Lindsay and Lilian's Blog

2011-01-14T14:52:00.001Z

I'm experimenting with posting some of the stuff I do with the BBC on this blog. There has to be an easier way than this. However here's this mornings "Thought for the Day" on Radio Ulster

2011-01-08T14:26:00.002Z

Decided to reactivate this blog which I haven't used for a couple of years. I'll be adding stuff to it from time to time.

2009-04-13T10:36:00.002+01:00

Reuben is so talented! He can sing and play the piano at the same time!

2009-04-05T09:20:00.012+01:00

Used my rail pass to go up to Derry/Londonderry on Saturday with Bill and Carl. Caught the train from Carrick to central and then from Central to Derry. (Actually the line is being repaired and you are bussed from Ballymena to Coleraine and then put on the train again. Great day out. Derry a hive of activity with cross border shoppers picking up bargains with their strong Euro against our weak Pound.

2009-04-05T09:15:00.003+01:00

Someone gave me a ticket for the Ospreys v Ulster game at Ravenhill on Friday night. Ospreys were the better side and Ulster's performance somewhat lacklustre. Final score Ospreys 16 Ulster 13.

2009-03-22T09:58:00.005Z

Rick, Katie and Reuben all arrived on Friday morning. Rick and I went off to Bentra to play golf. (See previous post).
It was Win's birthday and so we Skyped Dave and Stacey and Caleb and Grace in Canada and blew out the candles 4000 apart!

Went down to Rick's in Greyabbey on Saturday afternnon to see the Big Match on his Big TV! A real nailbiter of a finish, but the last time Ireland won the Grand Slam was the year I was born.
Took Reuben out for a walk down into the village before the game. Had chocolate and walked back.

2009-03-20T19:28:00.006Z

I wandered lonely as a cloud...

Spring is here again. Great to get out into the garden and a game of golf at Royal Bentra!

2009-03-17T09:11:00.004Z

We had a St Patrick's night bash at the church on Saturday night, (14th March 3;- days early!)

Great night with the Bentra school of Irish Dancing, some diddle-le-de music and a brief talk on St Patrick. Lots of eople turned up, about a quarter of whom I didn't know. We finished with bowls of Irish Stew and then Apple Tart and cream.

2009-03-12T06:24:00.007Z

Friends bought us an overnight in a B&B in Fermanagh for my birthday last March. It was such a busy year that we didn't get time to take it so I had to take it before it ran out! We went down to the Marble Arch area on Friday and stayed overnight and went for a walk on the Saturday morning, but had to be back for a church event on Saturday night.
Fermanagh is great walking country. I really must take an extended time down there.

Being out west it is pretty damp and on our walk up the Cladagh River everything was covered in moss.

The walk up the river takes you to the Marble Arch Caves, which were closed. I think they are usually flooded over the winter and open up again at the end of March.

Belcoo Police Station, being on the border is still heavily fortified despite the "peace process"!

2009-03-08T09:03:00.010Z

Haven't posted for a long time. In February, Lilian and her mum went to Canada to visit Stacey and the kids as Dave was on an eight week course in Ottawa. He came home for the weekend while they were there, which explains his appearance in some of the pictures!

2009-02-06T14:12:00.003Z

Thought you might enjoy this!

2009-01-30T23:03:00.004Z

I'm reading a book at the moment by Charlie Connelly called, "Attention All Shipping". It's a journey round the BBC Shipping forecast on Radio 4. The nightly shipping forcast is one of the iconic broadcasts by the BBC. I have listend to it late at night driving home with the rain beating off the car windows or tucked up in bed with the duvet round me thinking of fishing boats battling though a force 8 or 9 in the Irish Sea.
In the book a mention is made of that fine poem by Sean Street and I thought I would share it with you.

Shipping Forecast
The Fisherman and His Wife in Donegal

They have shared still late October,
but salt stones and a broken tree,
the peeled paint on the lifeboat house
chime with places where the glass falls,
prime sources encountering night’s bald predictions.

Everywhere winter edges in,
and now the time is ten to six...
Lightness and weight, air’s potentials
pressed into words, implication;
here – on all coasts – listening grows passionately tense.

Fair Isle, Faeroes, South East Iceland,
North Utsire, South Utsire,
Fisher, German Bight, Tyne, Dogger...
This pattern of names on the sea –
Weather’s unlistening geography – paves water.
Beyond the music, the singing
of sounds – this minimal chanting,
this ritual pared to the bone
becomes the cold poetry of information.

The litany edges closer –Lundy, Fastnet and Irish Sea...
Routine enough, all just routine,
Always his eyes guessing beyond
the headland, she perhaps sleeping, no words spoken.

He stretches forward to grasp it,
claims his radio place – and now
the weather reports from coastal stations and then:
Malin Head – such routine
that she barely glances up, but hears now falling.

2009-01-01T08:26:00.004Z

Haven't posted for a while.
Had a good but busy Christmas, the way it fell this year.

Winnie stayed over Christmas, which was nice and Rick, Katie and Reuben came up on Christmas Day. Freddie and Linda and the family came on Christmas night.
On Boxing Day went down to Carl and Mavis' house and had a meal and the traditional Christmas Pud.
Stayed overnight. and awoke to a bright and frosty morning.

Went sailing on New Year's Eve.

2008-12-19T10:11:00.002Z

Just to make it clear, this is not our house, it's the house next door!
Reuben wasn't too sure whether he liked the Santa Bear or not.

2008-12-18T16:59:00.020Z

Christmas time is a bit hectic in church.

We added to the pressure by having a Baptismal service in December. Ten people baptised, and the church packed.

On the following Saturday we had our Senior's Christmas Dinner.

Sixty or so of our Seniors and their friends were taken to do their Christmas shopping in Ballymena and then back to church for a Christmas Dinner and a short Carol Service.

On Wednesday 17th we went carol singing.

Started in Tesco's and then went to Northland Court and sang to the residents there and then off round the streets before coming back to the church about 9.30 for May's soup and hot chocolate and mince pies.

