Blog for Sunday 3rd September 2023

A new day began for me as I opened my eyes and hopped out of bed this morning - nice and early.

I fed my starving, howling-yowling feline, made myself a large mug of steaming hot coffee (as it was a little nippy this morning), and went up to my studio as quietly as the creaking stairs would allow me to, where I had my Quiet Time.

I got together the paraphernalia that I would need for teaching in Kids Church this morning, and then at about six or six thirty I tiptoed downstairs and began to get the plates of eats for 'Father’s Day’ teatime in church this morning.

I fried some sausages, then chopped them up and put toothpicks in them and I buttered the small brioche buns, then put the ingredients I would need to complete them in a large bag, as I would do that when I got to church.

Paddy took me across the river to my little car and then he also kindly opened the Highway gate for me to get going and I hooted and waved to him as I tootled off on down the road. It was a pleasant drive into Wauchope because it was early and there were few vehicles on the road.

I got to church very early – arriving just as the person on Set Up duty arrived. I went straight to the kitchen and worked on finishing my eats for morning tea later. I put the sausage pieces (on toothpicks) on a bed of shredded lettuce in a large round but flat bowl, with a small tomato sauce container in the middle. I then completed the little brioche buns by slathering them with some creamy mayonnaise’, slices of ham and a square of sliced vintage cheese – and I also put those on a bed of shredded lettuce on a very large flat wooden platter. Done! Wonderful!

(I am happy to report that the little brioche buns disappeared down gullets at the speed of light, (only one remained). I helped Elizabeth, who was on Tea Duty, to set up. The ladies, bless them all, brought loads of eats for teatime, so the tables were almost groaning with their loads of delicacies to bless the fathers in our church! It was a delicious teatime this morning!

Our Kid’s Church is normally just the two little ones and sometimes three (our congregation being mostly older people) but this morning I had five children from ages one year old to sixteen, plus one adult (grandmother to the little one) plus my friend Marg’, who came in as my assistant and for her to see how our Kids Church is run. It was a good lesson for me to be able to teach across those age groups and keep them all engaged – one year old to sixteen years old is quite a s-t-r-e-t-c-h! But we all had fun and I pray that they all learned something indestructible.

After church I stopped at the IGA to pick up some things as we wanted to have a braai (barbeque) tonight because it would be Tamryn’s last night on the farm before she headed back home to Terrigal (on the central Coast) tomorrow.

When I got back to the wrong side of the river, Paddy had kindly left the ute’ there for me – even had it pointed in the right direction, so all I had to do was load the groceries, climb in and drive off!

When I got home, everyone was lying down, sleeping, reading, or watching something on i-pads, so I unpacked the groceries and put out some lunch for everyone to help themselves should the hungries attack. (Just wraps, salads, ham and roast beef.) I climbed onto our bed and planned to have a siesta, but … nah! I just could not. So, up I got and out did trot, and Paddy was also up and walking around.

While I put things away again Paddy went out and let the chooks out for their afternoon stroll, and a little later I joined him, sitting out in the afternoon sunshine just watching the chooks happily taking a walk. They are not too adventurous yet, but I cannot blame them as the dogs were eyeing them from a distance. I was praying that they (the dogs,) were not thinking that KFC had moved into the rural areas of New South Wales!

Here are some photos of our beautiful chooks …

Henny Penny

Higgety Piggety

Cocky Ollie and his dames!

Paddy then went out to the back of the farm to continue his fencing and I remained watching the chooks out in the sunshine. I eventually ’tucked them up’ into their shed for the night.

When Ken got up, he went out to feed the bulls and to cart more bales of silage across the river – there are still plenty more to cart!

When Paddy got back, he lit the fire outside and the four of us sat around out there chatting, chomping chips and dips and admiring Paddy’s cooking skills! He braai-ed some chops and steaks and to perfection too I may add!

We had the meat with buttered potatoes, garlic bread, and a tossed salad. It went down clapping hands and doing cartwheels!

Slowly, after supper everyone headed to their respective beds, I cleaned up the kitchen and then I retired too. Ken sat up watching some sport on TV for a while as he is a very slow eater, but soon he too was tucked up in bed with me, Raafie and Shamara!

What lesson did I learn today? To be prepared! Prepared to teach ages one year old to sixteen years old when I was expecting to teach a four and six year old only!

What am I grateful for today? Just a happy day!

My saying for today is …