Rector's Ramblings

The last few days have almost been an endurance test! The temperature has not dropped much below 40C and I'm melting! Then it rains! Boy does it rain!

Church today in St Andrew's Lamin, a church I love! Praise and adoration lasts for about 45 minutes, and it is prudent to take your lunch, because the service lasts for about 3 hours. The sermon today was simple. If you are rich, no problem. If you are rich and do not care for the poor and disadvantaged, you are off to hell. Most of this was preached in Wollof by Fr Jimmy, but I caught the jist!

We have now appointed a wonderful headmistress for our school, and she is so powerful that she frightens me to death! Tomorrow is her first day and I look forward to settling her in. More about her when I get home!

It's been a successful trip in so many ways, but sitting in this internet cafe at the momnt makes me yearn for my cool study, and the possibility of a decent sleep!

Back on Wdnesday morning!

I travel to London today, in preparation for the flight to The Gambia early on Tuesday. This is certainly not a holiday, but is going to be a rather stressful trip, sorting out administrative difficulties that have arisen in connection with the school we run over there!

I'm sure that Blogland will be a safer place in my absence! See you all soon!

Two very different weddings yesterday, making me think that getting married is still very much in fashion. An interesting comment from a bridesmaid, though, at dinner, made me slightly uncomfortable. She's been attending Anglican churches all her life, all over the world. She loved the new Marriage Liturgy of the Scottish Episcopal Church. "It just is so realistic", she commented. "It almost allows the possibility of divorce at some point with all the difficult bits from the old Prayer Book missing!"

And being a re-married divorcee, I was kind of lost for words!

Back to a rather damp and cold West of Scotland, but that's OK after a week of 30 degree temperatures! Holidays are just grand, but laced with irritants popped in by the tour operators, who ensure we British folk always have something to complain about. The fact that the coach transfer from the airport includes about 40 hotels, and yours is always last on the list, is your starter for ten. Why am I always last to get dropped off?

However, irritants aside, a wonderfully relaxing week which sets me up for what may be a rather stressful trip to The Gambia next week. Oh! The joys of travel!

So, here I am, following in the footsteps of St Paul, and walking the streets of beautiful Lindos with the RW. It's unclear if Paul had female companionship on his journeys, but, hey, don't knock it, especially when the money runs low and the RW's purse is still bulging with Euros.

Don't know how St Paul would deal with Internet Cafes, but this one is snuggled inside our hotel reception area! Perhaps Paul wouldn't have moved an inch if he'd had the power of the internet at his fingertips, and would have sent emails to the Ephesians and all the rest of them! He would have missed something special and beautiful!

I had forgotten how beautiful, (and hot), this island is. Over 20 years since my last visit. Won't be so long again, for sure.

See y'all soon!

Flying out today and leaving Blogland for a whole week! How will I survive? Delights to come include the research into local wines by the RW, (which ends in the conclusion that she doesn't really like them that much), a competition between the two of us to see who can sleep longest, aimless strolls through quaint streets, and avoiding English bars and anything else which flies the Union Jack in a foreign country! This, of course, presumes that we actually get through airport security within the week. See y'all!

It is with gratitude that I take the words of Mad Priest to heart. (See comment on *Mondays" below). This is where I have been going wrong now for almost thirty years! This is indeed a noble tactic which I had never thought of. Instead of making sure that my absence in the parish while I am on holiday is seamless, and I'm not missed in the slightest, I now see the wisdom in inviting the most boring priest in Scotland to replace me. The problem is that, in my parish, the blame for everything tends to lie with the individual who isn't there and therefore can't defend themselves! One does not want to put oneself at risk for being at fault. This is why I have continued the practice that Mad Priest condemns. (And quite rightly too, I now see!)

I suppose the best thing would be to do an exchange with another priest in a hugely successful parish. The tactic would be to undermine him, or her, and cause havoc in the place with the flower arrangers etc, spreading scandal and innuendo, amongst other things. Any other ideas for causing havoc in a parish of your choice?

From now on I'll be talent-spotting for various individuals who could fill in for me in the future. Any suggestions?

Monday is a day I try to make my "day off". Unfortunately it's not always the easiest day to take. Fair numbers of the Vestry Committee can only make Monday meetings, and often things, broought to light on Sunday at church services, have to have an immediate response and Monday is the day it has to be done!

