Well, I've had an interesting couple of weeks.  I have been waiting to update my blog until I was feeling better, because I don't like to update when I have nothing to talk about but how BLAH I feel!  Today is a better day. . . so here's a brief catch-up.

We had a full week of company from April 2nd-9th, and ended that fun but tiring week by hosting the students (who were here in Glasgow for a week of outreach and evangelism) over for lunch on the Friday.  That went well. . . and the men's week of outreach went well, too, with several contacts made.  There were 8 visitors in the Knightswood congregation as a result.

On the Saturday I went on an outing with the other Sunday School teachers from our congregation.  We took the children who attend Sunday School to the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves (though I'm not sure how much they learned from the exhibits).  For me, it was a fun day because although I've known about David Livingstone since I was a child, I had never realized that he was from the Glasgow area!

The next week David and I took another brief trip to Inverness, where he had classes on the Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thankfully the travel was made easier for me because we were able to get a lift in a car both ways instead of taking the bus.  I had the opportunity to get together with some of the other wives on the Tuesday and we went to the Floral Hall, a lovely conservatory in Inverness.  Enjoyed a walk in the fresh outdoors and a wee lunch in the cafe. . . time to fellowship. . . and a fun curry night at the Woods'!

Since getting home I've been in recovery mode, but things have still been so busy that I've had a few days when I just couldn't cope physically.  My body is showing signs of advanced pregnancy, alas.  I am trying to focus on getting through one day at a time and rest as much as possible, because I can't do much else!  My stamina has gone completely downhill.  And the baby has been moving constantly - so constantly that it has literally been making me feel ill (motion sickness from my stomach churning for hours on end!).  The other day I told David, "If I could tranquilize this baby. . . ."

I'm encouraged by this lovely spring weather!  We are currently seeing 14+ hours of daylight here and every day is growing even longer.  The beautiful blue skies and sunshine help me stay cheerful.  Hubby and I took a lovely walk around our neighborhood today.  Here's some photos of the spring growth in our garden:

Well, we had a delightful weekend with the Ratti family. . . they arrived on Friday night and left around midday today.  Davide is the Italian student also studying with David in the FCC seminary.  They have three girls ages seventeen, fifteen, and nine - which meant there were seven of us in our little house!  We have only one spare bedroom so we transformed the living room into a "sleeping room" each night with air mattresses and sleeping bags heaped from one end to the other!  Thankfully I felt like I have learned a lot from my mom over the years so that I was well prepared mentally for hosting and feeding a crowd.

I had eight people for Lord's Day dinner because Parthee (another student) joined us. . . thankfully it was a very easy slow cooker meal and everyone loved it.  I made a new recipe I had never tried before. . . a beef and mushroom ragout of some kind. . . with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Yum.  Then we had nine people for supper when we got home from evening service - because Alasdair (another student) and Esther (his fiancee) who were in town from Inverness, came to visit!  Thankfully the "left-overs" were enough to feed a crowd. 

We managed to kill two toasters in the course of the day, though!  One toaster simply stopped working - I think it is old and worn-out - so we pulled out the "replacement" toaster which had been given to us by a friend whose parents didn't need it anymore because they had bought a brand-new one.  The "replacement" toaster responded to being plugged in by EXPLODING!  And that was the end of making toast for the evening.  What excitement.  I am now in the market for a toaster!

So anyway, we still have the Rattis' oldest daughter Giulia staying with us . . . for probably the rest of the week. . . which was unexpected. . . she was supposed to stay with friends, but the friend got sick, so at this point she is still with us and we will see how the week goes.  Our other guest arrives tonight - Raymond, another student, who is coming into town for the students' Evangelism Module this week and will be staying with us until Friday.  So my week is not about to get quieter, it is getting crazier!  I am hoping I have enough sanity to get through it. . .

Well, our guests will be arriving in a couple of hours, and I am beyond grateful to say that this house is actually just about suitable for visitors!  My spring cleaning has advanced successfully thanks to the extra measure of strength and perseverance I have been given to get through this week.  I have been praying that the Lord would bring me through and help me accomplish all the things on my to-do list, and He has answered that prayer!  :-)

Wash and air-dry all linens in house: check  (The weather has been beautiful, which really helped my motivation to get through the piles of laundry!)

