Mike's musings

Disappointment, but affirmation

Up at 0515, which really wasn't great. The SecondLife ervice started a little after 0805 - I'd managed to get the streaming working at around 0755 (having woken Moo up at 0730 to look after Jo, though the former had also been up at 0315 for Miri - why?), but it didn't seem to work for anyone else, so we went without. We had a congregation of around half a dozen, I was robed in a cassock, and was ready with cut and paste for a complete BCP Mattins. The only parts which I didn't cut and paste were the intercessions - I invited suggestions from the congregation, and we ended up paying for a goth outreach for Birmingham Cathedral, the Anglican communion and other issues and people - and the sermon, which I constructed as we went. I'd done some preparation, obviously, and preached on condemnation, starting off with Mary Magdalene, who is commemorated today. I talked about condemning the sin, not the person ("I look out in front of me, and I see sinners. But then again, I look in the mirror, and I see a sinner, too"). I really enjoyed preaching, and got some feedback during the sermon, too.

Hopefully someone's videoed the service. If so, I'll probably make bits available.

Had an interesting conversation with a member of the congregation afterwards. A non-believer, but interested. Brought in partly due to his interest in physics and creation. Need to think about it. I've said I'm very happy to talk more about science and religion if he'd like - I have some background in the subject.

Finished the Harry Potter around 1100 (I've been busy, which is why it took over 24 hours), have so far failed to find anyone to talk to about it, who's also finished it. No spoilers, but it's a very good ending, more deaths than I'd expected. Got a little sad towards the end...

We've been so tired today. Cafe Clare for brunch, played in the playground there, back home, played with Jo. I had a bit of a sleep (Moo had tried before, but been kept awake by the Miri monster), then took Jo for a lovely swim. I see what Moo means about her really getting it. With a backfloat on, she's really capable - can go quite fast and steer, as well.

Bath: Jo didn't want her hair washed, but went to sleep in under 2 minutes.

Labels: books, reading, saint, secondlife

Very tired

Not much sleep last night, and a busy day today with Jo. Still managed to read over half the Harry Potter.

I'm also taking Mattins in SL at the Anglican Cathedral at 0800 BST (12 midnight SL time). Please join me.

Labels: reading, secondlife, services

Well, well

Jo's been showing more of an interest in words recently. On the page, that is. For instance, if you read the wrong words to a book she knows, she'll point at the ones on the page and tell you to read those. Also, she asked where the sentences were this morning when I was reading a book, so we had to explain.

This evening at bedtime, Moo was reading her a Topsy and Tim story, and Jo got very frustrated: "where are the words?" Moo pointed at them. "But I can't read them..." So Moo had to point and give her clues, and she told the story. She's started learning the alphabet (it's just another song to her!), but at this rate, we're going to have to decide how to proceed with words. I'm scared, I'm telling you: I'm not trained for this sort of thing!

Maybe she'll just let it go, but she's a dogged little child, so we'll see.

Labels: books, Jo, reading