Variety is the spice of life!

... or so "they" say!
Sometimes when a proverb comes to mind it is interesting to find out the origin ... so ... with a quick search on Google ... this is the information that is available:

ELIZABETH KNOWLES     http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-varietyisthespiceoflife.html

variety is the spice of life proverbial saying, late 18th century; originally as a quotation from the English poet William Cowper (1731–1800) in The Task (1785): ‘Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.’ An earlier version is found in the The Rover (1681) by the dramatist Aphra Behn (1640–89), ‘Variety is the soul of pleasure.’ The Greek dramatist Euripides (c.485–c.406 bc) in his Orestes has, ‘a change is always nice.’

You learn something every day!
So where was I?  Ah yes, variety ...
The life of a cleric is certainly varied ... one minute you're printing off a Parish Magazine ... the next you're making a visit or preparing a sermon or ... doing a hundred and one other little things that need to have attention.
Six times a year on the first Sunday of the month "The Messenger" goes out round the Parish.  A number of folk deliver it when the last link on the preparation team packs it up.  Due to photocopier problems we've run a bit close to the deadline this month and didn't get the printing, folding and stapling done until this afternoon.  All is now ready.

Since it is Saint Nicholas' Day next Tuesday it seemed like a good idea to have a photograph of my icon on the cover.

So he came down and stood in a level place with his disciples ... they came to see and to hear him ... and to be healed.  Luke 6:17

That's what you can read on the Gospel in Nicholas' hand.
Meanwhile Eliot has gone off to kennels ... it looked as if he couldn't wait to get going and simply walked off with his carer without even a backward glance!  If I didn't know that he will be even more delighted to see me on my return I'd be 'hurt' ... !

 I hope his fan club can cope without photographs for the next ten days ...

 ... indeed ... for most of that time there won't even be a blog!  I'm not taking a computer to Kenya and there wouldn't be much time to use it anyhow.
I'll keep a journal and will post a series of blogs on returning.

Is Eliot "spoilt rotten"?  Well ... maybe just a little!
Please be patient ... Eliot has learned that we go when we're ready ... and there's no point staring anxiously at the door!
The blog will return ... maybe even be a quick note tomorrow ... although there's a minor thing like "packing" to be considered.  Those who know me will not be surprised at all to learn that this job hasn't been started ... apart from leaving out a few essentials - like a sun hat!
Now ... a cup of coffee to fortify me for the next thing on today's list!  Hope of an early bedtime is rapidly fading to a distant dream ... but that's okay ... we'll get early bed times in Kenya!

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds,
and drives away our fear.

Church Hymnal number 92

John Newton (1725-1807)