The Easter Garden

Just to clarify a bit about the Easter Garden mentioned in yesterday's blog-post.

I seem to remember that such representations used to be called 'calvaries' although I can find no mention of that. Ours is basically just a terracotta plate - the sort you can buy in garden centres - with half a broken flowerpot affixed to it, which represents the tomb. Then it's covered in earth and a layer of moss. On Good Friday morning, three small wooden crosses (ours were originally made from lolly sticks) are stuck into the mossy mound and a small crown of thorns is hung over the central cross. In the evening, we place a stone across the entrance to the tomb. The tomb remains 'sealed' until very early on Easter Sunday, when I run downstairs and roll away the stone and replace the crown of thorns with white ribbons representing the burial cloths. If possible, I like to strew the moss with tiny blossoms and flowers. When the children were small they were intrigued to find the transformation that had taken place overnight. It didn't take too long before they realised - to their huge delight - that this annual event was regularly followed by an Easter egg hunt, which no doubt rated more highly in terms of excitement!

Easter

Despite my best efforts, I feel asleep very rapidly last night and this morning failed to wake up before day had well and truly dawned. Ah well!

Having visited the Aged Ones this morning and made a brief foray into town to exchange a faulty DVD, I spent a happy few hours making my usual 'Easter Garden'. I have long since stopped kidding myself that the children are even remotely interested in this, although they may be persuaded to grudgingly hang the miniature wooden eggs on the 'Easter Tree'. I am doing this by myself, for myself. I hope that, if nothing else, they may remember in the future 'what Mum used to do at Easter'.

This picture is one I made earlier - last year to be precise!

The Best-Laid Plans.....

Hey ho! School hols again!

In an attempt to offset the usual miserable decline in work output that generally happens during these times, I had decided to wake up at the crack of dawn to read a chapter on Douglas Moo's excellently detailed commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans and make some notes. My long-suffering husband is quite used to my bedside light going on at bizarre times and appears to be able to sleep on until his alarm goes off. Snuggling down last night, I decided to get a least an hour of 'work' in before the household awoke. Alas for the best-laid plans! When I did finally surface, there was already a cup of tea waiting for me and the dog was whining to be let out. Husband went downstairs and busied himself with getting ready for work, and I sat up and started reading, cursing my laziness. I'm tackling a particularly tricky part of the epistle at the moment, dealing with sin, death and the law. Every commentator and interpreter has his subtly different six penn'orth and the footnotes take up more of the page than Moo's text, so it is fiendishly difficult to keep a hold on the thread of the argument. Ideally, one needs a straight couple of hours to get into the swing of it before it starts to cohere, and today it just wasn't going to happen.

I impressed on the children last night that, with no school, they could have a bit of a lie-in - but it wasn't long before I was joined by the bright-eyed boy wondering what I had lined up for the day. Groaning inwardly, I put down my book and gave him a cuddle. We'd walked the dog and were entertaining daughter no.2 and the new baby before daughter no.3 flumped wearily downstairs and started painting her nails black. I suppose I could be doing some work now, but I'm a bit distracted and just not in the mood. The evening is also out of the question: if I try to tackle anything serious after the children go to bed, I just forget it immediately or fall asleep book in hand. My bedtime reading consists of inane mush at the moment. I shall try again tomorrow. Honest, I will!

Funding Time Again!

Just got to the end of a pretty hassly couple of weeks. Once again I find myself applying for grants and scholarships to fund my ongoing doctoral studies, but, as ever, nothing is straight forward: the funding body has amended - for the second year running - the application process so that the rather complicated format that was applicable last year has become even more byzantine. There is now in place a two tier system, with candidates applying initially through the university's internal vetting system and then - and only if given the university's backing - a second almost identical application almost to a central handling system that redistributes the incoming forms to the appropriate funding bodies. Whew! At least last year once the application form was submitted to the university I could just sit back with my fingers firmly crossed and hope for the best. This year, even if I get the thumbs up from the internal panel, I'll have to get into gear again with a repeat performance in May. The most difficult thing is contacting my referees - it gets increasingly embarrassing to keep approaching people, cap in hand, for references time after fruitless time. As I continue to fail to find funding, they must wonder what sort of loser they're putting their names to! But they are SO good and kind and uncomplaining - bless them!

Gender Analysis

Interesting....the Gender Analyzer http://genderanalyzer.com/ considers that there is a 56% chance that this blog was written by a woman. Apparently it's not too obvious. The good news is that they deem it to be quite 'gender neutral'. Hooray. I think

Grandparenthood

My new grandson has arrived! After a pretty tricky second-stage that required considerable assistance (all done with only gas and air -what a brave effort) he plopped out into the world yesterday evening weighing in at 9lb 5oz. No wonder his Mum struggled. I am immensely proud of all three of them (the partner was a rock throughout, bless him) and can't wait to see the new arrival tonight. Apparently he looks a bit like a prop-forward at the moment, sort of squish-nosed and monobrowed. Only temporary I hope!

It's bringing out all those deeply-buried maternal feelings: I haven't been able to think of anything else all day. I do hope I don't turn into one of those soppy old ladies that whip out photos at the slightest provocation. I think I'll have to cultivate an air of eccentricity - smoke a pipe, as a friend recommended - maybe wear some sort of headgear, or feathers, or become a spy as a bit of a smokescreen to disguise my doting.

Glorious Day

It's a beautiful day today. Yesterday was strange and unsettled and snow and hail fell from a purply sky near dusk. But today the sun is shining from a clear blue sky, warming the earth and picking up the glorious yellow and mauve crocuses. Better still, my pregnant daughter has phoned to let me know that her contractions started during the night and are continuing to build gradually. Today could be the day.....and if so, only a day overdue!

I do hope and pray that everything goes smooothly for mother and baby. I'm waiting for the call which means, as designated driver, I have to take them to the maternity unit. I'm hoping that this is it and that it's not a false alarm, which would be a real anticlimax for her. Although if it is, so be it.