MORE . . . . yes, WEATHER

Ho hum, more photos! I was going to type "the last of them" but with the British weather, you never know.

ABOVE: That bridge in Ludlow that collapsed.
BELOW: The house that is just behind you in the above photo! Apparently the elderly couple that live there were evacuated, but only just in time, they had been in that room, just minutes before this happened.


ABOVE: Hope no one wants anything from the local shops.
BELOW: That is not a river, it's someone's road! That wall to the right is their driveway.


ABOVE: Problems like this virtually cut off certain villages during the worst of it.

And finally some videos. The first is local



Then we have a bus journey, I believe in Birmingham.



And finally Sheffield. Although Shropshire got the worst of the weather last week, before the weekend, when the rains hit again on Monday Sheffield was much worse hit this time. It's over 5 minutes but some good shots.

Yet More Weather

(heeheehee, see it IS all we brits ever talk about)
More photos to share

ABOVE: A fire engine from our local station, Tweedale, seems that when the water was up on the road he couldn't see the edge, ooops!
BELOW: You can only see the top of the road closed sign. Think someone needs to move it further back.


ABOVE: The famous river Severn. Not the deepest I've ever seen it, but not bad.
BELOW: Sorry about the quality of this one, it was the best I could do. the river overflowed in Ludlow, and the road bridge collapsed.
More photos will, undoubtedly come later today.

MORE WEATHER

Oh yes, there's MORE, There's always MORE where weather is concerned!
After staying dry most of the weekend, the heavens opened again Sunday night into Monday morning. The forecasters say the problem was caused by this huge air mass that wasn't moving, so instead of dropping the rain over a huge area as it moved, this weather system dropped the lot where it was. This time other areas of the country were worse hit than us, but all these photos are again LOCAL.

For the Christians among my readers (particularly those from the church I attend - I know you're out there) read this section from a prophetic word given just 4 weeks ago
"From that throne you have made with your integrity, three things are going to happen, they are that His wisdom and His dominion, His rule, is going to fall upon you, but His wisdom and His dominion, His rule is going to fall upon the area around here and it’s going to rain. And that where you’ve planted seeds His rain is coming and that they’re going to grow far beyond what you can even imagine. "

ABOVE: Wonder if they'll get that started this morning when the water level drops?
BELOW: We've not personally driven through anything this deep, although we have been through lower stuff, down the road from our house.


ABOVE: More damage to the steam railway line. They have organised an appeal to pay for repairs which they say will run to half a million pounds.
BELOW: That, at the top is a ROAD, the water is running into an outlet to the river at the bottom!


ABOVE & BELOW: Not just roads affected


ABOVE: Traditional Shropshire river craft - A coracle - being used to it's full advantage.
BELOW: This unfortunate lady was burgled during the appalling weather!

ABOVE: Another road, down in Ironbridge.
BELOW: A funnel cloud seen just North of our town.

And that's it for today. No doubt there will be more photos later today as people get them listed online!

WEATHER

Apparently this is all we Brits talk about!
But heck we've had some severe weather this week.
All of these photos are of locations within 25 miles of our home.

ABOVE: The impending storm. Well, I say impending, this was earlier in the week, but this afternoon the skys have begun to take on a similar look in places!


Above: What the rain can do to a road!
Below: What happens when the top road surface loosens in the flood and the rain pushes large stones UNDERNEATH it.

ABOVE: A 40 foot deep ravine opened up at the BOTTOM of someone's garden.
BELOW: This family weren't so lucky. Their hole opened up a bit closer to the house.

ABOVE: An aerial shot of the severn valley railway, showing the washed away embankment, leaving hanging track.
BELOW: A close up shot of the damage.

ABOVE: One of a number of impassable roads out in the rural areas of the county.
BELOW: A stream in flood.

