Harvest?

The Harvest Supper. I thought I’d best pop along, take my housemate Stickers with me. See what its like. As you know the previous event went really well. Nothing could have prepared me for this one. 

Having had a lifetime of Tory Party events, you get to know how to have a night out and a raffle. I didn’t dress to the nines. That was my first mistake, the place was packed and everyone looked immaculate. Yes everyone was at least double my age but frankly that’s nothing new and I felt very lucky to be there. 

The food was essentially a ham salad with warm potatoes but very nice it was too. Only seven pounds a ticket so I splashed out on six raffle strips with our change. There was wine on the table but I was most amazed at how busy it was. 

There was a lovely couple opposite us, Anita and Terry and between us we swapped breakdown stories. I mean automotive breakdowns rather than mental ones ! 

Prone to overexcitement in the face of post dinner raffles, these thirty tickets were sure to hold at least one winner, particularly as no other tickets were visible. Meanwhile I had enough to create a placemat! Sadly it was a strip a go but after the fraughtest, over wroughtest raffle I’ve ever experienced, we finally came away with that bamboo lidded eco lunchbox I’d had my eye on!

Straight after we were whipped into a picture round quiz, then a mix of 25 general knowledge and scriptural questions and then three rounds of Bingo. I have to say, it was such a brilliant event, local, cheerful, classy and community orientated. I am so glad I went. 

A friend of mine used to run a church youth group, he’s following this journey with interest and although his is more of a pentecostal bent, he respects the constancy of Catholicism. In particular, the adherence to long standards such as not marrying gays or ordaining women. 

He acknowledged the structured nature of Catholicism and lamented the shift from the radicalism of the Wesley days to what the Methodist church is now. 

‘A glorified tearoom!’ 

As far as the Conservatism and new prime minister goes, I haven’t really been following any of this in the least. Although huge strings have been pulled to get me to conference after a ‘system issue’ froze me out of the booking system, my heart simply isn’t in it. Rather naughtily I have two speaking slots as well but won’t be attending. The main reason being I am being inducted into a new job up in Edinburgh. A writing role and one that I am very interested in. A good opportunity to acquire new skills and develop transferable ones. 

At one time I would have been glued to the news and following the Conservative party’s  every step. These days I’m reading the bible, keeping up with my Pray as you Go App and following another to learn about Mother Theresa - ‘saints in seven days’ or something. Interestingly it gives a figure of over 22,000 that are currently following it for this week. 

I suppose I really enjoy the isolation aspect of the Catholic Church. Praying is so peaceful and there is much to pray for at the moment. I use it to say thank you and to reconnect to God. Spiritualism is paramount. 

I do feel God is so close to me and to have a way to show appreciation is a real gift