Cranford, Life and Fliss's Purple and Green Society!

Hi you gems.

This will be my last blog posting of the year and it is frightening to know WHERE 2007 has gone. When I was young, elderly people told me how fast time was going and now I am saying it myself….!!

Before I go on, this is a message for Kate if you are still reading the blog! I nearly popped in on Friday 30th and have never thought of doing that before. Two days later at church in the middle of a conversation about a Bach concert, Ruth suddenly asked me, out of the blue, whether I had thought of popping in to see you!! I know I once suggested coffee and I still have 3 places in mind – the Grove, Batlers Green Tea Shop or Home and Colonial in Berkhamsted so of course the offer still stands as you probably already know. You can bring your mp3 player. I do not mind!


You might like to know that I REALLY have flipped this time as I have started a Fliss’s Purple and Green Appreciation Society for anyone who likes those colours. Apparently the world has caught up with me as they are this year’s colours!! You can join via Facebook if you find me on there. How wacky is that and would you believe I already have 27 members who must, like me, lead very sad lives!! My amazing niece thinks her favourite aunt ( her only aunt) is the saddest one on the planet, so naturally I am trying to get her to join, so that her street cred might go up!! The suffragettes wore PURPLE and GREEN and you might know that Ruth gave me a word about Mary Poppins on 1st February and in the film is a clip about the wife joining the above. I do NOT think my choice of colours and the above are co-incidental. I seem to think I wrote that last month!

Congratulations to the amazingly classy Ali who recently celebrated her 50th birthday in London. Well done John for organising such a great evening and it was wonderful to see Danny and Molly too. I will try and get those photos on CD but at the moment am absolutely run off my feet. You stars! It was also wonderful to see Val and Ian too. Ali, Val and I also did Ladies who lunch in London in November and that is me above outside Harvey Nicks with my colours!!

I wonder how many of you are among the millions enjoying the delights of Cranford? Eileen Atkins is one of my favourite actresses and I will never forget her performance in Wit with Emma Thompson. She is in a play in London in January so if it appeals to anyone let me KNOW. I will probably write to her. Max Hastings stated the following in a recent article and I could not agree more:

“Miss Mitford, like Mrs Gaskell, understood the joy of belonging. .. Today we possess prosperity, freedoms, comforts beyond the dreams of the inhabitants of Cranford in 1842. But we bask in the portrayal of their little world on our screens because we perceive there a stability and continuity, a sharing of pleasures and burdens, which we have lost. We love to be privileged visitors, glimpsing good things gone from our own modern lives. It’s characters have virtues we wish we had not lost.”

The next two weeks will find me out to lunch( not full lunches) about 5 times, two Christmas meals and evening celebrations too. I am also going out to lunch with someone I hardly know who has been sharing a 6th form registration group with me and has been very kind, as I simply do not know the ropes. It always find it brilliant when these kind of things open up. We also had the Parmiter’s Prayer group meal at a Chinese near my old school which I have always wanted to try so thanks Helen for organising that.

On the social front once again, thank you to John for lunch in St Albans. I hope you and Judith enjoyed your celebrations, liked the little pressies. It was a great shame that Judith was at the Parmiter’s Craft fair

I have also put concerts back in my life by going to a Bach, Monteverdi and some Italian composers, the school concert and I will be going to the Carol Service at school which clashes with Handel’s Messiah at the Albert Hall. I also want to see Shadowlands but it closes next Saturday and Mary Poppins!

I can now tell you that a friend on the staff in the R.S. Department is leaving the school as she believes that God has other things for her and she wants to spend more time with her children. She is a huge loss to the school and makes me laugh so much. I know that some of you know that since 6th February I felt that the job was going to be extended but never knew how! I will be working 2 days from January but must make up the rest with supply. I know He will provide and feel a total peace about most aspects of staying on! I know that I will be in tears this week as I will see my classes for the last time. How embarrassing!!

I have said it before but God has really provided the most amazing people at the school and there are many staff, both teaching and none -teaching, who I really think a lot of. I have found only grace in abundance, kindness, humility and a great sense of humour among those who are dealing with me directly. They all leave me miles behind in the above qualities and it brings me to the edge of tears sometimes at such mercy and grace as EVERYONE knows I can be OTT and stroppy about the things I feel passionate about!! What me stoppy!! I know you are amazed as you have never seen that side of my character before! In my dreams!!!

So you gems and amazing people, may you be blessed with peace, joy, love and grace this Christmas and in 2008. Thank you so much for all the times you have blessed my life beyond measure. I thank the Lord each time I remember you all. Here is to more coffee, cake, wine etc in 2008 with all you dearly loved people and all the new people I will meet or get to know more in the coming year !!

Much love now and always. .
Flissxxxx

PS Taken at the Grove last month on a sunlit evening conveying a real sense of peace with a gracious, kind, funny and classy person who has put up with alot since 6th Feb!! I am confident all will be well and she will continue to be all the above and more!

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