Is anyone still here?

If you're reading this, thank you! It's been one of those things... the longer I left it, the more important the topic of the new post needed to be, and it kinda escalated!

But, I have some time, so here are a few of the things that have happened recently!

In the past 6 or so weeks, I have attended the 10th, 11th and 12th weddings that I have attended since July 2005. A largely arbitrary starting point, but that was when I graduated and seems as good a start point as any!

#10: Fish & Helen



A wonderful afternoon. A beautiful wedding, very eco-friendly (just like the couple). There was a bring-&-share element to the (vegan) buffet. A great folk dance for the reception. Great fun!
Fish sang as part of his speech (really!).
And everyone was given a little ox-eye daisy in a pot to take home. Ours are growing happily in my garden and have flowered.

#11: The following weekend was Martin & Sarah's wedding blessing. (They were married in Sarah's church in the US last November, but because of visa issues, the blessing for UK friends & family was in May). Sadly, I don't have any pictures of the couple.

#12: And finally, Duncan (my cousin) and Sarah's wedding.

Again, a lovely day with lots of family and lots of catching up. A beautiful service and a fun afternoon (including a hog roast! - a first over the whole 12!)

I think that will do for now. I will try to post soon about yesterday, but now I have elsewhere to be. God bless!

Because I'm bored...

And the oh-so-interesting Jenni and the indomitable Kristin and the lovely Heather did it. And I am a sheep like that.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (depends what you mean)
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (hoping to in a couple of months!)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (learned to cross-stitch by myself)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (see #12)
20. Slept on an overnight train (planned to, but it didn’t work out. Maybe soon) [correction - I did, for 2 nights, on a train from Jasper to Foleyet in Canada].
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (well, 96% - it was close!)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (how far back!?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (started to learn Japanese, but didn’t get far)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (see #6)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (only on an indoor wall)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (The gallery was closed the day I was there for a staff strike!)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant (well, bought a homeless guy takeaway anyway!)
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (again, see #12)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (we made a spoof of Scream at school, does that count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (no, although I’ve sat & watched a fair few)
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a cheque (by mistake, of course – it was postdated and I forgot to transfer the money from my savings account in time).
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (had the option – couldn’t bring myself to do it!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (I was a very bad Chaplaincy cleaner!)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (probably, although I don’t actually remember for certain!)
77. Broken a bone (in my foot)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (does Archbishop John Sentamu count?)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

*Phew*

A few of giggles

Here a few pictures of things that have made me giggle recently:

A picture from Palma, Mallorca:


My housemate gave me some European sweets for St.Nicholas' Day (Dec 6th). This was one of the things in the pack:


And finally, an excerpt from our local council magazine. (You'll know why it's included here, once you've spotted it!)



[click each image for a larger version]

Yes, I'm very immature.