2008-12-08T09:20:00.007Z

Friday night was the Annual Gingerbread Housebuilding Competition. Reuben made (and ate!) the popcorn

This year the competition was particularly fierce.

May and Campbell had brought a Gingerbread House Kit home from Chattanooga, and Alison had baked her own kit from plans she found in a magazine.

As usual Pat was the honest judge! (Honest in the sense that she made it clear from the start that she was open to bribery!)

In the end Rick and Katie won with a modified kit. from Ikea.

2008-12-05T13:45:00.013Z

We took a week's holiday at the end of November.
A friend of us has a house in Cranfield, which he wasn't using and very generously loaned it to us for the week.
It's in a beautiful location just at the beach with the Mourne Mountains behind us.
Weather was beautiful, clear blue skies all week but frosty.

It was great to sit reading in the conservatory and watch the light changing around the Haulbowline Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1818. The original light floated on a bed of mercury and was turned by a heavy lead weight on a chain which slowly dropped the length of the lighthouse. One of the Lighthouse Keeper's jobs was to winch the lead weight up again every 40 minutes!
We spent a lot of time walking and geocaching in the Mournes.

Rostrevor village is a couple of miles down the road. Pleasant village and the birthplace of Major General Robert Ross, after whom the village is named, and who burned the Whitehouse in Washington, during the American War of Independence. Visited his Monument on the outskirts of the village.

(The following is from Wikipeda.) "Rostrevor was the birthplace of Major General Robert Ross-of-Bladensburg, a British commander during the American War of Independence. After defeating an American force at Bladensburgh in 1814, he entered Washington on August 24 and burned many buildings including the White House. Not long after, he was killed at the Battle of Baltimore."

Walked into Greencastle, a couple of miles along the beach and saw another of John de Courcy's castles. (He also built them at Carrickfergus, Newcastle, Dundrum and so forth.) The following is from Wikipedia again. "It is a royal castle built in the 13th century. It was attacked and taken by Edward Bruce in 1316, attacked at least twice by the Irish in the later 14th century but still maintained as an English garrison in the 1590s."

Also searched out a number of local dolmen. This is one of them in a field not far from the house.

2008-11-16T16:44:00.006Z

Lilian was teaching a Precept Bible Study Class on Saturday morning and so I ended up babysitting Reuben on my own! I don't often do this and keeping an "almost 2" year old amused isn't easy! Played in the garden and took him for a walk around the houses. He found an underpass which he loved shouting in, (the echo fascinated him!) And I taught him to walk along a plank. (His mother will kill me!)

But some of his best fun was me throwing a ball high in the air for him! When he did it, the ball kept landing on his head!

2008-11-03T19:04:00.006Z

Monday was a beautiful autumnal day and so Lilian and I made sandwiches and had our lunch in Woodburn Woods.

2008-11-01T17:20:00.003Z

We had our day off on Friday.

Beautiful clear autumnal day. We went to Carnfunnock, just a few miles down the road and had a walk. Really good to get out in the fresh air again. It's been so wet recently.

On Saturday morning I visited someone in The Royal Victoria Hospital. Went in early to miss the traffic. Took this photo through window on 7th floor. Belfast just wakening up on a autumn morning.

2008-10-25T13:07:00.008+01:00

Went down to Tim and Kim's house on Thursday night and played Rumikub. They were too good and trashed us.

We were off the following day and so we spent the night at Carl and Mavis' house and and stayed with them on Thursday night and all day Friday.

Friday morning broke bright and cold. I went into Donaghadee early and had a walk. Nice bright but cold morning. Came back and had breakfast.

Later we all went to Donaghaddee Garden Centre and had a look around and a coffee.

Then Carl and Lilian and I went for a walk around Portavoe. Lovely Autumn afternoon as we walked around the lake.

Carl having a walk in his front garden.

That evening Timmy came over and we played Dutch Blitz. Came home late and got to bed about 1.00am Lovely day off with good friends.

2008-10-17T15:05:00.010+01:00

Eventually made some jam with some of the blackberries and elderberries we had picked on holiday. Got six or seven jars of jam out of it!

Had some hospital visits to do in Belfast on Thursday afternoon and so I took Lilian with me and we went into town between visits and had a cup of coffee in the Victoria Centre.
That was my first time there. Impressive views of the changing face of Belfast from the viewing gallery.

We had been invited out to Pearl and Archies' for a barbecue. They have a sort of Scandinavian "Barbecue House" in the garden and so we had a good night there with them and Joan and Geoff. Left about midnight as they had to catch the boat at 5.00am to Liverpool!

2008-10-06T09:32:00.004+01:00

I was preaching in Ballycrochan Baptist in Bangor on Sunday and we went to Pearl and Archie's in Newtownards for lunch.
After lunch we sat out in the Autumn sunshine in the garden.
After church that evening we went back for supper and played on the Wii.

2008-10-04T10:44:00.004+01:00

Well Done Olympus!
I bought a great wee digital camera in California last year. Waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, the works! Had it everywhere, in the sea on the beach in the pool. Hammered it around America, Canada, Albania and Macedonia on my Sabbatical and went surfing (body boarding actually!) with it in Portstewart during the summer. It went everywhere with me and I took, literally, thousands of pictures with it. I was back in Canada in June and suddenly it leaked in a kids paddling pool, (I was there with Caleb my grandson) in about 12 inches of water!
I managed to dry it out over three or four days and continued taking pictures with it, but I sent it back to Olympus last week before the guarantee ran out.

Got delivery of a brand new camera yesterday! The next model up, the 850SW! Boxed with all the gear! With this sort of service an old dyed-in-the-wool Canon man might be converted!

It arrived in time for Rick's 30th birthday party, hence the pictures.

2008-09-29T09:04:00.015+01:00

Had a lot of leave left and so I took a week in Benone outside Downhill.

