Joseph and the Nativity

This morning we left the house at 06:58 for the 30ish minute walk to church.  The snow on the ground would have made driving my automatic too dangerous.  I was preaching at the 8:00.  We arrived about twenty-five to eight, in plenty of time.  The church was just beginning to warm up, well it had left icy cold but only just.  I was really pleased not to be first.

My sermon was on Matthew 1:18-25 - Joseph's dream.  It's here if you would like to read it, and I assume will be on the Christ Church website so that you can listen some time soon.  The congregation was tiny, less than half the normal for the eight o'clock.

After the 08:00 service, we had breakfast in the hall as usual.  The weather had not stopped breakfast, I'm very please to say.

The weather did affect the Nativity, I think. The congregation there was rather low there too.  The children did well this year, especially the four young girls who had a long script to read as narrators and the boy who played Herod.  We were also treated to:

It was good to see Kermit again.

The Christmas season starts here - I can start my shopping!

Snow Saturday

There's been snow on the ground all week.  We are in one of the longer cold snaps in the UK. This one is affecting the south and east of England as much, if not more than elsewhere.  This is also unusual. Nothing like 1963, but still unusual enough to make the news every day.  Journeys to and from work have been interesting and longer than usual.  On Thursday I worked from because of the fearful forecast of four inches. That much would undoubtedly stop the buses and probably the trains too.  This morning it was snowing again, but has stopped now.  I have re-cleared our path to the street and put some more salt down.  I have quite enjoyed chipping away at the ice and sweeping the remains of the snow into the road.  That's about all I have enjoyed.  The rest is just another difficulty to be overcome.  Largely we have succeeded in overcoming it.  The country has not ground to a halt yet.  Things are harder  but not too hard. As much as we'd like to believe we've failed, in truth we haven't done too badly.  Other places are worse.  I've heard reports that Germany and France have both suffered unusual amounts of snow, and have problem with their own transport systems.

Yesterday the double glazing repair man arrived exactly as planned.  He replaced 12 hinges on 6 windows and made sure that they opened and more importantly closed properly.  Yesterday evening I sat in the office behind the newly repaired and closed windows without need for a jumper.  Time to turn the heating down a notch.  So far I'm very pleased with the repairs, but time will tell - because we won't be opening the windows until summer comes.

One difficulty overcome, but the snow brings more.  The steps to the front door already have loose edging bricks caused by the last snows.  Now the paving slabs that make up the crazy paving are beginning to disintegrate.

Which just goes to prove that nothing lasts for ever, and that everything must be renewed or replaced.  Even me (Ephesians 4:20-24), even the world, and even the universe. (Rev 21).

Th link to double glazing repairs (above) does not work.  It belongs to Window Maintenance Co, based in Benfleet., Essex

Am I afraid?

A further small dusting of snow overnight and the previous nights experience of watching cars not manage a truly straight line up the road meant that plan A was to be applied.  We walk to church.  We got up late though! With coats, thick socks, walking boots, hats, scarves and gloves we were well prepared for the two mile walk.  It took only 5 to 10 minutes longer than usual and I was happy not to have to negotiate the hill, and the junction with Rushdene Road in the car.  As we got up late we also arrived late, and so finished Breakfast at about 10 to 10:00.
Christ Church this morning was 'in the round', or as Warner put it '360° church', although I'm sure that has a much more important meaning than the layout of the chairs.  The reason for the unusual lay out was that today is the day of the nativity.  The service when the younger children present some sort of tableaux that tells the story.  We were warned that there had been minimal rehearsal, and that was certainly true.  Children were confused about where they should go and what they should do.  It was all handled very light heartedly, and the parents of those involved seemed to enjoy it.  Most importantly the story of Christmas - the coming of the Saviour - was told.  Not only the how, but also the why - God breaking into his world to save us from ourselves - each of us and all of us.
If you needed anything to remind you that we cannot save ourselves you only have to have read or listened to the news yesterday. Global warming is now officially aloud, as the Copenhagen talks fail to deliver anything even remotely useful.  As I typed that sentence I was aware that my fingers are freezing and we need to do something to fix the windows that do not close properly. That will help with Global warming.  As we walked rather than drove we have completed our target (almost) to drive five miles less a week.  As campaigns go, and I'm not a fan of them as you probably realise, this is probably one of the most ridiculous.  There aren't many of us that can just choose to drive less that easily.  "I'll drive to within half a mile of work and park there" or "I'll leave the car half a mile from home and walk the rest" - It just isn't practical.
Our walk to church through the ice and snow generated a question - "Aren't you afraid to go out walking in this?"  The immediate answer "No, I'm not".  The truth is that I think more carefully and make sure I have the right equipment - walking boots, so that I don't slip.  I have learnt a valuable lesson and early enough so that the consequences have not disabled me. The accident has not undermined my faith in my ability to walk, or my faith in the ability of God to save me when I need saving - which will be sooner than I would like it to be!.

