Bach went soooo well this weekend! Just amazingly. On saturday we had the first performance in the evening, and this was also the first time we had sung it through completely with the orchestra and the soloists. And i cried...it was so moving. Bach's interpretation in St John's passion is just so good. Sunday night was however, even better...just amazing. Our choir was formed 10 weeks ago...of people who had not even sung this type of music before. The soloists could not believe it, the audience could not believe it.

I am so glad that I got involved in the project - not only did it challenge me vocally, but it also challenged me spiritually and emotionally. Being teary and trying to sing is hard. But the buzz I had when we had finished was just so incredibly amazing.

and an added bonus was that I managed to have a good long chat with our special soloist - the ex G4 man Ben, and my priest was laughing at me a lot...but then was later encouraging flirting! oh dear. But the photographer came at a good moment to get this shot:

As you can see it was a little impromptu - it was more like a come here there is a camera infront of us, shot - but I still like it.

This was 10 minutes before we went out to sing...and it was nice to see that even professionals suffer from nerves.

I want to publicly thank my priest Fr Bryan Wells for persuading me to do this, and challenge and push me in such a way. I really thank him!

just to say, Bach is going really well - our rehearsal today was really good, so there is hope for next week when we perform.

all else, this last week has been a hard week - i have been forced to talk about issues, and think back over a) in one conversation the last 10 years of my life, and b) in another conversation the last 8 months of my life...both were hard, and not very nice conversations which have left me in a little turmoil as to what to do now, next and in the future...and how to cope and even begin to understand why things have happened

lets see what this week brings up..

but here is a photo of good times:

This is Karl, Dave and I on our trip to Switzerland over the new year. Beautiful scenary, great friends, and lots of laughing happened that day...as well as snowball fights, and a good pub visit in the evening.

This was a good time...

a few more things that I had forgotton to mention. Last weekend we had family from the USof A over which was really cool (i had to leave for over 2 hours for my Bach rehearsal), but some of the family I had never even met before, including the cutest little 5 1/2 year old Lily! I absolutely LOVED being called Auntie Zosia all day - it was amazing fun. Just playing with her, and colouring in, and introducing her to all my cuddly toys...and then there was the tickling! It was so much fun...my brothers at the end of the day kept on asking just how little kids want to play with me all the time! I dont know!

obviously - there is the Bach Sy Johns passion I am involved in. If anyone who reads this lives in my area then come along - Saturday the 15th its in the URC church, and Sunday the 16th its in my Parish church. and if you want any more incentive, the main evangelist is someone who used to be in G4 - i know that doesnt sound really cool, but for a little church production - we are pretty pleased about it.

and finally - can we pray for my church...not only are we doing the Bach - but I am involved in getting a senior youth group going for when the 50 teenages get confirmed they still have some faith formation available to them, and I am also trying to get a 20's-30's eccumenical group going also. I have a lot of support from my priest who is so encouraging, but prayer is needed to help this all happen!

well, we shall see what happens....

eek!
i shall soon be presenting MY research at a professional conference - eeek! very scarry but very exciting...i say my research - i mean a co-project that i researched for and co-wrote with a member of my team at work..but yeah - all very exciting!

that's about it really. am desigining a new leaflet for work - its nearly done - we had a mini photo shoot at work today - it was bizarre but funny!

um, not much else to report at the moment...am maybe getting some church stuff underway...and the Passion of St John by Bach is coming along nicely, although it is the most challenging piece of music I have ever sung!

so, as I said, I am going to do a little blog of my little eastern european travels.
the holiday started on the friday night, with how many travels with Dave and Karl start, trying to sleep at a transport terminus...this time Luton airport. On the Saturday morning we had a very early check in and flight to Berlin....and we arrived in a tram/bus/underground strike...making the trip to our hostel difficult but not impossible. some street trampelining, and a long walk via churches later, and during a snow flurry we reached the Brandenburg gate...
several tours of the city were undertaken....including the third reich tour, the red communist tour, and a tour of the local regal town Potsdam. An evening with Esther who we met in Geneva happened - it was great, we all talked about our testimonies, a real bond. We also met with Corinna. I did some stuff on my own - like the Catholic cathedral, a bombed church in West Berlin, the Berlin Dom, and many other Berlin buildings - including the synagogue. I was mastering the German underground and over ground systems. We all went to check-point charlie, and we all walked up and down the remaining sections of the Berlin wall. The history behind berling in fascinating, it is like the city will never learn....i personally found the city quite bleak, but it was the history i admired.

an overnight coach journey, and then we arrived, once again in the very early hours of another city -Krakow - an emotional city for me...ot had been 9 years since my last visit to Poland. A mastering of the tram system, and the use of my Polish meant we arrived at the hostel safely. then an exploration of Krakow occurred, and an opportunity for me to go to Mass too. we saw the openning of the altar, and many many many other churches - every other building seemed to be a building of religious significance. we went to Wawel castle and cathedral (2 minutes away from the hostel), and a bottle of wodka later, we went out for dinner with another person we met in our hostel, and played pool, and i sustained a head injury (thanks to Karl). during our time in Poland, we went to Auschwitz and Birkenau. It was so very sad - still unbelievable as to what occurred - and the size of Birkenau is just crazy - and to think that over half of it has already been pulled down. I mean - just crazy. Standing in the gas chamber brought shivers down my spine - i mean, the number of people that lost their life in that room - it was just awful. not so much of a happy day, but a day that means that when seeing such a place, hopefully something of this scale cannot and should not happen again. that evening we met with some of Daves friends from England, who most certainly do not know how to treat a woman. Dave locked us out of our hostel (Karl and I) that evening, and no matter how much poo Karl threw at the window, he was not to be woken...so some, Krakow middle of the night, and sun-rise later, we found a bar called tequila - so what did we drink at 7 am - you guessed it! we certainly paid for it later in the salt mines....

....an overnight train journey to Prague (having met my relative at the station), and you guessed it, another early morning arrival in another city...Prague greated us with very very cold weather. we had a tour of the city, and then washed and cosied ourselves up to do more Prague discovery, before finding a yummy restaurant - and a much deserved sleep. the next day was the church, cathedral, castle of Prague, and dinner, and the last day was tv tower, mozarts residence, a dancing building and last minute eiffeling of things, before the airport, and home....to in a break of tradition, a late night arrival at Gatwick.

It was a good holiday...I was emotional for some of it...due to various things that happened before and during the holiday - but all the different histories that we heard, saw and discussed were very interesting, and the two boys were just lovely. they do have respect for a woman and i appreciated that for the whole time i was out there.

it will now be a very long time before i have a next holiday (most probably be Taizé this summer), but 4 countries in the space of a month has been good enough for me...although I do want to go further afield - india will be great, as would china, and now obviously NZ...so much i want to do and see...we shall see.

travelling unleashes something in me...a sense of discovery, not just of my surroundings, but of myself. I was surpised that I did so much stuff on mine own, and that I had the courage to speak to random people in languages i have not spoken in a long time. it gave me a sense of I can do things, but also highlighted my weaknesses, and what I really must battle with. But most importantly, it highlighted the joy that my travel Bible and prayer book can bring in times of need.

so, berlin, krakow and prague have now all been ticked off - more will be said about that soon - today's post has a special message. holiday with the boys was great - i love them both dearly as friends, which is why these last few days have been hard, as today Karl flew back out to New Zealand. I am sad. i thought that Friday was going to be my last night to say goodbye, so we went out, and Dave gave karl and I some time at the end of the night to say goodbye. we hugged, a close tight hug, and we didnt want it to end. i gave him my card, and hugged again - and before i cried infront of him, i got back into daves car when the tears came.

but then, last night, i had just out the last fork of my tea into my mouth, and a phone call happened. Chris, Sarah, dave and I were going to spend his last night with him. we went out, and he said thanks to us all for everything (i tried hard not to cry), another long hug, and a see you later, and that was it...

I heard from him from the air port this morning...he got to check in on time, and that was good news, and we are keeping in touch, and I have assured him, I am going to do all I can to get myself better.

Can we pray that he finds a job and a home in NZ, and he also finds a new church to join, where he feels welcomed, and that he uses God in all the decisions that he makes.