Friends of ours have a little cottage there, under the cliffs beside the beach and they loaned it to us.
Great weather all week. Went on the beach most days and either walked or lay about reading.

Leisure reading was, "The boy in the Striped Pyjamas" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

Played a nostalgic 36 holes on Benone golf course. This is where the boys and I started playing golf 25 years ago! Still a lovely little course. While I was playing golf, Lilian was doing here Precept Bible Studies. Guess who's the spiritual one in our family!
Being the "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" we picked a lot of blackberries and elderberries for Lilian's world famous "Hedgerow Jam". We still need the crab apples and hazelnuts.

Went for a walk along the cliffs and out to the Musseden Temple.

On Saturday the car broke down in Castlerock, (the clutch has gone) and Rick had to come up on Sunday and tow us home!

2008-09-21T08:20:00.007+01:00

Nev's birthday on Wednesday night so in Home Group Alison had got a cake for him. (With a picture of Nev on a bike of course!)
Day off on Friday and Rick and Katie came over with Reuben. Rick and I played golf, though the course was still pretty damp in parts. Then Reuben and I played cars!

Friday night, Carl and Mavis, Bill and Catherine and Lilian and I all went to Balloo House in Killinchy to celebrate Bill's birthday and then back to Carl and Mavis' place for a bit of craic. Juls was in when we arrived and had the fire lit. (Coming into that time of year again)

On Saturday morning Lilian was teaching a Precept Class and I had some hospital visits to do and afterwards I stopped in Belfast and went to St George's Market. It was bunged!
A couple of Celebrity Chefs were doing some cookery demonstrations and the little jazz band was going and it was good. I could spend a fortune in there on food. I bought some venison sausages and tasted all the cheese and olives etc and came home!

I had a couple of calls to make in Carrick and later on Jackie and Nicola came over for a Chinese!

2008-09-14T08:34:00.006+01:00

Been a while since I posted but the weather has been so bad recently we haven't got out much.
Took Friday off and went blackberry picking. Headed down to see Rick & Katie in Greyabbey and went off with them to our old blackberry picking grounds outside Ballywalter.
It's a very quiet stretch so that Reuben could run around the fields and the roads.
Came back that evening and did some work in the garden and ended up mowing the lawn in the dark!

Found a huge spider in the garage and a large frog in the greenhouse which I managed to get into a plastic bucket and empty him into the stream at the bottom of the garden where he will be very happy!

2008-08-23T17:26:00.002+01:00

This is Reuben building blocks. He's in his "sleepy suit" and ready for bed but far from sleepy!

2008-08-23T17:21:00.003+01:00

Off on Friday and we spent the day washing down and painting the exterior of Winnie's house.

Reuben enjoyed climbing the ladder.

When we were all finished we had a picnic in the garden.

2008-08-21T10:14:00.009+01:00

It was Mavis' 65th Birthday on Tuesday and a surprise birthday party had been arranged in Donaghadee Golf Club.

A whole web of intrigue (lies!) had been woven to get Mavis and Carl, dressed up and out. They thought they were going to a Charity Formal for the Children's Hospice in the Stormont Hotel and were only stopping by the golf club to pick up someone who was also going.
Big surprise then when 60 of their friends sang "Happy Birthday" when they arrived. So we had a night's craic and some Salsa dancing.

2008-08-16T13:47:00.006+01:00

Day off on Friday, and as there was a break for a few hours in the terrible weather we have been having recently, we decided to go out geocaching.

We went down to Island Magee and Portmuck.

Had lunch at the Gobbins Path. A lot of the path was washed away and a bit dodgy!

Portmuck was busy, (for Portmuck!) with a couple of cars in the car park and we went for a walk up over the headland.

Nice bright sunny day out.

2008-08-09T19:39:00.003+01:00

Woke to very heavy rain this morning but by lunchtime it was bright and warm.

First sunshine I've seen for a week so I took the afternoon off and went for a walk with Lilian around the Gobbins at Whitehead.

2008-07-28T07:14:00.005+01:00

Rick and Reuben arrived on Sunday after church. Reuben helped me in the garden and then we went down to the front of Carrick again where the Charity Fair was still running.
Thanks to Bill Allen for the jousting picture.

2008-07-26T20:21:00.004+01:00

Saturday morning I went and played nine holes of golf in Royal Bentra with Rick.

He had to be back for half twelve to take part in a longboat race at The Carrickfergus Charity Fair. The Fire Service had entered a team.

Big day out with medieval jousting on the castle green as well as lots of activity around the harbour. All the emergency services were there with fire engines ambulances and a helicopter.

This is the police water cannon, (not required!)

2008-07-26T20:15:00.002+01:00

On Thursday afternoon I went up to "New Horizons" and heard Michael Green from the London School of Contemporary Christianity on Thursday night. Stayed overnight and heard John Lennox speaking on Daniel at the Bible reading on Friday morning. Had to come back on Friday afternoon.

2008-07-21T08:15:00.006+01:00

Thought I would bring you up to speed with Dave and Stacey's family.This is Caleb Learning to play Snap!"

"This is Grace having a conversation with you.

And this is the attack of the killer poodle!

2008-07-19T20:23:00.009+01:00

Friday was my day off. Played Royal Bentra with Robin and Rick. Robin spent so much time in the bunkers we should have gone to the West Strand at Portstewart instead!

Reuben enjoyed the Wii.

Fred and Linda came on Friday night with Sharon and Doug.
Doug is visiting from America and so we took him to Andrew Jackson's cottage and Jonathan Swift's place at Kilroot.

Then we dropped in to see "The Tempest" on the "Shakespeare in the Park" night in Carrick.

2008-07-13T16:25:00.008+01:00

Gourmet night

Every so often we have a night in our family which we rather pretentiously call "Gourmet Night"!
We spend the afternoon cooking something which we have never cooked before, Rick and I usually do one course and Lilian and Katie do another.

