And Now The Shipping Forecast Issued by the Met Office ....

There are certain things in life that  give or evoke comfort..........  

Toast, hot baths, bacon, clean sheets, mugs of tea

The Shipping Forecast is one such comfort giver.  For many years I have loved to listen to it, invariably whilst tucked up in a warm comfy bed in a place somewhere between awake and asleep.  From my safe vantage point and with eyes closed, this litany takes me away to  familiar places never seen. Veering and backing through squally wintery showers, moderate or good I am taken by the dulcet Radio 4 voice on my journey around the British Isles. 

Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames ..........

Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey............

In the places of my imagination I see those who risk their lives to earn a living out on the rough seas, and from my warm home comforts, I am thankful for my lot in life.  

Tyne, Dogger. Northeast 3 or 4. Occasional rain. Moderate or poor.

Rockall, Malin, Hebrides. Southwest gale 8 to storm 10, veering west, severe gale 9 to violent storm 11. Rain, then squally showers. Poor, becoming moderate.

Southeast Iceland. North 7 to severe gale 9. Heavy snow showers. Good, becoming poor in showers. Moderate icing

Click here to Listen to a Shipping Forecast

This daily Radio 4 broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the our Isles, is produced by the met office; a service for those directly interested in maritime weather conditions.  The fact that it appeals to so many like me with no aspirations to take to the high seas  is I suppose all part of its charm.  Words strung together which to me are a mystery and sound poetic, are potentially life saving to those in the know. 

 

Shipping forecast

The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on Saturday 18 February 2012 at 1130 UTC

There are warnings of gales in Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland.

The General synopsis at 0600

New low moving rather quickly east expected Sweden 982 by 0600 tomorrow. New high expected Sole 1030 by same time. Low Trafalgar 1019 slow moving losing its identity by that time

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours

Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties

Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9. Rough or very rough, becoming high. Squally snow showers, rain at first. Good, occasionally poor

Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger

West, veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 for a time. Rough or very rough, but moderate at first in Forth and Tyne. Squally snow showers, rain at first in Dogger. Moderate or good

Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames

Southwest, veering northwest, 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later in Fisher. Rough or very rough, occasionally high later in Fisher, but moderate at first in Thames. Rain then squally snow showers. Moderate or good, occasionally poor

Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 6 or 7, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Moderate, occasionally rough. Rain at first. Good, occasionally poor at first

Biscay

Westerly, veering northerly, 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first in south. Slight or moderate, becoming rough. Rain or drizzle, fair later. Good, occasionally poor

Trafalgar (Issued 0015 UTC Sat 18 Feb)

Variable 3 or 4, becoming northerly or northeasterly 5 at times. Slight or moderate. Occasional rain or showers. Moderate or good

North FitzRoy, Sole

Westerly 5 to 7, becoming variable 4 later. Rough or very rough. Occasional rain or wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor

Lundy, Fastnet

Southwest 6 to gale 8, veering northwest 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in Fastnet. Wintry showers, rain at first. Moderate or good

Irish Sea

Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5. Moderate or rough, becoming slight later. Squally wintry showers. Moderate or good

Shannon, Rockall, Malin

Northwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first in Malin, decreasing 4 or 5. Very rough or high, occasionally very high at first in Rockall. Squally wintry showers. Good, occasionally poor

Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland

Northwesterly 7 to severe gale 9, backing westerly 5 or 6. Very rough or high. Squally snow showers. Good, occasionally poor. Light icing in Faeroes and Southeast Iceland

So we see from the lunch time forecast that today's coastal weather is tricky.  I imagine there are many out there battling the elements.  I take comfort in the fact I am not one of them........

The Eternal Maker and the 12 year old Patchwork

Every once in a while a day comes along that blesses beyond the norm and today was one of those days. 

There is an emporium of delights near Chichester called The Eternal Maker.  One could be forgiven for driving past and completely missing this warehouse of delights, as it is tucked away on an industrial estate.  On my first visit a year ago, my lovely friend Karen just about hyperventilated as we walked through the door, as there before our eyes, were row upon row of beautiful fabrics, ribbons, and buckets of buttons of all different shapes and colours.

