Others have said more than I can. I don’t think I have the words right now. He was everything that has been said about him, and more. How do you describe someone in words, you just can’t. A man of faith and of conviction. Opinionated about everything, interested in people, amazingly observant, in pratice as well as in his photographs. Talented musician, dearest friend. Irreplacable.

One of my abiding memories of Mike will always be sitting singing our way through his Kate Rusby songbook, whose music he loved. On any occasion when people were gathered and there was a guitar, there were certain songs he would choose, and one in particular, which is so appropriate right now. I can still hear him singing it now.

To Canaan’s land I’m on my way
Where the soul of man never dies
Where all my nights will turn to day
Where the soul of man never dies

Dear friends there’ll be no sad farewell
There’ll be no tear-dimmed eye
Where all is joy and peace and love
And the soul of man never dies

A rose is blooming there for me
Where the soul of man never dies
It blooms for all eternity
Where the soul of man never dies

Chorus

A love light beams across the foam
Where the soul of man never dies
It shines to light the shores of home
Where the soul of man never dies

Chorus

My life will end in deathless sleep
Where the soul of man never dies
And everlasting joy I’ll reap
Where the soul of man never dies

Chorus

I’m on my way to that fair land
Where the soul of man never dies
Where there will be no parting and
The soul of man never dies

I hope thats where he is now, I think thats what he’d want.

Well the weekend went surprisingly well. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, there were some very organised and lovely people sorting most of it out, which meant everything went to plan, as much as there was a plan. It was a hectic weekend, but not nearly as mad as I’d been warned of, unless my advisor was exaggerating for effect… Meetings went well and I managed to keep to the agenda (and finish early ), get through all the important points, and get a good enough grasp of the complicated financial stuff that I could explain it so it made sense (I think) *smug* There are frequent occasions when I question why I do this, when its stressful and I’d rather it was someone elses problem. But I also know that the reason I do it is for the challenge, of the difficult situations which need to be sorted, of making sure everyone knows what they need to and getting through everything in the time available. And for the buzz you feel when you finish it all, when you get it sorted, or at least partly, and know its gone well. The satisfaction of knowing that is amazing. I think I’m still on a bit of a high about it.. And my perspective on the whole thing is quite different than it was- I now know I *can* do this, and do it well.

As well as the official stuff, t’was a fun weekend too. Great to catch up with people who I consider good friends but only see every few months or so. We managed some nice relaxed social time in between everything else- chatting and gossiping over a pint or two (and more than a few cups of tea!), and not to mention much ceilidhing on saturday night- some new ones and some favourites, trying not to stand on peoples toes when doing the spinny polka bit. And remembering again why I love strip the willow

On the not quite so positive side, I didn’t get the job. I wasn’t particularly surprised at this, since I got the impression in the interview that they wanted more experience of a lot of stuff than I have. But I got a phone call yesterday morning, and apparently I did a good interview, but didn’t have enough experience of anti-social behaviour. Hmm, I didn’t know I had any experience of that, but there we are. I’m not particularly dissapointed, from the interview it didn’t sound like the best job for me. Ah well, try again next time, maybe third time lucky.

Well, that was that I guess. Not feeling overly optimistic. And that doesn’t mean the opposite, before I get told off for it, its called realism. Hmm. I said hmm. It went ok, not badly, fairly good I s’pose. Just not great. It was one of those where I got the feeling that what I was saying was good, but just not what they were looking for. I spose we’ll see. Back to waiting again. That requires patience doesn’t it?!

Well this weekend will be perfect for taking my mind off the waiting thing, since I’m off to Glasgow tomorrow for the SCM autumn gathering. This is the first event since I was elected, including (among other things) chairing my first meeting (ok, so I did one already, but only with help, and this time the help is a little further away..) and everything that comes with that. There are many things to think about, and I’m not sure yet how I’m going to keep all of it in my head at once- there’s only so much space!! I’ve been warned (in a helpful friendly kind of way) that I’m unlikely to be able to stop all weekend, and that my brain is likely to be a small pile of mush by sunday evening. So if you see me early next week, bear with me, I’ll be back to the real world shortly. Um.

