Unordered

http://silouanthompson.net/2008/09/25/monasticism-in-the-21st-century/

Here is an article written in 2000 by a nun that really beautifully describes what it means to be a monk or nun. Reading it makes me aware of how wonderful these people are.

I got outside on a nice 30 C day and ripped out weeds and planted cucumber and capsicum and tomato and lettuce and flowers (cosmos?). Still some pumpkin and blueberries to go. I’ve ordered some watermelon seeds and a vege gardening book too. Hopefully the book will give me some ideas. I’ve still got no idea what I’m doing. The cauliflower has gone to seed, so I’ve left it there. Hopefully the seeds will sprout when they’re ready and that will be the right time to get some actual cauliflowers for me, rather than just plant leaves for snails.

I went to get some old types and some lucerne hay for the garden today - neither were available. Just when I had the appearance of being so organised.

We had an African Feast at church to raise money for the work of Paradise Kids 4 Africa working in Sierra Leone with victims of amputations and polio, and establishing educational facilities from in prisons, to pre schools, and a teacher training college.

We made Groundnut (peanut) stew which was absolutely fantastic, I’ll put the recipe up soon, and Jollof, which is rice, tomato paste, cabbage and spices, vegetables in coconut milk, cous cous, with peanut balls and fruit for dessert.

I don’t know how African it all was, and when I mentioned that the food was African to the missionary who actually lives there, he laughed, and said, “Where’d you get it?” to which I replied, “the internet” and he laughed some more.

I can’t put it off any longer. I must go clean up the kitchen after the African feast.

I’m eating lollies and chocolate and listening to music that goes do di do do dut dut dut do, and watching television in the middle of Saturday.

Actually I didn’t have that much to say after all.

Except that I’d like to be the kind of person who just goes and hangs out in interesting places as if I had absolutely nothing to do, and sits all day watching people skate and dive off cliffs into blue pools and perform on trapeze, meeting interesting people, without wondering how to fix any problems.

Cyndi Lauper is on video hits or whatever it’s called these days. How old is she? She looks fabulous. Remind me to dye my hair platinum blond when I’m grey - oh wait, that’s now.

I like that song - Your sincere apology, And when you mean it, I’ll believe it, If you text it, I’ll delete it - but not so much now I see it’s sung by a 15 year old.

I seem to have a very brief period in my day when I am physically active. It’s between 4pm and 7pm. Unfortunately most of that time is taken up with dinner. Thinking about dinner, wondering what to cook for dinner, looking at the clock knowing I should start dinner, aimlessly looking in the cupboard for something for dinner, buying things for dinner, making dinner, eating dinner. If only someone else would cook for me, and all I had to do was sit down to eat at 7.30pm. The I could garden and clean and organise. That’s my excuse anyway.

My brain seems to have a brief flurry of activity between 10pm and 2am but I’m usually in bed then.

I’ll have to hit the caffeine and chocolate to get things done around here.

I did. I milked a cow. I’m so excited. Milk actually came out when I squeezed the teat. It was very cool. You know how you watch people try to milk a cow for the first time and nothing happens. That’s what I thought would happen. But what happened is, warm creamy milk squirted into the bucket. I feel like now I know I could be self sufficient if I really needed to be. Now that I know I can do it, I would like a cow.

Or maybe I could just get a cow co-op happening so someone else could actually look after the cow, and me and my 19 friends could pick up a litre of fresh milk a day.

I wrote an awareness building kit on the topic of homelessness. It has come back from the designers and it looks _Fantastic!_ I’ve been stressing away about it, wondering if it’s too negative, without hope, portrays homeless people in a stereotypical way, if it was going to be edited properly.

It all looks O.K.

Praise the Lord.

Although it’s yet to be approved by the various agencies it was written for. We’ll see what they all have to say.

I am drowning under the chaos of my stuff.

I have got to get rid of everything.

We went off on a little church weekend thing to talk about business. It was so great to be in a little cottage with no stuff. Although I guess I couldn’t really get through life with just the clothes on my back could I?

I think our little weekend showed what a dysfunctional bunch we are and that we’re all too afraid to be who we really are in case we upset anyone - well not all of us. One of us is not afraid to be who he really is and some people got upset. So there you go. The fears are not unfounded. Of course I say that with great affection and we’re not giving up, but we’ve got quite a long way to go to be like the disciples in the book of Acts.

It was quite a practical weekend. I think I would have preferred to be more philosophical - you know, come up with mission statements, and talk about what or who is our mission and why are we here on earth, and that kind of thing, not so much who wants to make up the roster on who’s going to make up the rosters. Luckily though, there are people who do want to do that stuff, or that stuff would not get done.

We are holding an African dinner and documentary showing next week. So I’m writing newspaper articles about that instead of throwing out stuff. Maybe if I get that done, I’ll write an article about throwing out stuff. Anything to avoid doing it.

P.S. Praying over the nectarine tree. It’s still got leaf curl. Have now picked every curled leaf off the plant.

The weather seems to be turning at last. Today the sun was shining and it wasn’t that cold. I still wore my coat and beanie though.

I planted my dwarf snow apple and my orange tree today, and watered them in with some seaweed extract. I sprayed my nectarine and peach tree with some copper solution to stop them getting leaf curl. I’ve always prayed for them before - actually I’ve laid hands on them and prayed for them, the first year as a bit of a joke having just done an Alpha course, although it was quite a serious prayer, and it worked.

Having since discovered what I’m supposed to do, I think it’s my job to look after them now.

Can’t wait for gorgeous ripe round juicy home grown peaches.