It just means that when i have the funds and the holiday accrued, I am just going to have to make my way to NZ, where I know that I have someone to welcome me and show me around. I will miss him as God provided him at a time when everything else was not looking so positive in my life, and we talked candidly about God, relationships and everything in between in an open manner which i really appreciated.

but, there are many more new people for me to get to know. I am doing more things with different churches so I hope to meet more new people, but hopefully not many more from the other side of the world as I hate saying goodbye to people, and especially when they live so many time zones away!

my work have very kindly given me my time off at a time when we are very busy, so i can do a mini tour of eastern europe with the boys karl and dave starting v early saturday morning, so we can have a holiday before karl very sadly returns to new zealand. it should be good, but i am sure that it will also be sad - i know that i will miss an amazing friend - he has been there for me through a lot of hard times in the last 6 months, and listened to me, and has helped me spiritually. he was the first adult I saw get baptised (have subsequently seen a few more, and think it amazing when these people commit themselves to God in such a way), and yeah - i think the people who have met him will all miss him. but it gives me the excuse to go back to NZ...but anyway - work kindly gave me the time off - even though i only gave them a weeks notice, so that we can spend this time together.

however, this week, work has been getting their moneys worth out of me...i have worked so hard, and i am so tired, but hey...

other than that, its all just plodding along.

Its been a while since i have blogged - but hey, what can you do? i have been very busy, and also very down, so not only have i not had time to write, i have not really been in the mood to either. work has been busy, which is good, as it takes my mind off my bad mood which has developed. I am mastering the happy face again at the moment, Karl and Dave are beginning to notice it though - well we spend so much time together that it is not surprising. We are going on holiday next week, as we want to show Karl a bit more of Europe before he goes back to New Zealand...a fact that we are sad about.

Last night was the good bye do for Peter, Carole (from Poverest Baptist), and informally for Karl. I was singing Simon and Garfunkel for them with the Poverest band, and I had a lot of fun doing so - they have welcomed me once more. I had a really good time, we had to do a lot of practice, but it all turned out well - my first time of singing with a microphone...

the week before Karl, Dave and I went to Cambridge for the day which was good fun, and a little road trip I enjoyed greatly. I have also joined a choir for a bit - we are going to perform Bachs Passion of St John - a very challenging piece of music indeed, but Fr Bryan seems to think we can cope with it - so go him I suppose.

I went to Newcastle with work - the furthest north I have ever been, and had a good time. Was able to stay in the Hilton which was very nice...and all in all I had a good time up there, and there was a good opportunity to network. other work things are going ok, and my office were lovely when the other week I found myself crying at my desk...

other than that, life is plodding onwards. Bromley deanary are getting their act together, and i am getting myself more involved, and yeah...I just pray i can get out of this low spot i am in at the moment....

ok
so new years was completely different this year. I was in Geneva with four of my very good friends: Karl, Dave, Fabienne and Corinna for Taize in Europe....oh and I should say with 40,000 other International Christians also! It was fantastic. Karl, Dave and I were almost arrested on the plabe out there, but Karls wonderful flirting with the air hostess (a man), we were saved! A sleepness night nursing Karls still unexplained head wound at the airport was not the best way to start the Taize experience, but with an allocated parish, and a lovely host parish, i was ready the next day! I was the allocated English reader for my parish (in a beautiful small town called Morges who were hosting 300 of us, my host mother put 10 of us in our house, I was seperated from Karl and Dave for house mothers), and small Bible studies, then off to Palexpo for the lunching, and praying and singing with 40,000 people - just amazing!

New years eve consisted of an 11-11:50 pm vigil for peace (Taize style obv), then our parish hosted a festival of nations after having fireworks over lake Geneva to bring in the new year! once again amazing! the last day of actual Taize was very tiring, and my host mother kindly let Corinna and I stay in Geneva for one more night before we headed onto Zoffingen, via Burn, and a small town called Biele, where a young Swiss couple who we met in our parish invited us for dinner.

Zoffingen is near where Fabienne lives, where we spent a many fine evening in the Golden Ox, afetr days of walking in Strangelbach, up the Alpes, or in Lucerne! Then on Sunday we made our way to Zurich to fly home, and leave Karl in a youth hostel as he was flying back on monday!

all in all a fabulous time was had...a lot of sharing of clothes, hats, gloves and scarves, food and water happened....but yeah - it was great, and i have made such close friends with these people it is a blessing, and I shall be very sad when Karl has to return to NZ, unless we all pray very hard and he gets a job offer in England...

will hopefully put photos up soon, but we have loads to go through to get the nice ones!
happy new year everyone
xxx

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

right, it has been a strange few weeks since I last wrote. Going down to Exeter was a blast from the past. I would just like to say thank you to Gordon Road who were as lovely as ever in putting me up, and looking after me - you are lovely people, and I thank God for friends like you. It was also great seeing Amy and Kate, and James and Ella, and my first meeting with baby Leona - who thanks to James and Ella I had a huge cuddle with, and wanted to take her home, but didnt think it would be fair! May Norris rest in peace. It was a sad occassion and a sad visit for many reasons, but hey, I now have some more answers to questions that I had, and worries that I had, but I have no realised, chapter closed, move on and rely on people who do actually respect me...and I have been offering a lot up to God.

I also have been doing a lot in my church and in Bromley Deanery. One thing I have been wanting to have is a re-dedication of my faith - as I now feel that I am actually having a better understanding of my faith that I did not have when i was confirmed. I put this idea to the Dean of Bromley who got very excited by it (as did Fr B), and so this may be happening. We had a parish forum where i talked about all my work with the senior youth group, and the bromley deanery. And I have been working my little bottom off for the youth sunday taize service, to which Petts Wood Churches together and Bromley Deanery have been invited! I really pray that this is a success, and that youth actually want to come to it! I have been to poverest baptist church to see my friend Karl get baptised which was just awesome...my first time seeing an adult baptism and it was special - i am glad that i went, and he is so happy to feel like a child of God again.

Karl and I went to watch the Lord Mayors show in London, and watch the lovely free fireworks on the thames, before going to meet dave after work. we then went to tha albert hall, and saw a lot of royalty and politicians (including the queen and prince philip) arrive for the remembrance service. we then tried out a few student bars, the spoons in leicester square, and then storm where dearest Susan was having her "I am in remission party" (Sue has suffered with throat cancer for the last 5 years, but had the brilliant news on remission recently). i danced a bit, but Dave was thrown out, and so Karl and i left early too - but still managed to miss the last train home (somehow dave got it, Karl obv had to get a burger), so Karl and i had to get the night bus home (something I had been saying all day i had not wanted to get...oh dear)...the next day was spent nursing a hangover, going to church and sitting at Chris and Sarah's house, playing with their cats, and me wanting to sleep, but karl and dave kicking, tickling, or putting cheese on my face to wake me up...

last weekend i had the house to myself which was nice....as dave was working last friday night, karl came over and we watched Amelie (dave, karl and i are going through a phase of watching foreign films), and the end of children in need, and then on saturday, i cooked dinner for them both, we had a boozy night, watched another film (l'homme de train) and then fell asleep in various rooms about my house. last night we watched Ronin - i was kindof tired so didnt really understand what was going on....but we had a laugh at the pretty boy!

Work has been going ok...i have been working very hard marking tenders that have come in, and dave has been working in our office as we needed a temp, and he needed work, so i rang the agency, and recommended him for us...it worked, and he worked, so it was good all round. this meant that i have also got to know Chris from PBC a lot better, and he is also v willing to help with youth ttuff which is amazing - i am blessed with good people around me at the moments

so all very busy, but i think now almost up to date

take care one and all

ok, so the last few weeks have been a bit tough. two deaths in one week - is not something i like. I just want to say something...Norris - the big man himself - what a tragic loss. I remember first being reallu scared of him - sat in Cowley Road eating out of his saucepan - but bug man big heart. My memories of Norris are him always helping people - when i stayed down in Exeter - i was offered porridge for breakfast - he was always willing to listen to me, and give me some advice....and after James and Ellas wedding - he deserved the title of nimble feet that I gave him - who knew the big man could dance so well...it is such a sad loss, and I really hope that we celebrate his life in the way that he wants us to. I am going to exeter this week for the funeral...am scared about going down - i really am. some people know why, but hey, Norris deserves to know just how much he was appreciated.

