Hallelulah

Much needed uplifting weekend.
Felt pretty drained after Thursday's funeral, not to mention slightly fuzzy headed after downing a bottle of red.
Saturday we were invited a close friend of ours' M, holy communion.
I met his Mum at NCT classes when I was pregnant with Romany and she was pregnant with M.
We were never particularly close during the classes, but the first night out we ever had with the group found just the two of us at 2am in a club dancing to Madonna... our magnificent breasts filled up to the brim as we'd never left our babies for that long. Somehow I knew we'd be friends.

Neither Reg nor I and definitely not Romany and Cole had ever been to the Catholic Holy Communion. Our kids go to a Church of England school so we not strangers to the Methodist Church.

We had to get there for 9.30 which involved much organisation and delivering of ultimatums. Get dressed now, don't argue, clean your teeth or you not going to BBQ celebration after Church... and that was just to Reg. (I know, cheap gag... but makes me laff)

Bribed Ro into a gorgeous dress and wrote her a cheque for my life-savings to get her to wear her hair out. (She has got The Most Fantastic curly hair but wishes for "flat" hair and spends ages brushing and spraying it - which of course makes it bigger and frizzier)
So we all got there on time with our shoes on the right feet... the kids were given a stern talking to on the way about sitting still and not burping loud.
Cole wore his one and only smart-shirt - Tesco's finest - but somehow still looked like he should be surfing the waves somewhere.

The service was interesting. I do like the rituals of religion and I liked the jolly joke-cracking Priest who conducted it. (A different Priest opened the gig by Shhhing us all into the microphone, then reeled off a list of things we weren't allowed to do ie. take photos, cartwheel down the aisle etc etc. He was lacking in charisma to say the least.)
Was relieved when he was relegated to back-up-guy and jolly priest took centre stage.
There was much standing up then sitting down.
Repeating lines and shaking hands.
Romany turned to me at one point and said, "This is very complicated."
As it was my second time in one week to find myself in church - the other being Granpop's funeral - I was amazed to find the exact same hymn my Granpop chose there in front of me again.
I really had to try my best to do the delicate eye-dabbing kind of crying rather than the red-faced, snotty gulping type I specialise in.


Another favourite bit to me was standing up for a rather long speech from Jolly Priest and Ro whispering to me to ask if she could sit down.
I replied with, "Just stand up til the end of this bit, then you can."
I literally ended that sentance and the Jolly Priest said: "And Jesus replied, Let them Sit Down."
Ro just looked at me and shrugged then parked herself back on the pew.
(she also pulled out her MP3 player but no permission was given for that so I put it away)

Cole struggled as at no point in the ceremony were we asked to run really fast or kick a football really high or do a fake burp.
His addition to the goings on were, just after Jolly Priest had sung a couple of lines, Cole whispered in my ear: "Washing machines last longer with Calgon."
Amen.
(What do you mean he watches too much tv...)

The most enlightening part was the service ended, we all went straight into the church hall where THE BAR OPENED. It was only 12 o'clock mid-day.

The rest of the day was spent back at M's house with a huge BBQ and lots and lots of lovely people. The sun shone and the children played in the huge green leading from the garden where we sat.

It was good timing for me and a reminder of beginnings and endings and all that is in between.

Have got a belter of a week ahead of me: lots of work, car with crunchy brakes to sort, final Commitee meetings for Fun Run I am helping to organise which is next Saturday... had a restful day today laying in the park occasionally throwing a frisbee in the sunshine.

Ready to begin again Monday morning, with my new mantra: washing machines last longer with calgon