Gosh, it's Thursday again, already.
TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

• My wonderful husband, who has changed so much, and become this amazing man of God.
• My eldest son's exams will be over soon, and the to-ing and fro-ing in the car will lessen (come September he's going to college more locally and will get himself there and back on the bus)
• That I have been blessed in these extra car journeys with extra time with said son.
  
• for God's protection in the bad weather we've had this week, some around here were not so fortunate.
• That even though the roof leaked at church, that we still have a roof. If we were elsewhere and this was a hurricane, we'd be lucky to still have a building. We ARE Blessed.
• That even though someone told me the wrong day of the week for an evening open house at a friend's house this week, and I turned up there, last night, DUH! that they asked me in for a drink and we had a really good chat before I came home.
• That we get to sign some important papers tonight!
• That we have a fresh start.
• That computers do maths quicker than I do!
• That at least someone who cares is now aware of just how isolated I have been feeling at church and didn't use it as an excuse to try and FIX me, like he would have done in the past. He just gave me a hug! And has checked in on me since, as well.
• That even though people move on, to new churches that we can STILL stay friends, see each other, pray together, etc, and not feel like we have to leave in order to do that, it is OK and acceptable to do this way.
• That God is wooing me and calling me and asking me to draw near to HIM.

Please leave a comment. And if you're also taking part in Thankful Thursday, please sign the Mr Linky.

Today I am thankful for:

• friends, both near and far
• people who don't forget about you just because they move on church wise
• gentlemen who were willing to walk me to my car - I told them i didn't need them to, but it was kind of nice.
• the rain we're having today - We need the water for the reservoirs, but it's somehow, TIME for some, with all that's gone on.
• Our loan application went though and the cheque arrived this morning. Got to wait for it to clear and then we can pay everything off and start again with a clean slate.
• A husband who works so hard to provide for us, with very little thanks
• a job that allows me the flexibility to more or less go in when I want, as long as my hours get done.
• I more or less completed a project I set myself at work, and think I did a good job too.
• that I had the privilege of knowing Natalie Rose,
• that my eldest will be done with exams (for now at least) in just over a week's time.
• that I'm getting extra time with him, to talk, driving him to and from exams.
• that youngest didn't appear any worse for wear when getting caught in a severe storm on a school trip yesterday.
  
• a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, a computer to play on and a car to drive!
• I can CREATE, and hopefully I get to do some of that on Saturday!
• QVC craft day on Saturday. I haven't told hubby or the kids yet though, so we'll see what happens, I don't intend to buy anything, but do love watching and crafting at the same time.
• that God loves me
• No, I mean he REALLY loves me, warts and all!
• heeheee
• That I can smile
• that i can laugh
• THANK YOU GOD FOR LAUGHTER
  

What Would Nattie Do?

A lot of the ladies on W@H have been writing memorials to nattie yesterday, because it was her real memorial service at which we were well represented by a group of gorgeous ladies. By the time someone suggested it I didn't have time to complete it yesterday, and this morning, well, words are not enough are they, but this is what I have. A very slightly edited version of an email I wrote to our church email list yesterday morning:

I have ummed and aahed about whether to send this request to the list or not, but it is so close to my heart that I really feel as many people as possible praying is best. I said this because I seem to send prayer requests through more frequently than ANYONE else in the church and sometimes wonder if people get fed up of it, but then, every so often someone will ask about someone I've posted a request for, and you know that people are reading and are praying.

I lost very dear online friend to stomach cancer last week.
Yes, I only ever knew her online, but she was as dear a friend to me as any I have known in real life.
Her name was Natalie Rose, or to those that loved her, Nattie.

She became ill about two months ago, was diagnosed about 3 or 4 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago her cancer was declared inoperable and they started Chemo. She died on Thursday. Nattie is dancing with Jesus, completely healed and whole. And for that I rejoice.

But she leaves behind two children, both under 10, one of whom has aspergers, which is one of the autistic spectrum disorders. Their dad left to be with someone else 3 or 4 years ago and despite her own personal feelings about that, and struggles with paid support and so on she would not allow anyone to speak ill of him in front of her kids and would not do so herself, all the time, doing her best and her utmost to fight through incredibly difficult circumstances, she would ALWAYS point you to Jesus. Always be there with a smile, with a heartfelt "Yes, it looks dim right now, but look UP".

