New Friends

I have had a really lovely morning.
For various and complicated reasons I haven't been taking services for a couple of years but at the end of last year I was transferred to my local Methodist Circuit and went back "on plan"
This morning I went to Seaton Road Methodist Church for the first time. Now I am one of those weird people who actually relishes going into new situations where I don't know anybody, so I was not nervous about that, but there is always that little bit of doubt about whether the service and sermon have come from the right place. There was a very warm welcome, everything went well and I even managed not to over run the hour (well almost) But I was quite overwhelmed by the reaction that I got afterwards. At least four people said that it had been very relevant to them, one gave me a great big hug and many people seemed genuinely uplifted. It is always so good when that happens because it tells me that God has been getting through - make no mistake, I know that I do not do this on my own, but it is so nice when there is a little bit extra confirmation.
And I made some new friends, Micheala, Liz and Heather, who will have to be known as Heather B, so you (and I) don't get mixed up with Heather A
I think the time has come for me to do a bit more so I am thinking I will offer one service a month from now on and see how it goes.

Ladies (and Gents) who lunch

Two posts for the price of one here. I have only just realised that I didn't tell you all about my little trip to Framlingham with Heather. I used to work there some years ago and was sorry to see one or two of my favourite shops are no longer in business, but we had a jolly good wander round and a long chat with the lady in the quilting/wool shop, whose name I have forgotten for the moment. We lunched HERE - The Crown. Heather had a wonderful looking scotch egg with a beautifully bright yellow yolk and I had hummus and flat bread. And then I had cheesecake while H watched and felt virtuous!

Then today me and hubby went HERE - Milsoms/Kesgrave Hall as it was our 19th wedding anniversary. I had done a reccy the day before and it scored pretty high on wheelchair friendliness. You can't book, but it wasn't crowded when we got there. I had Peking duck spring rolls with cucumber noodles and a spinach salad and himself had a hangar steak, which took a bit of chewing. This is no reflection on the chef, I hasten to add, but on his less than perfect dentures. For dessert he had spotted dick and ice cream and I had a dark chocolate fondant with blood orange sorbet. It lived up to expectations - several Twitter friends have been and recommended it. If I have one criticism it is that it was very noisy

It's his 80th birthday next month and we shall go again, if I can save up enough out of the housekeeping!

A lovely day

I have had a great time over the last couple of days. One of the very nice people I have met via Twitter and Facebook is Karen and, without boring you with the details, it was arranged for her to come to visit me and have a crochet lesson - which meant we were meeting in person for the very first time. Another friend called Pat who lives near me had also asked about learning to crochet so I asked her too. Then my cousin (actually I think she is first cousin once removed, anyway she is my cousin's daughter) Erica rang to say she had a free day and could she come to visit on that day.

So yesterday OH and I tidied the "public" rooms of our stately home and I cooked a big saucepan of vegetable soup (lots of peeling and chopping) brown rolls, white rolls and OH's white loaf (lots of kneading) stewed apple ( more chopping and peeling) stewed plums ( more chopping and stoning) and 2 cakes ( mixing, stirring, weighing) I slept well

Pat and Karen were here at 10:30 and after tea and cake the crochet lesson commenced They were both good students and we all got to know each other as we crocheted. Pat's husband arrived at 12.45 and I heated up the soup and was just serving up when Erica arrived so we all sat down to our lunch of soup, hand knitted rolls and stewed fruit and cream for afters. Then we discovered that Karen and Erica had both been to the same University only a year apart and probably lived in the same road while there!

Karen had to get away at 2, and almost did.

Pat and her OH left soon after - oh yes, he had brought their cute little dog Toby, another coincidence as one of Erica's sons is called Toby.

Then Erica and I bored my poor OH with family reminiscences and photos. She had brought a memory stick with some photos for me to look at but my PC is upstairs so I asked her to close her eyes as she made her way through the mess caused by me tidying downstairs. More tea, more cake and she left at 6.

PHEW!

So I made one new friend, got to know another newish friend better and caught up with an old friend. It was such fun!