THE GATE OF THE YEAR

The first verse of this was quoted by H.M King George VI in a Wartime Christmas broadcast and was written by M Louise Haskins, I have it written on a copper plaque.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".
And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way".
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still;
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature: In Him
All time hath full provision.

Then rest; until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life's stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God's thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.


HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL, I HOPE 2012 IS A GOOD YEAR FOR YOU.
My dad would have been 106 today, bless him.

Ginger Beer Plant

I am hoping to make some home made ginger beer. When I was little I used to visit some neighbours who often had one of these plants on the go. I shall try to make some tomorrow.
I need 1/2 oz fresh yeast or 1/4 oz of dried yeast to mix with 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 teasp. sugar and 1/4 pint water. I then will leave it for 24 hours and then feed daily with 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar.
After 7 days it needs to be strained through a cloth, retaining the liquid. The remaining solid is the plant which should be mixed with 1/4 pint water and then fed with ginger and sugar to produce a new batch of ginger beer. The "plant" should be divided in half about every 2 weeks.

To finish the ginger beer mix the strained liquid with 5 pints of cold water, the juice of 2 lemons and 1 1/2 lb sugar which has been dissolved in 2 pints hot water. Mix well and pour into screw top (beer or cider) bottles. Leave for 1 week before using.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

The words of an old song (may have been a hymn) come back to me at this time of the year. The Christmas singers used to sing the first line as Christmas Eve the bells are ringing, but I was told it should have been New Year's Eve.The words are as follows, I don't know where they originate.

Christmas Eve the bells are ringing; and the echo sweet and clear,
With the message it is bringing, steals upon the frosty air,
Voices from the past seem calling, Tender memories abound,
While without thesnow is fallng, falling white upon the ground.

I am thinking of the impress made by each where'er we go;
Of the waymarks left behind us, of the footprints in the snow.
Footprints, some of shame and sorrow,
Thought of only with a sigh; Are the footprints true and steady?
What will ours be by and by?

Would some brother stray or stumble
Treading in these steps of mine?
Or, if following, would they lead him
Upward to a life divine?
Oh, how solemn now to ponder
Over youthful feet that strayed
And to think that some may wander
By the footprints I have made.

WATCH NIGHT SERVICE

As the New Year is approaching I am wondering whether there are any Watch Night Services planned. Unfortunately, the chapel I have attended for many years does not hold this service any more.
A watchnight service is a late-night Christian church service held late on New Year's Eve and ends after midnight. This provides the opportunity for Christians to review the year that has passed and make confession, and then prepare for the year ahead.  The founder of the Methodist Church, the Rt. Rev. John Wesley originated watch night services in 1740.
It was tradition at my chapel to sing in the porch after the service the following:

"This, this is the God we adore, our faithful unchangeable friend, whose love is as great as his power and neither knows measure or end"
"Tis Jesus the first and the last, whose spirit will guide us safe home, we'll praise him for all that is past and trust him for all that's to come".

Lost passwords, Little Grey Rabbit and Time travel

My family keep making fun of me as I have so many passwords to remember and they keep laughing at me, I'll show them and if you keep following Little Grey Rabbit you are in for a treat and together we will have lots of adventures. One of Alison Uttley's books was called A Traveller in Time which has been republished and I have a copy which I am intending to read in the near future. Will give an update when I eventually read it.

My first blog

Hello. My name is Litttle Grey Rabbit. I've just spent some time trying to reset my password, and have just created my first ever blog. What is the point of it?

I am little grey rabbit because I have always loved the Little Grey Rabbit stories written by Alison Uttley who I recently found out also wrote essays for grown ups which are very descriptive essays describing life in the countryside over 100 years ago.  A few weeks ago I enjoyed a delightful evening at an Alison Uttley Christmas evening near Cromford, Derbyshire, extracts from her Christmas essays were read and a folk singer sang some old Derbyshire folk songs.

I have recently found out there is an Alison Uttley Society.