I have been doing a self purge of stuff that has been bothering me. I have made a very good friend who has just been awesome in helping me. so much so, that a five minute meeting to lend him some books from work for his interview turned into a 6 hour chat, that could have gone on for much longer, a big hug, and sharing of information from both sides that we found hard to do, but were glad that we could get it off our hearts. It was a special night, and it was what i was needed. He is getting baptised tomorrow, so I am making a trip to poverest baptist church for it. and, i am getting to know the poverest baptist lot well, and i am so happy that they have accepted me in their church, and have made friends with me, as it is good to get so many perspectives on things. it is good that we can just sit round each others houses and chat and laugh and just enjoy company, and i am so grateful that I have found these people who really appreciate me for the person that I am, and that they dont want to change me at all, and they just accept me...

the funeral on wednesday was very fitting. my great aunt would have been happy with it, and the hymns that we sang were just beautiful, the readings lovely. it was just fitting which was much needed.

work has been really good - we have an exciting new project going on, and i am getting involved in that, and they have been incredibly supportive of things.

and today i had a good pastoral counselling session with my parish priest - i was able to get some spiritual help to pull me through my rough patch at the moment, and i thank him for that. this is the first time since exeter that i have felt that i have been able to talk to a priest about my problems, and that was a huge relief.

well, the last few weeks can be described as busy, and ill. I have just finished a second round of anti-biotics and i am still feeling ill. apparently my ear and throat infection is not 'normal' and so i have had blood tests to see what is going on. work has been very good about it all - they have been giving me time off, allowing me to come in late when i need to, and just generally wanting me to get better and back to full productivity.

but i have also been really busy. the bromley deanery parish forum went really well - and a lot of positive ideas were encouraged. One World Service for Petts Wood churches together also went brilliantly - i could not have thought it would have been better - Praise the Lord...He did us proud. House of Faith were just amazing - so spiritual - they reduced me to tears. Fr B thanked me for all the hard work that I had put into it...the next thing we are planning is a taize night for youth sunday, and if no younger youth go, then it is also something for the older youth (ie me and my new gang)...this is going to hopefully be a petts wood churches together thing, and also local catholic churches - if they are not doing their own youth day service.

me wise - i am going through a low patch. i had a conversation with somebody on saturday night that brought up a lot of issues regarding relationships and trust, and the last person i spoke to so in depth with about such issues has kindof left me, or cut me out, i am having huge trust barriers and its making me extremely tearful, and leading to other actions and ramifications that are not all good. so some prayers would really be appreciated. i am going to do a self-purge (well try to) of all the crap that is in me, and all the things I would love to chnage about me, and so this may be hard.

and to end the post - someone in my family has just died - she had cancer (only diagnosed a week and a half ago, but it had already spread uncontrollably) so some prayers would be real good for that too.

ok, so things have not really gone to plan recently. Only one person came to youth group on sunday...we are having to have a major re-think about this. i was very upset...i always said that this was not going to be about numbers, but the opportunity for some faith development, but when you only get one person turn up, it does become very disheartening. We have a natural break at the moment due to one world stuff (that I have also found myself saying...."i will help you with the organisation Fr B"), and it gives us time to see how we take it forward...we may open it up to the rest of the deanery, and even eccumenically. daves church are providing me with a lot of spiritual support so i thank them greatly. dave has even offered up his services for help which is just such a blessing (and this was told to me when he was away on his break in Paris) - a friend indeed, and boy do i feel i need that right now. at the moment it is a case of Fr B saying jump, and i say How high! i have very little time for me, and i need to do some work on something as an exciting opportunity has come up for me, and i need to format stuff, and get an something into shape...very little to go on there, but it is something in its first stages. In fact I have just come back from Fr Bs with work to do for saturday Deaneries parish forum, which i somehow got myself organising, and firmly telling him he cannot ring me tomorrow as i am at breaking open the word, but i reckon the phone may go on friday!

am getting a bit upset with my church as i seem to be doing sooo much, and people are putting out rumours about the youth group which is why it is not well attended...they are using a Bible (at a church youth group - you wouldnt say...hell no, that cannot happen can it??!) but i have the support of Fr B, and he is telling me not to get disheartened. this weekend i am going back to daves church - which is also struggling, but for different reasons (a congregation of 25 cannot really keep a church going for long) as i really enjoyed it last time, and they have been very supportive of me, and so i am going to show my support to them.

but work is good - i have been given an extended contract for another year, been moved up a grade and given a change of name - assistant researcher and research administrator...oh exciting

um, am being given a lot of support by work colleagues, and new great friendships that have been developing recently, and these people are very special to me...and i thank them all so much, as i have really needed their supprt over the last few weeks....

right, bed time, and i have not done any of the reading that Fr B has asked me to do, as Claire has rung to talk about other church things...seriously, are we the only who cares in bromley? it sure feels like it!

well, my last post ended with me just about to do a 10k....that i did, even though so many people said i shouldnt...and why did they say that? the previous two days i had been sent home from work, and on the day i was told to only go in for the afternoon. i was very ill! i was coughing so much i could hardly breathe and it was pissing it down with rain...but i still did the run...it had got to the point where I had been sponsored too much not to do it...i did it in an hour, and i was in the last two...but the kudos i have for doing the run is amazing!
Work this week...well i didnt go in on monday or tuesday (was told not to, as on monday i was put on anti-biotics...ear and throat infection), i went in on wednesday and thursday (although there was talk of sending me home as i was coughing too much for works liking - even my old boss said so), and so on thursday evening, they told me not to come in on friday! i like my work!
It has meant that i was able to do a lot of youth group stuff, and bromley deanery stuff...and i went to dinner at daves the other day, and we had a big pray about many many issues, including both our parishes, his alpha group, my senior youth group (second meeting tomorrow), and mutual friends of ours going through some problems...it was mush needed and very good.
so i have my second youth group meeting tomorrow...it should be good...on thursday it is breaking open the word for people in my age group, and soon i really hope a 20-30 group will start - off my back, but i am keen... and soon the one world service is going to be had for Petts Wood together so that should be good too!
oh, so busy, but good too

well, its been a long time since i last wrote...
i have been to a wedding - it was real good
I had to take a day off work with mild food poisoning after a meal out after Breaking Open the Word
And Fabienne and Corinna from Taize came over, and so Dave and I were London tour guides for a few days, which was just an unbelievable amount of fun, but very tiring...saw so mnay things myself for the first time, and even had my first experience of the night bus..thanks to dave for waking me up at the right spot (well our stop, seeing as he lives five minutes down my road) it was great to see them both and spend so much time with them, and it makes Taize in Geneva this December so much more exciting, as we will be seeing them, and spending an extended time in Switzerland with Fabienne over new years.

i have also been ill...this week i have spent about 9 hours in the office - the rest of the time i booked a day off, and then the last two days i have been sent home from work...and i have been told not to come in until the afternoon tomorrow - i have a 10k run for charity tomorrow so that will be fun - hmm coughing and running - at least i have a good excuse for a crap time! i hate being ill, and am trying to deny the existence of this cold, but when not being able to stop coughing for 10 seconds, i kindof have to give in.

