Moving on

I haven't blogged in so long I hardly know where to start. There is so much going on just now it is hard to know which bit to write about. I have finished another baby blanket and sent it off to baby Katie. I made the pattern up so it is a bit 'hit and miss' in places and would be difficult for anyone else to replicate with any accuracy (or should I say without the mistakes) but on the whole I am pleased with it.

I have moved on to yet another blanket for a friend's baby and a teddy for her older sister. The teddy is finished but I will post a pic when the blanket is finished so I can post about them both together.

The Sports Star has left for Uni which is a massive moving on moment for all of us. All is going well at the moment, she has settled in and is enjoying it all, doing loads of sport, winning competitions, getting her head round lectures and a new way of working. She has been lucky with flat mates who appear to be reasonably like minded and she has not gone far away from home which I think has made it easier for all of us.

The Music Man has suddenly grown up, also moving on in many ways. In the last month, he has started a paper round which sees him up at 6:30 every morning so he has much more day to fill. At the moment that seems to be with excessive guitar playing and Warhammer. He will also be moving into his room in the next week (as soon as I have made the curtains), the first time he has had a room of his own since his little brother was born.The Artist also seems more grown up, less of  a little kid and he too is looking forward to a room of his own and the chance to decorate it how he wants.

I am now in an all male household. So far it doesn't feel much different although I do miss the female company. I am moving on in many ways. I am now a mum to older children, indeed to one young woman who is making it on her own. The relationships are changing. However I don't seem to have any more time on my hands. I guess the home ed keeps me hands on for much longer than most parents can expect. That said I have just spent the day making a Lord of the Rings version of Monopoly with the Artist so there must be some time available, even if it very quickly swallowed.

I am also moving on in my spiritual life. Not necessarily by choice this time. The Vatican has (finally) issued a new missal, the words to the Mass that I have grown up with are no more. They are not totally different but different enough to make me think. This is a good thing. Except I am not so sure about some of the changes and very unsure of the reason behind them. Some of this is natural reticence about the change of something so familiar and loved, but some of it is grounded deeper. I will post more about it in the coming days but for now I have a lot to think about. In addition our parish church has closed on health and safety grounds and no one is sure whether the closure is permanent though it doesn't look good just now.

In fact so many things are different in my life that I feel like I have picked up someone else's along the way; as if somewhere during the summer holidays I went away and came back with the wrong luggage. Two children at home not three, no parish community to speak of, a grown daughter, an unfamiliar form of worship. God has pulled the rug out from under my feet all at once and I am yet to find out where I will land. We shall see. I am still singing, still knitting, still frantically trying to meet all my commitments, still going to Mass even though it feels odd to just sit in the bench and not be involved. I miss the praise and even though 'A leap of faith' is still going we may need a new name if we can no longer sing praise music as well as the secular. All will be well.