Handel, challenges, new hope and life!

Hi you wonderful people

I am sorry that it has taken so long to write the next posting and had not realised I have not written one for five months. There must be a correlation between life's challenges and the frequency of the posting!! We have a plant in the Faculty that I have called Gloria ( the glory of nature!) but it is not looking too glorious at the moment and has almost died. I do think it is a picture of my spiritual life but, as it is spring I do have hope of the resurrection of the plant and my spiritual life!! TIme will tell. This says that the hycinths feed the soul!

Hasn't Handel's 250th Anniversary been remarkable on Radio 3? I DO not think it a coincidence that it is his annivesary and my 50th, as the words of so much of his choral work inspires me and his music fills me with such hope (that word again!. Last night 2 very dear friends and I went to St Albans Abbey to hear Harry Christophers and the Sixteen perform Handel. We had the cheapest seats but a brilliant side view of him conducting ( which was enthralling) and afterwards I spoke to him and some of his choir. Must have thought "another weirdo fan". I said that the concert was inspirational and that on May 12th I would be 50 and attending their concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and could he throw in Zadok the Priest which they had just done as it was amazing!! Unfortunately H.C. told me that they had no trumpet players that day!! We did have quite a laugh and I then suggested Jeptha act 3 "Angels shall waft their wings" instead.

I do not know if you have had chance to listen to Michelle Obama's speech on Channel 4 or the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school website but it was wonderful and have recommended our girls hear it at some point. I am sure those girls will remember that day for the rest of their lives. I think they are a great couple and clearly love and respect each other deeply. I loved the fact she gave the Queen a hug as it was so spontaneous. I know he said in the Independent that the Americans had been guilty of gross arrogance but that Europe had been guilty of anti -Americanism. They would make such great guests at dinner. I see the State Department has boycotted the UN meeting this week as it is too pro -Israel and pro Europe

It has been a very difficult few months and as some of you know my dad had been very ill and school very kindly gave me time off. So much has been going on and since I prayed that prayer on 30th December about making that book reality in my life, 95% of my life has been challenged and I am worn out with it. However the last 3 days I feel it has taken a turn although I cannot say logically why I feel that. It is all good for the soul and growing as a person!!!

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Some of you know that I have discovered the Firmdale Hotels ( see website) and dear Ali and Val ( the Ritz friends with their husbands) and I met at the Haymarket one for coffee and then went to the Monmouth Street one in Covent Garden for lunch. I would definately recommend them. I absolutely love sword fish which was OTT in price at £18 and I wanted to try the set lunch as I have ideas about going with different people in the year! Half way through the 1st course I was told by the waiter that the chef was very unhappy with the snapper on the set menu and would I like sword fish instead!! He apologised profusely but I was grinning ear to ear! Lord you really do exist I thought. as I have begun to doubt that in recent months!! Not really but it has definately been very tough in failing to hear Him say hardly anything much in the last 5 months about flipping difficult issues that have almost made me give up but not quite as I never give up on what I think is important in life.

Great to see the wonderful Claire and David recently and the probability of me getting the wonky teapot at the Grove is amazingly high!! They must see me coming. I think I have had it at least 70% of the times, so there was David with his pen knife fixing the silver teapot much to Claire's and mine amusement. You are not allowed in the lounge in weekends if not a resident, but as they remembered the "green and purple lady" and the receptionist was an ex-student we got in!! In the evening on another day I went with a very old friend and the peace on the place, the hibiscus and the general wow factor of the sun going down and the exquisite fragrances were magical. I plan to go with lots of people in the next few months as everyone who wants to should have the chance to go and I will be going this week with someone I hardly know but has always been one of my favourite people from church.

The sister of a friend who died 3 years ago invited me to the Saachi Gallery the other Friday evening. To say the art was not to my taste is the understatement of the year and, whilst both of us were saying what utter rubbish, our heads suddenly turned 90 degrees to find out where the free wine was! She is an art expert and has written for magazines but neither of us were inspired and we were laughing so much about the ridiculous art that one lady looked at us helpless with laughter as if were guilty school children!! It was good to laugh as I remember reading Martha Gellhorne's book a few years ago and some of her sayings really struck me and lack of hope at times stayed with me. One was "she had nobody to laugh with anymore" and I found that so hard and pray I will never get to that stage. As the fridge magnet says" A wasted day is a day when we have not laughed."

Recently I went on a school trip to Marlow and despite the rain, it was an awesome day as I found loads of things I needed including a heart necklace, had a remarkable conversation with a lady in a shop which had lots of antique things and the words LOVE in gold which appealed. I spied a purple and green pram of a 3 year old so asked permission to photograph it so I could put on the blog but cannot upload from Picassa!! I also found a verse from Romans 15 v 13 about the God of hope fill you will hope and peace as you trust in Him.on a church notice board I felt God gave me that verse for 2009. I asked the church if I could have it, they referred me to the group who produced it but they sent me one with the RIGHT verse but WRONG picture. Not the crocus but red and yellow flowers!! I will ring the church again and offer them more money for theirs!!

I have had an incredibly painful foot and shoulder over Easter so I am hoping that the treatment from a friend on the former will help and I I think I.need physio on the other I had the great pleasure of seeing 2 ex-students in London recently one planned where we had a glass of wine and the other was an old A level student and we both ended up sitting in 1st class as we were told we could for nothing. It was great to see her and see the change in her since school. Her face reflected that so much. Faces intrigue me and I think they are like houses!!! Open or not, welcoming or not. It struck me again on a Geography trip recently when we were looking at houses!!

In a new MILK book on Friendship it says "a friend brings the soul alive" and I think there is alot of truth in that. Thank you to all those wonderful people who make my soul come alive every time we spend time together and it does not mean only people I have known for years. I have been seeking the answer to the line between being fond of people and loving them to bits and been thinking alot about it over the last 30 years of making friends. I think one key is this ability of the other to bring the soul alive. If any of you have any other ideas I would love to know. I was also reading a book the other day and Nancy Doran said " Most people do not have someone that believes in them". I wonder if that is true or not?

I have given up wine now until the birthday as really want Him to talk to me about several issues. I feel St Benedict is significant and he keeps cropping up - in Salisbury the other day with the wonderful Sue, friends children go to ST B, a confirmation was there, I found a book and a friend's husband mentioned him all in the space of ten days. He speaks so much about loving others. I will be celebrating throughout the year with many of you and over May have concerts, lunches, Ritzs visits and........

The next few weeks are uncertain as regards the job front and I keep looking but nothing has popped up yet. Curiously I have felt a real peace about it for months since being told cuts would come. He opened up this job and will do so again so I trust. I am uncertain of the future but certain of Him and His character in every way so must continue to look. All will be well as He cannot fail me. It may not be easy but all will be well.

So much love to each one of you
May hope, joy, peace, love characterize our lives in the coming weeks. Hope is so crucial in every sphere and been meaning to do a study on it.

Love Flissxx

The fridge magnet above says " Some people make the world more special just by being in it" and I know loads of you have it because I have given it to you. If I give it to you again and you already have it tell me and I will take it back and give to someone else or you can pass it on to someone you love.