Captain Stainsby strikes again!

He's yet to change one of his own tyres, but here he is to the rescue of another damsel in distress...(see his first recue here) Lorraine, here for the weekend, had a "great big dirty nail" in her smart Land Rover tyre.(even posh cars get flats!!)

Mr Thomas Stainsby and company!

As they prepare to perform at the Billinghay Christmas concert tonight! A jolly evening of comedy (mostly goan value!), entertainment, culture and music.

The Lincoln Christmas market...

Leah and I met up with Poledragon and her mum (not forget not so little RJ) for a lovely amble round the market stalls... Once we got up Steep Hill (and no they didn't believe me when I warned them it WAS steep!!) we caught our breath and got swept along the one way system with the crowd...I forgot my camera which was a shame but the smell of spruce, mulled wine interspersed with sweet waffles permeated within the castle walls. Stalls filled with beautiful creative and festive gifts and decorations painted a colourful scene on a cold day.(darling Tom had refused to give me any pocket money to spend :( sensible decision with hindsight!!)
All too quickly the time to go home for school pick ups arrived and we parted... but we left laden with a bag of clothes for Leah to grow into!!! I love to get new to you clothes! Thank you Kris, hugs to your mum, snuddles to RJ and speak to you on MSN soon ;)
Thank you Su and Asha who picked Benjamin up from nursery, allowing me the freedom of a leisurely day.

A long overdue sort out!

I never did secretarial work... can you tell?
Here was my "office workstation" on Thursday evening...
and then on Friday @ 1am!
And no, for the cynical few of you out there...
I didn't just
a/ just throw it all away!
b/ hide it out of shot
I will admit that it is sorted but not yet filed, but for now it's safe from the children using bank statements as drawing/ aeroplane making paper.

The play has landed!

Scroll down for an unforgettable play! In the Advent is here post!

Advent celebrations...

So what exactly have WE been doing for this preparation time?
This year the lead up to the start of Advent was fairly intense as we prepared for the Christingle service as Tom and the boys were playing/singing... It focused our minds so much more on the true meaning of Christmas that we have taken on a more contemplative approach to this Advent tide...
In the morning, we sit round the kitchen table and say a short prayer and then I get the appro- priate book from the "story of Christmas" advent calendar, to read out, which is then hung on a tree that Tom and I made when Matthew was a baby.
In the evening, before we lay the table, one of the older boys lights our candles and then they sing "like a candle", we then may read a Bible passage. Before going up to bed the children take it in turns to take one of the nativity figures to stick on the fabric calendar scene. (Matthew ALWAYS gets to do the 19th with the "silent night" singing star, as it's his birthday!)

Moody sunset...

This hasn't quite caught the trueness of the evening... but it gives you an idea!

Angelic voices?

Only a snippet as Penny's cam battery ran out at the end of the first verse! (my fault aas I only gave her 20mn notice of wanting her to record it and the batteries weren't charged!!)
But I think you get the feel of what was a beautiful children's rendition of a simple song.

Advent is here!

A time of preparation, anticipation, reflection and hope... Hope stemming from humble beginnings... Looking back at the promise made through the birth of Jesus, our baby in a manger... and looking forward in hope to his second coming in glory and majesty and the promise of eternal life.

The first candle of our Advent wreath was lit, one of four red ones (one for each Sunday in Advent)the central white one reserved for Christmas and celebrating the arrival of the Christ light.
As is traditional in St Michael's and All Angels (or has been since we have been here!) We sing an Advent song adding a new verse each week a new candle is lit.

The words are as follows and are sung to the tune of "One more step along the world I go" (clapping to the rythm on the last line of each verse):

Winter's here, we hardly see the sun,
Cold damp days can make your spirits glum,
Though it's dark when school is done,
Advent tells us that the Lord will come.
So through all Decemder's dark and dreary days
Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!

Hope is given us by candle "one".
Though God judges each and everyone,
Those who trust Him need not fear,
Advent tells us that the Lord is near.
So through all December's dark and dreary days
Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!

Next we'll light a candle for the Word
Teaching us about the living Lord;
Telling how God's will is done,
Through the advent of His Holy Son.
So through all December's dark and dreary days
Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!

