lest you forget

Have I mentioned lately that I’m working in one of the most beautiful places in the world? It’s IMPOSSIBLE to take a crappy picture here! Okay, perhaps I exaggerate…but just look at this water – look at the boats! It’s like this NEARLY all the time! (except when it’s raining cats, dogs, toads and sheep – like today!) Today is my day off, thank goodness, because I’m recovering from a nasty bit of intestinal nastiness. It was nasty...and put me in bed for another day! I DID, however, manage to play the two services of the day – then back to bed! As usual, my wonderful “Dunsmeorachian” housemates came to my rescue and brought me food and comfort and loads of sympathy. I have landed myself in an incredibly fabulous place with terrifically caring, supportive people. What did I do to deserve this? Answer: NOTHING. It’s just God. And grace. And blessing. Believe me, I’m well aware of this precious time before me, and I’m really trying to enjoy every minute of it.
This is a picture of the front walk at Dunsmeorach. I walk down this path everyday - sometimes several times a day! Isn't it GORGEOUS??? It’s been quite grey and windy and cold and rainy. So when we had a sunny day on Monday (when these pictures were taken) we really bathed in its glory. Alas, today the rains have returned – which is just as well, as I’m really not feeling up to doing much of anything!

So often I think about what I would be doing if I were home: I’d be making decisions like, “which pair of flip-flops should I wear today? hmmm” or, “Should I put sunscreen on? hmmmm.” No, I’m faced with decisions like, “should I wear a sweater AND a jumper under my jacket? hmmm” or, “wellies, or no wellies? hmmmmm.” (oh, by the way – a jumper is what they call sweatshirts/sweaters, etc. over here. I know, it makes no sense to me either, but hey, when in the U.K…..)

I can’t believe it’s already June 25!!! Wow! Soon it will be 4th of July when a certain "couple-of-wonderful-someones" will be traveling here for a visit! Woo-hoo! I can’t WAIT! There are a number of Americans here volunteering, so they’ve organized a 4th of July picnic of sorts. Barbecue, potato salad, that kind of stuff. I don’t know – I really can’t get all that excited about it…but I WILL think about all the Zweigle’s flying off the shelves of Wegman’s as the 4th approaches! Even though I no longer EAT Zweigle’s, I still can take somewhat of an interest in their high consumption!

Okay, this has now sunken to a discussion of hot dogs, so I believe it’s possibly time for me to stop! Take care of yourselves! I am thinking of you and sending loads of love!

the graveyard

I don’t think I’ve yet mentioned that everyday, on my “commute” to work, I pass a graveyard. This picture was taken from the very back of it looking towards the road. You can’t see the road, but it’s in front of that rocky hill. It’s a really beautiful graveyard…if you like these kinds of places. Sometimes as I pass, the swallows fly around that tree (on the left), so I stand at the gate and watch them darting around the tree, the cemetery and me. The other day a thrush had found a snail and was cracking its shell on one of the tombstones. So there I stood – at the gate of the graveyard, swallows swooping around me, other birds calling and the tap-tapping of the thrush. It was thrilling.

Most of the stones in the graveyard are so old and wind-worn you can’t make out any names or dates. *unknown sailor* This marker, however, is very clear. And when I came across it, I was so moved by it. You see, there are very strict rules about WHO gets buried in this graveyard. (I don’t know what they are – but I know they are STRICT!) But this unfortunate sailor, (or maybe fortunate!) was found washed up on one of the shores of Iona. I’m sure he was respectfully collected and buried with reverence here.

Where was he found? Was it somewhere along the north shore? Was it the “White Strand of the Monks,” (pictured here - my favorite place on the island) where, ages ago, many Benedictine monks were slaughtered by the Vikings? Or was he found at the “Bay at the Back of the Island,” on the west coast, across the Machair?

Maybe he was found at Columba’s bay, where centuries earlier, Columba (also known as “Columcille”) landed with a few other brother monks in their coracle? I wonder. Whatever the case, this sailor, known only to God, has found a most beautiful resting place on this little piece of heaven.

the cutest lamb in the world

LOOK at this face! Can you BELIEVE how cute this lamb is???

This lamb and its mum live in the field right next to my house. I’ve been keeping an eye on it ever since I arrived FIVE weeks ago! (can it be that long?) It’s smaller than the other lambs.


As you can see here, this lamb has a chubby belly and is a good size. (but we all know where this will lead!! I don’t even want to think about it!!!) MY wee little lamb, however, is a bit of a runt.