My church youth group started on sunday...we only had a few people come, but that was good enough for me...i have kindof borrowed the old faith, friendship and fun theme from Cathsoc to advertise it, as i am wanting it to be a chance for religious development for the youth, and for them to have the opportunity to question their faith. on tuesday 42 letters were sent out to personally invite the youth to the group - i hope that it works - prayers for this will be needed and much appreciated...it is going to happen every fortnight, and soon in church we have a one world vision night for the churches together in Petts Wood, and Bromley Deanery is having its Parish council forum shortly, which has taken up rather too much of my time in its planning!

so have been fairly busy...but the next most important thing is the 10k tomorrow...that will be a big achievement for me.

and also, am having a confusing time over something else, and i am really hoping that God is with me on this...well if i want to walk on water....eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkk!

take care one and all
Zx

well, the last few days have been a bit of a discovery. I have been reading some Christian books to help me out of a little rutt that I am in...but it is much harder than i can imagine really...the books are very good though, and are really helping me with my prayer. this sunday i also went to Daves church (Poverest Baptist), and I really enjoyed it. It was good to have a change (i had gone to the saturday evening service at my church), but i realise that if there is a congregation of about 25, then when you do a harmony - no matter how quietly you sing it - it will be heard! but it was good, and i really enjoyed it, and they were all very welcoming! we then spent two hours putting up the alpha course sign..i hope it is still there

i also went to the pillinger wedding which was a lot of fun, i didnt really know anyone, so it was just a time to mingle and laugh...which is what i did. unfortunately sleep was disturbed by a snorer of ridiculous proportions! well he is paying for the room now!

um, so yeah, a few faith struggles still remain - apparently I just have to go in head first - all can say to that is eeeeeek right now!

i just want to say thank you for these two people for making the last month bearable for me...i feel like i have known you for much longer then i have had..here are some of our laughs!

this is on the ferry on the way back from taize - limited sleep for a week, and a 4am ferry, yet we still laughed till we wet ourselves and shared my throw for warmth...love you

and sleeping on daves shoulder for a lot of the journey home - twas quite comfy - even though they did mimick picking my nose!

oh, and i should also say thank you to the toilet cleaning crew - you were stars

hello
i am feeling a lot better now...i had a very emotional friday and saturday, but i am feeling better. saturday afternoon i had spent with babcia, we saw joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat, and we had fun beforehand, but she said some stuff that made me think, and when i got home, i thought, and thought, and yeah, it went downhill...damn thinking - its not good for me.
sunday, i went to church - much needed, had a chat with scripture after, popped to the shops, drove home, drove to my nans and drove home. my bro from madrid rang me for an age which was amazing - i love speaking to him, and so that was really good.
on monday, i picked up dave and susan and we voyaged to brommers, and we went wedding outfit shopping, as dave is off to a wedding, and so am i! i purchased a dress, and now i have two to choose from....we had a wonder and a chat, and i drove them back, arranging a time for the evening. i was in my element in the afternoon - making stuffed courgettes, cous cous salad, garlic bread and then angel delight cake for pud! dinner i should say went down a treat. dave and susan gave me empty plates in return...and we had good conversation and funness, and then drove them home, having a good God chat with Dave before letting him escape my car!
work today has been a bit of a chillsome day, but hey sometimes you get days like that!
three day week next week, and a haircut in my "lunch break"...very excited

so yeah, i still have many issues to overcome for me and God, but i now know i have some awesome support to help me
thanks guys
x

at the moment of writing this, i am in floods of tears. i have had such a hard week - work has been manic, and my emotions are going on over-drive, and at the moment i just feel so alone.
some people who are still close to me will probably know what is going on for me right now - others probably dont care. over the past year, i have had my ups and downs, but i have always tried to be the best friend i can to people - always, and just now, i feel used and it really hurts...it really does.
work provides a haven for me - somewhere i can just be professional for 9 hours, and then go home.
home becomes a stressful place
I am having God issues - i am trying to unmask, knock down barriers that i have had for almost ten years of my life, and this is so hard for me - actually now having to face what i have been putting off in my life - and it is scary and it hurts, and i am scared, and i dont know what to do.
i cant think anymore,
i guess in the future i just have to be more careful

i have had quite an emotional week this week - but hey ho - things go like that sometimes. It doesn't surprise me, as my promise to myself was to be more honest with myself and how i am feeling - so I am allowed to be down, and not cover it. It is helping...i need to get the nasty stuff out of my system. I need to get the people and the issues that are currently getting me down out of my way, so I can let the nice things in! new philosophy.

i had a lovely evening on thursday when i met a friend fo dinner - it was just what i needed - a good religion talk, and a good man problem talk. we are both having some troubles in some parts of our faith, and it is so helpful to have people to chat things through with...loved it.

have had a busy weekend, and it seems as if the dizzy/fainty spells are coming back again, as there have been a few times this weekend where I have had to stop what I have been doing to regain a bit of composure - was not liking that.
have also been doing some deanery duties today, so that should be coming along. this week is going to be a busy week, with the release of my report at work, and so we shall see how this one is taken - i cannot say too much -

have got new glasses (will be collecting them next week) - i have to wear them when using the computer...they have cost quite a bit but hopefully i will get my voucher from work to cover the vast majority of the bill - they already paid for the test - good old government! hopefully that should stop the headaches I have been getting...have to wear my old ones until nexy week though!
have a few people to be meeting with this week, keeping me very busy, some people i have not seen in a while, some i have seen recently - should be good stuff...

i am going to write a little bit more about taize - sorry if this bores people, but it has had a huge effect on me, and it is so important to me.
my taize day started at 7am...usually after a not a very much sleep as the tent was generally quite noisy. i made my way to the main site to wash, and then went to 7:30 am Catholic eucharist. that finished at 8, and then the main church was opened up for 8:15 morning prayer, that lasted until about 9. i then met up with the others, usually dave, matt and susan, and we queued up for breakfast...a bowl of hot chocolate, a bread roll and a stick of chocolate (sometimes 2 or 3 if you were lucky). after that it was chore time - cleaning the toilet block out by the church for me. then it was shower (after cleaning toilets it was needed). usually just chatted to randoms, dave, susan, and at 12:15 it was time for mid-day prayer. that went on to one, and then we queued for lunch. after lunch, we went to the lake/sat in the garden/did some quiet time...and at 3:15 we had a bible study/workshops/discussion groups - i went to the Luke workshops, and how it challenges us in our everyday lives. we then had taize tea at 5:15, and then had a break or optional workshops...i went to some on Christianity and Islam, Violence within us, we had a meeting with Brother Mark, and a meeting with the English groups with brother Paulo. tea was at 7pm, after which at 8:15 was evening prayer. after that we went to Oyak or did a prayer session, chatted, and did bible discussions. on thursday, Brother Aloisi did a reading of a letter to all the people in Taize. On friday there was a veneration of the cross - i wanted for ages to do this, and this was one of the most beautiful moments of my time out there. I felt such a release of emotion/pressures when i did this - it was a powerful moment of prayer and i feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to have done this. on saturday we had the candlelight service which was just beautiful, no words can describe this - it was just...(fill in appropriate word). usually, i would stay in the church for a while after evening prayer, i talked to some of the brothers of the community about some of my problems, some of the challenges that arose from the Bible discussions, and some of the emotions that were running through me. i would pray for a bit, and i spoke to the English Bishop about relationship problems, and things connected with that, and my greatest fears.

i met some amazing people - if i came out of the church crying, a random would come up and hug me. one day i went down to the lake, after having had a challenging bible group - i sat in one of the prayer shelters, and just cried...some people came up to me, hugged me, and said i could chat to them if i needed them....i became very close to two of the petts wood people, dave and susan - they began to read me very well. i was very open and honest with them, about my life, my faith and my worries. it was very rewarding and very open. i was able to cry when i wanted to, laugh when i wanted to, talk about my faith and not be shot down or questioned, sing songs, or worship songs, talk about loving God, and not get laughed at, but most of all I had the chance to develop my relationship with God which is something i most sincerely wanted to do.

Taize was such a small community, but the ability to find silence was amazing - i loved just being able to sit and have time to muself to read my Bible, and think a lot about what is going on in my life. and i did do a lot of thinking. i thought about the last few years - people who have made and broken me, friendships that i have developed, people i have met, what i have achieved, and what i want to do next - yes, some of these thoughts are still in my head, and some of the things that have happened in the last few weeks, have given me some answers. but now i have developed a relationship with God that is stronger then it has been for a while, I realise that some of these fears are passable, and even not really fears at all, and that to me was special.

i know that many people will not understand this, and i dont blame you, but this holiday was so special for me, for all the relationships that I made, the glimmer of hope that i received, and the little scratch that i began, that will soon get deeper so the real me can come out to more people, so they can get a greater understanding of me. i really have to thank everyone who went with me for the effect they had on me, and the friendship and the love and appreciation they showed me - what a blessed week it was.

i just have to say another thing about Taize - i have made some unbelievably close friends - and i have to say a huge thank you to both David and Susan who made my time out there so special, who looked after me, who cuddled me when i was crying, and who laughed with me when i laughed, and to david for giving me a shoulder and an arm to sleep on all the way back home. These two people have had a huge impact on my life in the last fortnight, and we contact each other everyday, and only go a few days without seeing each other. I pray that my relationship with these two can stay like this, as they have given me more support then they know.