 Make beds in guest room: check
Finish working my way through the pile of dirty dishes: check  (Yay!  So good to have every dish clean!)
Clean cooker: check
Mop kitchen floor:  check  (This is a huge accomplishment!!  First time my kitchen floor's been properly cleaned in months - shameful!!)
Done major grocery shop for company: check  (That was my exercise for today: I walked to the shop and then took the bus home because the groceries were way too heavy to carry.)
Spaghetti sauce in slow-cooker for dinner tonight: check  (And it is making me soooo hungry - the smell is permeating the house!  Yum. . .)

And so on. . . the list is certainly shrinking, and it feels good!  :-)


Another praise - we were given four nice sturdy dining room chairs today!  A friend no longer needed them, and offered them to us.  I had been trying to arrange to borrow some chairs/stools so that we would have enough seating for all our guests (we only have seating for five, including a folding chair), but the Lord provided in perfect timing - and the chairs weren't borrowed, they were given to us to keep!!  This is such a blessing!  Since we moved in, we have been really limited as to the number of people we can host for meals, etc. because of our lack of seating.

It has been a rough week for my back, but there are two blessings related to that. . . First, I did have a massage on Wednesday which seems to have been really helpful.  It certainly left me feeling more relaxed than I had been previously.  Then I had an appointment with the physiotherapist on Thursday, which I felt was the best appointment I've had with her yet (this is the third time I've seen her).  Since I last saw her, I've had no improvement with the pain and discomfort in my back, and so she was a bit puzzled as to what she should do next.  So she decided to check my back again and see if there was anything she could feel.  Sure enough within just a minute or two she had located the one main spot that has been causing most of my problems (I have tried to explain to her where it is, but this time she actually managed to find it).  So she worked on it three times, "mobilising" the muscle (it's where my spinal muscles meet my rib cage in the middle right of my upper back).  Since I saw her I have certainly noticed a large measure of relief from the horrible pain I've been suffering in that area.  It may be due to the massage, or it may be due to the physio's "hands-on" treatment this week, or both - but either way, I am very thankful and hoping that the relief lasts!

Hubby has sweetly volunteered to do the hoovering of the house for me, because I have found that to be very strenuous on my back.  So that is one more check off my to-do list!  Now I'm off to scrub the bathtub before I call it a day and put my feet up until our guests arrive. . .

officially tired of being pregnant!

I'm afraid I've reached a point in this pregnancy where I am ready to be finished, rather than just floating along each day as it comes.  I told David last night, "I am officially tired of being pregnant."  Oh dear!  This transition into the third trimester seems to be taking its toll on me, as I have been experiencing an increase in back pain, pain and swelling in my legs, pain in my joints, great difficulty sleeping at night, a lot of uncomfortable movement from the baby, and so on.  I have an upcoming appointment with the physiotherapist, and we will see if there is anything more she can do to help provide relief.  Also I am grateful for the opportunity to have a massage tomorrow from a friend's sister who is a masseuse.

The bus fares in Glasgow skyrocketed this week. . . *sigh*  How did I find this out?  Well, I found out when I caught my usual bus on Monday to go to Children's Club.  I put in my 3.50 for a day ticket and the driver told me, "The fare's 3.75 now!"  I was shocked. . . and I didn't have any more coins with me to pay the new fare!  Thankfully the driver was very kind and gave me the ticket anyway!

Looking forward to a busy end of the week. . . we have guests coming to visit and I have much to do to prepare!

thoughts from the book of Daniel

Last night in prayer meeting we read from Daniel 9, where the prophet Daniel pours forth a prayer of repentance on behalf of his captive people Israel.  In many ways I think this is one of the most beautiful chapters of the Bible because it so clearly presents our unworthiness and yet the timeless promises of God's faithfulness to his people even when they are wayward and rebellious and do not seek Him.

"O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. . . We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. . . All this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. . . And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day -- we have sinned, we have done wickedly!  . . . O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies."