It used to be a lot thinner, but it has hung in there, and seems to be finally looking a bit more healthy!

Just LOOK at him/her! We must have stood like this for minutes – I looking at him, and he looking back at me. Or maybe he was posing for me! Whatever the case, I LOVE this wee lamb, and I hope, because of it’s “runt-ness” it can live forever and ever on Iona! It was suggested to me that I could grab it one night and keep it in my room….but that would be silly. My room is way to small for the two of us!

my green wellies

It’s been a while, I know. But it’s been a HECK of a few days. Last Friday I CRASHED. Played the morning service at 8:15, then went straight to bed. Spent the whole day there, in fact – more or less. Little by little I’ve been recovering. The work here is great: energizing, creative and exciting. But it’s relentless. Re-LENT-less. And last Thursday it caught up with me. But I pushed through a very busy day and woke up Friday morning absolutely “shattered.” (which is worse than being “knackered,” or even “cream-crackered knackered!”) I have lots of great people looking out for me, so not to worry – I WILL return in one piece!

On a brighter note, it’s been raining the past couple of days, so I’ve been able to wear my green wellies. (pictured on the front steps of my house). I love my green wellies. And, I think, they might be pretty fond of me as well! It was very windy today (a common condition here) and pretty cold. But me and my wellies, we just sloshed through the day with a smile! Okay – maybe I’m exaggerating a bit…but I think you get the idea. As I write this bit (a day later) the sun is shining. It’s my day off, so it’s nice that the rain has let up – although the wind continues!

This is what the Sound of Mull looked like this morning – white caps! Normally, the water in the sound is pretty tame. But this morning, the ferry could not cross the sound in a straight line, but had to go south a bit and then north up to the jetty on Iona. It does this, on occasion, according to the tides, the weather, etc. Sometimes it comes right along the shoreline in front of the Abbey! It’s quite a bazaar sight. And if the weather is TOO severe, the ferry just doesn’t even attempt to cross. Smart ferry. Moving around obstacles and tide pools, and knowing when to just stay PUT!

day off

Today, two of my housemates (Sylvia and Catherine) and I made the long journey across the sound of Mull to Fionnphort. The “journey” was a grueling 15 minutes or so. Once there, we walked a short distance to “The Keel Row” where we had lunch and a ½ pint. (c’mon – it WAS our day off!) This picture is one I took from the ferry while it was still docked at the jetty on Iona. Do you see the little tiny pointy thingy on top of that big hill on the left? That’s the cairn atop Dun I (more on Dun I below). When you reach it, it’s actually over 8 feet tall and MASSIVE! A cairn is a kind of marker that travelers and pilgrims leave behind to kind of say “I was here.”

This is another view of Iona from the ferry that you don’t often see – unless, of course you’re either arriving on or leaving Iona. One can bring extreme joy and happiness, the other deep sorrow. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which. It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it? The little houses on the left are the “main” street of the village. If you move to the middle of the picture, about midway up the hill you’ll see a big white building – that would be the very posh Columba Hotel. Sometimes, when we really want to treat ourselves, we go there for a “cream tea.” Of course we sit outside on the picnic benches so you can gaze across the water and watch the sailboats, or ferry or fishing boats. A cream tea is a lovely pot of tea accompanied by a HUGE scone served with some kind of jam preserve, butter and clotted cream. It’s fabulous. As you continue looking to the right (of the photo) you’ll see a big “hill.” That’s Dun I (pronounced “done ee”) – the highest point on Iona. And right in front of Dun I is the Abbey.

This is a better picture of it. This next photo is the Abbey and Dun I again, only showing a bit more of the island to the north:

We had a great time today – eating in a great little pub complete with a peat fire. After lunch we walked up the road just a bit farther to re-connect with old friends of mine who now run a beautiful bed and breakfast called “Staffa House.” The friends were Gillian and her partner, Ali. Gillian was the Abbey musician when I was a volunteer two years ago. She really got me involved in the music back then – even allowing me to fill in for her on her days off. She is the one who recommended me to fill in for the summer. So of course, I’m sure you can imagine how happy I was to see her again. We stopped in for a “cuppa” and shortbread that Ali made. After a brief visit, we left them to their afternoon chores and traveled back to Iona.

Isn’t this a terribly quaint picture? These were anchored just beside the ferry in Fionnphort. As we waited for the ferry to leave a seal surfaced right nearby and swam to a waiting fishing boat! It surfaced a few times, and as gulls circled overhead, the fishermen threw a few fish to it. The seal has apparently been named, “Sammy the seal.” Not very imaginative, wouldn't you agree? I would think a Scottish seal would have a name like Seamus or something like that! Oh well…no one consulted me!