I wasn’t going to post about this, cos I don’t like broadcasting *everything* to the world, but I also know (and remember every now and then) that there are people who read this who I don’t see or speak to regularly, but who are still (I think?) interested in the goings on of my world, and I don’t like keeping you in the dark. If not, do ignore me and I’ll go away eventually. Anyway, for those who are interested, I have a job interview this afternoon. I’m not too nervous yet (haven’t had time this week with one thing and another. and another), probably cos its not quite sunk in, maybe another reason I hadn’t blogged it. I know I’ve told some people, but not many, so if you’re reading this thinking ‘I didn’t know that!’, don’t feel left out.

Anyway, there we are, not the most riveting or profound of posts, but so be it. Oh and lots of luck to Strawberry who also has an interview this afternoon- turning into quite a significant day this!!

I’d been thinking I hadn’t blogged in a while, probably cos I haven’t! There is either stuff happening that isn’t quite blog material, or it is but would take a lot of explaining and writing about, and all the stuff thats happening has kinda taken up blogging time. So here’s an excuse for a blog, cos I wanted to, but don’t have anything constructive to say! I make no comment on the accuracy. From Genevive.

You Are Grass Green

Down to earth and a bit of a hippie, you are very into nature and the outdoors. You accept the world and people as they are. You don’t try to change things. You are also very comfortable with yourself, flaws and all. Optimistic about the future, you feel like life is always getting better.

You’d think working in an outdoor shop wouldn’t be epsecially hazardous; we don’t have crampons, or ice axes, or climbing equipment that requires demonstrating, and we wouldn’t be allowed to light the stoves in the store

We do, however, have a reasonable collection of Swiss Army Knives, and yesterday I managed to volunteer myself for re-doing the display.. Not too serious, I still have all 10 fingers and thumbs. But my collegue commented on the fact that I was able to unfold and arrange the most scary-looking knives (complete with woodsaws, pliers, and the biggest sharpest knives) and then cut myself on the smallest, when trying to adjust the knife bit so that it would fit on the top shelf.. Like I said, all fingers still present and correct, and it beats a paper cut…

*Free weekends when you can get up in time for lunch and not feel guilty.
*Cold and frosty winter mornings.
*The lovely man coming to visit and not minding being dragged round from one group of mad friends to another.
*Looking forward to repaying the visit in the not too distant future.
*Mad friends with instruments and sheet music, and getting together to sing all night simply cos we can!
*Mad friends!!!
*Fireworks. Bonfires. The smell they leave behind. And writing your name in the air with sparklers.
*Having dinner with fab friends, being silly and pretending to have light saber fights with glow sticks, and laughing lots and lots.

Seeing as everyone appears to be doing this, I was intrigued as to quite how inacurate mine would turn out to be (not that I’m cynical…). And the answer appears to be, not very. Aside from the ‘very high femininity’. Hmm. So there you go, that was a fun bit of timewasting!

I’m always aware of the changing of the seasons, its one of the reasons I couldn’t live anywhere tropical- I’d hate to be stuck in the summer all the time! But this year we seem to have had a warm summer followed by a very mild, and very short autumn, and the change is even more noticable. Only a week or so ago I was noticing the leaves turning, and thinking I’d blog something about autumn being on the way- walking down the hill from our road and crunching the fallen leaves under foot, I noticed how something so simple makes you feel strangely alive, and lifts even the lowest of spirits. If you had seen me walking to church on Tuesday night you’d have thought I’d gone crazy, but I just had to run through those piles of leaves and kick them into the air. I don’t care how old you are, some things you just shouldn’t grow out of!

But then before I knew it, it was as if mother nature had got bored of that, and all of a sudden, within the space of a week, its winter! Only last week I was still able to walk to work in a fairly thin jumper, and now I’m having to dig out my gloves and hat and wrap up against the cold. Now I’m the last to complain about it getting cold and winter coming round- there’s always been something special about this season for me, maybe it comes from being born in the coldest part of a particularly cold winter, I don’t know. But its definately my favourite time of year, particularly this time, when autumn is just behind us, and the leaves are still lying on the ground, but are edged with frost. Its the time of bonfires and woodsmoke, of seeing your breath when you step outside, of cold cheeks and red noses, and that smell of frost in the morning. Clear blue skies which go on forever, and the bare earth from which life will come again. It may be a time when everything seems to have died, but it also holds so much promise. And in that, I can’t help but rejoice, and feel amazed and humbled at the splendour of this world. And I can feel as much of a connection with the creator as I walk along in the frosty air, as I do in church on Sunday morning.