Sunday Lunch
Dwindling church numbers for a traditional based service, has meant the evening service is now held once a fortnight, instead of every week. Reality translation: mum is free from about 12.30pm every two weeks on a Sunday. This is a total novelty, since she's been an organist for over 50 years. Just to get how big a deal this is, when I was a kid, we went on holiday after 7.30pm on a Sunday evening and returning the following Saturday. Not even a full week away! Whilst the vicar had his two weeks off, mum was at those organ pedals every single Sunday.
I've offered to take my parents on holiday, and its always "what if there's a funeral?", "I've got a wedding to play for, we can't go then". Here I won't go into the whole church thing of you must feel guilty and devote your entire life; religion plays on that a bit too well as a means of control.
Today was probably the second Sunday into this new routine, and my parents' heads are very much in ESCAPE! mode. You wouldn't find them at your nearest shopping place, Sunday is a day of rest: you don't do anything, except perhaps give up your life for that organ.
The excuse, we'll take you out for a late birthday lunch! I knew this was just an excuse, but I humoured them. Given choice, I would go to the nearest establishment serving way too much garlic; but since dad doesn't do garlic I opted lunch at the top of this hill:
I went here with James a week ago.
Suggesting this, all week I've got comments, "It will be too cold for us", "We're not booking, because there's no way we're going up a hill if its raining". And so it goes on. Knock me over with a feather.
What must be the first time this year, the sun actually decided to put in an appearance, and up that hill we went:
Here's lunch, far too much food:
The suit and top button undone is the straight out of church look, and wanting to be wearing something else already.
Ice cream:
However, it was the views that you eat there for. You could see for miles down the coast (much further than on an overcast day).
We walked down, leaving dad exclaim "There's no way I'm doing that again, I'm walking up the hill only": When you start to hit 70, apparently your knees hurt.
By late afternoon, I was seriously tired and refused to drive:
I needed sleep so badly. Just came home and crashed. 12 hours after eating, I'm still full. That was way too much food. Next time I'm sticking to ice cream.
Comments
LOL! Fab place for a meal. Methinks you should encourage your mum to think about live streaming via a webcam with some kind of enhanced sound, thus she can travel wherever she likes, as long as she can find an organ to play at the right time, or you could even get a pre-recording done. Not a bad plan, huh?!
Posted by: jen | July 20, 2008 11:19 AM
Might get her to stream sometime, or certainly Tube for some record.
Re playing, I know mum listens, goes at the pace of the congregation too or needs to alter in some other way, i.e. one way streaming not much use. (The organs she usually plays, in addition to two hand keyboards, has a foot pedal keyboard).
Church obligation is more relaxed than when I was a kid. i.e. will now go somewhere if need be, but its not a habit.
To give you a comparison re changing attitudes. Aber (the subject of this blog post) still bans Monty Python's Life of Brian, and now trying to get this overturned. Its kind of weird in 2008, but I can see where that came from. For the record, it was only in recent years that pubs were allowed to open on a Sunday in that area (it happened in my adult lifetime, and only probably because of its student population which swung the vote).
Posted by: Alison | July 20, 2008 6:33 PM
You reminded me about Monty Python's Life of Brian - Swansea also had banned that too. They recently lifted the ban (ok not recent but I want to be young so it's recent :P)
I was at Swansea uni at that time, and they made a huge deal out of it, every single cinema put on Life of Brian for a day, and most of them sold out. Sadly, no subtitles meant I didn't go, but posters everywhere, even people dressed up as Romans etc in Swansea.
I didn't know Swansea had banned the film at that time. Daft as it's just about the most funniest film you can get about regligion..and is probably more accurate than the Bible(!)
Posted by: JGJones | July 21, 2008 11:49 AM
Gosh the food looks so nice esp when at home waiting for wife to cook me tea!
Posted by: Fintan Gaughan | July 22, 2008 6:50 PM
If it helps, the vegetables were overcooked.
@Joe - agree re Life of Brian being funny. Love the depreciating British humour too, culture of must be cheery no matter how crap something actually might be.
Posted by: Alison | July 22, 2008 6:53 PM
Follow up re Life of Brian. Vicar supports ban. Mum knows him. (His wife was on the same course as me, 2-3 years ago).
Posted by: Alison | July 31, 2008 7:23 PM