Daniel 9: 8,10,13,15,18

In light of the events that have taken place in the United States this week with the passing of a health care "reform" bill that the majority of the American public opposes, I thought this passage was extraordinarily appropriate to share.  The United States, as a nation, is receiving what it justly deserves - a corrupt president, a corrupt government, and the gradual lessening of our freedoms.  But so often it seems that what "scares" and "angers" the American people (including believers) is the loss of their idolized "freedoms" rather than a proper recognition of their standing before a just and holy God.  We are more motivated by pride, selfishness, fear, a fiercely independent spirit, self-righteousness, and the list can go on. . . than we are by our relationship to Him to whom we are accountable for every thought, word, and deed.

What should our Scriptural response be in such a time?  I think it should be a response of abasing ourselves in humility and repentance before the Lord, recognizing that we have not sought Him as we ought, nor have we been "salt and light" in our culture.  Our response should not be first and foremost to plead for Him to remove the judgement from our land, but first and foremost pleading with the Lord to work in our hearts and teach us "to turn from our iniquities and understand His truth."

On a separate note, for those of you who were interested to hear more about the street preacher arrested in Glasgow last week, here is a link: http://sgwm.com/newsblog/2010/03/23/out-of-jail%E2%80%A6fellow-christian-shawn-holes-was-arrested-while-preaching-the-gospel-in-downtown-glasgow-scotland/

spring has sprung. . .

Well, most of March has slipped by since the last time I posted.  I don't remember when the first "official" day of spring is, but for all intents and purposes, it's HERE.  And it's energizing me - I hope!  I'm really enjoying the several days of bright sunshine we've had so far, and the wind which has really picked up.  The breeze has been so refreshing  and cleansing that I've opened the windows several times to air out the house - even though it is still too chilly in the evenings to leave them open for long.

I am trying so desperately hard to organize my days into some type of routine, but because we never know what a day will bring forth, that is nearly impossible to accomplish.  However, I do feel strongly that a couple of weeks of Spring Cleaning are about to commence - to be worked through gradually, as I am able.  I have a kitchen floor that is screaming in desperation to be mopped.  (Yes, it is that bad.)  I have a garden clothesline which I can use again because it is not freezing outside!  (One load of wash is already on its way out today.)  I have a house that needs to be vacuumed from top to bottom, again.  I have linens that need airing.  I have windows that need washing.  I have dishes to be washed, which I am GOING to CONQUER daily.  *sigh*   Yes, these are the two major lessons that this newly-married and newly-pregnant woman is learning:

1. How to get the housework done, without hurting myself by stubbornly trying to work above and beyond my current physical capacity.

2. How to get the rest my body needs, without falling behind on the work that should be done daily.

So, what I am attempting to do (in the Lord's gracious strength) is to find the balance of rest and work. . . to know what my body's limits are and then use the hours in my day to gradually work through the tasks that are set before me.  If I can do the housework in 15 or 30 minute increments, and then put my feet up, I should then use the time while I'm resting to do some good profitable reading or study.

Last week I borrowed a whole stack of books about homeschooling - the different methods, different approaches, and above all the Scriptural foundation of education in the home.  Even though I was raised in a homeschooling family and I have never had any doubts that I am going to homeschool my own children, I haven't actually read very much on the subject.  I want to be learning what I can NOW -- even before our wee one is born - so that I am as well-educated and well-prepared as I can be.

An answer to prayer is that I have had two appointments so far with the antenatal physiotherapist, who is helping me correct my posture, which will hopefully strengthen my back and result in a significant decrease of the pain I've had for months now.  I have also been trying to regularly get some aerobic exercise and strengthen my back and legs. . . I'm still hoping that swimming will become a good option, but it costs money to use the public pool.

Prayer requests:

* David is busy working on his discourses and has headed into the final few weeks of his studies before his final exams in May.  He is under a lot of pressure because committee responsibilities have eating away at his study time.

* This week has been a week of outreach based out of our church in Shettleston (east end of Glasgow).  This is a very rough, impoverished area full of drugs and crime - marks of a society that has rejected the Gospel.  Pray for protection for the men who are going out "around the doors" to distribute tracts, invite people to church, and share the Gospel where there is opportunity for conversation.  Yesterday a street preacher here in Glasgow was arrested for answering a question about homosexuality.  There is no "freedom of speech" here - you can be prosecuted for "hate speech" if you share what the Scripture has to say about ungodly lifestyles.

