Sunday 30/09/07. Jerome, priest AD420. Trinity 17.

As John Aliss of golfing fame would say: 'It's been a funny old week'. We have had mixed weather, stemming from early morning heavy frost to mild 14@C temperatures. The clamatis at the front window of the drawing room is again in flower. A crocus has appeared down the drive, together with a polyanthus! Glenshee and the Cairn Gorm have snow and are hoping for more, to start the ski-ing earlier this year, but I doubt it'll stay long enough for ski-ing yet. Of course, I blame Bush for heavily polluting the ozone layer and refusing to cut greenhouse gases because big business which support him in Office will suffer. Where is the morality in such greed?

The readings in church today centred around death, dying, and resurrection. The Rector seemed to emphasise the former whilst Colin, our Curate, preaching also from the same Lectionary, emphasised the latter at Cambuslang where he was Celebrating and preaching. Like the reading today from the scripture lesson of the rich man and the poor man - it depends which end you come from! Our new lady arrived back in church today, although her fiance has yet to venture in. Folk chatted her up, which was nice. Valerie and I were Sidesfolk today so were busy dealing with the congregation etc. We had a second count of the hefty Collection as we mis-counted; an unusual event for us, but we got it correct and I took it to the Night Safe down the road. Valerie, Dorothy and Grace were in the Church Hall rehearsing a biblical passage they were parodying for a Review by the Diocesan Council tonight at St Ninian's, Pollokshields. The Dean, who is also Rector of St Ninian's has a Russian Choir singing for us at Evensong and the local presbyterian, Church of Scotland Church are also presenting something, all in aid of a charity the C of S support in Glasgow. I also put up most of the Fire Notices together with location maps, in various venues at church, suitably laminated by Laurence. All this is to do with the new regulations emanating from the Office of the Scottish Charities Register, and Ecclesiastical Insurance. The regulating of Scottish charities is quite new as in the past there were no guidelines or checks. England always had the Charities Commissioner. This then, is all new to us, but no bad thing, although it entails much new work relating to Health & Safety.

Well, I did cut the remaining 2 lawns and then trimmed some hedges and gave up. I was pleased I did get a lot done in the garden, including sweeping leaves up. That was tiresome yet relaxing. This afternoon I punched in the postcode to my relatively new SatNav, of my friend the Treasuer, Laurence Maclaren, who lives in nearby Newton Mearns. I had never been to his house before but I let my SatNav direct me verbally. It was quite accurate, although nit directed me to number 19, instead of number 30 which I had requested. Obviously No 19 has a Sat Nav!