July 2011
by Carolyn Jane - 22:48 on 31 July 2011
JULY 2011
We've just realised that this site has a Blog facility so I'll do a quick summary of the month that's drawing to a close...
Bibhas is back in France, replacing the old chicken shed with a summer house, having driven through the long-awaited Hindhead Tunnel on the day it opened. He was involved with the early consultation process on this when he was Head of Structures at the Highways Agency, though he actually favoured the viaduct over the Devil's punchbowl option!
I'm enjoying the sunshine and a bit of downtime in Farncombe, after a fabulous week at the Irish Summer School, at Lorne Girl Guiding Centre near Holywood. We had a fabulous time there with around 100 old and new friends and their families, studying different aspects of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's life and teachings. This is the Centenary of His first visit to the U.K., and we're organising some activities in nearby Woking to coincide with this.
We've had quite a busy month since our last trip to Britanny - starting with a nice South Indian meal with our Christian neighbours, John & Rachel, long overdue as they come and go as much as we do. A well-attended Bahá'í BBQ and one day school in Chobham, with a few of us visiting our dear friend Wendy's grave an incredible 27 years on, Holy Days and Feasts, and a Cluster Reflection meeting all in Guildford, and our own monthly 'Pepperpot' meeting in Godalming.
We had an impromptu visit from an old friend, Azar Majidi, who finished her PhD at Surrey more than 30 years ago - her son had brought her to London for 3 nights and they came down to visit the University, came to the Cluster Meeting where she met old friends and even a couple of Iranian relatives, and then we took them to visit Woking Mosque, where 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the opening nearly 100 years ago...
Then there was Alzheimer Society Week with a couple of street collections and an evening event at Woking Lightbox, my weekly stints at the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice shop, a study group with the local Unitarians and others, using Karen Millers '12 Steps to Compassionate Living' and an invitation to the Ahmadiyyah event in Cranleigh, Britain's largest village :)
Not forgetting a trip to Abingdon to tidy up Dad's family grave in readiness for Mum's anniversary next month (she has a little plaque there at the foot of the Branson grave)
Tomorrow is the funeral of another special lady, Kim Rogers, in Aldermaston which I plan to attend... I don't want to wait until the end of the month to comment on this beautiful day, which Kim had planned for her family and many friends. The funeral took place in the glorious surroundings of the Old Mill. We arrived to the sights and sounds of water, classical music and tumbling flower displays everywhere, with trees, fountains, bowers and more flowers, and the stream flowing around the venue. The day was unhurried, with lovely prayers and tributes, and there were joyful moments despite the deep sadness that such a beautiful soul has been taken from the world too soon...
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