The musings of Magpie

In England it is the 'summer bank holiday', according to my diary. Now, why we get a summer bank holiday and not a winter one, I really don't understand. Anyway, bank holidays are normally that typical English let down on the sun front. It tends to drizzle, turn grey and cause everyone to hibernate in ancticipation of winter. Not so this weekend, it's been sunny and people have been out and about.


The reason for that introduction is because it gives a little bit of background to my fuzzy lovey feeling that I currently have. This weekend I have once again been struck by the amazingness of my friends. Whether Christian or not, there are aspects and qualities that bless me, reduce me to unreasonably undignified laughter and shape me to be someone different, and hopefully better.

I look back at seasons in my life, at things I've been through that perhaps no one knew about and I'm amazed at where I stand. Like I said, generally feeling all fuzzy-wuzzy inside. Love and friendship does that to you. I'm pleased I'm not the person that I would be on my own, that God didn't abandon me to keep walking those paths that led to destruction and nothing but pride, and I'm seriously pleased that I've been given so many friends that I love spending time with.

In other news, I went to see this film




which made my head go a little woozy and has made me see things with a cartoon 'POW' or 'BOOM' above them for the rest of the day. Didn't quite know what to make of it. Go see it and tell me it doesn't make you feel like you're on drugs. I may give you a prize.


Peace and love
xoxox




PS Magpie appears to be a new name, based on what my name looks like in Elvish. I know, I know, I get cooler and cooler everyday. x

My new best friend

What to do when everyone else goes to V festival, and the family leave for holiday...

English Summertime

I've recently returned from a week at a Christian youth camp, known as Newday. It's pretty cool. I went as a member of the youth for three years, but this year I got to go as a leader...or a RA as we were occasionally known. Means 'responsible adult'. I laughed hysterically at this title.

Anyhow this was Newday
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8878000/8878336.stm

and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8921000/8921083.stm

or at least what the BBC decided to cover of it. (For some reason, it won't allow me to give the links any other way)

What they didn't mention was the amazing sense of family, the 371 people miraculously healed by God of all sorts of sicknesses and the 320 or so people who decided to become Christians for the very first time. You see, Newday is all about seeing a new generation emerging in the plans that God has for them, and deciding to be proactive in changing their world.

I was amazingly blessed to see lots of answer to prayer in the way the youth I took responded to God, were freed by his Holy Spirit from things that were holding them back and generally grew together both as friends and disciples. In some ways, Newday has been the highlight of my year for the past four years. It's incredibly exciting.

What wasn't so exciting was the English summertime weather. Now in August, it's generally assumed that in the Northern Hemisphere that the sun shines, the temperature raises itself above about 2 degrees and the clouds disappear... Assumptions are wrong. We spent a week camping in the pouring rain, under dark angry clouds that thundered above us every few days, and all of this was accompanied by a howling and violent wind!

My snazzy new Mountain Warehouse tent stood up pretty well to this abuse though and so I wasn't a drowned rat 24/7!

Since I've been back I have had lots of Vicki time...which includes indulging my adoration of the West Wing (into series 2 now! Woop!), cooking yummy food and reading the new books that I bought whilst I was away. In addition I have done the entire world's washing. Or at least that is what it feels like.

Enough of my slightly impassioned blog update. I am not quite as ranty as I appear, I promise. In general I am quite full of love and such. I am however listening to Noah and the Whale's second album which is quite eager...

I shall leave you with their wonderul music.



Peace and love.

"Give me the love of an ORCHESTRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

xoxo

Monday, Tuesday...

Monday was hectic, Tuesday has also been hectic. Wednesday I go camping. It may not be hectic, but I am expecting insanity and a teeny tiny amount of sleep.

It's been very nice to see my friends these past few days, because I love them very much. It's not quite 'normal' friendship I don't think...perhaps because we aren't entirely normal? but anyhow, I miss them MASSES when I don't get to see them frequently. In fact, it makes our time together a little crazy afterwards. We hysterically laughed in Hobbycraft, in the car, and in Tesco for absolutely no reason yesterday.

'Maltesers' was enough to set me off. So anyhow, yesterday I got my hairs cut (they don't look any different really), did some errands, took a trip to Hobbycraft for crafty supplies and then went to my matey's house for a Lord of the Rings marathon.

Now when it comes to LOTR I am a serious geek. In fact, it may be said that I (and my friends) have problems. I took the elvish language so we could try and write our names in elvish. Mine looks like 'Martin' or 'Magpie'. I am so upset. We also made miscellaneous Origami things...such as water lilies and boxes. Sam's dog ate them.

But altogether, watching Viggo Mortensen run around and being reminded of the coolness of Hobbits was generally very fun.

Today, we went on one of our notorious day trips. The thing is, around Bournemouth there isn't a massive amount to do, and today was rainy so it wasn't as if we could just go and ramble around in a field or anything and have a picnic. We went to Salisbury, eventually... after Sarah arriving at my house still drunk, Antonia's tyre being close to bursting and Bridgette demanding toast and then burning it!

We spent the day mooching, picking at olives and buying crazy things from charity shops. I am quite disappointed we have yet to find some cool crazy hareem pants. This is what we're aiming for, or something like these...




Now I am home and go away tomorrow and I have lots of washing and I don't like packing because I have too much stuff and I have no dinner and I don't really want pizza but I might have to have it anyway.
As you can see I have a touch of sleepless crazy. It's fun.

I'm sure there were other things I was meant to mention. They escape me.

Lots of love!
xxx

Happy

My 56 hour a week job is finished.
I am going to Hobbycraft and having a Lord of the Rings marathon tomorrow.
Wednesday I am taking my youth group away camping for a week.

In other news, my lovely friend Basia has asked me to mention her. Today she made me giggle lots, and cooked me dinner. She is pretty cool. She also claims I am her husband. Make of that what you shall.

If you haven't listened, the new Arcade Fire album is epic and I am listening obsessively.

Bedtime. So in the words of Win and Regine, "I need the darknes, someone please cut the lights."

Peace and love
x

Nothing like a friendly argument

So I have a deep new love for The West Wing (have I mentionned this??) Anyhow, I am nearly at the end of Season 1 and would like to share the beauty of Sam Seabourne. If I don't marry someone who has is articulate abilities, I may just cry...




AND THEN IT GETS EVEN BETTER...





HOW AMAZING IS THIS SCRIPT WRITING???!!!

Geek moment over :)
x