* My brother Luke deployed yesterday for six months.  Pray for protection for him, but most importantly that his relationship with the Lord would be strengthened and become the bedrock of his life and actions, and that he would be a bold and unmistakable witness of Christ to his comrades in arms.

wow. it's March already?

Well, our eagerly-anticipated holiday weekend on the Isle of Skye with the other students and their families was sadly canceled.  David and I were literally putting on our coats and about to head out the door to catch our bus on Thursday morning when the phone rang to say that all buses were canceled.  There was a terrific snowstorm which shut down the motorways heading north.  So then we thought there might be a chance that we could re-book tickets for Friday instead, hoping that the roads would be clear by then, but they weren't.  So we (as well as Parthee) were stuck in Glasgow for a quiet weekend at home instead of enjoying fellowship with our friends and fellow-laborers.  The other students who were coming from the Highlands and Islands were able to get together as planned because the roads weren't blocked where they were coming from, so we're happy for them, but we were disappointed to miss the party!

Our holiday was canceled. . . but unfortunately work was not!  David still had to head out on the morning train to Inverness first thing Monday morning to attend two days of committee meetings (fun, fun).  Last night was the first time I've spent a night alone in our house. . . a bit scary, but not too bad.  David should be home by midnight tonight.

I was out most of yesterday helping with the children's Bible club, as usual.  We are regularly having eight or nine children come along.  Please pray that we would have wisdom to know how to deal with the chaotic behavior that is sometimes exhibited by these children who have no moral or emotional stability in their homes.

Baby has been making his (I don't like saying "its") presence manifestly known recently, as movements have become more intense and more noticeable.  Last week for the first time David was able to feel the baby kicking!  He had been wondering if he was ever going to get a chance to feel it for real, because every time the baby was active and he put his hand on my stomach, the movement would immediately stop.  I told him that the baby obviously takes after his dad -- he is a tease!


On Sunday night we had an excellent sermon from Philippians 4:19 - "my God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  What a reminder that we are provided for not only physically and materially (which in and of itself is so amazing!) but spiritually as well. . . in Christ Jesus.  Recently we have seen this verse demonstrated.  Last week my friend Shael told me that she and her husband were praying for wisdom to know what to do about purchasing a new vehicle for their family (six children).  For the past ten months, ever since their youngest child was born, they have been unable to fit in their vehicle because there are not enough seats for everyone.  So they have been dependent upon their parents for transportation to and from church, etc. and have been unable to take the entire family out together just for fun.  They have been trying to save every little bit they can. . . but when you are a student for the ministry and you are relying on the Lord for your daily bread, it's hard to save when there is no income.  Even so they though they might have finally scraped together enough to buy a 9-seater "minibus" (that's what they call vans over here - 15 passenger vans are unheard of!) which would fit their entire family.  However, the one that was offered to them which was within their price range was questionable as to whether or not it would be reliable - and it would drain every cent of their savings.  So they continued praying, not knowing if this was truly the Lord's provision or if they should continue to wait on Him.  The next day Shael checked her email.  She is a member of a UK homeschooler email group and she discovered than 10 minutes before, someone had posted "9 seater minibus free to good home"!!  This family in England had been blessed with a larger vehicle for their own family and wanted to bless a large family with their previous vehicle which was well-maintained. So the Harams have been gloriously, richly provided for!  What an amazing story!  :-)  It just cheers my heart to be reminded yet again of how much God cares for His children.

And I'm going to end this post by sharing something that I was sent on FB, which I think is hilariously funny.  If you like extra strong (or as they say here in the UK, "mature") cheddar cheese, you will love this as much as I do.  Follow this link!

Since I last posted, we enjoyed a great weekend of fellowship in Ayr (about an hour south of Glasgow) with our dear friends the Beers and the Mackays.  David had the opportunity to spend the day in Northern Ireland attending a minister's conference, which was a very uplifting experience.  Meanwhile, I visited with Allison and Liz and we talked homeschooling and pregnancy for a couple of hours.  :-) 