Snow before Christmas

It is rare, we seem to keep on saying, to get a reasonable amount of snow in England.  When we do things largely grind, or rather slide, to a halt.  Last night we had five inches - measured on the top of Andy's car this morning.  It was well forecast and as a result much of the transport infrastructure was still working this morning.  The schools were closed, of course.
I  prepared myself properly, I was well wrapped up and had walking boots on.  New snow is not a problem to walk on.  Just a little ice is, as I found out at the beginning of the year.  The journey to work took only 5 minutes longer than usual.  I was given a lift home, we were allowed to go whenever we wanted to today.

Jo was out at a Christmas party last night before the snow started.  Mike went to a friends house with her boots and walked her home, there is no point in trying to drive up our hill unless you really have to.

We are expecting more, so there will be plenty of opportunity to take some really Christmassy pictures.

Snow progress

The snow is thawing slowly, so it was a good day for the local council to come round and top up the salt bin outside the school, and put some salt on the paths. Jo did put some salt out yesterday on the worse part of the path, to give the many people who walk on it a better chance of staying upright. The school was open and the school children back where they belong.
I have listened to a lot of excuses for closed schools now, and I'm not really very impressed with any of them. The schools have a duty of care and should make proper arrangements for their charges when something unusual happens. It is not good enough to simply say "the teachers can't get here". Most everyone else got to work, some in difficult circumstances.
Health and safety is the mantra used to defend anything that apparently reduces risk but today we hear of a 16 year old girl who died 'playing' in the snow - she should have been at school, but it was closed. (Metro story BBC story)

Tomorrow England is promised more snow, not in the south-east, but in the west and the midlands. If it doesn't affect London (which it shouldn't) there will not be the blanket news coverage, but many peoples lives will be disrupted again as the authorities will be under prepared as usual.

Maybe Liz will get stuck in Bristol, and maybe the snow will stop Karen's travel plans. I will be praying for the safety of all those who have to travel tomorrow, including myself - its my first physiotherapy appointment, and cannot come too soon.

The snow has arrived ..

The snow has arrived and is the ONLY news story. Snow on the ground in London is very unusual but not unheard of. They say its the worst for 18 years. Liz has cancelled at least the first part of her holiday - no use spending your day in the car park that will be the M25. Andy has abandoned his car in a side road, and walked the rest of the way to work. Mike came home early in a 4 carriage train with about 600 people in it.
I could tell my own story of the big freeze in 1963, but I just sound like so many of the other grumpy people. However, its worth noting that the reports on the news have been of people having fun and talking to each other - a rare occurrence indeed. Perhaps on balance the snow is not so bad. It seems it takes the unusual for people to become what they should always be.
Liz got her self on the radio, talking about her cancelled holiday, so that was at least some compensation.

The snow is coming

Forget Russian gas and all the problems that has caused recently with disputes over who takes what from the pipeline, the Siberian snow arrives by airmail and is free. The picture was taken earlier this evening and shows one of the showers. This afternoon as we went out for a walk and to deliver 'The Pilgrim' (our parish magazine) we found ourselves in a mini blizzard. I was not expecting to be outside with snow on the ground quite so soon, and was wondering how I'd react to the snow next winter. Well I don't have to worry any more, I'm pleased to report that I remained upright.
Tomorrow, as we get our worst snow for six years, there will be major disruption on the roads and public transport will be delayed and cancelled. I have already made arrangements to work from home. I expect the schools will be closed, so I can watch the children playing snow balls and building snowmen, during my occasional breaks.

