The Tale of Vicki the Hamster March 27, 2009

Almost a year ago now, two of my good friends decided to buy me a pet hamster for my birthday, to love and to cherish. Unfortunately, renting a shared house in London meant that such pets were banned, so it was decided that the lovely brown and cream ball of fur would live at their house, not too far away, and that I could visit her regularly. It was decided to name her Vicki, so there would be no confusion as to her ownership.

There was confusion though. Not least when their two year old son, who couldn’t yet pronounce V’s, started calling it ‘Rarry’, and started referring to me by the same name. It was quite endearing, but I worried as to the future.

This week my worst fears were confirmed. On Wednesday his mum broke the news to me, gently, that Vicki the hamster had gone to live with Jesus. Apparently it took some explaining to assure their little boy that Auntie Vicki had not, and that she was alive and well and still up for a trip to Ikea.

We all thought that was the end of the story. Vicki was buried in the garden, and a new hamster was purchased to ease the sense of loss (who was swiftly named Froggy…). We all moved on.

Yesterday though, things took a bizarre and shocking turn. There was a twist in the tale that surprised us all. One of said good friends woke up early and found what he thought was a rat eating Froggy’s food. Disgusted, he threw said rat out of the back door. As it limped away, he noticed that it was not a rat after all, but a hamster! They concluded that a rogue feral hamster had been squatting in their house for who knows how long.

Then last night, they opened their back door to show aforementioned little boy a cat in the garden. The cat ran away, and they saw a small brown and cream ball on the back step. Recognising it as a hamster, they scooped it up and put it in a box. It was alive, and well, and it was…. Vicki!

Copious googling explained that there is a highly rare thing in hamsters that means they sometimes hibernate or play dead (apparently it is a throwback to when mammals used to hibernate thousands of years ago). So poor Vicki had been buried alive, somehow managed to dig herself up, fought her way back into the house, was forcibly evicted, and then survived a day in the garden before finally being rescued.

I think this proves she is just about as resilient as her namesake. And it has proved to be the funniest, if most disturbing story of my week.

The sad end to the story is that Vicki has now been renamed Lewis (explaining throwbacks to hibernation, or even passing it off as resurrection would be somewhat complex for two year old to grasp!)  and will soon go to live with another set of friends of ours, as two hamsters, a tortoise, two children and two adults in a small flat is a recipe for chaos.

Hurrah for Vicki, or Lewis… and all the best for her (his?) new life!

Creativity March 21, 2009

  

Today dawned bright and sunny but I was squirreled away working on creative projects. First these- cherry and choc chip hot cross buns (which involved the fun challenge of oiling cling film and learning what to do with yeast).

After that I spent a good couple of hours transforming a fabric remnant into a cushion cover. I didn’t excel in my textiles GCSE, but I was rather proud of my sewing efforts today! I love creative days!

 

A Perfect Day March 14, 2009

…is what I’ve had today. It was great and refreshing and celebratory and relaxing and funny and inspiring and brilliant!

It started early, we jumped on a bus at 8.30 and headed towards Westfield, which is this gargantuan shopping centre (nay village) that opened in Shepherds Bush just before Christmas. The bus driver was a speed demon and I’m sure we took some corners on two wheels, but we made it alive. Perfect!

Once within the gleaming Westfieldian walls, we headed to a comfy coffee area and drank latte and tea. Starting the day off with a caffiene fix is always a beautiful thing, and I laughed more than I have in a long time, as I relaxed in the company of one of my good friends from church, her older sister and two of her friends. The conversation covered everything, from new shoes to how to keep shower tiles gleaming. Sometimes one needs those conversations which just dance over the inanities of life. After this, the three keen shoppers departed on a quest for handbags, and my pal and I sat wiling time away and chatting some more. Perfect!

We laughed at the absurdity of sitting in a huuuuuge shopping centre with neither of us having the stamina nor the incentive to buy anything. We wandered to Paperchase, where I snaffled up the most lovely sheet of rainbow coloured paper, and my friend got a lovely purple diary, but that was as far as the purchasing went. My lovely companion brought a newspaper, we found some comfy chairs, and we sat down and chilled out some more as we waited for luncheonry. The centre was still quite quiet, and it was nice to read and write and rest. Perfect!

Lunch was awesome. We headed to a restaurant called Byron, which advertised itself as a real burger place. And it was incredible. We all had open ‘Byron burgers’, with no buns. We sampled the delights of battered courgette chips, we ate yummy coleslaw and onion rings, and the conversation flowed happily and hilariously. It was perfect!

Where else to go after lunch but to get a coffee before the hardcore afternoon shopping session began?!! We sat and watched people eat huge slices of cake around us, feeling very full after our burgers but very much enjoying our hot beverages. We talked about the wonder of swap parties, and I think I convinced them of the merits of such occasions. I loved the company of my four friends, and we laughed a whole lot more. Perfect!

They trundled off to hit more shops, and we headed to a (very swish looking) hair dressers for my friend to have a trim. I sat there, happy as larry reading ‘OK’ and ‘Hello’, while she was pampered and preened. She looked fab and I enjoyed the unusual reading material. Perfect!

Next, we all reunited at another coffee place (because apparently coffee and cake were only £2 after 2pm). They queued excitedly and I said goodbye to the merry band and headed my way Waterloowards. Even sitting on the tube singing along to Take That songs in my head cheered my soul. Perfect!