We usually make a day of it, and so when Rick, Katie and Reuben arrived we put up the play tent in the garden, basically to stop Reuben, "helping" me in the greenhouse!
He enjoyed crawling up and down the tunnel between the tents!
Reuben in the Tunnel
We spent the afternoon making the meal.
Katie did superb starter,
"Tartlet of creamy leek and goat's cheese, balsamic syrup, crispy carrot and Parma ham"
Rick and I produced "Pan-fried Tuna with bean salad, buttered new potatoes and crispy potato shavings"
Lilian's desert was "Chocolate torte with garden raspberries and chocolate drizzle" (No picture available, it didn't last long enough!)
Now you know what I mean by pretentious!
Afterward we introduced Rick and Katie to a crazy Amish game called "Dutch Blitz" which was going well until someone in the excitement knocked a glass of water over the cards and soaked them!
We finished by playing "crockinole" in the front room. A good night.

2008-07-12T00:02:00.008+01:00

It's the 11th July and so the bonfires get lit tonight. This huge one is just a short distance from where we live in Carrickfergus.

This is also the night that we celebrated Nicola Whyte's 40th birthday. Jackie organised a meal for about 30 of us in the Coast Road Hotel.

This is Nicola with her Birthday Cake.
Then we had Karaoke, this is Elia in fine voice!

Afterwards Jackie and Nicola did a demonstration dance!

And then the bonfires were lit at midnight.

2008-07-10T12:04:00.005+01:00

Went to John and Rachelle's wedding in Portrush
yesterday and afterwards to the reception in Limavady.
They got a lovely warm sunny day in the middle of a wet and windy week.

2008-07-05T22:09:00.003+01:00

Went out sailing with David Mitchell today. Blowing hard and very wet in the morning but it cleared up in the afternoon. Nice sail.

2008-07-05T09:33:00.017+01:00

Campbell in party mood!

Holiday Bible Club ended last night with a barbecue. Really great week. Kids very very good and the programme and organisation was excellent!

Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it all happen!

2008-07-03T10:11:00.002+01:00

This is Karl playing the Marshmallow Game at the Holiday Bible Club. To win this game you need a really big mouth!

2008-07-03T09:31:00.008+01:00

Holiday Bible Club is running this week. It's going really well with stacks of children and parents coming. Lots of fun and a great team of people running it!

The barbecue is planned for Friday night. Hope the weather is good and we don't end up with another indoor barbecue!

2008-06-28T23:08:00.010+01:00

Church Barbecue in Carfunnock.

It had been showery on and off all day but it turned out well for the church barbecue in Carfunnock outside Larne.

Thanks to May Green and Campbell for all their hard work!

2008-06-27T09:29:00.007+01:00

Last Day in Canada.

We had a flight to catch from Calgary, which is about 3 hours up the road from Medicine Hat so we left early, (got up at 5.30am) and went to a Heritage Village outside Calgary and spent a few hours there.

Really good spot, in fact you could spend the whole day there.

It's a bit like the Ulster Folk Museum or Ulster American Folk park except that there's a steam train running round it and a paddle steamer on the lake.
Dave and Caleb and I went for a ride on the train and we all loved it!

2008-06-27T09:02:00.010+01:00

Sorry for the delay in finishing the blog of this Canadian trip. We had major problems with pictures. However here we are.

This is one of the holes on a lovely little course in Medicine Hat, "Cottonwood Golf Club".
I'm showing you this because I played the best 9 holes of my life here. Unfortunately we were playing 18!
Dave and I were playing with another couple of guys and the first nine went like a dream for me including three pars and a birdie! The second nine fell apart and I finished on 91! Which for me isn't bad but it could have been so much better!

Being North America we travelled about in golf carts!

This is a picture of David with the most useful club in his bag, a long pole for fishing his balls out of the river!

2008-06-18T13:33:00.007+01:00

Went out for an early morning walk with Caleb.
Beautiful day.
Heard a squeaking in the long grass and discovered a snake with (live) mouse half way down it's throat!
Came back and had breakfast. Later Dave and I installed a new dishwasher and then in the afternoon we went in played golf. Very hot weather!

2008-06-16T18:30:00.009+01:00

Fathers' Day yesterday. I was preaching in church. David was in the praise band. Good to hear the old sax going again.

Afterwards we went to Diary Queen for lunch and Caleb had an ice cream.

In the afternoon Lillian and I went out for a walk.
Those sure are big prairie skies and long trains in Canada. (Half the train is still out of sight around the bend in the distance!)

2008-06-14T03:03:00.021+01:00

Lovely sunny day today. Took Caleb downtown to the old historic part of Medicine Hat and we had some Tim Hortons. While I was standing outside a shop waiting for Lilian a car crashed into a pillar at the side of the road facing me. The driver appeared unhurt.

After lunch I went for a walk across the couleees and took some picturesflowers and grasses of the prairies.

Came back for supper and afterwards played baseball in the back garden with Caleb.

Meeting Pastor Mike of "The Link" for breakfast tomorrow at 7.30. Preaching there on Sunday.

2008-06-14T00:25:00.008+01:00

Weather has picked up and it is warm and sunny today. Went out yesterday and tried, (unsuccessfully) to fly my kite!

Afterwards went cycling along the prairie tracks. Note to cyclists:"Don't leave the track and cycle on the prairie itself unless you have cactus-proof tyres!"

2008-06-12T01:45:00.007+01:00

Took a few pictures in the back garden with the kids the other evening. Easier to take pictures of Grace than Caleb, who doesn't sit still long enough!

2008-06-10T22:08:00.001+01:00

Wet cold and windy in "The Hat" today so we all went to the pool and had a good time.

Grace fell asleep in the car seat on the way home.

After supper

Troy and Pamela arrived with their growing family and the kids all enjoyed playing in the Playroom.

2008-06-10T14:38:00.015+01:00

I had the "waterproof" camera in the pool the other day and it suddenly stopped being waterproof! I managed to dry it out, which took a couple of days but in the meantime it gave me a chance to use David's digital SLR.

