Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Well, we've had sicknesses and successes, soups and stews, sunshine and sn...frost.  I've been doing lots more writing and trying to figure out how to get people to give me money for it.  And we went mining.  Actually, this photo is us in an old lime kiln, on a suitably atmospheric camera setting. Toby - got some glasses!  Unusually for our family, he isn't short-sighted, but has some astigmatism.  Children's glasses have got much more trendy since I had them; he has Star Wars and Minions. - won first prize in his class for the Children in Need bake off at school. - has been trying to teach me "ninja" moves, which is quite fun. - got the sick bug which has been going around, and has been off school for a few days. - designed a (belated) jack o'lantern and a table centrepiece for Thanksgiving. Our mini Thanksgiving dinner Theo Cafes with Kids out-takes - decided to go to preschool happily after half term. - has twice...

Do you remember playing with a magnifying glass on a sunny day?   That curved piece of glass you held in your hand captured the scattered rays, narrowing them down to a fluttering patch of brightness.   And all the light’s power was held in that one small circle, shrinking and shrinking… until finally you were rewarded with a sudden curl of smoke, and a neat charred hole. Imagine, then, that God, seeking to reveal himself on earth, condensed his essential being through some kind of celestial magnifying glass.   That wavering point became smaller and smaller, losing none of its power… until it became the exact size of a human baby, growing in a womb. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, says the verse in Colossians, the perfect reflection of God’s glory.   This is the first and greatest reason that Jesus came: to show us what God is really like.   Yet sometimes, reflected and refracted through 2000 years of history, the image that Jesus shows...

Well, the Christmas cake is made, a nativity play has been written, and that all means it must be getting close to.... Advent!  In fact, closer than you might think; because Christmas Day is a Sunday this year, that means the first Sunday of Advent is the earliest it can be, on the 27th of November.  The church has to fit its four Sundays in, you see, even though the calendars limit themselves to 24 days.  Don't tell the kids, or they'll be wanting an extra five days of chocolates. The main reason that all interests me this year is because I've decided to write a series of four Advent reflections, one for each Sunday.  So watch out for the first one on here in 10 days!  The theme is Jesus' incarnation, which turned into a set of rather neat prepositions: Jesus came to earth - to reflect God to us to suffer with us to die for us to be glorified over us If you or anyone you know would like a pdf copy, to print, email or otherwise distribute, please do ...

It's been feeling more and more autumnal, with chilly mornings and drifts of yellow leaves underfoot.  We celebrated Toby's birthday (and several of his friends' birthdays - it's been party season!).  The whole of his school somehow squeezed into our small village church for harvest festival, and we've been collecting conkers, sweet chestnuts, apples and quinces.  Theo is still chatting away and trying to help with everything, sometimes more successfully than others!  And we welcomed all the grandparents for what seems to be becoming the traditional joint October half term visit. Toby - celebrated his 6th birthday with a long-awaited party at Jangala soft play.  He's been asking for his party to be there since June at least! - really enjoyed the Winnie-the-Pooh books for bedtime stories, and we've now moved on to a Paddington omnibus.  After that I'm thinking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , perhaps. - collected lots of conkers! ...