Today I'm working, but for a nice reason, in-as-much as I'm going off on holiday on Wednesday for a week, and much has to be done before I jet off. Going on holiday for a clergyperson can be a logistical nightmare, making sure everything is in place and your absence goes almost un-noticed! At least that's the theory!

This is compounded by the fact that shortly after my return, I'm off to The Gambia to sort out the administrative problems that have occurred due to Kabs leaving GTS. (GTS administer our school over there.) Kabs' departure has left big gaps in the admin of the school and these need to be addressed, as soon as possible. The way we do things with GTS has to change, so that one individual no longer has "all the knowledge", which is what happened with Kabs when GTS were employing him. Since Kabs has decided to stay in the UK for now, we are required to fill the gaps he has left and firm up the administration of the school, the feeding programme, and the medical care. There is nothing sinister about my need to go over there, but more a practical response to the gaps which have emerged. It's hopeless trying to sort out something so important by telephone to a Third World country!

In between these two trips I have Sunday services, two weddings, a magazine to publish, and meetings about things as important as our proposed new hall. So no pressure there then!

However, God is good, the sun is shining, and Rhodes beckons on Wednesday!

As we prepare for Scotland's big clash in the European Championship qualifiers, here is something you must not miss! Wonderful late entry for the Song Contest, "Heedrum Ho"

Our school in The Gambia has encountered some internal problems which need to be sorted, and as a result I'm having to travel over there at the end of the month. Some staffing and financial issues need to be addressed, and it's important that, as a registered charity, we are seen to be on top of every situation and in control of what happens in the school and with the individual children who are sponsored through the charity.

This trip is not to be confused with holiday time! Holiday time begins on Wednesday of next week when the RW and I fly off to Rhodes for a whole week of R & R.

So, I'm feeling like a travel junkie at present, sorting out flights, currency and all the rest. I'd dearly love to be following Scotland to Paris next week instead, but I guess Rhodes will have to do.

Now we have a cat, it was only a matter of time before she was caught playing with a mouse in the house! Tonight was "it". We had a little field mouse in the kitchen months ago, but a straightforward trap caught that one. Tonight's mouse I presumed had come from the garden, but on inspection of the tea-towel drawer, there were the mouse droppings! The little eedjit has obviously been in residence for a while, and the bold Truffle has obviously taken her time to kill the newest lodger. It is our hope that it was only a single lodger, and that there aren't any brothers, sisters, mums or dads still in residence behind the kitchen sink!

The RW calls the cat "clever"! I think "slow on the uptake" would be more appropriate due to the number of tea towels that ended up in the washing machine tonight. How clever is a cat who gets "torn in" to the dog's food anyway?

Two results yesterday! Firstly the consultant confirmed that surgery is necessary soon to remove the cataracts from my eyes, beginning with the left eye which is now pretty useless! Unfortunately I must wait until early October, as special lenses are needing to be made for insertion into the back of the eyes. I'll be glad to see again!

The other result was a stuttering 3-1 win for Partick Thistle Nil, watched through either a blur, or through a semi-blur with my woolen hat pulled over my left eye! I'm needing an eye patch I think, as I must have looked like something out of Monty Python last night!

Now football thoughts wander towards Hampden on Saturday, and my tickets for the Scotland v Lithuania match sit expectantly on my mantlepiece. Watching Scotland is very much like watching Thistle. We go in hope and sometimes it's wonderful, sometimes a total disaster, but worth a party anyway! C'mom Scotland!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the dreaded appointment with the Eye Consultant Surgeon, so a sleepless night ahead! Not helped by a leaflet I read today which was totally frightening, explaining in graphic detail what is to happen and the risks etc etc. Nice bit though is that it says a nurse will hold my hand throughout the surgery. Knowing my luck, it will be a bloke!

A wonderful St Auggie's day yesterday, when we had the bishop for Confirmation. The praise band gave it laldy, and although we were late finishing, (Subway are opening a branch at St Aug's to feed the masses when we over-run), a wonderful morning was had by all!

Partick Thistle Nil Again! Hamilton More Than Two. Ability clashes with expectation.

There are advantages to this blurred vision thing. It means that I won't be able to see too clearly at the football today. Wonderful attribute when watching Partick Thistle Nil!

Today we entertain the League leaders, Hamilton Accies, a name which sends fear down the spines of Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and even Manchester Utd players. Will the mighty Thistle prevail? Watch this space!