This is where Dave and Stacey live now in Medicine Hat. This is the front of their house and their back garden.

Caleb runs about continually at about 90 miles an hour, (he's two) but if you're quick you can get a picture as he flashes past!
We took him to see a "Little League" baseball game in the park last night. Big family atmosphere with parents and grandparents just sitting on the grass and cheering on the kids. Very civilised and family orientated society here.

2008-06-09T01:12:00.005+01:00

Bad news is that my "waterproof" camera turned out not to be so water proof!
I took it to the pool and it started to fill with water! I'm in the process of drying it out and in the meantime I'm using David's SLR.

Went to church this morning and discovered that it was a "Community Outreach Day". David had volunteered me as one of a team of about 20 people planting shrubs and trees at a nearby primary school.
Afterwards we all went back to church for a barbecue.

Took some pictures of Grace this afternoon.

2008-06-07T04:46:00.005+01:00

Went out for a cycle around the coulees.
Really nice afternoon for the bike and lots of trails to follow.

Came back and made Lindsay's famous Spaghetti Bolognese!

After supper, Grace had a bath and went to bed.

2008-06-06T20:56:00.005+01:00

Our flight to Calgary on Tuesday was from Glasgow so we spent the morning sunbathing on the grass beside the airport.

Arrived in Calgary at about 5.00pm and were met by Dave, Stacey, Caleb and Grace.
This is where Dave and Stacey live now in another part of Medicine Hat.

This morning we took Caleb to the coulee beside the house to watch the trains.

Canadian Pacific runs loooooong trains!

2008-06-02T20:07:00.003+01:00

Pearl arrived in her posy new car so I went out for a drive with her and we posed together!

2008-06-02T07:40:00.012+01:00

I was preaching in Coleraine Baptist on Sunday so I worked the Bank Holiday on Monday and took it off at the weekend.
Rick & Katie had borrowed a friend's "Holiday Home!" in Portstewart and we stayed with them and came back on Sunday night. Cracking weather and so we went body boarding on the West Strand.

2008-05-19T07:39:00.006+01:00

On Friday night we stayed overnight in Winnie's house as Lilian was taking a "Precept" class in Carryduff.
Rick and Katie arrived with Reuben. He enjoyed roaming about in the garden.

2008-05-19T07:29:00.003+01:00

Friday night was Pearl's birthday so we all went out to "James Street South" for an excellent meal. Lilian was still "glowing" from the walk in the Gobbins earlier in the day.

2008-05-19T06:51:00.006+01:00

Friday was our day off so we went geocaching down to "The Gobbins" in Islandmagee.
Turned out to be a scorching day. Beautiful here watching the sun sparkle off the sea and listening to the birds.
Had a picnic in the peace a quiet and lay down and dozed in the shade.

On the way back we stopped at "The Rinkha" for an ice cream

2008-05-12T08:14:00.013+01:00

Some of the men in the church went off for a "Quiet Day" in the Mournes on Saturday. We arrived down at the home of Ken and Eva Needham in the heart of the Mourne Mountains who facilitate such events.

After coffee they led us through some reflective exercises and some thoughts from Judges chapter 6. We then retired to various spots around the house and garden for our own private times of reflection and prayer. Beautifully quiet and calm up here and we all felt the benefit of this time out.
They then provided lunch for us and we headed up into the hills for a walk. It was pretty misty on Saturday and we didn't walk too far but it was good to get out in the air, and the craic was good!

We arrived back to the Needham's place later in the afternoon for coffee and then we headed home, stopping at "Rick's" in Carryduff for a meal.

2008-05-10T23:09:00.005+01:00

Interesting light in Carrick one evening during the week.
Went down to the front and took some pictures of the castle

2008-05-06T07:40:00.009+01:00

If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise!

Monday was the May Bank Holiday and I took it off. Rick and Katie arrived, pretty miffed that they left Ballymena in blazing sunshine to hit a misty day as they drove into Carrickfergus.
Reuben needed a sleep and so we put him down for an hour while we had a cup of coffee.

When he woke we decided to go for a walk on Woburn Woods.

We could see that the heat from the sun was gradually clearing the mist away and sure enough the sun broke through to give us a beautiful day.

Had a picnic and let Reuben roam about for a bit to tire himself out and then headed back home.

Reuben fell asleep in the buggy.

Spent the afternoon in the garden.

We made a Moroccan lemon chicken dish with olives and couscous which was delicious.

Another nice day. We are so blessed.

2008-05-05T09:44:00.004+01:00

Day off on Friday so we went for a walk along the Gobbins path from whitehead to Blackhead lighthouse and back. Lovely warm sunny day and great to be outside again. Futtered in the garden in the afternoon. So all in all it turned out to be a great relaxing day off

On Sunday Carl and Mavis arrived for lunch.

Carl and I decided to go down to the harbour in Mavis' new mini, (much bigger and roomier than the origional mini which we owned in the 70's!)

Had a look around the boats and chatted with some of the guys doing a bit of scraping and anti-fouling.

2008-04-30T14:42:00.002+01:00

Got a couple of pictures from Dave and Stace of the Caleb and Grace's bath time and Grace in bed, but obviously with no intention of going to sleep!

2008-04-28T08:34:00.009+01:00

Been a nice spell of weather recently and it's good to be able to get out and have a cup of coffee in the garden.

Kate and Reuben arrived on Sunday and after church we erected this "tent and tunnel" arrangement in the garden.

Reuben wasn't quite sure what a tent is for, but he'll get the hang of it.

He likes dropping sticks into the stream at the back of the garden and watching them float away downstream. His mum likes making sure he doesn't float away downstream with them!

2008-04-19T09:14:00.007+01:00

Although it was Lilian's birthday on Monday, we didn't have time to hold the party until Friday night.

We had it up in Winnie's house.

Katie had arranged a surprise, "scrapbooking" night where a lady, "Grace", came along and demonstrated how to scrapbook.

They all appeared to have a good night and Rick and I served them supper.

