Many, many moons ago, when I was a serious theological student at Tisec some of us created a spoof magazine called Taking the Episcopalian. Much of it was created in the back of the class and other times in the pub. (Ok, I was not such a serious theological student.) And oh, what fun we had. The satire flew thick and fast and copies changed hands for more dosh than a student grant. (Ok, they were free but they really were queuing up to get hold of them - and that includes the tutors - Ok, not all of them.)

Well, dear readers, it is back. Gareth Saunders, co-author and producer of TTE all those years ago, has revived Taking the Episcopalian in blog-format and you can find it here. Looks like the archives are in there too so you might even find some of my nonsense. (And no, I’m not telling you which for fear of litigation.)

Just back from a 5-day course with Bridge Builders on Mediation and Facilitation in the Church. (Bridge Builders are part of the London Mennonite Church and their ‘thing’ is peacemaking and mediation.) Never have I been on such an intensive course which left me feeling quite so exhausted. Each day felt like three and I feel like I can barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone on Monday when we began. The teaching style was excellent and worked for me; the content was superb (on the whole); my emotions have run the gamut from angry to empathetic; and the learning was intense and useful.

I will say that it was not quite what I was expecting but that could be more to do with my poor preparation rather than anything misleading on their part. So for a while I was a little disappointed. However, I know that there is a lot more I would like to do in this area and other courses await. It was also one of those courses that you wish all clergy-in-training should have.

The biggest down-side was the venue: Scottish Churches House in Dunblane. I know that they are about to start a refurbishment programme and only hope that our feedback comments are taken into account.

It is going to take time to process it all and read through the manuals and notes taken. But no doubt you will hear more - or experience some of it first-hand - in the future.

St Mark’s Portobello held its first Silent Auction for many a year yesterday and it was a wash-out. Few people turned up despite posters round Portie and much publicity in church. As a result there were many bargains to be had which was quite soul destroying really. Great items went for a £1 and many, many didn’t go at all. One old lady had donated a lot of stuff because she is down-sizing and came along to see how much it made for St Mark’s. Pennies.  Okay, not everything was what I might call a ‘treasure’ but one person’s meat is another person’s poison, as they say.

So why did it fail? Was the timing wrong in that the schools broke up on Friday and some folk are on holiday? Do people not like Silent Auctions?

The people I felt most sorry for were the few volunteers who put their heart and soul into getting it ready. There was a lot of preparation and moving of furniture and I could see they were disappointed when so few came through the door.

But do not be disheartened little flock. Your reward will be in heaven!

I couldn’t take it any more. The brown hair, that is. Son #2 loved it and thought it most becoming for a mature, matronly priestly figure. Me? I hated it. Your hair should reflect your personality, right? (Does yours?) And brown, dare I say it, boring, hair does not reflect mine. You see, I don’t just choose purple to go with all my clothes. I guess its all to do with being a strong E in the old Myers Briggs scale.

So yesterday I toddled off to the hairdresser again to have it all righted. I knew it would be difficult to cover the whole thing but was happy to accept a little purple streak until things all grew out and I could go back to my purple roots. So I was delighted to learn that the whole thing could indeed be covered up with another semi-permanent colour in purple. Not quite as purple as before, you understand, but purple all the same. Result!

Gabby, my usual colourist and stylist, couldn’t do the colour as they were fitting me in as an emergency, so I was put in the safe hands of a girl whose name I forget. She lathered on the dye and I did comment that it looked rather ginger, not wanting to make a big fuss. She assured me it would be fine and left me under the space heater with a copy of Hello. Five minutes later she came back - just to have a wee check - and after prodding the top of my head and examining the hair at close scrutiny, decided that yes, indeed it was rather ginger and it would have to come off and started all over again.

The next colour didn’t look ginger at all but there was a definite scarlet hue about it all. But I was assured that this was needed to counteract the brown-ness. Back to Hello. (I might add at this point that usually I can’t read magazines in the hairdresser because I have to take my specs off for fear of turning the legs purple - well, more purple, I should say. But this time I had brought along an old pair of reading glasses - how clever am I? Of course this also meant that I could see much better all around and my red head did make me a little uneasy.)

Gabby came back for the revealing of the new ‘purple’ head and looked a little uncertain. It’s very red, she muttered. But the colourist assured her that when it was dried it would indeed be purple - it was only the roots that were reddish. A quick blast of the hairdrier and before I could say “This will clash with my episcopal purple specs” Gabby had pronounced that it was indeed red - all over, albeit redder at the roots, and wouldn’t do at all.

This time Gabby pronounced that it would have to be done all over again with a permanent tint. In proper purple this time. And I was assured that my hair would not all fall out. What trust we put in our hairdressers. This time the stuff slathered on my head did indeed look purple and I was put back under the heater with a copy of OK, having finished Hello. (Colleen’s wedding seemed to take up the whole issue, btw.)

