time to let go...

Our #1 arrives back at the shed late tonight,

she cut her vacation short so we could have a few extra peachy days together.

i am tres excited to know i have been given five extra days of us living together at mossy shed.

on friday she is taking me out to see 'her seattle',

from taking the bus into the city,

to the places she likes to visit

i will see it through her eyes.

before she left for the east coast over a week ago

we thrift store frequented like never before.

going to all our favorite ones,

reminiscing about our besty best finds

and both agreeing that thrifting will never be quite the same

without our thrifty buddy by our sides.

as i am tippity tapping this, she has just called from the airport,

waiting for her flight to say

"i have had such good luck mum and i had to call and tell you.

first i found $3 on the ground,

then everyone was really stressed out at the airport desk,

so i told the man not to worry i would come back with my question later.

but he said go ahead, so i asked him if i could change my middle seat out

and he said yes, as i asked so nicely.

then just now i was sitting on the floor reading

and a nice lady comes up and offers me her coupon for a free salad

as she was not going to use it!

so you see, i had to call and tell you mum,

because you are right after all,

i do have good luck, i just have to look for it every now and then.

anyhow got to go, catching my flight soon, i love you"

and i know it will be the same,

when she lives on one continent and i on another.

she will still be wanting to share things with me,

tell me regular everyday stuff.

it may take a little bit of creativity due to time differences

and her college life

but it will be okay in the end...

and the silver lining that keeps the clouds away,

ten years on from leaving old blighty and my family,

i am sending back a piece of me in the way of Our #1

she is thinking as any mother would, it is a wonderful gift to give ~ Tif

sorted...

"look on the bright side mum"

Our #4 said upon leaving the doctors office this morning after what appeared to be the longest wait in all my waiting history to date.

"it could have been a whole lot worse, it could have been my leg, now imagine getting on an airplane with a broken leg?" he smiled

after which he proceeded to sing 'always look on the bright side of life' from monty python all the way home.

and indeed, on thinking about his bright side of things, i see we are most fortunate to be heading to old blighty with only his right hand in a cast.

she thinks it quite obvious why she rarely asks to take her child's photo ~ Tif

thwarted by a thumb...

i had grand plans today to spend a little quality time with Miss Ethel

and then to pop on over here so i may tell about my lovely saturday morning.

but alas as per usual, my plans have been thwarted.

yes indeedy,

Thwarted with a capital 'T'

i am without doubt, you just sucked in your breath and let it go slowly,

your clans within your own nests turning to enquire as to what could have caused such a sharp intake of breath.

to which you reply

"must be big, must be something going down in mossy shed, for Tif has not only used the word thwarted but she has capitalized it!"

yes indeed dearest readers, a sharp intake of breath

and slight faintness at my capital 'T' did not go amiss in mossy shed.

let me enlighten you to the fact

i have been thwarted in my plans to stitch up a storm with Miss Ethel,

by a broken right thumb...

before you perhaps become too distraught on my behalf,

i must tell you, the thumb in question does not belong to moi.

the thumb that has thwarted my studio time

belongs to none other than Our #4.

the terrible mishap to befall his thumb happened late last night,

in the dark,

playing soccer in the back yard,

as boys are apt to do on long summer evenings.

earlier today he mentioned that perhaps his thumb was not behaving as it should.

on close inspection i felt a little queasy and i must confess a little guilty.

a trip to the doctors confirmed his thumb will be out of action for quite some time

i have rustled around in the kitchen drawer for my florence nightingale hat,

which is quite good really as i have had no chance to wash my hair

and voila! i now have the perfect disguise for my lanky locks.

i think right there, we can see every cloud does indeed have a silver lining.

and as if that silver lining were not enough to make me get over my thwarted 'fling' with Miss Ethel, i have another to think about...

all the waiting in various waiting rooms

which will continue tomorrow when we see the specialist

and not to mention

the sitting by his side in my florence hat making well meaning conversation,

fetching and carrying when needed

means i get to spend quality time with Mr Hook.

of course, as i tippity tap all my positive silver linings to what is quite a crappity crap turn of events for Our #4

a thought has suddenly dawned on me.

how on earth in the coming weeks, will he be able to keep his toenails squeaky clean with his newly found bookmark cleaning skills when his 'doing hand' is out of action?

she is off to study the small print in her florence nightingale contract ~ Tif

Feast of our holy diocese of Aberdeen.

Today, 9 July,
Feast of Our Lady of Aberdeen.
The First Class Feast of the Patroness of the Diocese.

The Coat of Arms
of the holy
Diocese of Aberdeen:
Three fish forming a triangle on a blue field
(These three fish were caught by the confrères this afternoon
and laid out in honour of
Our Lady of Aberdeen.)

The first early Christian symbol of the Fish is taken a stage
further by combining three fish within a basic triangular shape.
Each letter in Greek for "fish" (ἰχθύς)
(or in capitals ΙΧΘΥΣ
pronounced Ichthus like IK-THUS)
represented a key word related to the
identity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is
Jesus Christ (IX),
Son of God (ΘΥ),
Saviour (Σ).

But back to our "Ichthus-es"
on Papa Stronsay ...

... As you guessed,
the kitchen was busy again this evening.
An even larger catch than our last one,
the haul of
just three crewmen
and two fishing rods!

Br. Alfonso packs the fish for the freezer.
The question is:
How many were caught?

Br Martin Mary cuts into delicious Mackerel.
Since from the time of the Apostles
catches of fish have been counted,
we must do the same,
it's a tradition.

Tonight were counted:
202 Mackerel!
(St. Augustine might tell you the signification of this number!)
but as anyone knows
53 Coley fish ...
are
in honour
of the numbers of Aves in the Rosary.

Of course
we did not count the number of fish
that were washed overboard in the rough seas,
nor the Cod of unreported dimensions
snatched away by a ferocious sea fowl
just as it was being hauled aboard!

O Our Lady of Aberdeen
Thank you for this festive day!
Best wishes from Papa Stronsay
to all in our holy diocese!

Happy Feast day to all our readers.