Wednesday 11th February
Didn’t want to wake up – text from Lindsay saying she would pick me up at 9.15 so meant I could stay in bed a bit longer which was nice! Everyone was at Training today which was really cool! Very different atmosphere when everyone is there, but it’s good. Today was boy/girl day where we had Biblical teaching on Men and Women’s roles in relationships, looked at Women’s role in ministry, chatted about values in relationships and split up into boys and girls talked about issues raised in the previous sessions. We finished up with the boys sat on one side of the room and girls the other and asking each other questions, such as ‘Why do girls say ‘nothing’ when we ask them what’s wrong, when clearly something is wrong?’, ‘Why do boys always try to fix stuff?’, ‘Is it unhelpful for you girls when boys flirt?’. It was a good and interesting day, although felt ever so slightly like being 13 again in youth group! Did learn some stuff though about Women’s role in relationship which was cool. Got back home just after 3.30pm and had a cup of tea and then did some blog writing and other bits and pieces. Watched Neighbours and Home and Away (oh dear, getting into another bad Australian Soap!) and had dinner. George (Bob and Julie’s Grandson who is 10) was round for dinner and provided much entertainment at the dinner table! We talked about the proposed giant white horse in Kent…taller than the Statue of Liberty! Had a coffee, then have spent the evening catching up on emails, sorting finances, updating my blog, watching Waterloo Road and will speak to Lewis before going to bed!
Tuesday 10th February
House phone went off at 7.19am. Alarm went off at 7.20am. Stayed in bed til 7.50am before forcing myself up and to shower! Decided to have a bit of a slob day clothes wise and put my hair in plaits with a hat on! Seems the rain has had some effect on the area – flood warning in Chelmsford and parts of the A12 and the A127 closed. So meant traffic was horrendous and we didn’t get to the barn til 9.30am. David had a meeting with Ollie and then took him to the office while Rachel and I attempted to learn the first couple of pages of ‘The Gospel According To Envizage’. David came back and we spent until 4pm (with an hour for lunch and several breaks for drinks and custard creams of course) learning lines and blocking. Quite tricky to learn – lots of information to learn and lines that need getting exactly right! A few entertaining slip ups! Got home and sent some emails, updated my blog, watched Neighbours and Home and Away, had dinner – Pasta and sauce, cheesecake and blueberries. Then rang my mum, watched Holby City and am now writing my blog and going to write down some thoughts for my essay.
Monday 9th February
Alarm went off at 9am and had the luxury of snoozing for half an hour before getting up. Showered, got dressed (wearing two of the 3 odd socks Sarah bought me for Christmas!) and had breakfast. Looked up Indoor Playcentres in Basildon on the internet and found Tumble Town near the offices. Printed off info and directions then went to do my hair and makeup and Sarah arrived with Emi and Maddie just before 11am. Horrible rainy weather so we went straight to Tumble Town which was brilliant!!! They had a small climbing frame bit especially for under 5s which Maddie went on first, then we got a drink and then Sarah and I could contain our excitement no longer so took Maddie and Emi into the big bit which was 5 levels of amazingness! Slides, ball pools, things to climb over, under, through, rope bridges, dark bits, spinning bits, tunnels…we loved it! Played hide and seek and went down the slides, including the long scary snake in the pitch black which Sarah didn’t like at all! We had lunch there – baguettes and crisps and Maddie has cucumber and mini sausages and cheese and grapes! Had a bit more of a play – Maddie found herself a boyfriend to run around and go down the slides with, and then we left about 1.30pm. Drove into Basildon, parked and ran in the rain to the shopping centre where we had a wander round while to girls slept in their buggy. Found a stall selling 4 Pashminas for £5!! I got a brown one and a green one and Sarah got a stripey one and another patterned one. We had to wake Maddie up so took her to the Early Learning Centre to look at the toys. We then went to Boots and then had a drink in Costa before it was time to go back to the car. Got home about 4.30 with very wet feet! Had a lazy couple of hours watching Friends, Hollyoaks, Neighbours and the News then had dinner (Pie, Potato and Veg and Vanilla Cheesecake with blueberries and raspberries), read the Times Style magazine – trying to tell me that £2,500 for a vanity bag is a good investment. Yeh… then have spent the rest of the evening planning my time over the next couple of weeks! Going to get ready for bed and watch last week’s Holby City!
Sunday 8th February
Alarm went off at 8.20…I stayed in bed for as long as possible, getting up about 8.45. Showered and dug a dress out of the black bag in the top of my wardrobe. Lewis arrived at 9.45 and I painted my nails and then we drove out to Herongate Methodist Church. Very cute little building and a small congregation but everyone was so lovely and welcoming! Julie was leading the service and preaching and it was really good! I knew 2 out of the 6 hymns sung and also learnt a bit about the way Methodist services work. The service was finished by 11.35…when is church ever finished that early?! We stayed and had a drink and chatted to some people then came back to Bob and Julie’s, cooked, well put together, dinner – Jacket Potato, Cold Ham and Salad followed by yummy chocolate Ice Cream. We then went to Norsey Wood, remembered the wellies in the back of the car and went for a walk in the muddy snowy woods! I had a guide and everytime we reached a number I read out what it said in my guide, much to Lewis’s annoyance! It was really exciting though – there are world war 1 trenches and Bronze Age Burial mounds and everything!
Went back via Blockbuster and had scrambled egg on toast at home. Then we watched ‘Vantage Point’ which despite the guns was actually really good! Lewis and I chatted and prayed for a while and then he went home at 11pm and I went to bed!
