Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Today we said goodbye to J and her family. (J and her youngest on the left side of this photo.)After 3 years here in Blighty, the US Airforce have finally reclaimed them and off they went to the airport this afternoon. W and I stopped round for one last cup of tea and a sad farewell. Even though (or maybe because?) I grew up in the RAF and was used to frequent partings from friends, and Jamie and I have moved such a lot in our married lives, I still find it hard to say goodbye. J seemed to be finding it difficult too. She made lots of good friends while she was here. I think not living on base made it easier for her to do that.

Oh, why do I keep making friends with Americans? They always go. However, our loss is Washington DC's gain. S will be working at the Pentagon, and bringing his christian character to minister to his colleagues along the way and J will be a blessing to her new friends in Virginia, I just know.

After art, we went to the Library and were horrified anew at how useless it is in our town. Dear me! Jack found precisely 2 books about the Tudors, the time period we are studying next. We are supposed to be doing the Romans (again) according the the Sonlight 6 curriculum, but we need to do some more British History and I picked the Tudors pretty much at random. Actually, there are plenty of field trips we can do related to them round here. They were also an exciting and prolific lot. Plenty of battles, intrigue, architecture and nice clothes. Well, I like the hats. And the pointy shoes. And the ruffs. Oh, let's be honest, I would have liked to have been Elizabeth the 1st.

Jack made 2 loaves of bread today using the breadmaker. He's getting quite dependable in the kitchen department. I would love Grace to show an interest, but she finds it stressful. And after Art today she needed to decompress in her room this afternoon. Tonight, at Guides, they did soap-carving. Be Prepared was Baden-Powell's motto for the Scouting and Guiding movement. Mmmm... you never know when you might need a bar of soap carved into a mouse.

I tried reading my Bible again tonight. I'm finding it hard to get back into. I read and think and pray but it all just wafts around in my head like a vapour and then floats out my ears. I'm finding it much easier to read commentaries and other people's thoughts and discoveries about God's Word and to listen to good preaching than to actually read it for myself. This is the first time in 10 years of being a christian that I'm just not connecting with the Bible. I don't understand why. I'm not worrying about it though. There have been times when I haven't prayed for periods of time also and the world doesn't end. The period passes and then I'm back to praying again. I'm assuming that it's just a phase with the Bible-reading too.

Dinner, I hear you ask? Why, it was vegie-sausages, of course. With roasted peppers and tomatoes, stir-fried brussels sprouts, onion gravy and an 'encore presentation' of the bashed neeps and carrots. Jack fussed about having to eat the brussels. "Oh, nobody likes sprouts, Jack," exclaimed my husband, "You just have to eat them now and again." Thanks for that. Why *do* we eat sprouts anyway?