This is a picture of Fionnphort from the ferry – I love the red rock and green grass. It’s such a majestic landscape; it always calms me for some reason. Maybe because of its strength and dignity. I get the same feeling when I look at the view out my window. It’s bold and strong, and yet grass and flowers grow in every possible place.

One final picture – I know, I know – it looks like all the other ones…but I love this view. It’s my little world for the next 12 weeks or so. The sun is blazing into my room and across my legs as I sit on my bed to write this…and it’s 7:00 PM! I am so blessed to have this opportunity. Please know that I am enjoying every minute of it – the work, the new friends and this beautiful, strong, bold, majestic, peaceful island.

three chickies on the town

Hannah, me and Philippa. This was taken atop McCaig's tower in the port city of Oban. (picture below) The three of us were roomates in the MacLeod Centre in the summer of 2006 when we volunteered on Iona. I met them in Oban last week for a couple of days of fun, retail therapy and EATING! It was so grand to be with them again. Philippa travelled north from Durham (where she just finished her term at Uni) to Edinburgh to meet up with Hannah, then they travelled together west to meet me in Oban. My travels involved TWO ferries and a bus, but it was totally worth it. Oban is a BIT more bustling than Iona, so it was nice to be amidst a whole bunch of people and shop and try on clothes and eat ice cream, etc, etc. I have to admit, though, I was VERY happy to return to Iona at the end of our two days together. (and I spent WAY too much money!)

It continues to be cool today. My fingers are a bit frosty and my toes cold - but soon it will be lunch time where I will consume some lovely, homemade soup, bread, hummus and scones! Such a life I lead here!

This is McCaig's tower from the street below it. It was commissioned by a guy (named, coincidentally, McCaig) who noticed that during the winter months stone masons were unemployed. So, over several winters, he employed local stone masons to build this monument of sorts. It was never finished, so it's also referred to as "McCaig's Folly." This next picture is from the inside. It's kind of a lovely little park! Oban is extremely hilly, so we got quite a workout walking up to it! The Bed and Breakfast where we stayed was ALSO up a very very steep road that went on FOREVER! I thought I was going to have a heartattack before I got there! (but I didn't - silly me). Well, I see it's time for me to run (or maybe just walk fast) to lunch at the Abbey. I'm SORRY it's been so dreadfully hot there! I would NOT be very happy with it at all, and the heat would MOST CERTAINLY increase my grumpiness. (which seems to have passed today, thankfully!)

I continue to miss you all and pray for you - hope you'll do the same for me! xxxxx

grumpy

Hey there. Lest you think that EVERYTHING here is wonderful, I thought I'd take a chance and bare my soul this morning: I am grumpy. The reason? Oh....mostly, lack of sleep, with a couple of other annoying things thrown in, which, normally (on a good night's sleep) are easy to deal with; but because of the aforementioned lack of sleep seem HUGE. I'm sure you can relate. I got to bed late (because I was sitting on my bed working - STUPID) and didn't sleep well, then had to DRAG myself out of bed to play the 9 AM service this morning. As soon as I'm finished with this posting, I'm crawling BACK into my little bed. Hopefully, by lunchtime, the outlook will be much brighter. Of course, it doesn't help that it's rainy and cold here. But of course I should be HAPPY that I have this weather, compared to the weather all of YOU are enduring! My GOODNESS it's hot there! Wow! Please know that I feel for you - I always HATED those early HOT pre-summer days! It's just too much to deal with, isn't it? Well, if it helps any, I'm sitting here with a scarf around my neck and long sleeves. Does that help? Does it? Well, it's certainly helping ME to think of you absolutely sweating to death! Hey! I'm feeling a little better now!

This is a picture I came across of what the Abbey and the grounds looked like MANY years ago. It has since been repaired, and looks nothing like this. Those partial walls to the left of the Abbey church, for example, have been rebuilt into a beautiful cloister. See the little building in the lower right hand corner? That's the Oran Chapel - said to have amazing acoustics. I haven't tried it out yet - I'll have to do that sometime. Oftentimes, Taize prayer is held in there. There is a graveyard just next to it where the Duke of Argyll (and some other guys and gals) are buried. It's a beautiful, quiet spot. No, I lied...the Duke of Argyll is buried inside the Abbey church - not sure who's buried there....some kings, though...that I know.

