...try this!

...I love asking a young child 'what age do you think I am?' - I did this recently with a 7 year old from church...and he looked at me for a moment...tilted his head this way and that..smiled and said 'I think you're 24!' ... I love that child!!! Needless to say - even when I reverse the digits - I'm still older but it did make me smile.

My neice (11 years!) and I were attending an event at her school a few months back and I tried to get dressed a little more 'trendy' than usual. She arrived to take me and her eyes widened...she bite the inside of her lip and whispered 'Are you going to wear that?' I obviously saw something else when I looked in the mirror!!! Oh well...at least I have a nice personality!!

...let the reading begin...

I could never quite figure out the purpose of a book group … that is…until I joined one a year ago. Well …’joined’ is not really the word – we ‘formed’ one – six ladies – friends for ages and needing an excuse for a 6 weekly coffee and chat! What better a way to always have a diary date that to put it under the heading of a book group! Genius!

Actually it’s been fantastic to read books that I personally would have never thought of picking off the shelf. So far we’ve managed the following….

Never let me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd

Winter Queen - Boris Akunin

With their Backs to the World - Asne Seierstad

Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell

The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood

Where they were missed – Lucy Caldwell (not finished reading this yet!)

….I hope we can keep this little gathering up this year…and if you’re not in a group right now…don’t wait to join an existing one – get one up and running yourself – people are just waiting to be asked!!

Happy reading….Mo

PS If you’ve any suggestions…let me know…as we’re always looking for new titles!

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

...had a relaxing weekend doing absolutely nothing! Well...not exactly nothing...but almost nothing...ahhh - we all need some weekends like that! There's something about a crisp spring-like day that puts a smile on my face...hope all is well with you! Let me know!



PS...this is not my garden - wish it was!

Oh..I loved these poems....

my friend just emailed this link and I just love these...

Poems: "Essential" and "Employed" by Beverly Rollwagen,
from She Just Wants.
© Nodin Press.

Essential

She just wants to keep her essential
sorrow. Everyone wants her to
be happy all the time, but she doesn't
want that for them. There is value in
the thread of sadness in each person.
The sobbing child on an airplane, the
unhappy woman waiting by the phone,
a man staring out the window past his
wife. A violin plays through all of them,
one long note held at the beginning and
the end.



Employed

She just wants to be employed
for eight hours a day. She is not
interested in a career; she wants a job
with a paycheck and free parking. She
does not want to carry a briefcase filled
with important papers to read after
dinner; she does not want to return
phone calls. When she gets home, she
wants to kick off her shoes and waltz
around her kitchen singing, "I am a piece
of work."

REMEMBER....

Friends....books....coffee...these are a few of my favourite things!

I've had the lovely pleasure of sitting chatting - over coffee of course! - with a few very close friends in the past couple of weeks and they just do not know what it means to me! These people make me feel good ... that's the only way I can really describe it. We discuss small things - the weather...books...movies...food ...we discuss big things like work...friendship....family...and we ponder the issues that some people never get around to - like feelings...fears...realness! I also appreciate those friends I've made through this blog - they are the unseen friends who are there at the end of the email...'listening' to my problems and encouraging me with kind words. Thank you too!

It may have been Valentine's Day with no cards...but sometimes I feel more connected with others on a deep, meaningful level - than some of the married couples I know!

...thanks to all for their friendship and smiles!

...a strange little week...

...not going into a lot of details - but lots of work-related stress being dealt with .... feeling a little on the fragile side this past week. Today is slightly more relaxed and I'm now feeling 'on the up' again...yeah!

...silence is golden!

...Looking forward to a partial silent retreat from tomorrow evening! I will be having some quiet time this weekend...but I am also helping to prepare some of the Saturday meals..and I have to get instructions whispered to me!! I like this arrangement as I get the best of both worlds. The weather (so says the radio) will be calm and quite mild for Feb...lovely.

Had another thought provoking on Tues evening when our band of friends met for a meal and some chat. We had all decided to have a look at the feeding of the 5,000 and there were some lovely insights of the various people around the room. My thoughts always seem to come as questions! The two main questions I asked myself in the past week were 1. What/who 'feeds' me? 2. How do I 'feed' others? I may bring those with me on the weekend ahead and ponder them further.

Work has been busy...but a good busy! Stressful..but a good stressful and having spent a wee bit of time looking into the eyes of the nursery children...I feel blessed! They may not have the ability to communicate but oh...those eyes speak volumes!

blessings....MOJO

The beauty of creation....

Since getting my little (cheap) digital camera...I seem to be seeing beautiful spaces in my daily routine. I walk at lunch times around the local area where I work and I've been looking at trees...a pond with ducks...the sky...even local houses and shop fronts...with more interest than usual! I love this new way of looking at things - it's exciting! Unfortunately I can only post photos at a local library - the office computer won't let me ... for some unknown reason! I'll try to post a few sometime soon.

Hope all my friends in blogland are well...let me know!

Bye for now...MOJO

Why are we frightened?

Last Tues evening my little group of friends were discussing various topics...and I shared some questions with them that I've been asking myself recently. These are a group of people - some of whom I've known for years and yet still I hold back on 'being me'...why? So some of my questions to myself are..

...why do put people on pedestals?
...why do I let others intimidate me?
...why do I apologise for what I believe?
...why do hide behind a mask?
...why do I not trust people who will love me no matter what?
...why do I think my views are sometimes not worth putting across?

.....mmmm....still mulling these things over....

Be thou my Vision....

