Better late than never....

Oh dearie, an awful long time has passed since my last posting...well, I can sum up 2011 as The Year of the Breakdown - happily, just mechanical, but we were swamped by the first the computer, then (real horror) my beloved sewing machine, then the car and to top it all, in late November - amazing timing (not!) - our ancient woodburning central heating stove gave up its ghost. Oh joy! However, we've been blessed by very mild winter weather, and next Monday will see a beautiful new stove arriving. I have so very badly missed the smell of wood and flickering flames throughout the long dark evenings, so we will be celebrating! And one way and another, everything else got mended, sorted or replaced. So you see, it's been tricky to get back online, but I'm hopeful now. And I didn't stop being creative in various ways, and lack of internet or sewing machine certainly meant lots more knitting and trying out other new things. So there are good things everywhere really. And even the wise men are always late...

One thing I've been exploring, both at L'Arche and at home as a family, is a beautiful and playful way of 'discovering God's presence in our lives' with Godly Play. Using story, handmade and natural objects, the participant is drawn into a community of wondering and response. I was very touched by my own experience at a Discovery Day in Inverness. I have started to experiment sharing stories with both adults and my own children, and I begin to see all sort of beautiful doors opening. Personally, the creation of the objects, is in itself deeply satisfying. So I'll see where this path takes me...

And I'm not the only one with new discoveries...I was crazily thrilled when my oldest son came and asked to learn knitting. I suspect it may be a case of 'if you can't beat them' as my beloved has also taken up knitting (socks only) again. It's slow going for wee fingers but a tiny little red scarf is slowly emerging, and the long cold nights are certainly improved by a sofa full of knitters.

Here's to hope that the old computer will limp along and I can be rather more faithful to my blog. And here's to all the new journeys this year will bring...see you soon.