well,
this will be my happy new year post! tomorrow, I go to Geneva for Taize new year - i am very excited...a few last minute texts are flying between karl and i and dave and i about things we need to take...i have for plastic plates for them both...one green set, one blue set, mine is pink - not that I am being sexist about such things...! i have nearly packed apart from my hats, gloves, and my jeans that are drying on the radiator - although we are not leaving until about 5 in the afternoon...but sleeping bag, cushion, and blanket are packed....

Christmas was good - we had a beautiful mid-night mass at out church from the first time in many many years. It was nice to see matt, dave and karl there from Poverest Baptist - I read and did the bidding prayers, our readers training has apparently paid off...the carol service beforehand was also lovely! credit to Fr B - the church was full - i always said that it would be, Fr B doubted me for a little bit, but the little smile he gave me when walking down the aisle made me realise he knew i was right! he also liked the card that i made him for Christmas (our Taize service provided the photos for it). but i was so happy to have had a mid-night mass. The next day Dave took me to the Poverest service which was just good fun! we all swapped Christmas presents - and dave, karl and i played frisbee afterwards which was fun...lots of hugs, merry christmasses and kisses were exchanged - its such a friendly church - love it! we then went to collect babcia and we had my dads side of the family around, which was better then it usually was. i fell asleep on the sofa in the evening! the end of work is hitting me! i am quite tired!

today i got up late, and then fell asleep on the sofa again - and went to my nans to say goodbye to her before my holiday....have also got a little cold - sore throat and a sicky feeling - but i think the sicky feeling is more nerves for my holiday...packing has taken up a lot of today - i am deciding what clothes will make good layers for warmth! it is actually quite hard...

anyways, happy new year everyone...i normally do my good/bad/hopes on these type of things, but i have not had time to think about that...the last month has been very interesting in a few ways, and i have enjoyed spending time in a persons company, but it is all very confusing....but hey as has been said before!

take care everyone, i hope that you all take care, and look after each other....happy new year and may 2008 be blessed for you all
Zx

i would just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry christmas and a brilliant 2008! will try and blog before i go to Taize in Geneva with Dave and Karl this week!
also a quick happy birthday to Karl for yesterday....32 and still acting 3 - amazing!
and our four part silent night worked - yay!
Zx

busy busy busy again in these last few weeks! work has kept me on my toes for sure, but being able to say that you have organised an international research conference will be something! that is what i am doing - and I am learning a lot about Greenwich, snotty hotels and research politics as I go.

last night was Poverest Baptist Church Christmas Party - it was a LOT of fun! A "how well do you know your local churches quiz", with the help of my new friend Audrey (a sweet old lady who i kept company throughout the evening), i came joint first with Karl (although he had a lot of help from his dad - the minister of PBC), so i think I won! I also did karaoke for the first time...without the influence of alcohol. I tell you the PBC women do undertake a lot of peer pressure! but a blast of Uptown Girl later all was happy! Dave, Karl, Ruth and I also became the 2007 Beatles, with a fine rendition of Help! but it was a lot of fun - a big thank you to Chris who his fine projector and computer skills allowed it all to happen. They are a good church, and have welcomed me with open arms, and i thank them for that.

today, I have a choir re-hearsal - we are trying to learn silent night in 4 parts...it is a lot of fun! we shall see how it all goes. I also did all my Christmas shopping in 3 1/2 hours yesterday, which is a record, and i got my presents for my african girlies too, and some flowers for my mothers birthday which was on thursday, and which i missed as i was at breaking open the word (i had asked he previously if i could go - and she said yes - which was good, as i love BOTW), and the priest on thursday was a good egg, and got in the first round! my kind of priest! i also purchased karl and dave gloves for Geneva as i did not trust them to get their own, and it is very cold over their right now! Sarah informed me of her new lovely pink stripey gloves, which she said she thought of me when she purchased them...(Sarah and Chris made us awesome soup after church last week!)...seriously, lovely people!

My brother and sister in law have returned from madrid for good yesterday, i havent seen him since April, so that was pretty awesome...but when andrew comes back from australia, it will be very crowded at chez bajorek!

Thats about all for now i think...
stay tuned!
Zx

well, hello

it has been a busy few weeks since i last blogged. the biggest event I have been involved in is the Taize service held by Petts Wood churches together, and Bromley Deanery for national youth sunday. unfortunately, even with all the publicity that we gave it, not many youth came, but over 150 people came to the church, and we lit it all with candle-light, and we sang many chants. we sang some of the newer ones, inclding some of my favourites (el ama que'an den amore, behute mich gott, Bog jest milosci). sarah from PBC played the flute beautifully, Chris from PBC took some wonderful photos (i will put some up soon), and Dave allowed me to hide his ipod on the altar so we could record the whole service...it was very special. as i had to do so much in the service (sing the solo, read the english version of the reading, change the numbers on the number bored, pass the lighting candle round the church etc) i didnt get as much out of the service as i could have done - but it was still beautiful, and i am very much looking forward to going to Geneva over the new year to have some Taize time there.

i have had a bromley deanery meeting, where my idea of re-dedication/re-commitment has been very positively taken, and i have also managed to get the deanery to focus on youth, and we are now doing a feasibilty study to see if we can get a deanery youth worker! so yeah, that has been very positive.

um, work has been very busy, and a little bit stressful...but i am still enjoying it, and we have had many laughs recently, so that is always good.

everything else wise, after enjoying the singing at the taize service, some poverest baptist people and i are starting our own choir, and the first outing for us is their carol by candlelight service. i have been invited to their christmas party, and this week dearest dave turns 28 - so it is birthday party! I am going to PBC this weekend for their service, and there is another baptism there so that will be nice. i have gained a lot of support from people there, with Karl, Dave, Chris and Sarah, and when i get to see matt it is very good...

i have been trying to work on some stuff on the side too - when i get the time, and i am reading some very good books, one about St John of the Cross, and i am also doing my day by day advent readings. on saturday Carinna came over from Berlin, so Dave and i met up with her, and had a really good evening and a lot of fun. will be good to spend time with her and fabienne again in Geneva. I do have to say that Taize has shown a lot of opportunity to me, with making friends at other local churches, and international friends. I have a meeting with Fr B tomorrow about Taize next year, I definitely want to go for two weeks next year, so i can do some time in silence too!

wow, that was a lot to say. i am trying to think if we have watched any more of daves arty farty foreigh films...but i dont think we have - but we have watched one of mine - Pans labyrinth - a great film!

anyways, thats all for now folks...take care and God Bless
x