This week has been quiet but busy (it's always busy).  David had a presbytery exam on Tuesday (an exam on half of the Westminster Confession of Faith).  I have had an unexpected employment opportunity come my way. My friend Mirjam, who has three small children and is homeschooling, had been cleaning once a week for friends of hers, an elderly Baptist couple who live on my street.  The wife died of cancer last year so now the 83-yr-old man, Arthur, lives all alone and Mirjam has been continuing to clean for him.  However, Mirjam now lives on the south side of Glasgow and it takes her an hour to commute by train (bringing her nursing baby with her) to do this two hour cleaning job.  So she asked me if I'd be willing to take over the job since I only live 6 doors down from Arthur!  This will be a low-key, flexible job (only two hours a week) which will pay a welcome few pounds every week (every little bit counts!).  And it's basic housecleaning, which I'm rather experienced in if I do say so myself.  :-p  Amazing how the Lord provides!  I wasn't looking for work, but I don't mind serving in this way and earning a little bit on the side!

I've watched snippets of the Olympics this week.  The first time in my life that I've lived somewhere that had access to watching it!  We can watch it (recorded) on the BBC iplayer or live on the BBC website.  I'm not much interested in anything besides the figure skating, which is amazing!

David is busy working on his three dissertations which are required for final-year students in the seminary.

I need to finish preparing for the Lord's Day tomorrow. . . and we are having two couples from church over for dinner, so I need to get that ready to go into the slow-cooker.  :-)  Plus the usual preparations for teaching Sunday school in the morning, and teaching the lesson at the children's Bible club on Monday. . .

friends

Yesterday morning we were invited over to spend some time with our dear friends, the Haram family.  They have been such an encouragement and blessing to us since we moved here, and I think it's been mutual, because they have six children and are homeschooling, and so my background and David's have been encouraging testimonies to them. 

During our visit I had an opportunity to not only spend time with Shael, but also her sister-in-law and another family friend who have three children each and are homeschooling their own children as well.  Homeschooling here in the UK is not as popular. . . or as common. . . or as understood. . . or as accepted. . . as it has become in the USA.  It is still in the "pioneering" stage in many ways, and the families who have chosen to teach their own children at home are constantly swimming upstream against the social norm (even in the church).  In so many ways the very small homeschooling community here is in the same place that the USA homeschooling community was when David's family began homeschooling decades ago.  These homeschooling moms were asking me all sorts of questions about my homeschooling experience, and I think it is encouraging to them to hear that homeschooling in the USA was once where they are today. . . and look at how the Lord has blessed since then!

These ladies have been such a blessing to me because they are constantly donating baby clothes and maternity clothes that they don't need anymore. . . plus whatever else is hanging around their house that we might be blessed with.  So kind of them!  This week we were given a lovely comfortable rocking chair.  This has given me a very comfortable place besides my bed to sit!  :-)

I've been working really hard on a Sunday school lesson for tomorrow morning. . . and a Bible lesson for children's club on Monday afternoon. . . and lots of grading and working up assignment sheets for my brother Ezra's literature curriculum. . . so it's made for a busy end of a busy week!

Well, we've been out of town again. . .   I know, what a surprise!  :-p  It was just for a couple of days this time.  On Monday David traveled by bus to Inverness for his monthly seminary courses.  Usually I would go with him, but this month I had the opportunity to visit my friend Angela and her three kids in Dunfermline, whom I've not seen since just after I moved here in September.  Angela's husband James is one of the other seminary students and was also in Inverness for classes.  So on Monday I had a short bus ride (an hour and fifteen minutes instead of four hours) and enjoyed a really fun visit with Angela and co.  :-)  Angela just had her third child, Elizabeth Anne, in November.  So glad they were willing to have me come hang out!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I was very proud of myself for finding my bus home to Glasgow, finding my way from the bus station to the train station after I reached Glasgow, and catching the right train home -- all on my own!  David got home from Inverness an hour or two after me.

We got home in the midst of a lovely heavy snowfall.  We got an inch or two of snow here within a few hours but it is melting pretty quickly today (even though there is no sunshine).

Now, back to the busy-ness. . . David just completed two exams (systematics and OT) and submitted a paper, but now he has to really work on his three dissertations (a requirement for final-year students), drafts of which have to be completed by the next class period.  He also has some preaching engagements in the next couple of weeks.  I'm going to be kept busy with teaching Sabbath school and helping with the children's club, as well as my usual work around the house.