Candle "three" will speak to us of John
Who prepared the way for God's own Son;
Preaching from his desert home
That the Saviour of the world will come.
So through all December's dark and dreary days
Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!

Then we'll symbolise, with candle "four"
Mary, holy mother of the Lord;
Soon we'll shout with joy and say:
Advent's over and it's Christmas Day!
So through all December's dark and dreary days
Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!


Although a little over exposed, you can see Walcott Church's Advent wreath with it's first candle lit and our little Benjamin holding the lit Christingle as made up during the play below...

At 3pm we took part in a Christingle sevice and as dramatised by our young group of budding actors, our Christingle play offered an explanation of what a Christingle is, to the un-initiated.

and just in case you didn't quite get all that was said! here's the transcript!! ;)

Christingle play

Joseph(8) So we’re going to make a Christingle.
I wonder what it is?
Matthew (9) I’ll tell you. The word CHRISTINGLE means CHRIST LIGHT.
(Benjamin(3) picks up an orange)
Isaac(5) Why an orange?
Matthew Well the orange is round just like the earth,
so we think of the orange as a little planet earth.
(Benjamin puts in the candle)
Isaac But what about the candle?
Matthew The candle is Jesus . THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
(As Matthew puts in the cocktail sticks with goodies into the orange Benjamin is holding, Joseph says)
Joseph Right. The orange is the world and the candle is Jesus, so what about the the four sticks with fruit and sweets?
Asha(10) That’s easy. The four sticks are the four seasons and the fruit and sweets represent the fruits of the earth.
Charles(8) And what about the red ribbon? I bet you don’t know what . that means? (Holds up a piece of red tape)
Matthew OH YES I DO.
(Congregation – OH NO YOU DON’T)
Matthew OH YES I DO.
The red ribbon is used to represent Jesus’ blood. (As he places it around the girth of the orange B is still holding then lights it from the main candle and carefully gives it back to Benjamin to hold up high))
Asha OK. It looks as though we ‘ve made it. Our Christingle.
Shall we show everyone?
Charles Yes, lift it up. (each child picks up a pre prepared Christingle and joins Benjamin in lifting it up high)
Asha Now we can hand one out to all the children and then light them…
(helpers, Brenda, Audrey, Beth hand out Christingles into the congregation)
Charles Be careful it’s hot!
(The sketch children light their candles from Benjamin’s and then light the Christingles in the first pew telling the recipients to light those of the people behind them and so on until all the candles are lit and the church lights are switched off)
In the candle lit darkness the "actors" sang Graham Kendrick's "Like a candle flame" (you can listen to it on this link) more subdued and reflective than the traditional "Shine Jesus Shine" which we kept for the last sending out hymn!

The service had a contemporary feel, with many newer, faster paced songs. We wanted it to be a new service, attracting new people interested in learning something new and hopefully learning and reflecting more on the real reason for the season.

Seperately, David and Penny have recorded parts of the service and as soon as I receive them I will share them with you!
Come back soon to check!

Interested in the various traditions of Advent celebrations? Firstly, visit At a hen's pace where a Carnival of Anglican Advent Traditions is taking place, then have fun and click on these ( will not take any responsability for you losing yourself in other people's blog and links from links... I do it regularly and end up travelling the world!!:) )
lovebloomsbright
christmas-eve-will-find-me
myquotidianmysteries
contrary-expectation-celebration-of
standfirminfaith
Advent resources

Scalextric weekend.

Not the usual Saturday: as I was upstairs pottering, changing beds,putting away washing, tidying up and sorting out Christmas presents I thought I could hear some bizarre noises down below... Benjamin came up excitedly "mummy Daddy moved the sofa!", next I overhear Joseph on the phone to Papytail "We've had to put one sofa balanced on top of the other"
Dare I go downstairs?
Tom promised the boys a super duper cool track, and a super duper cool track they got. Thanks to a kindly donation of an unused track from Tom's cousin Phillip (Thanks!!) Tom added to ours and produced:

Hours of fun have been had...
but gladly (and with a touch of relief)I can report that our sitting room is back to normal!!