Posted in Lads mags, tagged Asda, campaign, cartoon, Church Times, complaint, Express and Star, Lads mags, porn, Pornography, Vicar's wife on 28 February, 2009| Leave a Comment »
For those of you who don’t subscribe to the Church Times (which I confess includes me and the Vicar), their article about my success in getting a local Asda to move lads mags to the top shelf can now be seen on the web.
I think the cartoonist has captured my furious look rather well. I did wonder when they phoned me up what they were going to do about a photo.
Don’t forget to complain to customer services yourself if you see these magazines displayed inappropriately.
Posted in Fun, Vicar's wife job description, tagged christening, church hall hire, firmament, job description, name change, purgatory, Vicar's wife, Vicarage on 25 February, 2009| 10 Comments »
This was a search term that recently led someone to my blog. So I thought maybe I could start by drawing one up as I go along over the next twelve months. I’ll try and make it a regular feature.
The Vicar's Wife
If you’re reading and also doing the same job, I’d love to have your contributions too.
This week I’m still not officially a vicar’s wife, but there have been a few phone calls to the vicarage, and I needed to know:
Posted in Church, Fun, tagged beanie, clothing, curate, hoodie, mistaken identity, parish, vicar, Vicarage on 24 February, 2009| 1 Comment »
The other week we were visiting the vicarage, sorting a few things out before the move. The (then) Curate was doing some practical jobs wearing his allotment jeans, his hoodie and his beanie and was outside the house.
The Curate was wearing longer trousers
You’ll need to get a move on with your work. The vicar is moving in next month, you know.
The (then) Curate said
“Actually, he’ll be here in just thirteen days.”
“How do you know that then?”
“I am the new vicar.”
You look very different without your suit on.
Posted in Malaysia, tagged Amir Muhammad, Books, Generation, Kam Raslan, Malaysia, Sheryll Stothard, Singapore, South East Asia on 21 February, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Soon after we were married, the Curate and I spent some time living in South East Asia. A few months ago we enjoyed seeing friends from both Malaysia and Singapore.
When Lawstudent came to visit us, we were excitedly reminiscing about our time in Kuala Lumpur, where we’d known him as he was growing up. We showed him a few of the books we’d bought and read when we were there. Our favourite was ‘Generation’ by Amir Muhammad, Kam Raslan and Sheryll Stothard (only available second-hand now, see this review for more details).
Lawstudent read the book whilst he was staying here, and was delighted and surprised by the witty insight into Malaysian life that he encountered on its pages.
‘I didn’t know that Malaysians could write this well’ he commented. ‘In fact, at home, my friends and I had a phrase for things that were a bit shoddy or hopeless. We’d say it was
local.
Posted in Church, Faith, tagged Amazon, Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, book, C J Mahaney, Lent, Lent book, reading, Sovereign Grace music, The Cross Centered Life, Vicar's wife on 20 February, 2009| 1 Comment »
The Archbishop of Canterbury has one, so why not me, eh? I’m such an Anglican!
Actually, the Curate has chosen a book to read be read by members of our new church over Lent. And I’m going to read along too, although I probably won’t be able to make the evening meetings when they discuss the book and go deeper, as I’ll be babysitting at the Vicarage.
The book he’s chosen is one we looked at last year at our current church during Lent. It’s called ‘The Cross Centered Life’ by C J Mahaney, an American pastor (hence the -er spelling of centre).
The book has the great advantage of being very short (only seven chapters and about 70 pages) and is a very easy read. I’m going to dig out my copy now, and shall be reading a chapter or so a week over Lent. Lent begins the day after Pancake Day, Tuesday 24th February.
Why not get a copy yourself and join me in the Vicarage kitchen as I drink a mug of tea, eat some flapjack and think through what I’ve been reading? I’ll be blogging my progress.
Amazon are currently supplying it for £5.59. A bargain for some great encouragement to keep focused on the central truth of Christian faith. Better order it now, as Amazon say that it can take 1-3 weeks to deliver.