Taize has a very special place in my heart, and I am very greatful for God, and the people there for that

i think i should do a quick update about Taize
it was in a word - brilliant. I had such an amazing time - and such a spiritual time. yes, it was very emotional, there is no getting away from that, and the fact you could just break down in tears at any time...but I think the point I have to make most whole heartedly is that my relationship with God did grew so much stronger. I really felt God work in me, and take away so many of my anxieties and worries. so much so, I am now on half of my dose of anti-depressants. it was like a huge weight had been removed from my shoulder, and i really have to praise God for that. I made some amazing friends....i really did. the group of us that went have all really bonded amazingly and i know that we will remain close for a long time. and we are going to go to Taize in Geneva for the New Years, and there will be many Taize times to have.

I really do thank God for everything...it was just such a blessed week.

Taize today!
am very excited, a wee bit nervous, but very excited...hope to meet some absolutely amazing people, and have some time for contemplation and just a wee bit of a relax

hopefully my contract will be extended after my appraisal yesterday...HR have to agree first...a strong business case has to be put in....but they are very happy with me, and told me not to look for a new job! i was pleased, and will be getting a wee bit of a payrise now! yay!

finished my court report, its off with vicky now to do her little section to it...she has received a 27 page monster from me! hehehehehe...was good having a wee little slam of the court system. we may have a very new interesting project in the pipeline now....just have to finalise the funding!

august in turning out to be a very busy month for me, work wise and social wise! should be fun!

better go to the shop and get coach food now....leaving in a matter of hours.

take care, and i will speak to you all on my return...will try not to leave it so long next time...have been very busy with work, youth club stuff and trying to sort out the bromley deanary!

have just finished packing - think i have taken way too much as per usual! but am ready for all weathers!
xxx

once again, it has been an absolute age since i have last blogged, but i have been very busy. work has been keeping me very much occupied. i am now writing up a comparison between the two magistrates courts i have been observing - its very hard. but qualitative analysis is taking ages. work has been very enjoyable, lots of laughs, and quite a few drinks after work recently...which i do love, but i do get annoyed when i am sometimes not allowed to buy a round! i am very glad that places are now smoke free - hurrah! i wont smell when i go out now! yay!

um, rain - obviously has made a huge impact on the country at the moment. luckily floods of the dramatic scenes that have been seen (see james' blog) have not happened in London - but we have had rain, and indeed we have also had bomb threats. on friday i didnt know that much about it on my way to work, but now i am getting quite scared about my commute into town - that is exactly what they want, and i hate that, but hey...i hope that it goes ok.

i have been doing some youth type stuff - yesterday i had a youth training and resources day - it was very good, very informative, and also introduced me to the people who rub breaking opeb the word which i am going to try and go to from now on, as it does sound fab! have meetings galore this week, another youth group one, and a taize meeting also! very very busy, but good!
met up with susannah recently - hadnt seen her for two years - crazy! but just great - was cool to see her, and nice catch up. so yeah...

um, rain broke off for long enough for me to do an hours run - am cream crackered now! but it was a good run - always what the doctors had ordered...and it is true - it makes me feel so much better, and the happy hormones do go like crazy. talking about that, my mood has been up and down. two things in particular are making me down, not wanting to divulge too much, a few people know what they are...one i think will get sorted, but the other, well i dont know at all.

anyways, enough for now
take care
xx

yet another week has passed before i have been able to blog...not much has changed. work has been very busy...saw an awful court last week, and could not believe that this was it - shocked me. have booked a meeting with vicky and steve tomorrow to talk about the court research we have done...vicky = very enthusiastic, steve = very enthusiastic...i wonder if i will be able to get a word in edge ways! oh man..never mind, we shall see. should be a good meeting though, and it will really help me with the project that I am currently doing so that is always good.

um, work has been fun...on monday it was catching fruit in the mouth thrown over from the other side of the office - oh yeah...blueberries were easier than orange segments, and i was trying to compose a proper email to steve at this point...obv it turned silly, but hey, work emails generally are.

i have been doing some SPSS training with Tania so that I can deal with the diversity requests that we are dealing with at the moment...i did one all on my own this afternoon - wohoo. yesterday i did one with supervision, i got a high five! made me smile.

my nan came over on sunday - said i was looking thin, which was good. my priest told me that taize had been booked - 11 of us going - yay, and i am now going to a youth training day which will be fun, so that i can help out in the parish. i did some running but it had to be on my trampoline as the weather was shit.

all in all things are very much samey. missing notts people, and some exeter people too, but hey, that is always the case. its been three weeks since something, and that has calmed me down which is nice, well not nice, but am getting there

it has been a bit of a strange week - i will try and explain. monday last week i left work late as we had some much needed work to finish, and as i was highly involved in it, i couldnt just go. on tuesday, i have to admit, even though i had so much work to do, and really had to concentrate when i was in court, i was thinking about what was happening after work - and that was i was meeting up with dan, who the week before had asked me out again. i was thinking about what to do an what to say for a long time. stayed at work later than usual as i was meeting dan quite near to work, and by the time i had met him, i had made up my decision. we had a drink, and skirted around the issue...but i said to him no. basically i saw it as a step back, and not a step forward, and with a crush on someone else i couldnt go out with him...and from what i have now been told about him, i am glad about the decision i made. i slept very well that night. on wednesday, i told work, and they were happy for me. to make up for tuesday i worked hard, but played hard too...and in the evening, Nigel, Ash and I went to the Duke for a quick drink, and four hours later we decided to go home...they made me laugh until i cried...the best type of laughing! thursday was court, but a normal day, until tania and i went to collect ants for our antfarm...friday, my brain was not working at all...tania, ash and i had a huge fucking laugh in the office, dares, stupid eyes, ant collecting, dancing, juggling - it was just really really silly! not much was done, but we had just had such a laugh! steve came up to see our antfarm - one of the only people we have told about it that actually likes the sound of it - and he was actually fascinated..he wouldnt put it down...it was so funny!

by the end of the day i was so tired...just laughing loads!

so my week was knackering, but by the end of the week i was a bit blue, which turned to very blue at the weekend. on sunday at our church was the first holy communion for 26 little 7-8 year olds, and i had a tear in my eye - it was beautiful..i remember my communion loads, and it was just so sweet - beautiful service....

today at work - i was grumpy - i told ash as soon as i got into the office - but he didnt mind - he is great like that...nigel noticed too - but they were happy when i showed them my popping candy and wham bars i had found them! at four this afternoon, Tania suggested the park, so we downed tools and went to the park...ash was very enthusiastic with my poi - resulting in them needing some love and care - we shall fix them tomorrow, nigel was perfecting his handstands, and then twisting me round on the swings...this is what 24-30 odd year old people do at work obviously! that made me feel better, and some other bits of information that I received today also made me feel a lot lot better about things! oh and a lopt of our ants have died, but we are going to start again

tomorrow, i have court, and then a busy day, and in the evening i am having a meal with some ex-monks and priests and the deanary forum....should be good, but it means that i have to leave work dead on 5! should be exciting!

well, that has been going on in the little world of me...we shall see what else will happen...my mind is relieved

ok
so this week of work had flown by, because i have had laughs - ash is back - hurrah! we have been sampling the delights of chocolate covered crisps (not so good), and just been having office fun, although i didnt do a dare they were desperately wanting me to do, even though the dare money was the highest it has ever been (£13.50), and i would have earnt a few points doing it also. my sweet-talking i did for steve was noted, and he said i should have a point, but my office said it could only come from them - robbed. we went out on wednesday night, just spur of the moment - as i found my trains home were cancelled, and so it was going to take me an age to get home, so i thought that i might make ot a bit longer...we had a lot of work drinking fun, with nigel trying to teach me magic tricks, and them finally realising that i do indeed have large hands for a girl. we also planned some summer lunch time fun, including frisbee on the street and park, juggling, football, and a sponsored run between the london buildings. on my eventual way home, i was thrown into a poetic whirlwind of confusion.

