Ruth Harley

Well, thanks for that... 🎶

The back of an alb (a long white robe) hanging up with pegs on the pleats to keep them in place.

The front of the same alb.

Eternally grateful to the person on Twitter who, many years ago, give me the tip of putting pegs on the pleats of an alb to avoid/reduce the need to iron it. Here is mine drying today, no ironing needed! #CofEPeeps #Narthex 🕯️✝️⚓

Every year I get to (very briefly!) teach ordinands about Maude Royden. They often want to know more. Looking forward to signposting them to your chapter!

I'm not, sadly. We've got multiple baptisms and first communions here that Sunday, which I'm excited about, but sad to be missing out on GB.

My other PCC has two members (out of 9) who work shifts and often don't get their rotas very far ahead, which makes planning meetings quite a challenge. But we make it work. With small numbers on both PCCs, we plan around people's various commitments as far as possible.

Of the 5 members of the PCC, 4 are retired and one is a teacher, so a weekday in August works well for everyone.

Absolutely! We all have a 'sainted predecessor' to whom we will never measure up (mine is safely back in the 70s, thank goodness) but just *imagine* having a sainted predecessor who was *literally* sainted as the examplar of parish ministry.

Planning notes on a table with a cup of hot chocolate.

PCC away day, here we go! Quick cuppa and final preparations before we gather. Praying for clarity, wisdom and hope for the future. Come Holy Spirit... 🙏

Wonderful! But now I am curious: recently rescinded resolutions? infrequently used high altar? massive coincidence?

A day of small celebrations. Prayed for the children who will make their First Communion later this month. Delightful child with DS gave me a carefully origami'd service sheet at the peace. Woman who started attending church a couple of weeks ago was very delighted to know one of the hymns.

Whereas I am not at all shy - can and do talk to anyone at the drop of a hat (handy in my line of work!) but I need plenty of non-people-ing time in between to recharge, even from people I really like. Which is how I know I am an introvert.

Interior of a modern church building decorated for a wedding with flowers and bows.

Lots of confetti on bushes and grass.

Lovely to have a big, joyful wedding in church today. Impressive congregational singing, embracing the 'primary school bangers' vibe - Glastonbury, eat your heart out! 😍🎶

Yes! I love it so much. Full of here little pencil notes too, and now some of mine as well. Such a precious connection to have.

That is indeed a lot of plums! I was not anticipating any plums this year, so even this (comparatively) small quantity feels like a bonus.

Impressive! It's a few years since I've made jam on any serious scale, but I'm enjoying getting back into it.

What a great find! And that jam is a lovely colour.

5 jars and one small glass dish full of plum jam.

Homemade jam, using plums from the vicarage garden! Yum 😋

An old and very stained cookery book open at recipes for jam, with an old and stained wooden spoon next to it.

Jam-making with Granny's cook book and jam spoon. #TinyJoys

That sounds great!

A decent-sized groundsheet is an excellent investment for messy activities in a carpeted church, in my experience.

Yes! Painting for 25 children creates pretty much the same amount of clear-up as painting for 2 children, so it makes a lot of sense to do it as a communal activity. A good time had by all.

😂 There definitely were more paintings than kids! And some grown ups had a go too, which was lovely.

That is so good. And such a testament to the space you have created, that they feel safe enough to ask.

Yup! Lots of "see you next week, and we're going to bring our friends" as they left.

Tables covered in lots of children's paintings.

Today we did A New Thing at church: summer holiday craft drop-in. The perennial anxiety, 'will anyone come?'

This was the painting drying table at snack time 😍 #TinyJoys

You have to be sober.
You have to take it seriously.
You have to make sure your friends do not heckle at "if anyone know any reason why they may not marry..." Not even as a joke.
These are the things I hammer home to each of my wedding couples.
And biodegradable confetti only in the churchyard.

OK, that is... quite a big topic!!! Have you got a structure in mind? (For the essay, not the CofE!)

What's the topic?

The first year of discovering what's lurking in this one (previously very overgrown) is proving a delight.

A box full of small yellow plums/greengages.

Fruit of the vicarage garden! Greengages? Yellow plums? (How do you tell the difference?) Anyway, they are delicious. And soon there will be jam. #TinyJoys