2008-04-15T08:21:00.006+01:00

Lilian's Birthday yesterday. (40 again!) Rita and she were visiting a special needs school in Larne in the morning but we managed a quick Birthday lunch before she had to leave for the airport.

Met Bill and Catherine at the "George Best Belfast City Airport".

Afterwards I was visiting someone in the City Hospital and couldn't help but stop and enjoy this beautiful cherry tree in the hospital grounds.

2008-04-13T15:44:00.006+01:00

Another busy weekend. We had a coffee morning in the house on Saturday for Asha Kiran.
Quite a lot of people turned up. It ran from about 10.00am to about 1.00pm when the other Trustees from England arrived for a Trustees meeting. We had lunch and the meeting lasted most of the afternoon.

Afterwards we took a picture of us in the garden presenting Rita with a cheque for £10,000 for Asha Kiran Special Needs School, in Bangalore.

The two trustees who had flown in from England had to leave and then we had about an hour to have out tea before leaving for Ballymena to attend the "Hope" concert which was to support a Christian work among girls in Uganda.

Katie's brother Stuart, was singing and playing, Katie was also part of the orchestra. It was Excellent.
Rita was speaking in church on Sunday morning and when we got home we relaxed with a cup of coffee in the garden. Maybe Summer is slowly coming.

2008-04-11T19:59:00.016+01:00

Day off today. Did some work in the garden and then Rita arrived over with Bill and Catherine. Rita is staying with us until Monday. We had a meeting in the Town Hall with the Deputy Mayor as the Mayor himself was away on Council business. The local paper arrived to take pictures.

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor McKinney, was very kind we had tea with her and she showed us around the Council Chambers. She offered Rita her chain of office for a picture in the Council chamber. She also donated to the school, lots of souvenir pens and pencils etc.

Afterwards we all went round Carrickfergus museum and then we went down to the castle and harbour and I showed Bill where King William landed in 1690.

2008-04-09T18:21:00.009+01:00

Rick, Katie and Reuben arrived on Monday.
Reuben loved his new rocking horse and enjoyed playing outside in the garden.

Dave sent me some pictues of Grace and "Caleb the Hoodie" from Canada.

2008-04-05T07:31:00.013+01:00

Day off yesterday and I had arranged to go flying with Pete McAvoy.
Typical Irish weather at this time of year, all four seasons in one day!
Started off as a beautiful summer's morning and I was having lunch in Rick and Katie's back garden when we got word that the weather started to close in from the North. So we decided to leave right away and if flying was possible, to go south.
We took off at 1.30 and headed south down Strangford Lough and along the County Down coast to Newcastle and Kilkeel and then round the back of the Mournes and up home again. Flew into drizzle on the way back and landed in the rain.

Had a cup of coffee in the flying club and rang Bill and Catherine and arranged to meet them and Rita (who was visiting from Bangalore), at the "Odyssey" for a meal. Archie had booked a table for 10 and we were joined by a few others. Nice meal and another good day out.

2008-04-02T16:12:00.004+01:00

TAKE THE AWARENESS TEST
Dave sent me this from Canada. You'll enjoy it. Make sure your sound is on.

Awareness Test

2008-03-29T23:19:00.002Z

Thought you might like this. It's from the Facebook group: "How to speak Norn Iron so it is""

2008-03-29T15:14:00.012Z

Had a clean up day in the church this morning.

Many thanks to everybody who turned up on a cold and wet morning.
We got a lot of repairs done and a lot of stuff cleared out to the dump. I didn't get pictures of everyone but I really appreciate your help.

2008-03-27T07:26:00.006Z

Celebrated Easter with an "Indian Night!" We all got dressed up, in clothes we had brought back from
our trip to India, played some Indian music and had an Indian meal. Found a great book on making curries which really is the business!

The following day Rick and I headed up to Portrush to play golf with Robin and afterwards we all headed back to Robin and Roberta's house in Ballymena where we were joined by Lilian, Katie and Reuben. We had a meal and played a board game called "The Big Taboo!" Reuben provided the entertainment.

2008-03-26T07:11:00.006Z

EASTER came early this year and it was cold. Although most of the Youth Fellowship were away at Easter Camp, church was full again on Easter Sunday.

We had Winnie, Rick & Katie and Reuben, and Pearl and Archie over for Sunday lunch and then we did the traditional egg tossing in the back garden.

Reuben didn't know what was going on but he enjoyed it!

Dave, Stacey, Caleb and Grace "Skyped" us from Canada and sent us some pictures.

2008-03-18T09:55:00.016Z

St. Patrick's Day dawned bright and clear. I had intended to go to Ravenhill to see the school's cup match. Rick and Dave's old school, Regent House were playing Methodist College in the final.

I had arranged a group of about a dozen of us to meet at the ground but just before lunchtime somethings cropped up in work and I had to abandon the plan. Just as well, as Methody hammered Regent! I caught the second half on TV.

I discovered that Rick and Kate had left their camera behind and so I borrowed it and went out for a walk along the front of Carrickfergus in the afternoon and took some pictures of the castle and the marina. It was looking quite Mediterranean in the St. Patrick's Day sunshine.
For those of you who forget what Carrick looks like when the sun is shining, (it's been a long, wet winter!) here you go!

2008-03-16T16:31:00.028Z

Let the Celebrations begin!

I had a big birthday coming up and so it started in the Home Group a week early! We were having a film night, watching "Amazing Grace" and had stopped half way through for some coffee and ice cream when somebody produced a birthday cake with our picture on it.

It happened to be one of Lilian and me at one of our Elder's Fancy Dress Birthday parties. I was dressed as Jimmy Hendrix and Lilian was a Hippie!

That was Wednesday. On Saturday, friends had given us tickets to a "Barry Norman Film Night" at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
We are usually only there once a year for the "Messiah" at Christmas, but this time the Ulster Orchestra were playing themes from the movies and Barry Norman was the compere. It was a good night out.

