General stuff

I just realised that it's months since I posted anything here. Lots of reasons but mostly because I haven't had anything to say particularly, although I blushed to realise I still had the Easter badge on my site when we're in Week 15 of Ordinary Time!

It is a warm sunny winter's day here in Rotorua: you may be thinking that it's odd I'm posting during the day on a Thursday when I should be working. Well, at present typing is pretty much the only way I can communicate as my voice has departed to parts unknown.... A tiny squeak is about as good as it gets right now. I am the grateful recipient of a nasty chest infection courtesy of friends at work. So kind! On the bright side, I get to sit in the sun in my lounge in Rotorua, instead of being holed up in my office at work, but on balance I would like to be well enough to be at work!

Lots has been going on, including me being invited to the Waiapu Diocesan Regional Conference in Tauranga a couple of weeks ago as a representative of our parish, and beginning to serve on the parish vestry (third time on vestry, first time in this parish). Hubby has started working halftime as a photography tutor, and small daughter has been doing extremely well in her swimming and trampolining - to the point that her coach has invited her into the competition training stream for trampolining. She's only 7 so that's quite an achievement at that age. School is also going very well for her.

On the personal front, I am very much enjoying a new translation of St Benedict's Rule included in The Benedictine Handbook that I got the other day. It's a much more modern translation than my previous one (which was Latin/English side by side, great for scholars but not much good for me!) and I love the way that it makes it fresh. Not that the Rule needs much freshening but it's good to have a new perspective on it. Also enjoying the meditations and prayers included in the Handbook: the Rule itself is really short (only72 short chapters) and more than two-thirds of the book is full of other resources.

We've also been enjoying the sunny Bay of Plenty. In contrast to the rest of the country, the weather is beautifully settled here: there's been some serious frosts (-3degC at work earlier this week!) but the days are lovely.