There’s also a terrific cd from Sovereign Grace music which goes with the book.
Posted in Bible study, Church, Faith, Fun, Radio 4, tagged BBC, Bible, English, English Literature, Lucifer, Paradise Lost, Radio 4, students, Today Programme on 19 February, 2009| 3 Comments »
I’ve got this post scheduled for today and another tomorrow so the computer can go in its box….
In the meantime, check your knowledge of the bible and English literature on the BBC website. I heard a chap on the Today programme on Tuesday talking about how the lack of basic bible knowledge meant that students of English literature were failing to grasp the depths of their subject.
Read it to do well in literature - and to find eternal life
My friend Starstudent was pleased to have studied the bible with me for a while, as it helped her to understand Paradise Lost in her recent literature course.
I got 9/10 on the quiz – caught out by Lucifer.
Posted in Fun, tagged criminals, Fun, Police, washing on 18 February, 2009| Leave a Comment »
The Curate used to play golf fairly regularly with a local policeman.
The policeman had a wonderful phrase to describe a character with whom he had had too many professional dealings.
He’s a bad bag of washing
Posted in Family, Lads mags, tagged Asda, Children, Church Times, consumers, Express and Star, Lads mags, Mothers, Over-sexualisation, porn, Pornography, Supermarkets, top shelf on 17 February, 2009| 1 Comment »
In the midst of piling clothes into big boxes and hunting for missing library books, I had a phone call from the Church Times yesterday afternoon.
They’d been reading the article about my success in getting lads mags put on the top shelf in a local Asda store and were interested to know more about my ‘campaign’. I hadn’t had it in mind to start one, but somehow it seems to be launching itself.
One of the things I said to the CT reporter was that complaining to your local supermarket about the display of lads mags isn’t difficult. You can do it verbally or in writing in a couple of minutes at the customer services desk.
The supermarkets need to know that most people buying their groceries don’t want to see these magazines and particularly don’t want them shown to their children, or anyone’s children for that matter. The supermarkets also need to know that consumers are prepared to take their custom elsewhere if these displays are not changed.
It has also struck me that it is likely that far more supermarket customers are mothers and others concerned with preserving the innocence of childhood than buyers of lads mags. Consumer power could win this argument.
Posted in Family, Fun, Kids, tagged knees, moving, moving house, Tights on 16 February, 2009| 3 Comments »
It was the final two days at our old school last Thursday and Friday. The Queen wore a skirt to school. With her remaining two pairs of navy tights.
Both mornings she fell over on the way there, ripped her tights and skinned her knees.
I think it may be time to move to a new school.
Posted in Abroad, Food, tagged drink, Indian, insomnia, marsala chai, recipe, Singapore, spices, Tamil, tea on 14 February, 2009| 2 Comments »
I love the strong, sweet and spiced Indian drink known as masala chai – spiced tea. Usually I go round to my friend Starstudent’s. She makes great masala chai. I normally visit her and have two mugfuls of the delicious drink. I always visit in the morning.
Delicious but not for insomniacs
You make masala chai by boiling your water in a pan with the teabags and some spices – cardamom, cinnamon and others according to your family tradition eg fennel, ginger, cloves. You boil it for a good while and then add a good helping of milk, sugar to taste and boil for a little longer. Then you strain and serve.
When we visited our friends the Kanns last night I drank two mugfuls, just as usual. Very tasty. But also very high in caffeine (because the teabags are so well boiled I guess).
So I was watching the ceiling at 2.30am. Grrr.
What was really annoying was that I’d done this before. When we lived in Singapore, the church we attended was a Tamil congregation and they served masala chai after the evening service. I had to limit myself to a single cup and couldn’t drink the coffee at all, or I couldn’t sleep. Wish I’d remembered that before I tanked myself up on the caffeine last night.
I wonder how it tastes made with de-caff teabags?
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