Booming Banter

From this afternoon until Sunday evening the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) will host 40 volunteers taking part in the 49th Kairos Prison Ministry Weekend at this site.

Kairos has been a great blessing in my life over the past five years allowing me to meet many  wonderful women. They have great diversity in background and there is little chance I would have encountered them had it not been for Kairos.

Most importantly, my eyes have been opened to many aspects of Gods Grace and his unconditional love for all of us. You can find out more about Kairos at the website mykairos.org

Over the course of the weekend we give each person at the prison a little token of love.

This is simply a ziplock bag containing one dozen home made chocolate chip cookies. Since there are 2500 inmates and almost 1000 staff at ORW this means we need to bake 3500 Dozen Cookies!!!

Since each volunteer is responsible for supplying 85 dozen cookies major help is needed

Thankfully while I was packing up things in Ireland many friends from our Church were baking like crazy. So much so my target was well exceeded in fact my car is packed with 160 dozen cookies!!

Krishna packed everything up for me so I didn’t need to touch a single chocolate chip when I got home!!!

If you too would like to contribute just say a little prayer over the next few days for the 30 participants on the weekend that they may find new hope and a new start in life.

Pray also that the weekend will touch the hearts of all at ORW and have a positive impact on the entire community and on our team.

Blessing # 138 – Gods Time

 

When you are not quite sure when your next trip back to the homeland will be it is vital to prepare in advance.

So my little hand luggage has a nightie, a few toiletries, my baby book that my Mom made for me and a lot of irresistible treats.

The theory is always that these will be rationed and eaten as treats. Theories are made to be tested and broken. The fist pack of Tayto the worlds greatest Cheese and Onion chip has already been eaten and there is another good hour till boarding.

There is little doubt that before you read this Aaron will have demolished much much more.

Blessing # 137 – Portable, Palatable, Pleasures 😋

Years ago in Ireland broken biscuits (cookies) were sold by the pound at a much reduced price.

This was a treat for kids and those on a tight budget and I have a vague recollection of buying them as a child in a local grocery shop.

Yesterday, Carol, Phyllis, their Mums and me went to a little café in an antique shop in Belfast that is called Broken Biscuits.

The cafe is set up to resemble a tea-room  of the 1940s and the Mums had such a good time talking about the good old days.

The cream tea was super good too.

Blessing #136 – Broken or Not Biscuits Are Yummy

During the clean out my cousin Becky came with a whole crew from her Church.

They worked so fast like professional movers and helped find good homes for some beds and bedding.

Barbara, a friend of Carols, also took some sleeping bags and comforters for the homeless.

Not to be overlooked towels and pillows that were well past their sell by date went to the animal rescue for bedding of kittens and puppies.

When all the hustle and bustle was over and the house was empty a good bed was what was most needed.

Phyllis had this waiting for me along with the cosiest comforter imaginable.

Blessing # 135 – A Good Duvet and A Sound Sleep

The house in Ireland was the Fort Knox of a very extensive photograph collection.

Krishna was renowned for taking photos and printing them in at least doubles and then making albums. All this stopped about ten years ago when it became difficult to find film. He never has taken to digital media !

The result of his efforts meant a trip down memory lane as all the albums had to be sorted through and the most important photos shipped to the USA.

Many people featured in the albums over the years.

If any of you recognize yourselves please know you are also now saved on my phone forever!!!!

Blessing #134 – Digital Cameras

It’s impossible to explain how much the help of friends means when you need them most.

When I arrived on Sunday the task of clearing and cleaning the house and getting it ready to handover on Friday seemed almost impossible.

Fear not, almost immediately Carol, Liz, my cousin Anne and her husband Maurice arrived and by the end of the day major progress was already made.

Monday morning first thing Paddy swung into action and ordered a dumpster (aka as skip) to be delivered immediately. Carol was back with Liz as well as Lorraine, Phyllis and Maureen.

Each person took on a particular area. Boxes for the auction filled quickly and when the dumpster arrived there was enough trash to fill it to the brim.

On Tuesday the team from Bangor  Auctions worked so hard. They had to do two runs with their big van completely full to take away all the items for sale. In total we will have 65 lots!!!

Rooms started to clear and once Wednesday was over and McGimpseys Furniture Removals had safely packed up all the items of sentimental value to ship to the USA all that was left to do was clean.

So just as the keys were being turned for the final time on a very empty and a never before so clean house a magnificent sunrise gave us the thumbs ups on our terrific teamwork.

Blessing #133 – Friends to the Rescue

 

On the flight to Chicago the United Hemisheres magazine fell open at an article on Boy George.

He is about to release a new album after many years. This reminded me of my Daddy and how much he loved Boy George and his first hit song.

My Dad would sit in the kitchen every morning with his little electric radio plugged in and after the news he’d listen to our local radio station Downtown.

”Girl” he would say to me as he listened to Carma Chameleon “that lad has a powerful good voice”.

He didn’t care a jot that George wore make up or a dress when he was performing with Culture Club. All he did was appreciate his great talent for the genius that is was.

Blessing #132 – Lovers of Diversity

Aaron, Dad and Dibley dropped me at the airport. So before departure I sent a text to see if they got home safe.

They did and they found a package delivered on the doorstep from EBay.

Aaron asked what I had ordered and I said nothing.

Mystery and dilemma  should they open it or not. Is it safe?

Well they did open it and it was a Royals Wedding mug from my bestie LAURA.

Laura had given me the William and Kate earlier in the week and clearly had been busy hunting for the Meg and Harry.

Such a lovely start to my crazy trip!

Blessing # 131 – Love in a Mug

We have sold our house in Northern Ireland and have been totally stressed out this week waiting for the contract to come through. It finally did late yesterday.

I had to book my flights on Monday otherwise I may not have got there. So I am hitting the road today.

Ahead lies the massive task of clearing out and cleaning up before handing over the keys.

This has been orchestrated from here with the help of friends and family, auction houses and furniture removers in Northern Ireland.

To keep me sane I took to painting. Now some of you may paint on canvases but I took to painting the bathroom  cabinets.

They went from white to BLING. They got what you might describe as the Versailles look.

It started with a little accent and deteriorated into a massive overall. The higher the stress level got the more paint was used.

Poor Krishna just turned a blind eye and at one point Aaron got so concerned he joined in and actually talked to me!

So now when I make it back in ten days time I will soak and admire and like Marie Antoinette eat cake.

In the interim many blessing will no doubt be counted. You will get them in fits and starts or maybe in one big banter when time and internet access permits.

Blessings 130 – Paint is Cheap

Hard to imagine it is fifty years since the wonderful Janis Joplin sang about her Bobby McGee

What a song and what a talent.

I was only eight when the song was playing on the radio but like other songs of the era it stuck.

There is something eternal about and it is totally irresistible.

It brings a little tear to the eye and at the same time joy to the heart.

Love it more than ever!

Blessing #129 – Songs that Stick