....I've always loved this hymn but especially the line...Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power...

and when I sing it...I always think of Glendalough in the South of Ireland ...close to place where I served on a mission team for year...ahhhh....wish I was there right now!

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;Naught be all else to me, save that Thou artThou my best Thought, by day or by night,Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

...for all the visitors to my blog...

...unfortunately I didn't pen this myself...but I loved the words and thought it would be nice to share it!

A happy week...

Well...as you can see from the picture...I finally figured out how I can combine my love of art and coffee!!! Needless to say...my New Year resolution of cutting down on coffee has failed miserably!!


I had a lovely week...Monday evening I invited a good friend round for coffee (see coffee again!!).. She has two little boys under 5 and is always on the go...so we spent a couple of hours...with soft lights...scented candles and Ella Fitzgerald playing the background. It's amazing how much you can share with another person in such a short space of time. Tuesday evening was spent with my group of amazing friends - unfortunately for them I was on the cooking rota (poor things!). I managed to rustle up a reasonable stir fry and crusty bread...someone else came with a dessert and someone else with the wine. Wednesday evening I saw my niece for a little while and Thursday I went to hear a wonderful speaker we'd seen this year at the Greenbelt Festival in Cheltenham. Last night...I did absolutely NOTHING!! Ahhhh....a good week...how was yours??





Until next time...

...frozen toes!

...my heating system at home hasn't been working for the past week so needless to say I've been a little chilly of late! I was lent an electric heater and sitting (like a granny!) with a woolen blanket round my knees whilst watching television! Thankfully the workman has now restored at least some of the radiators so I'm thawing out now.

Hope your New Year has started on a positive note. I'm feeling quite up at the moment. Lots of things happening both at work and socially. I'm really looking forward to starting some study on comtemplation with my Tuesday friends (10 friends who commit to meet each week for a lovely meal and a lovely time of sharing!).

I'm also thrilled to see a little bit of brightness return to the skys as I'm walking home from work these evenings. I'm really not a winter...dark nights...doors closed sort of person. Seeing Spring far off in the distance is like present waiting to be opened...the anticipation is there already!! I've also planted dozens of bulbs in my tiny garden and they've been poking their little heads out of their beds (flower beds that is!) and whispering 'I'm gonna get up soon!'...'can hardly wait!

Well...blessings for the remainder of the week folks! Bye for now.

Hi from a sunny Belfast!

I think I may have figured out this photo thing...let's see!

New Year...new look blog!

Hi all...hope your Christmas was special as you are! Into the New Year with gusto...with new challenges and new friends. Any resolutions? A couple of mine are to walk more...paint more...contemplate more...and try to drink less Americano coffee!!

I had a restful and happy time...now back to work and the holiday season seems a long way back! Still desperately trying to post photos...I can never see the icon on my blog to do this..although people in the past have tried to talk me through the process ...oh well - maybe one day I'll figure it out! I purchased a new digital camera and think I'm wonderful now because I've taken at least two nice shots!

Well...the filing on my desk is calling loud and clear and I've been ignoring it all day. Bye for now...MOJO

....have a peaceful time....

...at this special time of the year.

My prayer ....

May we balance our laughter with some moments of quietness...
May we talk to our Lord as much as we talk to our friends...
May we attend to ourselves as much as we attend to others...
May we think of those who are hungry when we ourselves feel full...
May we think of the lonely when we are surrounded by loved ones...
May the Lord of Light help you see the sunshine through the showers...
God bless
xmojo

Happy Monday!

...yes, you've guessed it...I'm in a good mood today!! I guess a lot has got to do with the weekend past. Actually it was lovely because it ended up not being a silent retreat for me after all! My friend who organises it was able to include me in the team of 'workers'. So I got a chance to see the 'behind the scenes' action. Lots of meal preparations, serving those on the retreat, clearing up, taking part in the times of reflection when we get to speak but they don't! It was a privilege and joy to do it. I did get to have some time in quiet...to read...and write and walk in THE most beautiful unspoilt countryside....ahhh...

This week in work will be clearing up all the yucky admin jobs I've left from the beginning of the month...you know the sort I mean...don't you!?

Hope all is well in blogland....keep in touch - bye for now...a happy little person....x

....Silence is golden...

....I'll be off to rural Ireland tomorrow (half day off work...yeah!) for my third silent retreat of the year. After a hectic few months - I am soooo looking forward to the solitude. Will catch up again next week...have a great weekend everyone!

....something about a meal....

...there's just something about sitting around a table of friends that really for me comes close to heaven! We gathered together last night before a friend travels to Canada for Christmas and we had a rare old time! Lots of lovely dishes...savoury and sweet...a lot of laughing....shining eyes as we all opened our 'secret santa' presents (where we pick a name out and buy for that person - of course - by the end of the evening everyone knew who had purchased what for whom!!). I was delighted with my lovely present - wrapped beautifully - containing candles...the most gorgeous Celtic style stone angel...a hand knitted autumny coloured scarf and a little book...Loved it all! We all looked about 6 years old as we were opening (I know it's a little early for Christmas!) our presents. It was a delight.

We then decided to have our 'Top 5' lists for the year - Top 5 books....cds....movies etc. I find it pretty hard to come up with my favourites....so much to choose from. I did love 'The Cloister Walk' a book by Kathleen Norris...really enjoy the music of Sufjan Stevens...local Belfast artist Duke Special...was challenged by 'The Constant Gardener' movie. How would your favourites of the year look I wonder...let me know!

Well...for now - blessings!