on friday at work, tania came in late in the afternoon, just as my brain was beginning to stop working completely, and i had a much needed girlie chat. she was telling me about the difference between american and british men, and sometimes that she found it really hard to relate to british men...she then asked me about my relationship status, which at the moment is very complicated, as well, lets just say that it is. anyway, i told her about a huge crush that i have at the moment, and admitted who it was. she found it very funny, as she thought that the person in question was gay! hehehehe! she understood my position very well, and understood that it sometimes could be a bonus, especially when it has been a slow day at work. so i have a lot of thinking to do over the next few days, but thanks to tania, my secret is out, and unlike other things in the office, this is going to stay between the two of us, otherwise my life would not be worth living (in the office anyway). but it was a big relief off my shoulders, and made me feel a lot lighter, which was very good. i did say a big thank you afterwards, and then helped her learn mack the knife for her drama class! and i may even have offered to help her find ants for her ant farm

we have had my ciocia from canada over for a few days this week which is nice, and she took the whole bajorek clan, and my babcia out for a meal which was lush. she is a lovely lady.

and on an end note, i have been covering a different court recently, and it has been much better, and justice is actually served! shock horror i know, but it was nice to see...and they even gave me a court list to have, so i knew what was going on. thanks camberwell!

well, as you read on saturday, i was feeling blue...well soon after that post, it got worse. i got so down, i basically made myself ill...not sick...well i was sick, but not like that. basically i had cried so much on saturday that i gave myself a huge migraine, my head felt like it was going to explode, and my eyes felt like they were being pushed out of my head. it was because of my migraine i was ill, it wasnt pretty...and well that was saturday evening - how i love bank-holiday weekends. yesterday, my mum for the first time in me having depression for about the past 7 years, said to me the word depression, and how worried she was about it all...that must have been a bit of a breakthrough for her i swear. and today, well i have no migraine, and i havent been crying...yet, but i am still not good.

i just feel let down by myself and other people. they probably dont even know who they are, but man...i have been so mucked around by so many people in my life, that i just cant stand it anymore. it hurts too much. people who know me, know that usually i put so much effort into everything, and that includes friendship, and on many times i just feel that i get slapped in the face. well i am not taking it anymore. if people want to treat my like shit, then they should not be surprised when it comes back at them. i cant be putting 100% into trying to maintain contact, and trying to be happy, and trying to do all i can to save things i once believed was worth saving anymore. i just dont physically have the mental strength to do it. its not fair, and its impossible.

i am not the strong, happy out-going person that everbody seems to think i am. gosh no. i am so weak, feeble, so unsure of myself, my looks, my personality, constantly critising every last little piece of me that you would not believe. i worry about me, i worry about those around me. i found my diary for nottingham last year...every paragraph was at the moment i am worried about people x, y and z. my friends meen everything to me, they kee me going more than people realise...so when something is up with them, i take it on personally aswell - i guess its lucky that i never did become a counsellor - i would not be able to get up for work in the morning would i?

anyways, that is it. i am a person who suffers from depression, and at the moment, things are not going exactly the way that i planned, but i know that i have to keep on going, and trying to resolve issues, and i am going to put 100% into making me better for a change.

at the moment i seem to have entered an incredibly down phase. i have spent most of today crying - even whilst shopping, and i just cant seem to pick myself up...there are a few things making me feel like this. work is the only thing that is keeping me going at the moment - as i always seem to be cheered up by the people around me, and i get appreciated for the work that i do, and the comments that i make. on thursday i had a hugely busy day at work - i had to run from court to work, and when i got in i bumped right into steve, and usually i would stop to chat, and i really wanted to, but i had 20 minutes to eat lunch and print out the documents that i needed for a meeting i was the minute maker at..me no time to talk - shows how busy i truly was. on firday i had to do steves dirty work, as he left the office early without contacting a member of my team...he rang in from the train..."zofia, ive been a fool", was very funny! have been really into my court work at the moment, and i am changing courts for the next month, so i will have to get to know the prosecutors all over again. i had to stand up in open court the other day and explain to the court what i was really doing there...eek! it was very nerve-racking! but i managed to blag my way into staying in court...thank goodness.

so, yeah, my work is really keeping me sane at the moment...the only thing that is actually doing that. home is making me go insane...am looking on flat share websites for places i can afford...but there are not that many. i want to stay aroundish this area as i am getting more involved in my church stuff, and i dont want to leave it in the lurch now i have got stuck in.

but, man, i really need a boost in the old happy hormone at the moment, as its not looking good at the moment. in fact, its the worse i have been in a bloody age, at a time when i thought that things were getting better for me as i had been feeling so much better. i have regressed about a year i reckon. have just done a 50 minute run as i think i have put on some weight, just as i had reached my target weight as well...so more exercising is going to have to happen to me to maintain that, and lose a little bit more as i still am not happy....but almost a stone lost now, so it is coming off slowly.

not much else to add. dixie chicks playing - good tune.

Wow - i never meant to leave it this long until i blogged...here we go!
the deanary meeting went really well from my perspective - i was the feedbacker from my group, so i managed to add a few of my things too! a few priests from around the area took my name so that i can get involved in things, and my priest asked my to do a write up for the parish news letter which i duly did, and even got a mention in church too! so that was all good!

work has been going..my work remit seems to have grown, but i dont mind...i have been having a laugh with people, and steve came up last week too, and we had a good chat, and he met my new boss! he was much liked by my office - not hard really as he is so easy to get on with! court is becoming very interesting...i have prosecutors throwing info at me, just wanting to get a lot of stuff off their chest, which is brilliant for my research. today 36 cases in less than three hours - how can that be providing justice? my question exactly? one more day at thames magistrates, then i start at camberwell - i feel like a dirty women cheating on my court...i have become quite attached to thames court 7!

my weekend was good, it was dans birthday so i met up with him, and his new teacher friends (i was the only one who didnt really know people), but it was really good. i was able to mingle and fit in well, his friends, and even him were lovely, and a good time was had by all! i had to leave earlier then the others to run for my last train home, so i missed dan getting thrown out - it doesnt surprise me as he had to drink everything we got him - it wasnt pretty!

and well...things are just going on, i am having a bit of fun, and a laugh, and just plodding on....now i have to go and get some stuff ready for work tomorrow!

quick summary of the weekend as my bed time is approaching fast - it was good.
saturday i tried to get my haorcut, but booked an appointment at the hair dressers instead for next week, and so just chilled at home, until gone fourish when i got ready to go to my bros for a joseph and eurovision night - a night of campness - bloody fantastic. eurovision - well uk sang ok actually, but i had pulled out serbia in the sweepstake so i was pretty chuffed with the result...i claimed greece on the night, and they came up good too! but andy won on the claims - he claimed russia! many gin and tonics, some guitar heroes, and maltesers later, tim and i made our way back to brixtom station for the last train home!

today has also been good. we had three baptisms at church this morning - i think that these were my first baptisms i had seen - and we had some damned good hymns too - so i had a very gppd church time today, and at the end i lit a candle for little madeleine - it is so sad, and i really really hope that she is found alive. made my way home - got a bit drenched in the rain, but hey ho...watched a film - the magdelene sisters - very very sad but a brilliant film, and then went to my nans...but she was very down and sad, so it didnt put my mum and i in the best of moods.

tonight i have packed a few clothes for birmingham, as tomorrow, i am one of two people representing my parish at the diocese meeting...at 24 i am glad that i am still seen to be the representative of the youth! brilliant!

anyways, had better finish my kiwi and make my way to bed...work is going to be very busy this week!

helloo dear blog!
well, this week court has been very interesting. some cases have not been nice at all, and actually made me shiver sometimes in my seat...thankfully, i do not sit in crown courts, as i would have heard the horrid details. as a result i have had some very interesting conversations with my team, and judging people and the society that we live in. thats why i love my work...we are quite open and open to discussion, and i feel appreciated which is even better. have been doing a lot of reading at the moment - train helps. at the moment i am reading the five people you meet in heaven, but a few times, i have had to stop for nearly crying...its a very moving book, it really is.
this next week is going to be busy too..two days in court...and trip to b'ham for the annual staff conference, and i am staying overnight the night before in a hotel with a double bed....little things! hopefully i will see ady too, which will be fab.
um, not much else to say. congrats to ben on getting a job...i am glad that one has finally come for you...good luck when you start.