I've ordered myself a new slow cooker!!  After a lot of research, we decided to use the John Lewis gift cards we were given for our wedding to purchase a slow cooker, which I really need for hospitality and especially preparing meals for the Lord's Day.  I prefer to do my food preparation on Saturday to enable the Lord's Day to be a day of rest, and I haven't been able to do that since I moved here - I've had to cook dinner after getting home from morning worship.  So - those of you who very kindly and thoughtfully purchased John Lewis gift vouchers for us -- thank you!!  This will be such a blessing for me and I will be able to feed a crowd with my new 5-liter slow cooker.  :-)

sunset

Last night, very late, as David and I were crawling into bed after a long day, I received the news that my grandmother, Page Tillett, died very suddenly yesterday.  She was feeling unwell and went to the doctor's office, and while in the office she went into cardiac arrest.  They tried for hours to revive her, but she was gone.  My dad flew up to Baltimore immediately and is there making arrangements.  Please be in prayer for my aunt and uncle, my dad and the rest of my family, my cousins and extended family who have all been really shaken by my grandmother's very sudden and unexpected death.  And pray for those who do not know Christ, that they would be driven to seek Him during this time of grief and pain.

 This was the view out of our bedroom window two evenings ago.

 

Heidelberg Catechism Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

life

Blueberries were on sale at Aldi the other day, so I very happily picked up some and planned to make blueberry muffins - yum.  I found a great recipe online which turned out great - except that I burned them a bit!  :-(  The muffins turned out so big and puffy that I had to bake them a few minutes longer to get the centers fully cooked, but in the meantime I didn't realize that the bottoms and the edges were browning.  So, next time I will need to modify a couple of things.  I'm still not used to using this gas oven!

Last night I went to the birthday party of a friend from church, Martin, our minister's youngest son.  It was a special gathering for Martin's 21st at an Italian restaurant in the city centre.  There were slightly more than 25 people there, friends from our congregation and sister congregations in the area.  I had a great time hanging out and chatting with folks over a lovely meal.  Sadly, David wasn't able to make it because he is studying, studying, STUDYING for two big exams and a major paper next week.  After the meal, we went over to the manse for birthday cake and more visiting until the late hours of the night.  The fellowship and fun made for a great night out!

We were blessed with the gift of a large chest freezer this week!  Our friends the Harams have friends who had a chest freezer that they were wanting to give away, so they phoned us and asked if we could use it (knowing that we've been making do with a tiny little icebox in the top corner of our tiny fridge).  Of course we said YES!  So now we have a new freezer. . . twice as big as our refrigerator!. . . which allows us to buy meats and other foods on sale - in bulk - and save money!  Since we have the room to store the food, I am now looking into getting deliveries from Asda or another local supermarket which will allow me to buy more at once AND not have to haul it home in a backpack!  (yay!!)

Speaking of which, I'm having to be careful how much I try to carry home when I go shopping.   The other day I stopped by the supermarket to pick up a prescription and decided to do a little bit of shopping while I was there even though I knew I would need to carry home whatever I bought.  I didn't get very much, but I did buy some meat and juice which was heavy, and ended up having to phone David (who was home studying) when I was halfway home and ask him to meet me and carry the groceries home!  Thankfully my knight in shining armour was happy to have a brief walk in the fresh air before he went back to his studies, and was willing to rescue his stranded wife who didn't have the strength to carry the food any further.  *sigh*  Pregnancy sure does change things. . .

just a couple more :)

Here's a couple of photos that were taken on the day of the blizzard in Inverness!  We very nearly got stranded because the snow was so deep the car almost didn't make it down the drive.

Left to right: me, David, Davide Ratti (Italian student), and Matthew Fraser (Canadian student)

Left to right: me, David, Davide and Parthee (Sri Lankan student)

. . .and even more photos (see previous posts)

The vacant manse where we stayed while in Leverburgh.  (The two-story brown house on the right.)

Another evening sky over the Sound of Harris.

Looking across the Sound.

 

On the bus on the way home to Glasgow!

Taken out of the bus window.

Again, a dramatic photo at the end of the day as we headed home on the bus.

That's all for now, folks!  If I find more photos that are worthy of being posted, I will put them up. Also I will be posting these (and maybe a few others) on Facebook soon, so you can view them there if you like.

more photos (see previous post)

These are photos I took during a lovely walk on one of the beaches in West Harris (about five miles from where we were staying) with my friend MJ.  Gorgeous white sand beaches that bring to mind tropical climes. . . until you feel the water and remember that this is the North Atlantic you're looking at!

