A Day Off

9.15am Return from the muddy two-mile hike to and from school drop-off.

9.40am Arrive in church No I to set out forty chairs and six tables for the community singing group. Commence nine commutes down the aisle with the water jug to fill up the tea urn.

11.00am  Serve tea to 107 singers.

11.20am Wash up 107 tea cups in the last three inches of hot water dispensed by the tea urn.

Noon Clear away forty chairs and six tables.

1.30pm Chaperone the Vicar's cassock on an emergency dash to the dry cleaner.

2.40pm Repeat the muddy mile to church No II by the school to fill the tea urn.

3.15pm Serve tea and squash to 13 parents and children.

4.15pm Clear away 13 tea and squash cups and mop juvenile footprints off the new laminate in the church hall.

5.00pm Start writing a press release on the Heritage Lottery grant towards the church organ appeal .

5.30pm Return to church No I to make up 12 mattresses for the winter night shelter. Set out three tables and 14 chairs for the guests. Commence nine commutes down the aisle with the water jug to fill up the tea urn.

In the midst of the mass irrigation of singers, an elderly lady pauses to receive a cup of tea from me: 'So,' she says conversationally, 'you're not working today then?'

 Do you work?!



Comments

  1. Iota 17 January 2015 at 07:43

    Can you plug the urn in in the kitchen, and serve tea in there? Just a thought.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures of a Middle-aged Matron17 January 2015 at 09:35

      No, because obviously the church cafe operates from the kitchen!! We even wash up in the nave!

      Delete
  2. Sarah17 January 2015 at 11:50

    How lovely to have a whole day off with absolutely nothing to do! I expect you made up for it the next day by doing something constructive ... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures of a Middle-aged Matron17 January 2015 at 18:07

      No, Saturdays are busy days! Got the kids to look after….

      Delete
  3. Susan Coleman17 January 2015 at 18:06

    How lovely... A day off!? Add 'event planner' to your CV ( résumé). Well, anyway you amused me on my day off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures of a Middle-aged Matron17 January 2015 at 18:09

      I'm actually jolly fond of my days off. And the parish is pleased for me with my hours of leisure. 'What I admire about you is that you always do what you want to do,' one once said to me as I collected dirty crockery from the church garden supper.

      Delete
  4. Dumdad17 January 2015 at 18:48

    The good life, so to speak. Also, you have 107 tea cups?!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AlwaysARedhead18 January 2015 at 12:30

    I'm surprised to didn't have your nails done?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous18 January 2015 at 14:19

    My immediate response to the middle-aged woman would have been,
    'Not paid work, no!'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures of a Middle-aged Matron18 January 2015 at 14:50

      Unfortunately I couldn't think of a witty retort at the time!

      Delete
  7. Unknown22 January 2015 at 22:50

    How kind of the church to provide something to keep an otherwise 'bored housewife' out of trouble ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures of a Middle-aged Matron23 January 2015 at 16:57

      I'm as much trouble in church as at home. Poured tea instead of hot water onto a woman's special coffee pouch during that singing group!

      Delete

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