A Borrowed Car

Posted Friday 6 July 2012

The car had to go to the garage this morning for its MOT and I was offered a more earthy vehicle to keep me on the move as the work was done.  I was certainly noticeable for the next two days.  It started easily enough and I drove the 4×4 back to Arpafeelie where I had a meeting with my PA, a meeting with a prospective ordinand and a celebration at St John’s Arpafeelie for St Barnabas - the car was just there in case.

I drove it back to the garage on Tuesday morning excepting to pick my own one up.  Sadly it wasn’t ready so I headed back across the Kessock Bridge in the borrowed vehicle and travelled towards Hill of Fern. As I put my foot down to overtake I looked in the rear view mirror.  Were we in for a thunderstorm for it had gone very dark?  No, the car was imitating an old steam engine and jettisoning large quantities of black smoke from its exhaust. Well, by the time I had been to my meeting in Fern and had got back to Arpafeelie, I had been gestured at in the most interesting ways.  I had learned not to try and lip read, it was too rude, and many drivers had tested their horns as they passed me by. I am not at all sure what the couple in the open top convertible were actually saying as they were from Germany, but I don’t think it was good morning! Needless to say I had slipped out my collar and pocketed my pectoral and prayed no one recognised me. Thankfully my faithful vehicle was ready by tea time and I was able to drive sedately and cleanly to a vestry meeting at St Michael’s, Inverness.

The following day was one of those that sneaks up on you and then makes you jump. My first meeting was in Inverness at 9.30am, then out to Alturlie Point until 12.00 noon. Home for a lunch, a meeting on finance, then an Admin Board Meeting immediately followed by Standing Committee which ended in time to prepare for the evening Youth Meeting. If I don’t lose weight it really isn’t fair. Thursday was a lovely day as Canon Alison led the evaluation day for those in ministry training.  Patsy and Sarah are both progressing well and it is all exciting, Patsy is training as a Lay reader while Sarah is training for Full time Priestly Ministry.  Let’s keep up the good work and find others to join them.

On Friday I was beginning to wonder if my voice was ever going to return, I had lost it at General Synod.  There were those of course who saw this croaky silence as bliss, but I was getting irritated. We drove through for a lovely evening with friends in Elgin; it is just wonderful to have people who you are so comfortable and relaxed with. As we drove home the world caved in and whatever had been brewing inside of me broke out and by Saturday morning I was feeling so ill. I rested all day, which sadly meant me missing the Godly Play day at L’Arche and the afternoon tea at St John’s, Inverness. This gave me sufficient energy to join the congregation at Gordon Chapel Fochabers as I licensed two Eucharistic Ministers, Janet and Daphne. I was also able to view the wonderful Burne Jones windows that have just come back following cleaning. As is always the case we had a lovely lunch in the Parish room and Priest’s House and we smiled as we drove off. We drove straight to the family house in Glenlivet where we both slept the afternoon away before driving to Aberlour for an evening Eucharist. I smiled through it all and then collapsed into the car. And that was it until the following Friday.