike Lay Clerk, she’s not lost 30 pounds…....(meaning lbs......)…..though she remains hopeful...........

Most fortuitously TH is an Accomplished Man In The Kitchen (a previous present of a day at Nick Nairn’s Cook School proved inspirational). Current itinerary is allowing him The Opportunity To Remember. And he is. Brilliantly. And Most Supportively.