The next Birthday surprise one was at our Annual Church Business Meeting which I was chairing. I was just about to close when the Church secretary announced another item on the agenda which I knew nothing about! Stanley, one of the Elders did a little funny talk about the ravages of advancing years and then another Birthday Cake appeared and I had another rendering of "Happy Birthday" and more tea and cake!

The following day, (Thursday) I had been invited down to Pearl and Archie's where we went for a walk around Scrabo above Newtownards.

They had planned for their son Peter to take me up for a flight in a light aircraft but the weather in the early afternoon closed in and we postponed that idea.
However It turned out to be a lovely late afternoon and I really enjoyed getting out around my old haunts around Scrabo.
That evening we all went out for a meal in the Culloden Hotel and afterwards over coffee, some of the staff appeared with another Birthday Cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to me again.

This one had a marzipan Bible on the top!
Friday evening found me in Carl and Mavis' house for another birthday party with Bill and Catherine, Tim and Kim and Rick and Katie and Juls. Mavis produced yet another cake plus a flaming Christmas pudding!

A "Belly Dancer" arrived (Bill's niece) to entertain me and I was showered with gifts from my "friends" which were designed to reflect my advancing years. (A tin of prunes, magnifying glass, denture fixative, corn plasters and the like!)

Bill was in fine form reciting "The Arab Orange Lodge" and "The School Inspector" and so on. He really is brilliant at those, we should get them recorded!

Afterwards we played "Mafia". Lots of yelling and wild accusations as usual. And as usual the Mafia usually won!

Lilian had to go home as she was teaching a Precept Class the following morning but I stayed overnight. Rick and Peter collected e the next morning and we went down to the boat in Groomsport.
Our intention was to sail her round to Ballywalter and take her up under cover to do some work on her, but there was a strong Southerly force 5 blowing and with both the wind and tide against us we thought that discretion was the better part of valour.
So instead I went back to Carl's and Lilian came back down and we snuggled up on the settee and watched the rugby. Ireland v England on the 6 Nations. It was a disaster for us after a promising start and we got stuffed by England!
That evening we all headed off to the Marine Court Hotel in Bangor to celebrate Carl & Mavis' 39th wedding anniversary with another meal. Afterwards we sat in the Hotel lounge and 8 of us played "Phase 10" which friends from Laredo in Texas had brought over to us! Got home about midnight and crashed into bed having gained a year and about 2 stones in weight over the weekend!

2008-03-12T15:22:00.012Z

It was our 35th Wedding Anniversary at the beginning of March and so we got a deal in the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. We went with Fred and Linda McClaughlin who were married the same day and whom we met in the railway station in Belfast as we were both catching a train to Dublin for our honeymoons!

The Slieve Donard was absolute luxury for a couple of nights.

We went for walks along the beach and spent a lot of our time in the hotel Spa. And of course, lots of talking, fixing the world's problems!

2008-03-12T15:13:00.002Z

Went for a walk along the Gobbins with Pearl and Archie on my day off. Spring is in the air but weather still very changeable. This picture is taken up by McCrae's Brae on the road down to the lighthouse.

2008-03-11T07:19:00.005Z

Winnie, Katie and I went up on the "Belfast Eye" or the "Big Wheel" as we call it here. It was a little overcast and a bit windy at the top but an interesting view of Belfast from beside the City Hall.

This is how the Big Wheel looked just before Christmas.

2008-03-10T08:28:00.002Z

Some recent pictures of my grandson Caleb and his baby sister Grace in Medicine Hat, Canada.

2008-03-10T08:13:00.009Z

Strange weather recently. Woke up one morning to dense fog in Carrick. Down at the harbour the castle was glowing eerily through the mist.

Then the weather suddenly cleared up and we went up for the day to Portballantrae.
Off season Portballantrae is very quiet, only the surfers out on the beach.

We walked from the village, pushing Reuben in his buggy, to the Giant's Causeway and had a coffee before walking back. Nice day out.

2008-03-09T13:49:00.005Z

Thought you might like to see Reuben learning to feed himself!

2008-02-11T09:16:00.000Z

Been a while since my last post so this is a sort of catch up. I'm starting last Thursday with a meal in the Crawfordsburn Inn celebrating Bill and Catherine's 40th wedding anniversary. Great meal and a lovely night out.

We all went back to Carl and Mavi's house and we stayed there overnight as Friday was my day off.

A local pheasant arrives at Carl's back door every day for a feed.

That evening we celebrated both Reuban's first birthday and his Aunt Victoria's birthday. That night it snowed.

The following weekend we went to Cooke Centenary Church where Lilian and Hazel were singing, Faure's "Requiem" and Vivaldi's "Gloria" with the Belfast Philharmonic .

Last Friday Rick and Katie arrived with Reuben and we all went to the swimming pool.

2008-01-28T20:13:00.000Z

Rick, Katie and Reuben arrived today. Reuben now just started to walk unsteadily but happy to sit on his chair.

What has grabbed his attention?

He's discovered TV!

2008-01-25T07:50:00.000Z

Lilian and I went with Freddie and Linda to hear "The Leading Ladies" an all female singing group at Belvoir Parish Church last night. The event was in support of Cystic Fibrosis Trust. An excellent evening with a repertoire of songs ranging from "songs from the shows" to opera. Well worth hearing.

2008-01-20T15:08:00.000Z

After the clean up, (see previous post) some of us went out for a sail on Dave Mitchell's superb boat, "White Pearl".

Rick had called down to collect me from church and he came along.
We had a lovely clear and very calm afternoon and between sailing and motoring we slowly made our way across Belfast Lough and down the county Down coast past Bangor and Groomsport, watching the HSS coming in as the light started to drop.

As evening fell, and sustained by coffee and McVitie's Chocolate Digestives we made our way round the Copeland Islands in the dark.

The rain came on before we made it home again.

Really good afternoon and evening out!

2008-01-20T09:23:00.000Z

Had a clean up and fix up day at the church on Saturday. Good number of people turned up and we got our list of jobs done both inside and out!