wow - two posts in one week - what the hell is going on?
well, i have a bit of time before some family come round in an hour or so, so i decided to do some webbing, add some songs to my radioblog, and i thought that i would update my blog too.

today at church we had a reading about barnabasm, the name meaning son of encouragement, and we were asked to think about all those who have encouraged us in different positive things. and oh my word my list seemed to be never ending, and so i thought that i would mention a few...

first - jonathan - indeed, you were right when you said that i would get this job, and all the help that you gave me in nottingham last year - thanks!

all the rest of the nottingham boys - indeed the cloister boys kept me going, and allowed me (a girl) to hang out with them - brilliant!

ben - for a person that i have only met a few times in my life you too helped me through last year. i think that both of us know that things are not nearly the same anymore, and i do kindof miss that sometimes, but it is totally understandable i guess...but hey, you were a great support to me

james and mark - my third year in exeter would not have been so fun if it wasnt for you two just making me laugh so much and being there for me for a shoulder to cry on, and save me from my manic revision schedule, and introduce me to the wonders of monkeyball!

ellie and the occ psych girls - ellie - the first english person i spoke to in nottingham - hehehehehe! thanks you for last year, swapping notes, and drinking gin, and wine soc, and stuff.

han - like ben - wow we have only met each other a few times, but the amount of laughter i do when you are around is just silly - almost wetting myself laughter - the best type. you are a special lady, and in subtle ways you encourage me in so many ways...you naughty bunny you.

lesotho team - wow the amount of encouragement i get from you guys is amazing...when i need as prayer - i know exactly who to turn to....with my unobtainable crush - you get me, and laugh it through with me, and understand what i mean...lesotho 2005 - with us forever dudes.

katy - cathsoc katy...grassu slope, biscuits, pub career sessions, avoiding goose poo - what a star.

tess, rachel, and maltese rachel - such special ladies...you guys also made my third year at exeter - how much of a good time did i have...so much fun, and you guys were such a big part.

amy and ali - the girls i lived with for so much time at uni...brilliant lovelies...love you.

fr paul...had to be there...greatest landlord fo all time!

so as you can see loads of people have given me encouragement, and this is without family, and people at work who have given me a huge boost recently....

so i have done a lot of thinking indeed...
tomorrow, museums and art galleries i think it is!
xxx

well, in this last week work has become quite hectic...i have been observing court quite a lot, and having to take notes. I am now recognised by some of the Crown Prosecutors and court clerks, who say what they think are passing comments, but are in fact very interesting and informative. but a lot of what i see a) makes me quite scared about some of the people in society and b) makes me scared about the criminal justice system and some of the workings of the court. But having said that it is very interesting. Vicky is away on fieldwork at the moment, and when she comes back we are going to start going through all our notes, and picking out themes...qualitative analysis - oh yeah! I am still making lots of report summaries to put around the commission, and maybe to the public on the website, and am doing a briefing for the commissioners of our latest work too. Ash has gone on leave so i proof read his article for him, and sent the changes for big nigel to go over...

other things...soon our diocese is doing its final towards a vision session, where five people from every catholic church go to one church for a meeting. at church last week, fr bryan told me that i was one of the chosen ones from our church! wohoo...another time to get my voice heard about how to get youth back...

in other things...well having not had my a-ds for a few days, and then going back on them again, my body has been a bit mucked up, and doesnt really know if it is coming or going. this has stressed me out a bit, it has made sleeping not very good, and has also made me a bit emotional. jonathan has been getting the train home with me which has been good, as it means i can talk things over with him....and monday lunch was a really nice time, as adrian was around, and so after giving him details as to how to get to the office, jonathan and i met him and chatted in the park for an hour for our break which was fantastic! it was so good to see him again, it had been 7 months since the last time! wohoo! that cheered me up a lot, its so good to see a good friend after a long time. anyways, am doing my best to do things to cheer myself up....dares in the office had me laughing till i nearly wet myself. i now know that i cannot eat a fairy cake from between my elbows!

in the last few years i did a running count down to my birthday, but this year I am too old to do stuff like this, so i have just let it pass this year. but i did do something different, and that was to go to madrid to visit my brother and my sister in law. I left work half an hour early on thursday, got to gatwick, and found that my phone had broken...great way to start the holiday! i arrived in madrid to be welcomed by both of them. i basically had a great weekend. i managed to spend a lot of time with my brother and talk so much through with him. i had so much that i wanted to talk to him about, so many many things. it gave me time to think about what has happened to me in the last few months, and he was able to give me a lot of wise words, and i realised just how much i missed him not being in the same country as me. i was spoilt so much by them, rounded off on my actual birthday with a three course meal cooked by davina. i flew back home yesterday evening, and got home at 11, way past my bedtime!

today was back at work which was good, i had a laugh, and then did some more fieldwork at court. i had so many emails to sort through it was silly, but i managed to do it all which was good, and now i am concentrating on the paper i am helping to co-write. I always wanted to get some work published in a journal, and if this goes well, then it looks like it might.

the only bad thing about the weekend, was that i forgot to take my medication, and towards the end i started to feel ill, proper withdrawal symptoms as it is almost like cold turkey. i am back on them now, as over the weekend, unfortunately, i realised that however much i tried and try, i realised that i need them.

this week has been a very strange week as it has only been four days at work - next week will be three and a half what with me going out to Madrid for my birthday weekend. i love my work...this week i have done my perosonel development plan and chatted through it with alexy, and i have some very interesting things coming up. we have gone out for team drinks which was lovely, and yeah, i have been knuckling down, and having a much needed laugh with some members regarding some of my nick-names....and at the pub after a few glasses, they made me say out loud in front of my boss how i had been dared to end some of my emails...luckily the funny side was seen by all those around me!

other things have been getting on my nerves a lot this week, but i am just trying to forget about such things, and say sod them if it happens again, as at the end of the day it just isnt worth it. i am not 100% with how things are going in my life at the moment, but i dont have to be laughed at by others.

and just to say, am soooo glad peep show is back on channel 4....it makes staying in on friday worthwhile....many laughs came from me - hurrah

what a strange easter weekend i have had. It started on thursday, after work i got home, rushed down some tea, then headed to church as i had to be there early as Fr Bryan had asked me if i could be one of the people having my feet washed in the service, so I was basically a server for the service. it was a lovely service though. i then waited up to see peter and davina, and went to bed feeling normal. however, on friday morning, i was anything but normal, and infact i have bee descrived as limp, weak, feeble, and very yellow looking, and had an ambulance called for me and everything. 5 hours of being on a drip, and having various medicines injected into me at hospital, and having to drink re-hydration solution, and waiting for my very low blood pressure to increase, and racing pulse to decrease, i was released from hospital armed with some tablets, and spent the rest of friday passed out with a temperature on the sofa at home! saturday morning, i was still not great but a lot better then friday morning, but ihad to go to confession and get a few bits and bobs for my bros and davina for easter. by the evening, i had some of my strength back, and we went to the easter vigil.

easter sunday, i was feeling much better again, and now able to keep food and water down - hurrah! helpful, as Polish easters are very plentiful food wise! we had a lot of family round, and a lot of fun was had....

the result of all this is, I have finally reached my target weight that I have been wanting to be for about two and a half years! i have lost almost a stone since leaving nottingham now - feeling better for it, but some of what i have lost on the past few days, are easily going to be put back on again, especially as i can eat chocolate again...but i havent really done so due to awful stomach bug!

so this will be one interesting story to tell work tomorrow! i have a brusied hand from where my drip was, but i am feeling much better now...it would have been very interesting to have seen myself with a yellow face....but i am reliably informed that it wasnt really very pleasant!

i hope everyone else has had a very lovely easter - the weather has been lovely! and i am glad that it is a four day week at work this week - as i will be having my "talks" with my bosses about what new projects I can get involved with.

