The Blurb: September 2006

Three new cartoons

Wednesday 27 September 2006  10.00 pm

I have just had nine days off work.  It was nice.  I made some badges, drew some cartoons, did some washing, tidied my room, caught up on some sleep, and went to Cambridge.  In roughly the reverse of that order.

Cambridge is a beautiful place.  Reminds me of Bath.  You should go there some time.  Of course, you won't have a great 30-year-old-this-weekend friend to show you her favourite streets and grooviest pub, but that's a sacrifice you'll just have to make. :o)

Amazing, by the way, to think that May was a full four months ago.  Summer has gone fast.  But then it always does, doesn't it?

I have just nine months left at Lee Abbey and have moved myself metaphorically into the box marked "people about to leave".  This means I try and start dreaming dreams and having grand visions, both about how I will make the best of the rest of my time here, and what I will do next (don't ask).  I plan to start next Thursday.  Or something.

Meanwhile, I have put three of my latest cartoon efforts in the Cartoon Gallery.  One was inspired by a hassock I saw recently which proudly declared "World Peace" to anyone lucky enough to be in its pew.  The other two were inspired by the Bible, which makes them sound slightly holier (and more impressive) than they actually are.  See them all through this link (or the other ones).
 
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Woolacombe comes to Lee Bay

Monday 18 September 2006  7.27 pm

If you've ever visited Lee Abbey and wondered what the big deal is about our pebbly/rocky/gravelly (delete as appropriate) beach, you haven't visited at low spring tide.  When the sea really goes out, as it did a week ago last Saturday, we have a sandy expanse to rival Woolacombe.  Well, rival it a bit.

It's so cool!

The contrast between high and low tide is particularly dramatic here, as with the second highest tidal range in the world, there is a difference of (get this) 10m vertically between the two.  Awesome.

Photos of this spectacular event have been added to the Photo Gallery (here and here), as if you needed further proof.  These photos will be used in the next brochure, just to make a point. :o)
 
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Small talk

Sunday 17 September 2006  5.47 pm

Isn't it fantastic to be in a job where you get to meet lots of interesting people?  At Lee Abbey a hundred or so new faces arrive every Monday and Friday most of the year – and fifty new Community members a year!

It gets harder and harder.  At first when I came to Lee Abbey I was genuinely happy to tell the sixtieth person in a week where I came from, how long I had been here, how long I was going to stay and where they could stick the question about what to do when I leave (hehe, not really).

But now?  I may seem the most confident person in the world when I have a microphone in my hand and am standing in front of a room full of people (even that isn't always quite the case), but give me a dinner table and a person I don't know, and it's quite a struggle to overcome the inertia and begin a conversation.

Integrity forces me to try to think of a question to which I actually want to know the answer, and years of experience of Lee Abbey practically begs me not to ask the questions that usually come the other way (where are you from, what do you do...).

And in the end, another person goes by.

Sometimes, even when I'm leading Host Team (and therefore spending all my time with guests), someone will come to me and say "You know the Turner family ... your guests ... you know, the father who comes from the Maldives with his fifteen Scottish kilt-wearing children?" And I'll answer, quite truthfully, "Who?"

This can change.  I've been to workshops.  I know some tricks.  Apparently a good way to start a conversation is to think of a random object pulled from an imaginary box and tell the person what the object is.  So next time I'm stumped at the dinner table for a juicy morsel of small talk, I'll try that.

"Mrs. Brown, what is your honest opinion on this small Lithuanian enamel watermelon-holder?"

(The large version of the pictured cartoon can be found here.)
 
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No post today?

Friday 1 September 2006  8.25 pm

You know the feeling?  You go to check your pigeon hole, or email account, or letterbox, and even though you've been extremely restrained and left it at least a full hour since you last checked, there is still not one single item addressed to you?

We at Lee Abbey know that feeling.  Especially this week.  The Exeter sorting office is on strike - and has been since Tuesday.  See this article if you don't believe me. Very little post is going in or out of Devon at the moment - only that which the managers can process themselves.

So if you haven't received a letter from me recently, that's the reason.

Well, it's an excuse, at least.

I guess it also explains the lack of half-birthday cards I received today, even though I have just reached the grand old age of 24½.  Hehe, I don't mind really.  The number of half-birthday cards I have received in my life neatly matches the number I have sent. :o)

(The full size version of the pictured cartoon is here.)
 
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