What a show!

surreal, funny, touching, very British, with a stunning finish

- James Bond escorted the Queen by helicopter to the stadium, so that "she" could parachute in
- Mr Bean playing the bass note for Chariots of Fire
- "Abide with me" sung in memory of the 7/7 victims
- Good music
- the Olympic Flame transferred to hundreds of copper petals to make a dramatic cauldron

And even though I'm not in a team for the Ravellenic Games I still cast on for my next project. All garter stitch, so I don't need to concentrate, and portable for the travelling I'll be doing in August.

Some thoughts from recent sermons...

"An idol is anything, other than God, which gives us our sense of value". It may be a good thing in itself, but taken too far, so that we depend on it for self-worth.

• I've found this definition liberating. Nothing can add to, or take away from, the value God places on me. Anything else may give me pleasure or help me grow, but can't change my worth. And if that's how God sees me then it takes the pressure away.  I am His.

What will God ask me when I face him at the End? He won't be concerned with meaningless trivialities, although He will see the small things.

• This seems a useful question for considering what's important.  It should probably be an obvious thought, but it's not usually the first thing I look at...

"Christian Marriage" - involves a shared dependency on God, which brings His love and strength.  It is outward looking, and it reflects something of God's relationship with His church.  There won't be any need for marriage in heaven, though... when we will each see God face to face.

...and a final thought:
What we see now is only temporary (which is described in Ecclesiastes as "all is meaningless", where meaningless describes something fleeting).  When we see God, all this will fade, which means all the difficult times will be finished.  But God still gives us good things now - life is a gift from Him:

"This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labour under the sun during the few days of life God has given them - for this is their lot.  Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil - this is a gift of God.  They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart"

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Success, and a relaxing evening

1. We found the cause of the non-calibration, and returned it to being correct. I'd feared the worst... so I was very pleased not to have all the QC Inspectors after me!

2. He's had some time off! So good to be able to enjoy an evening at home together. No Lindor chocs left now though...

3. I cooked a yummy tea: ratatouille and cod, with a nice red. Then we caught up on two episodes of Twenty Twelve. Very funny, but hard to spot the difference when the first news story we saw next was about an Olympic hiccup.

Repairs, keen, atmospheric

1. Two windows (one properly broken, the other with a broken seal) and our front door (gradually cracking up in the sun!) have been replaced.

2. Our two summer students are working out well. Both are enthusiastic and intelligent, which makes it a joy to work with them.

3. The clouds were brooding around the fells as I drove home from Keswick this evening. There was still enough light to make them bright white as they nestled in the valleys and sat on the tops. A striking contrast to the dark fellsides.

The wedding weekend

My baby brother has married a lovely girl!

It was a fantastic day:

• She, and her bridesmaids, looked stunning.  And so happy!
• a special family gathering
• catching up with people I've not seen for many years
• enjoying meeting my new sister-in-law's family - they're lovely too!
• the service was shared between the Catholic priest and Church of Scotland minister
• such a warm atmosphere, and everyone felt welcomed
• the priest's homily on "Christian Marriage" was just right: the strength of a marriage is in receiving and sharing God's love.  He makes it possible for us to thrive together, in any circumstances
• Dad's ceilidh band played, and the dance floor was busy until late
• I took lots of pictures... too many to include here
• I printed some off the next day, for my grans to see what they'd been unable to share in person, and for G&T to have as an instant reminder of their big day

 Knitting featured too:

• I made a blanket for them as our wedding present

• I wore a Clapotis wrap which I made myself for the occasion

• I loved the feel of the Kid Classic yarn... mohair, lambswool (and nylon) felt so snuggly and soft next to my skin; perfect for a July wedding in Scotland!
• a feeling of luxury, all the more special because it was my own work

We stayed at the Crieff Hydro and had breakfast together the next morning

• a treat to finish the celebrations in style

Last day to relax for a month

The sun was shining again.

But what a day for sport! Murray did himself proud in the Wimbledon final, and we caught up with the British GP highlights after eating our tea in the summer house.

A's last weekend before Keswick completely takes over his life, so we've enjoyed the slower pace while we could.

An unexpectedly sunny day

...perfect for exploring the local scarecrow festival with our friends.

Followed by:
- a hearty bowl of soup at the village Methodist chapel
- an overdue haircut ready for next week's festivities
- mooching around the shops in Cockermouth
- successful shopping in Workington: fascinator, birthday present, gift box
- catching up on the F1 qualifying at Silverstone (it was very wet!)

I'm a teeny bit sunburnt after being outdoors for most of the day (a convertible car may not have helped ;o) ) but not so it'll be a problem. Hopefully I'll just look healthy in Friday's photos.

A good Monday

1. Walking in from the car park, hearing God reminding me that He's there. I don't remember the details of the conversation but I do remember smiling.

2. The feeling when a dreaded phone call I'd been putting off turned out to be very easy.

3. Soup and a sandwich were waiting for me when I got home from Pilates. A yummy freezer surprise.