Also had a dry run at erecting a tent which we are hoping to use at the Carrickfergus Pageant this year serving tea & Coffee and having literature available. Someone suggested that we might encourage people to come in if we had a sign outside calling it the Baptist Evangelical & Educational Resource Tent or (BEER TENT for short) but I don't think so!

Thanks to everyone who turned up. Afterwards some of us went sailing on David Mitchell's boat. (Post on that to follow)

2008-01-17T17:42:00.000Z

I'm not walking, I'm just pushing! OK!

2008-01-16T09:45:00.000Z

Just a couple of pictures of the brief fall of snow we had last week. Rick and Katie took Reuben up to Winnie's. He seemed to enjoy the snow.

Dave and Stacey sent us a couple of pictures of themselves and their growing family from Canada.

The snow had cleared from Carrick and Lilian and I went out for a walk on the Friday morning, (Friday is our day off.) Lovely sharp winter's day and we had a picnic in Woburn Wood.

Sunday was heavy rain and the Top Road flooded. A couple of guys from the church went up to help clear the drains to prevent houses down the hill from being flooded. This is Tommy making sure the water goes where it's supposed to!

Mrs Iza Baird, our oldest church member was 100 years old on Sunday. We took her up some flowers and a card from the church. As well as our card you can see the one she got from the Queen behind her.

Winnie got me a milk foamer for my coffee for "Pandora's Box" (a Christmas tradition in our family) and it works! (As you can see in this picture.)

2008-01-04T16:39:00.000Z

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!

First snow of the year arrived today. Just a skim in Carrickfergus but heavier in Belfast and County Down. Day off today so Lilian and I went for a walk in Woburn Wood.

Earlier in the week Rick, Katie and Reuben had arrived back from Christmas in New York and so we had Christmas morning all over again on 1st January! Reuben got a cart full of blocks which he pushes along at about 100 miles an hour! He's literally running before he can walk!

Had our Christmas/New Year dinner, roast goose, which was delicious!

Then we Skyped Dave and Stacey and Caleb and Grace in Canada and had a good chat with them, opened a few late Christmas presents over the webcam and exchanged a few pictures. Grace is getting big.

Caleb got a plane for Christmas that really flies! Everybody is all smiles!

Home Group Christmas party in Johnny's house on Wednesday. Plenty of food and some games including horse racing on the Wii. Ended the night with an Hawian Swap!

2007-12-27T20:43:00.000Z

Traditional Boxing Day Party at Carl and Mavis' house in Donaghadee. We seem to have been doing this now for 20 years! It's always a great evening with old friends and catching up with all the news.

Bill was back from India and in great storytelling form! Got a free upgrade to Business Class to Bangalore!
Tim had won the contract for supplying and erecting the Christmas Tree (26 ft!) in Stormont and that was a saga. Etc. etc.

Had sausage and mash for dinner followed by the traditional flaming Christmas Pudding and this year a chocolate fountain in the kitchen.

We stayed overnight, and as most of the party didn't break up until about 2.30am it was just as well!
The following day we were invited for lunch in Annabel and David's. Good to see them again too.
We are really blessed with Good friends.
Rick and Kate and Reuben arrive back from New York on Saturday morning. I'm picking them up at the airport at 8.20am.

2007-12-26T13:31:00.000Z

Had a great Christmas. I really love this time of year. Despite the fact that Dave and Stace are living in Canada and Rick and Katie were visiting friends in New York this year, we had another great Christmas.

The church was packed for the Carol Service on Sunday. Here's the Nativity group from the "Tinies" who took part in the early bit of the Service.

Then about 40 of the YF came up to our house afterwards for snacks and games. Played "Empires" and "The Steeplechase Game"

On Christmas morning opened our presents and had church and then Freddie and Linda and the Family came for lunch on Christmas Day.

Dave & Stacey Skyped us from Canada and Rick rang us from New York.

Here's a picture of Caleb playing with one of his toys on Christmas morning in Canada.

Boxing day was the

traditional Boxing day football match, "Youngun's v the Oldun's.Another travesty of "The Beautiful Game" ! And the Oldun's were hammered again.

2007-12-22T23:55:00.000Z

Escaped the Christmas madness by going for a walk this afternoon through Crawfordsburn Country Park with Pearl and Archie. Cold but bright and very clear. Lovely walk for a couple of miles along the coastal path. Sea very calm. Full moon rising as we were coming back.

Reminded me of a poem by Matthew Arnold

The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.

After our walk had coffee and made our way home again. Nice afternoon out.

2007-12-22T08:23:00.000Z

Who said Belfast was full of cowboys?

Day off today so we went into Belfast in the afternoon to do some shopping. Belfast's a bit mad at the minute and all the shops are bunged with people who have obviously stopped work at lunchtime to have a party and have no intention, (or are in no condition!) to go back.

Some guys in traditional North American Indian gear performing in Royal Avenue for some reason. A crowd of bemused shoppers gathered round, enjoying the strange chanting, singing and dancing although strange chanting singing, and dancing can be heard in many areas of Belfast most nights when the pubs are getting out.

Met Linda and Freddie in the Europa, which appeared to be in the middle of Party mode with several office dinners going on simultaneously and went and had a meal somewhere quieter and cheaper. We were going to St George's Church to hear "Melisma" a singing group I had heard at the BBC "Sing Carols" event in Spires. They were excellent and the acoustics in this old church are amazing. It would be good if modern church architects could recover the art of acoustics without relying on amplifiers and speakers which are a very poor substitute. This old church has an interesting history. In 1690 William of Orange passed through Belfast on his way from Carrickfergus to the Battle of the Boyne, and had a famous sermon, "Arise Great King", preached to him here. They still use the chair he sat in! Henry Joy McCracken, a leading member of the United Irishmen in the 1798 rebellion was buried in the churchyard after being hanged, before later being moved to Clifton Street Cemetery.