A Wee Update

So I've just been chatting to a friend and realised that I haven't really updated my blog or anything lately to say what has actually been going on in my life. I like to write about thought provoking things, but maybe writing about daily things is good too!


Christmas happened. That's enough of that. Nah, not really! Christmas was mad. The guests were mad. The vollies were mad. The ressies had gone mad by this point in the year. Mad in a good way! It was quite a busy week with lots of work to do and was the hardest Christmas I've had out of the 4 I've been on Iona for, but I wouldn't have changed it.

New Year was nice and quiet. Julie, Eilidh and I had some nice drinks and nibbles at home, and then ventured down to the village hall for the bells to join the Hogmany party. It was nice to be out with the locals and celebrate the New Year together. This new year felt different for me - it wasn't just the start of a new year but the start of a new job.

On January 1st I started the year by leading the morning service and then spent the next three days finishing my handover notes and starting on some major housekeeping tasks. If I really haven't spoken to you in a while, you won't realise that I'm changing jobs! 2010 I was the Hospitality Team Support Worker, working in both the Mac and the Abbey doing kitchen and housekeeping. 2011 I am the Abbey Housekeeper. It's actually quite a big change. Although I know the job day to day and have worked in Abbey Housekeeping a lot, there's a lot I'd like to do with the job and the centre. Change to come!

So after those three days, I hopped on a ferry in the morning and ended up in Edinburgh later that day being greeted by Becki who had just come up from Kent, and my dad who came to pick us up. For the next 6 days, we chilled out in Edinburgh. Stayed in bed till all hours of the afternoon, went down to Newcastle to meet a friend and walk some dogs, did some shopping, went for a night at Heather & Maurice's flat, had Epiphemas (Christmas celebration just after Epiphany!), went to 24hour Asda and, well, had a lovely week in general :) It was exactly the escape I needed.

Now I'm back on Iona, working away and keeping busy. After many goodbyes at the end of last year, it's got to the time of hellos. The person who will be the Hospitality Team Support Worker this year has now arrived, so it feels a bit strange to be helping with the training of the person doing my job. I'll get used to it when I'm fully in to my new job! Someone who was a vollie last year is now back as a ressie, so it's great to have her back. Feels good. Looking forward to more new ones arriving later this month, including Becki who I was in Edinburgh with and Joanne who was also a vollie last year.

Anyway, it's now the weekend and so it's time off. Just had my dinner made for me and now watching Modern Family. Early to bed...