Two and a half hours later I left with a head of rather dark purple, Elvis looking, hair. But at least it ain’t brown. I can live with it. Aren’t you glad?

Edinburgh Diocese has launched a new website. You can find it here. It was designed by Justin who also does the SEC website. It’s nice to have that sort of design continuity. And what an improvement on the last one! This one fits on my screen, for a start.

You will also find on it the transcript from +Brian’s talk on pre-Lambeth which I attended last Monday. It was an excellent talk but there was a lot in it and I did think at the time that it really merited reading rather than listening. There’s a lot in it. Mother Kimberly has made an intelligent response over on her Blog which is also worth reading.

Spent the morning in church with 13 children from Chernobyl and their teachers. This is the third year this group have been coming to Portie for a month to stay with host families. The belief is that with good food and medical treatment that will improve their health dramatically and help counteract the effects of radiation poisoning. They are charming and polite and were really interested in our wee church.

Back home now for an afternoon of laminating.

Now, take heed, little blog-flock - this story is sure to run and run…

For some time now, it has been evident that the Boiler at the Rectory is on its last legs. Several repairs have indicated that spare parts are no longer available and it is reckoned that it won’t last another winter. It is old and tired and I know how it feels. The only difference between us is that I have hot flushes and it doesn’t.

Scottish Gas came to give an estimate to replace it with a Combi-boiler, whatever that is. It seemed very expensive so the Vestry suggested I get another estimate. This I did and it was interesting to learn that the two estimees did not ask the same questions or look at the same things. The costs were reported to the Vestry who baulked at the price and now I have to have another estimate. That happened today and I was told yet another story.

My question is: who do I believe? Which system is the best one? Do I need new valves on radiators or not? Three people have told me three different things. All I really want is hot water and heating when its cold. Not much to ask really.

Like I said, this story is going to run and run…

Last day of the Sunday School year and Family Service this morning so it was all go. We launched our Growing Season project, thanks to Mother Kimberly,  and all took away our plant pots to fill with a pound a week. This week our spiritual growth task is to read a Gospel and I’m looking forward to hearing how it all goes.

The church was packed with lots of children which was lovely. I was even presented with a lovely gift from the Sunday School - bless them. Then we had lunch and games outside with much hilarity. There was a Treasure Hunt and one of the clues was ‘Find Our Lady’ and bless them, if they didn’t think that was me!!

Then Mick Magic arrived and we were entertained to tricks, balloons, jokes, a real rabbit and Nog the Dragon. A screaming success - and I think the grown-ups enjoyed it too. As I watched him going through his routine it did occur to me that this would have been a useful thing to learn at Theological College. A few more magic tricks for children and less of the old Philosophy and we’d all be a lot more happy.

Busy day yesterday which began with sorting out bids for our upcoming Silent Auction (Sat 28th 2-4pm). You have to be careful when you are doing this sort of job with others. It is easy to gasp in horror at some treasures but you must always remember that it may be someone’s loved objet. One person’s treasure is another person’s hideous gift.

Then it was off to North Berwick with P via a rather circuitous route - Tantallon Castle was looking lovely. Round and round we drove because my AA directions depended on me getting that first turn-off, which I didn’t. But finally we found it and were just a little late for a Cursillo lunch and catch up with old friends.

Then M, P and I headed off (with M’s Tom Tom) to the Borders Book Festival to hear Salley Vickers. Just as we arrived so did the rain and it was a rather damp affair. The Festival looked a little disappointing and a handful of books in a chilly tent didn’t really inspire us to buy anything. Somehow I imagined it would be a little more like Hay on Wye but it was not to be. So we had a quick coffee and then huddled together in a draughty tent to hear Salley Vickers.

What I hadn’t realised was that she would merely be talking about her new book Where Three Roads Meet - part of the myth series published by Canongate. Famous authors were asked to take a myth story and do what they like with it so SV took the Oedipus story and tied it in with Freud’s last days. Not really like her other books, all of which I have loved. And all the while the rain battered down upon the tent and we got very cold indeed.

Lashings of rain all the way home but we made it safe and dry.

I was listening to the Today programme this morning and heard a discussion on the European Union. I missed the beginning but I think the gist of it was that some countries might vote on something that not everyone can agree with. What was proposed was an A la Carte European Union.

Immediately that made me think of the Anglican Communion. We don’t need a Covenant - we need an Anglican Communion a la carte. We need to read from the same menu but have our own choices. We do that already with issues such as the ordination of women so why not with everything?

And on the subject of women… go over to Fr Simon’s blog for an excellent and heartfelt article on the upcoming vote for women bishops in the Church of England.