Long Journey

New York to Paris, Google Style!

Hat Tip to Tim at IT Freedom for this route plan for New York to Paris.

Someone sure likes to travel the easy way! Keep going down the steps to at least step 23!

New York to Paris

Re-Reading Nick Thorpe

I've been re-reading Nick Thorpe's books on travelling. Eight men in a boat is well worth a read, telling the improbable tale of eight men sailing a reed boat off to Easter Island. Adrift is a fantastic tale of leaving the house one day and thumbing a life (on boats) around the cost of Scotland.

Both books focus on the human relationships that abound when journeying, and both show a deeper side to life. If you haven;t read them then get them out of your local library or buy them from GreenMetropolis.com

"Eight Men and a Duck: An Improbable Voyage by Reed Boat to Easter Island" (Nick Thorpe)

"Adrift in Caledonia: Boat-hitching for the Unenlightened" (Nick Thorpe)

Long time no blog.

I decided to stay off blogging as part of Lent, so now Easter has passed off we go again.

My sister Karen came over yesterday for Easter Lunch, and we had a great time out in the garden with Rebecca's swing. She loves it.

I've taken this week off work to catch up on the many jobs that are sitting around waiting to be done.

The main one is to tidy up the study, and my bedroom. Both are full of books and paper and need to be seriously spring cleaned! I'll be updating the reading list, but I'm going to start of with Affluenza by Oliver James

"Affluenza" (Oliver James)

Its a book about "a contagious middle class virus causing depression, anxiety, addition and ennui, a global tour of infected minds by a renowned psychologist in search of the secret of being successful and staying sane".

Not totally me, but as Will Self said, "should be mandatory ready for everyone".

Seriously though I read the review in the latest third way magazine and it sounded interesting, I'll let you know.

10.30 AM

What are you doing this Sunday morning? Are many of the emergent types still directly involved in traditional church, or have we deserted a formal Sunday service? The breath of fresh air passing over the CofE in the form of Fresh Expressions, would seem to owe a lot to the alt worship movement, and even more to the emergent communities growing around the church's edges. Do we owe a duty to support our roots? Do we need to support a struggling mother church? An organization that grew most of the "leaders" of the emergent conversation, and may well be employing them. To mind comes CMS, providing income to several bloggers out there. So as we grow our new roots, should we look to send at least spending some effort supporting our local places of worship? Or is it time to put aside "out dated" structures and go it alone? I'm not promoting either view, or even know what would be the right move in my own life. I do know that more and more services fail to enthuse me. but still odd words and sentences break through my hardness and God still breaks in and stirs my soul. The song should I stay or should I go now, kind of sums up some of my thoughts. It may be time to strike out into the wilderness and find my oasis in the vastness. It may be time to till my land and stir up the old roots, encouraging old plants to spring forth new growth. and the old earth to be planted with new seed. Which ever is right, it is time to step aside, to pause and find that route. With Lent coming closer perhaps it is time to follow some readings, give up a lot of things that is unhealthy in my life, and to seek Christ.

Silly me.

Yesterday I was so stupid. It took over an hour to work out that I had made mistake. I travelled through most of South London to get there. and guess what it was the wrong day!

Simple lesson. Grace is on Saturday, but Gracelet is on Sundays!

I hope Gareth from Moot has a good time sharing about Moot's "Rythum of Life". maybe I travel up tonight, if I can get another evening pass from the family.

Silly me!

The eve of New Year's Eve

Well its Saturday, at least I think it is Saturday. Its the 30th December 2006 either-way.

Simon & Vicki are coming over for a meal tomorrow and Mum & Dad are coming for lunch.

The menu?

Lunch

Salmon & Dill soup, take from the Covent Garden Soup Company Book

"New Covent Garden Soup Company's Soup and Beyond: Soups, Beans and Other Things (New Covent Garden Soup Company)" (Diana Athill)

With Freshly made bread in my old bread machine, probably with sun dried tomatoes and garlic in it.