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favorites!

 

The white sand beaches were covered with a dazzling layer of snow which made it very easy to walk on the surface of the sand!  This photo shows the "snow line" higher up on the beach than the water line.

More photos to come. . . :-)

more photos (see previous post)

Here's some photos from our trip from Inverness to Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris.  First, we took the bus -- through a winter wonderland that seriously looked like Narnia!

These didn't turn out badly at all for being taken through the windshield of a moving bus!

At one section of the road, we saw quite a few deer who had come down to look for food.  Here's one of the stags we saw!

The Eileen Donan castle, in b&w.

Fishing boat in Uig Harbour, where we met the ferry.

The view ahead of the snow-covered mountains of the Isle of Harris, whence we were headed.

Views of the evening sky and sunset from the ferry deck.

 

More photos to come. . . :-)

map and photos!

Here is a map of our most recent trip!!

Now, PHOTOS!!

To start, here's a photo of our back garden after the heavy snowfall and freeze in Glasgow:

And our front gate:

Now, once we arrived in Beauly (Inverness-shire) for David's classes, we realized they had even more snow than Glasgow!  Here are a few photos from a walk David and I took in the snow with James, one of the other students.

Looking out over the Inverness countryside.

Looking back down the path we walked up.

 

Walking across the snowy shinty field. Shinty is a traditional Highland sport.

Trying to give an idea how deep the snow was.  You can see where my knees are bent slightly to give perspective.  It was to my upper shins.  The snow was so icy that you had to break through the top crust to walk, and while obviously the snow was deep enough that you can't see my boots, you couldn't break through the bottom frozen layer of snow to the ground.

Walking back up the drive to the Beauly manse where we stay during our trips to Inverness for classes.

Icicles hanging from the manse roof!

More photos to come. . . :-)

January travels

After two weeks away, David and I just returned home this evening!  And boy, does it feel good to be relaxing at home again!

We left on Monday the 4th of January and traveled the usual four hours by bus to Inverness, for David's classes.  I have already posted about a couple of our adventures in blizzard conditions there! 

We then left Inverness on Thursday morning the 7th and traveled by bus to Uig, on the Isle of Skye, where we caught the ferry to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris.  We were then picked up by Dr. Naylor (the GP in the village of Leverburgh who is also one of the elders in the local Continuing congregation) and driven the remaining distance to Leverburgh, a small village of about 150-200 people.  I previously posted photos from our last trip to Leverburgh which was in October.  That trip was much shorter (Thursday night-Monday morning) whereas this time we stayed in Leverburgh for 10 days!  David had been asked to preach on two consecutive Lord's Days (the Leverburgh congregation is currently without a minister and thus they ask various ministers and students to provide pulpit supply). 

We stayed in the vacant manse there, which overlooks the beautiful Sound of Harris, where you can watch the Leverburgh ferry crossing back and forth to the Isles of Uist (North and South), and the fishing boats, and amazing sunsets.  During our time in Leverburgh, David was kept VERY busy with sermon preparations and also a heavy load of studies.  We also had opportunity to go out with the two elders and do some visitation among a couple of housebound members of the congregation, as well as some non-members who have been attending regularly or only semi-regularly.  It was really good to have the chance to get to know people better this time -- one of the discouragements of our previous visit had been the lack of opportunity to really connect with anyone in the congregation, because it was such a short stay and we didn't really get to know anyone very well!  This time we had plenty of time to visit and enjoy much fellowship.  I especially appreciated the chance to spend some time in encouraging conversation with a couple of the women in the church!  In my spare time I worked on one of my cross-stitch projects, which I had previously barely touched, and caught up on some correspondence!

This morning we were out the door by 6:30am to catch the early ferry from Tarbert back to Uig.  Unfortunately though the crossing was not really any rougher than previous crossings we had experienced, I didn't handle it very well and got seasick for the first time in my life (very unpleasant, but I did feel better afterwards, honestly!).  I think it may have been a combination of hormones and the intense rocking sensations of the boat (rocking can be just as bad as pitching!).  That was a rough way to start my day, but the Lord preserved us through the rest of our weary travels.  When we arrived in Uig we caught the bus to Glasgow which we then sat on for the next 8 hours!  It's a long drive from the Isle of Skye to Glasgow! 