The Abbey grounds are really very beautiful now. This picture seems so odd to look at; so dull and gray and dead. It seems odd because it is so alive here - even when I walk down the road to the Abbey, and there isn't another person in sight, and I think to myself, "I have this whole island to myself!" - it feels alive. Maybe it's the sight of the ocean (always changing; always moving), or the birds calling in the trees (amazing, sweet trills!). I don't know. But check out this next picture, which is a stunning field of tiny little daisies nestled around the remains of St. Mary's Chapel: Of course, the picture can't do it justice. It's amazing - and so full of life. Oh, I'm not putting this very poetically - that's for others to do. Just know that when I came across this field, I stopped in my tracks and just stared at it....a few of us did. Probably because all of the other fields are quite green, because the cows and sheep have EATEN all the little flowers.

But THIS field is enclosed by a stone wall ... so it remains flowered. I have nothing deep to add to all of this. It's very late, and I'm very tired. But I wanted to share just a little bit more of this place that has taken a part of me and changed me forever. It's a place of pilgrims and tourists, postcards and stuffed cows that snore (available in the shop!) And it's all wonderful.

One more picture before I sign out. This is the North wall of the Abbey church - down towards the front. The lowest arch is the sacristy door, which leads to a tiny spiral staircase up to the music loft - the second set of arches. I don't know if you can see it, but there's actually a baby grand piano in the that second set of arches - and that's where I play from. The upper three arches are stained glass windows - Patrick, Margaret and Brigid, I think - all great Celtic Saints that watch over us.

Okay, I think that's enough for now. I hear it's WAY too hot in Rochester now. It is NOT hot here, but the sun shines nearly everyday - just one of the many things this weary musician is most grateful for.

from my window

One morning, a short time ago, I opened my drapes, looked out my window and saw THIS! Yup. This is the view from my bedroom window. I love it. There are about 6 wee lambs (and their mums) in a small field that surrounds my house. The lambs are getting chubbier by the day - so I'm trying not to think about the day when they will be taken off the island to their probable demise. No, I shall think of them going on holiday, or a fabulous lambie spa or something wonderful like that.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy watching them, and listening to them - they are so close that I can hear them pull the grass from the ground and chew it! Occassionally, they'll glance my way - but they aren't nearly as impressed with me as I am with THEM.

That's another lesson of this place - I am insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and that kind of helps me, in a wierd kind of way, to keep the big things in perspective. One day, when I return to the earth, becoming dust, I might sprout some grass. Maybe, if I'm lucky, it will be on Iona...and a wee lamb will pull the tender sprouts from my head and have a chew!

"My" cows

These guys (or would that be "gals?") were lined up at the stone wall leading to the Abbey the other day. When I was here two years ago, I fell (so deeply) in love with the cows on the Island that they became known as "Mary's cows." Everyone would keep me updated on their whereabouts. THESE cows were NOT here two years ago - theses are new, lovely cows and were waiting at the wall for freshly mown grass.

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last entry. Internet access has NOT been easy to come by, mostly because I don't have an office. Oh there's a desk in the music loft in the Abbey church, but it's VERY cold there, and dusty and I can't really spread out or play the piano any time I'd like to, since there are tours coming through the Abbey church at various times of the day! So, I work at home, which is very pleasant....we even have a PIANO there! I pop into the front office after hours to retrieve emails, etc. But HONESTLY, I haven't worked this hard in YEARS. I am so CRAZY busy that it's been a challenge to even check email! So, I apologize....I'll try to do better.

Things continue to roll along here. I am into my third week with working with the guests. This week we have a bunch from Holland who are VERY keen on singing and playing their recorders and doing Taize prayer. They are great fun and their enthusiasm is lovely. In the Abbey center, we have a different bunch of people who are here learning about Celtic spirituality in the highlands and hearing a bit of Gaelic. They are ALSO into singing, so tonight I will have a choir of 34 voices singing a song by Dan Schutte (an American Catholic composer) and short song from Bolivia. We had great fun at our rehearsals today, so I look forward to this evening's service...due to start in one hour!

The other night four of us walked to the north end of the island to watch the sunset. Here's one of about TEN pictures I took (WHAT was I thinking?) The picture here was taken probably around 11:00 PM...The days are getting longer and longer here, and soon, it actually won't get totally dark ALL NIGHT! Thankfully, I have dark curtains on my window. But I must say it's really wonderful to come out of the Abbey at 9:30 PM and have the sky look like 5:30 PM!

I must run and get ready for the service. Please know that I continue to think of you and praying for you. I hope you're doing the same for me! And I'll try to get more pictures and news up very soon! cheers!