When her cancer was declared inoperable, she declared "NO CRYING!, I am NOT going to die, I am going to fight this thing and with Jesus, I will win."

Please pray for her children. Pray for them today as they go through the memorial service but at any time from here on in that you think to. The group that I knew Nattie through might lose touch with their lives at this point. We hope not, but we just don't know.

Nattie lived life with such faith and such enthusiasm that I am finding already as I face certain situations and decisions I find myself asking "What would Nattie do?"

Natalie Rose "Nattie" York


A precious gift from God,
delivered on
December 15, 1973;
returned to heaven
June 7, 2007.


Goodbye, Natalie Rose, have fun with Jesus, I'll miss you!

_____________________________

I'll not be writing on my blog for the next day or so, seems there is not much of importance to say right now.
Please continue to keep my friend Michelle in your prayers as she continues to battle her cancer.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!

Oooh, it's Wednesday again.
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY POST HERE FOR YOU!
Well, not yet!
Heeheeee, I'm going out to our outreach craft club at a local school in about half an hour. I finally got my new (new to me anyway) phone working yesterday and it has a phone, sooooooo, I will be taking one or two photos, and will share them on here.

UPDATED - Photos now here, at the bottom of this post!

None of the kids of course, for child safety reasons, but perhaps some of their work today.

So if you came here early, come back later, and sing my Mr Linky.

I won't sign in over at the Wordless Wednesday site until my photo is up as well as this rambling!
Pastry Caterpillars!

This is a sponsored post - See disclosure policy

Works for Me Wednesday

I read today's Works for Me Wednesday post over at "Rocks in my Dryer" and I laughed! I have a much easier solution to the boredom of the Looooooong summer break from school:
MOVE TO ENGLAND and then you only get a 6 week break!

Sorry, that's probably a little cheeky, and I really ought to come up with a proper post. Mine is indeed a post to cope with boredom of the summer break. YES, even with just 6 weeks, we hear that word far too often!

Rather than just one big list of activities that the children can do, I had 4 tins. Let me see if I remember them (it's been a few years since I did this last)

1. indoor UN supervised activities
2. outdoor UN supervised activities
3. Indoor Supervised activities
4. Outdoor Supervised activities.

So, there would be ideas on small slips of paper, folded up in each of these small tins. And when the dreaded word came out of their mouths, I would direct them to one of the tins, and tell them to go do something.

Some were ideas they could do with no further instruction, some had the instructions there on the paper, in brief, others directed them to a particular page in a particular book, and still others directed them to a particular webpage.

So what are your tips for this time of year in your home? Is it summer? Are you on the other side of the world and it's winter?

Go join in Works for me Wednesday, sign the Mr Linky there, AND the Mr Linky here too!

TIRED TIRED TIRED

Actually yesterday was slightly better. But I am still waking frequently in the night and still falling asleep during the day.
I HAVE started going to the gym.
I went to the gym on Friday, then Saturday we went for a long walk around the local living history museum, Monday I went to the gym, and yesterday I had a much longer walk than expected around a local town. Heeheee, I went to get some cash from the hole in the wall and realised I could not remember my pin number. It just left my head completely! BOOM! I needed cash to pay for what I was up in that town for, so had to walk to the branch of the bank that I bank with, which of course had to be right up at the opposite end of the town centre from where I was!

But at least now, I have my new phone! YEAH! All sorted, camera and everything!
I'll take some photos with it today and share them. They won't be brilliant, it is after all only a camera phone, but we'll see what we can do.

The annoying thing about the whole pin number thing, is that on the way home I went to the supermarket, I paid by card, and over here these days that means using your pin. But I remembered it with no problem, faced with the usual environment in which I use it. Think that's really strange!