New Year's Eve Meal

Well Fiona's favorite starter is mellon and ham, so that's what we are having. A nice fresh Honey Dew mellon, with Parma Ham, and a dash of a dark berry coolie drizzled over the top.

The main will be a fantastic fish pie, using a great free recipe from Waitrose. It used cod fillet, smoked bacon lardons, spring onions, and a lovely sweet potato topping. Served with a nice crisp green salad.

The pudding is coming with Si & Vic, so will be a surprise.

Wines, a nice simple white, probably a Chilean chardonay, a good desert wine, followed by a dry vintage champagne for midnight.

We will just about manage to stay up past midnight, have a toast, and then collapse into bed.

Fresh Croissants and bacon in the morning, with Espresso.

Then off to Vienna for the week to sort out something for work!

Happy New Year!

Rant

OK, time to get this off my chest.

I am fed up with Christmas.

But this year it is different, this year its not the stupid commercial crap that surrounds it, its not the over indulgence, the binge drinking, the stupid adverts, the crush of people, the general exploitive nature of this season.

No its the attack on the Christmas story, the attack of the meaning. I am fed up of seeing our society blasting out how we need to respect all religions, whilst not daring to be too "Christian" with our own. Rebecca has celebrated Divali, and a load of other ethnic celebrations. BUT come to Christmas. OH NO, can't do a nativity, can't send a Christmas card, can't mention Christ. Might offend. What about sending my daughter home with a light that she has made, and encouraging us to light it.

Its not the other activities that bother me, there is no real issue there. BUT please oh please, don't transform our own activities into a third class activity. Its like positive discrimination, its proving that all this commercialization is working. Where is the meaning of Christmas.

So here is an idea. Next year I'm thinking of having 9 Services that would run from the 1st through to the 23rd. Nine services that are quick, simple, and quiet. Based around the nine traditional readings. A bit like Grace's NINE service, but spread out across Advent. A place to escape, but fully enter into our season of waiting.

It won't solve the issues, but it will secure a communities chance to remember.

Hold me to this one.

Quick Christmas Photo's

So with the celebration just over a week away, we have managed to put together this years Christmas card.

We always send out a card with a photo of Rebecca on the front. Its more personal than a generic card, and even though the production quality is poor people seem to love them.
We not managed to put pen to paper enough to write a round robin letter, so the card is the best we do.

This year we have a couple of photo's of Rebecca dressed as "father christmas", don't ask!

I hope they make you smile in this pre-Christmas rush, and may you find a moment of calm to be able to await the coming of our Lord!

New Job

Well, after a little over two months, I started my new job last week!

I'm working for a company called Aircom. They are a software company that specializes in mobile network tools. Its a good role (Project Manager) and the people are nice!
Based in Leatherhead, but I will be supporting Global projects. The role will be a challenge, as it is client facing, includes pre-sales, and is not just software.

Anyway, the MX-5 has also gone (too old to support the commute) and a new 107 is sitting on the drive. Convertible "sports" car to little 1000cc city car. More space in the new one though! And it is currently giving me 45mpg, which should only get better!

Thought for the Day, recapturing the cross.

Today's thought for the day on radio 4, was a good message linked to the row between the Cross and BA.

I suspect it's because we've forgotten what the cross was originally all about. It's become a dead metaphor, loosing its association with humiliation and fear, and instead becoming some sort of club badge for people who call themselves Christians. Which is why even though I am a Christian I'm also uncomfortable at the way the cross is featuring in the row between British Airways and one of their employees.

Link to full article

Do you wear this "Badge of Identity"? I have in the past, and I suspect I will do at times in the future. For me putting a cross around my neck has never been about communicating that I am a Christian to the outside world. Most people would not get to see it, and those that did would know anyway. For me it has been about marking myself, a personal reminder to "put on the faith".

What is interesting here is to look back at what the cross signifies, and the nature of Christ's death and sacrifice.

In our emerging journey what is a good symbol of our faith, is one needed?