And now we are home safely, and thankful that the roads and pavements in Glasgow are clear of ice and nicely gritted! 

I am in the midst of editing photos from our trip -- we took over 200 -- so have patience and I will post lots of photos in the next day or two!  :-)

blizzard!

We are in Inverness for David's seminary classes.  The weather here is absolutely incredible.  It's the closest to a blizzard that I've ever experienced!  We are staying in the Beauly manse which is about 30 minutes drive outside of Inverness, and although there is a good 18 inches of snow on the ground and the car has gotten stuck repeatedly going in and out of the driveway, the weather hasn't been quite as remarkable as in Inverness itself.  We drove into Inverness this morning -- I got a lift with the boys to spend time with my friend Esther who lives just down the street from the seminary while the guys were in class -- and it was snowing, but the roads weren't too terrible, and the driveway to the church/seminary building had been mostly plowed and was accessible.  However, that was at 9am -- and we had to leave at 3pm and get back to Beauly -- and it was practically blizzard conditions during those six hours!!  I was in Esther's kitchen watching the snow blowing like crazy outside and thinking, "Hm, I wonder if we can get back?"  So it ended up that the guys had to shovel the car out twice because the drifts on the seminary driveway were over two feet deep and the car got totally jammed!!  There was a bitter wind blowing the heavy snow every which way!  So that made the first part of our journey back to the manse quite exciting.  Thankfully most of the way back the roads weren't too bad (outside of Inverness the snow wasn't falling as heavily).  However, classes have now been canceled for tomorrow (because there are blizzard warnings for the Inverness area), and those who are needing to travel back to Glasgow are having trouble figuring out how they are going to travel back because the buses aren't running, the motorway is closed because of heavy snow, and the trains aren't running because there have been derailments (thankfully only freight trains).  We are supposed to travel to Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris on Thursday morning and not sure that we are going to be able to leave Inverness - will have to wait and see!  In the meantime, we have a nice cozy warm house, fun fellowship, and huge snowdrifts outside -- we've started building snow forts in the back garden and plan to have a massive snow fight tomorrow!  :-)

Happy New Year! :)

Right, so I haven't updated for a couple of weeks.  Honestly, there hasn't been much thrilling news to report of late... life's just been quiet, and normal.

The most thrilling thing is that when I posted last, it had begun snowing and hadn't stopped.  That snow is STILL on the ground here!  It snowed off and on for a week, with some ice and rain and such loveliness mixed in, yet we've still not lost the original 3" layer of snow in the back garden.  The weather has been quite bitterly cold at times, with a few days where it got above freezing -- which had the result of melting things on the pavements (sidewalks) and the roads, only to re-freeze them into treacherous sheets of ice overnight.  That's been happening repeatedly over the past week, too.  The pavements are the messiest things in Glasgow -- though you do have to be careful on the roads in some areas (but they are mostly clear).  That's the not-thrilling thing: having to walk to do my shopping on pavements that are so slippery I'm terrified of a fall.  But such is life! 

So things have been pretty quiet.  David traveled briefly up to Snizort for two nights away while I stayed with a friend, and then he came back, and we've been home since.  Done a little bit of entertaining -- having friends over for dinner, and such. . . and had a delicious curry with Parthee last week. . . and enjoyed a festive New Year's Eve with good friends last night.  Lots of yummy nibbles, and good laughs and stories, and psalm singing, and a Bible trivia game which was very competive (the couples all split up so it was husbands against wives!). 

My back has been bothering me quite a bit of late and I've been trying to find ways to relieve the pain.  I purchased a body pillow which is hopefully helping me sleep in a better position, and borrowed a hot water bottle, too.

My parents very kindly shipped me a birthday package, which was exciting!!  They thoughtfully bought me some lovely maternity clothes which have expanded my wardrobe wonderfully with nice warm tops and maternity outfits.  Yay!

Well, we have folks coming over for a cuppa tea after dinner tonight, and I have a pile of dishes to work through before they get here, so this is just a wee catch-up on the blog!