Karen and I decided it was time for a return visit. This ramshakle emporium inspires and brings out the creative spirit from within.  All manner of 'projects' and 'ideas for projects' come to mind when you peruse the fabrics and haberdashery.  Who could fail to be inspired by a bucket of purple buttons?

Or even cream buttons that invite the hand to dive in and fondle and feel, while the mind is racing; deciding just exactly what it is you could do with them, justifying your buying just one bag of the beautiful pearl jewels.

As is often the case with those of us who get excited about getting a new project under way, tempted by the pretty things; ric rac, ribbon, or glittery beads, it is often in the knowledge that there are plenty of unfinished projects that lay waiting at home needing completion. 

Remembering some patchwork I started some 12 years or so ago, I decided that today would be the day of it's completion.  I had always intended to back the patchwork and make a small quilt to use when camping.

Spurred on with fresh intent, Karen and I returned home, put the kettle on and settled in to an afternoon of sewing.  Karen made heart 'rosettes' and I quilted and backed my patchwork.

With the quilt complete, it was time to add some buttons which I could not resist buying earlier in the day.

Karen, once mastering the '16 step guide to making rosette hearts', made a couple of hearts for me to adorn my quilt. Of course, I had to have hearts!!

And voila! the finished project, which I began some 12 years ago, and which took an hour or maybe two to complete.....

One quilt to keep my legs warm on a summers evening camping, whilst drinking my hot chocolate..

And don't worry, I was inspired with a new project...... lace and buttons were purchased to decorate a new lampshade for my hallway.  This will be done tomorrow, or even may be the day after, or maybe next week!!

Nailing My Colours to the Mast

My blog is aptly named Times and Seasons. I do believe that we live through different times and seasons in our lives; each one to hone and shape us in our character and to give us an all round appreciation of our lot in life.  It is fair to say that the season I am currently walking through is not without its challenges and I am certainly learning a great deal about who I am and what I'm made of.

I do not know why or how it came to be that at the age of 16 I would commit my life to God,  be a follower of Jesus, to be 'born again'...call it what you will, I surrendered the person I was to His will in my life.  I do believe that I was made new.

I have not always honoured that commitment I made to Him; by keeping my hand firmly placed in His.  I have been at times like a small child who has been distracted along the way by the pretty things that caught my eye and caused me to curiously walk away.

Sometimes in the wandering off, I found myself so lost, but despite my being oblivious to just how far I had wandered from His path, or even in my own wilfulness, God has been faithful to me and I can see clearly as I look back, that He has never ever left my side.

This year I will be 50!!  I know that for some of my friends reading this they will find that hard, if not near impossible to believe!!  As I embark on a new decade I have been reflecting on all that has gone before.  I do hold with the old adage .... 'Count Your Blessings!'  

Even as I journey through this season of relentless challenges, I know that I am blessed and I am not on my own.  God is my Father in Heaven and despite my age, I am still his child.  I know and feel His love daily and I have come to understand that He is such a part of me and I am such a part of Him that we are rooted in together.  He is my sure foundation.

Those who truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from the branches they find that they are one tree and not two.

Captain Corelli''s Mandolin

I am not always one to shout all this from the roof tops.  I never wanted to be someone who bombards my friends and family with my faith.  I have only ever wanted to be open and transparent and give an answer to anyone who might want to ask what makes me tick.

This evening I feel an overwhelming urge to re-nail my colours to the mast.  This is who I am. I am loved and am impossibly in love with Jesus.  I am loved and impossibly in love with my Father in Heaven and I am loved and impossibly in love with the Holy Spirit who reveals all to me.  Ha! that feels so good............

Don't be frightened dear friends..... I am not about to get all religious on you..  Far from it......religion has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with religion.  For me it is all about walking through life hand in hand with the one I love!