I leapt off the tube prematurely at Charing Cross, and mooched down towards the river. London was at its best I think, buzzing enough to be interesting, yet not annoyingly full of tourists. I loved walking across the Golden Jubilee bridge, listening to the rumble of trains behind me, smiling appreciatively at the lone steel drum player, pausing to enjoy the feeling of the spring sunshine on my face. On the other side I wandered around the sprawling second hand book stall, window shopped in Foyles (which is one my my fave bookshops in the world), and tried on plastic rings -with huge felt butterfles attached – in the Southbank shop. I loved just taking things at a slow pace, having time and space just to wander and think and enjoy the city. Perfect!

When I got to Waterloo, I met with another lovely friend and we spent an hour catching up on life, in all it’s glory and intricacy. We laughed a lot; and it was one of those conversations which reminded me of quite how many brilliant people God has brought into my life, how blessed I am to be able to grow and share and learn alongside them. I enjoyed the brilliance of (more) latte and splendid chocolate tiffin cake. It truly was a perfect conclusion to a day of glorious perfect things!!!

I hope there shall be many more such days!

In the sunshine March 12, 2009

 

So, I’m sitting on a bench. Apparently William Durling Thomas and his sweetheart Patricia loved it here, and I can see why.

In front of me, there is perhaps a couple of hundred metres of grassy shingle, the tide doesn’t reach this far. Sea birds potter amongst the stones,  and dogs paddle in the sea, a little further out. ‘Ted’ is serving steaming coffee – in polystyrene cups –  from his blue van, parked happily on the front.  The breeze is chilly but the sun is persistant, gleaming with the hopeful promise of warmer days to come.

It’s calm.

Soothing waves lap the shoreline shingle, the song of the birds is not drowned out, there is no traffic, no hustle, no head noise. The people are friendly too – I am sniffed amicably by frolicking dogs, their owners nodding good day as we pass.

Looking out to sea, I am transfixed by the rhythmic dance of a wind farm on the horizon. I love it that we have finally realised, we have finally recognised there is something in this breath of our creator that gives life and energy and power.

Breathing deeply in the stillness, I find myself thinking I could stay here all day. I’m sat on my own, but I grin as I remember other walks along this path, other trips with friends and loved ones, with steaming teas and crunchy chips warming us all.

And I find myself smiling again, as I think of all the times we’ll come back here, as I look forward to a future known only by my creator. For now I will enjoy the sun, and I will keep walking, and I will keep smiling.

Chi Delights March 3, 2009

Chichester is the only place where my lenten starbucks fast has been a blessing so far. I found a lovely pink coffee shop today, and wiled away a good hour with fresh banana milkshake and mint choc chip cake. Bliss!

Collagery! March 2, 2009

One of the beautiful things about having a new church building is that there are lots of walls to fill. Blank, magnolia walls just crying out to be adorned. Metres of void space needing a little something to make the whole place a bit more communicative.

So what else to do but fill them!

I put together this collage recently, using some wonderful photos from www.zoriah.net:

I’m not sure it shows up on the photo, but we came back from an away day last week to find that someone had scribbled on the edge of one of the photos ‘thanks for what you do, it doesn’t go unnoticed. This place is a lifesaver.’

I don’t think it’s the place that’s saving lives.

I don’t think it’s us.

But I know that God is here, and I’m excited that others can feel that too.

Responsibility March 2, 2009

Every week I get an email from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. Today’s really made me think. I’ve read about a million comments from Christians in differing spheres of influence about the economic situation, but I liked how this brought in the question of personal responsibility and response.

A world of violence

This is what the Lord says: for three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked… Amos 1:11

It’s a violent world and over the past year or so we have seen and heard enough to give us an understandable sense of despair. Amos was called to speak God’s words of judgement to the northern kingdom of Israel. But he began his prophecy with the judgement of God on the surrounding pagan nations, Damascus, Gaza, Edom. He knew what was going on. He could speak knowledgably about dirty wars, destruction of homes, enslavement of communities, rape as a weapon, indiscriminate killing of neighbours, betrayal of kin, revenge, savagery and the absence of pity.

Then Amos goes on to bring God’s words of rebuke and judgement to his own people, to those who knew God’s laws – Israel and Judah, prosperous, comfortable, at peace, and dutifully religious. Perhaps not so bloodthirsty as their neighbours, they oppressed the poor and crushed the needy, slept around, got drunk and told the prophets to shut up.

Prosperous, comfortable, at peace, doing pretty well? Is that not the way we have been for some years now? Are we seeing God’s judgement at work today? Is economic meltdown a judgement on other people’s greed, or on our own as well? Have the systems to which we have been party, oppressed the poor and crushed the needy?

Israel and Judah were called to be beacons of God’s light and love in a world of violence and greed. They failed and judgement followed. Their calling is now ours, Christians, children of light, his church, in a world of violence and greed. There are many battlegrounds for us. In a time of economic hardship, crippling debt and uncertain futures, maybe we should model a simpler lifestyle and from our church communities provide networks of support. In a world of violence, we should maintain our giving to those charities which seek to help the poor, encourage fair trade, mop up after wars, and rebuild shattered communities.

And Amos’ calling to speak out a word of warning to those who are responsible for violence and greed is ours as well. And like Amos we speak primarily to our own people, our own nation and ourselves.

Margaret Killingray

The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
St Peter’s, Vere St, London, W1G 0DQ   (t) 020 7399 9555   (e) mail@licc.org.uk   Visit www.licc.org.uk for articles and events listings.