Take care everyone
xx

work the last few days has been a bit crazy...not busy, totally the opposite. i have had nothing to do. my boss has been ill, and so I have not been able to help her in her research, and as we have just published three documents, and its coming up to easter, its all been on a bit of a go slow. i have been doing some background reading of old reports that we have published, and also i was that bored i started tidying the office. also completed some lame dares set by some team members, and now i am 1 1/2 points ahead on the point bored, owed some glasses of wine, and won fifty pence. "hang loose, my career rock already, rock on, laters, and peace out to the max" i would like to say now are not appropriate signing off's for emails I do recognise, but to when dared to do some things (quite lame really) i am well up for it...and the person i was emailing to seemed to like it, as i had some just as bad responses!

a four day week, this week is going quickly, and next week is a four day week too - should be good. and hopefully, by then i may have something to do

on the by, i have a monthly check up tomorrow...am not looking forward to it much. it has been a bit of an up and down month, not that people would notice as i am hiding things better than ever before - i consider it a talent of mine, not one of which i am proud, but a talent nevertheless. i am making a joke of one thing in particular, when it really is bothering me a lot, and i could really kick myself sometimes.

but hey, at least work is good

there must be something in the exeter water...maybe i should move down there! i dont know...are they putting love in the water....?
well congratulations mark and monica, i am sure that you are exceptionally happy and i wish you all the luck and love in the world.

me wise...yup you guessed it still very much single...hey...whats new

long time, no blog

here we go...weekend went far too quickly, and i was more tired after the weekend then before...if people have facebook and have seen my photos then they will understand why. but dave and andy thankyou for lending us your house to kindof destroy....i had a lot of fun...but your sofa isnt the most comfortable to fall asleep on!

on monday i was a victim of crime - i had my mp3 taken - great!

tuesday i had a church forum meeting - i am really hoping to get a 18-25 thing going, and its looking positive with a trip to taize...another meeting about that on sunday! alexy was on the radio today discussing our research which was a lot of fun

wednesday - met up with jonathan and ellie after work...only had two glasses of wine, but i felt quite tipsy...was a good day at work for some reasons, that some know about. 'nuff said

today - i learnt nigel's way of doing graphs...my introduction to excel with nigel - it was good, we had a laugh, and yeah, i liked it. this evening alexy said that i could have a lazy day at work tomorrow as i have worked so hard in the last two weeks! need to sleep.

also found these that i think that i will end on:

"fear is a useful tool for self-protection"

"Exasperatingly, we're all pretty much restricted to learning what people are like with the permanent confound of our own presence, which is why those chance glimpses of someone you love just walking down the street can seem so precious"

its been a busy busy busy week at work this week! Have been minuting in meetings, helping to write press releases, sorting out our publications, doing some research....and also going on my first training day (bad time to have a 24hour stomach bug, but timely breaks helped). So, i am now very well introduced into project management thanks to the national school of government. if you go to www.lsrc.org.uk/publications then you will see our two new publications that went out today - wohoo! and also on the lsc website our links and mini summaries that alexy and i were finishing off at 5:30 should be there! wohoo!

had my nearly two month review today - alexy is exceptionally happy with my work ability and the work that I have produced, and likes the working attitude that i have, so it was pretty positive. on tuesday i met the research administrator/assistant before me, and she was lovely, so i have met me predecessor and my pre-predecessor...all good. ash, alexy and i had a weird conversation about what women women fancy, and what men men fancy....i love my work.

this weekend should be fun..shopping tomorrows, then after church i am going to jons, and then to andys for his not a housewarming party. on sunday there is a penitential service in the afternoon which i am going to...and this week there are some parish forums, and a meeting about taize next weekend which fr bryan has already told me he wants to see me there...would have gone anyways...would give an arm and a leg to go to taize.

me wise - its a bit up and down. my parents are telling me that i am not eating enough, although i am eating until i am full...havnt done as much running this week as i would have liked, so i hope i havnt put any weight on. will do a longer run tomorrow and sunday. am going to have to train a bit harder as work are determined to get me to do a 10k, and half marathon, which i am up for doing, but need to train as nigel and ash are quite good runners. but mood wise is still very unpredictable, i still have many issues that need to be sorted, so its going to take a long time. who knows....

anyways, relaxing and trashy tv watching to do

please please please can you donate to comic relief....i was eating my tea and felt so uncomfortable for not donating, i had to stop phone and donate. i am tearful when watching it as i just remember my own little children i looked after and cuddled in lesotho. Such a small amount can save a life - it really can....so please

well...

first and foremost, i want to give my upmost congratulations to ella and james - absolutely fantastic news....a little preece - how exciting! and ella, with gas and air, smiling throughout! amazing!

feeling kindof broody - first things first...a boyfriend!


and now...well yesterday i had a headache, twas bad indeed... it started at work, and continued and continued... i fell on the sofa as soon as i got in, and after tea it was even worse...lame little me i went to bed at 9:15! a brilliant nights sleep (something that i have not had in a long time), and when my alarm went off at 6 this morning, i was well up for my run...and so run i did! work was good today...various projects going, and then i get another paper to read...and start to proof read. its all very exciting...

and finally...am planning my trip to madrid to see my brother soon...maybe even the weekend of my birthday.

well, my babcia is back in hospital, she went in on thursday. it appears that she has had some kind of chest or lung infection, and was in an absolutely dreadful way. i went to see her today - she looked better. i tried to make her laugh, but that was a bit sore for her. it was good to see her though, i really hate it when she is very poorly...i really hate it. i have been feeling a bit eeeked by it

i was so tired at work on friday - it didnt help that i was staring at a lot of spss output, and trying to work out what is going on with what seems like very random data..but hey. i didnt get much done, so i even brought it home to look at over the weekend. i havent done that yet, but there is always tomorrow. i am enjoying it though. i still feel very intimidated by the absolute cleverness of some of the people in my office, but that is always the way it will be, as there are always going to be cleverer people out there than me.

and finally....me wise. well, it is still all very up and down i am afraid. i have a lot on my mind at the moment...there is a lot going on in some ways, and not so much in other ways. i know that i am holding back from a lot of things, and there are many other things that i am not admitting to myself though. it seems strange that a lot of people that i know are moving on in leaps and bounds in their lives...ben getting married and james and ella becoming parents some time this week (hopefully), and i just feel like i am standing still, and in some ways even moving backwards. i hate that feeling.

comic relief is showing films of africa and projects that are going on. i sit and think of baby jozefa ( i say baby, but he will be about 6 years old now), and just how wonderful, and beautiful that he is, and it makes me so teary. maybe one day i will get a job where i can be sent out to africa and help HIV affected children. maybe

hmmm
thats just how i am feeling at the moment....its not that i am feeling terribly down, but i am not feeling terribly happy either...you know, i think the doctors the other day entered a space i dont like. i also got an email today from somebody that has made me a little worried about a few things, and them, but i am sure that it will all be ok...i just sent a little message back as i didnt know what i could say in reply.

workwise....the memory paper that i started has changed somewhat as tania and i want to make it less dry and more involved in policy implications...so i have to so a new literatur search...i am currently doing a literature search for marisol about rational decision making and justiciable events, and i am yet to start some consumer journals for work that nigel wants me to do...at least its all very interested...but i am also very excited about court observation work that i will also be doing for vicky - its all very varied but good.

taize last night was just absolutely brilliant - something so simple is just do effective and emotional and - oh just fabulous....i loved it...it made my mum and i quite teary. i was at the front so i could see fr bryan lead me into my cantor line...and this was after in the mass i had already given my two minutes worth of views....go me! i am going to big myself up one minute, when people came over to me, and then to my mum to say that i should sing more solo, and that i had a lovely voice...it did make me smile inside a wee bit... love to sing. really hope taize does happen in the summer - am very excited.

its quite sad that i am happy about this, but i have completed my first month of employment - wohoo...and i have enjoyed it.
this week has been a bit hectic, what with babcia being in hospital, going to a vision meeting about my church parish and being made a group leader at the last moment, meeting an old research assistant from the lsrc with ash, and then tonight going out with some people from work and jonathan.

i had a doctors this week - it was a bit strange. we had a chat about my depression, and what could be done to help me with it. but then conversation changed to some other things that have been bothering me for a long long time and this was termed as an obsessional neurosis...a phrase that i dont like, and has been bothering me a little bit...

this weekend i have got a taize service where my priest has asked me to cantor a bit during venne sanctus spiritus...its an ecumenical petts wood parish taize service, but what is exciting is that i may have the chance to go to taize this year. also on sunday i have been given a little slot to talk about what happened on tuesday night and to get people to come to the next meeting...who says the youth of today dont get involved....