Unscheduled lie down in the snow

There was no more than half an inch of fresh snow, so I made my way to work pretty much as usual on Monday morning. I didn't get far. Just outside the Sun (public house) I walked on the sloped path to avoid the worst of the snow. Not a good idea - I found myself on the ground. I got up and continued to the bus stop. "I got away with that rather lightly" I thought. My right arm was stiff, but my hand and elbow were OK. I caught the bus and get off close to work. I went in and was helped off with my coat. My arm was worse. I collected a pint of milk and made coffee. At my desk I put the mouse under my right hand and began to work. We all swapped holiday stories. An hour or so later, I was asked to take a look at a PC that wasn't working. Getting up from the desk the pain made me gasp. I advised that the PC was rebooted and apologised because I could not do it. I could not face sitting again. My colleagues were relieved that I was going to get my self looked at. It was cold at the bus shelter, the wind was strengthening and temperature dropping. On the bus I phoned home and left a simple message about my accident - I could not locate my house keys and did not want to wait in the cold. I got off the bus outside the G.P.'s surgery. I waited to see the doctor. He said "You've popped your shoulder out, sometimes they go back really easily. Lets try." The pain was all consuming, and I just managed to stay standing. He sat me down for another go. That attempt almost made me slide off the chair. So off to Casualty it would have to be, there they would give me entonox before trying again. I was given a letter for the surgical registrar.
Andrew described me as deathly white and breathing erratically when I finally got home. That would be shock that caused that!

At Casualty I was soon booked in and didn't have to wait long to be seen. A friendly nurse fitted a cannula and admitted me into the Casualty waiting area. I was given paracetamol and ibuprofen for the pain, although by now there was very little pain. A young man, who had arrived late, not realising he was supposed to be on shift that day admitted that my year was starting worse than his as he took me to be X-rayed.

Back in the casualty area people come and go, and I wait. The young doctor eventually came and explained that I would almost certainly need an operation. Suddenly the incident went from painful to nasty. I have never required an operation before.

Snow!

Somehow its always worth a mention. This morning we had just a sprinkling, not quite enough to completely cover the road. I can imagine that in the future when there is rarely snow in England people will make even more of a fuss. I didn't really cause any problems, but I would like to know if my perception that the first snow of the winter usually arrives on a Sunday is true. At school we were asked to test a weather recording system - on a computer. I immediately sent off my query on the OCR form asking how much snow we had every day since 1950 (or there abouts). The results were strange. There had been snow in the summer, and that's what I was looking for, something I remembered, that others didn't.

A few days later and sure enough there it was - snow in June - and lots more than I remembered.

More recent memories are also refreshed today as John, the pilot on our plane flight earlier this year posted some pictures on facebook. I'm not sure if you'll have to login to see them.

Now thats more like it - SNOW

If you're going to have snow, then at least you should have a proper covering. Something like two to three inches here (five to seven cm). The smudges are snow flakes on the window. The whole country is at a standstill of course. Well not quite! Although the schools are closed, the trains appear to be running but limited, and the major roads are clear. Its not enough to say that tonights tutor group meeting is off, but its too much to say definitely on.
There was a thaw during the middle of the day, but as I blog (~4pm) it is very cold, and looks like its starting to freeze. This is more like the sort of winters I am used to. Tomorrow would have been my Dad's birthday. We always used to expect snow on the ground, if not coming from the sky, on his birthday.
The children have been enjoying themselves on their unexpected day off, there have been a few snowball fights, but so far no snowmen.
More picture here look in the Snow Album.

More Snow

Just another gentle dusting overnight. Everyone I speak to seems to want loads, am I alone in hoping that we don't get too much more. I don't mind cold, but I don't like the ice and snow.
Jo doesn't like the cold, but she does like the snow. Here she is trying to stay warm



Todays snow pictures, and yesterdays as well.

Snow in Essex

There is a 2cm covering of snow in some parts of Essex and London. Snow at this time of year has become rarer and when it occurs is usually in February.

The road, before too many cars have taken most of the snow away

The back garden

A view of the church from the back window.