Sun
Apr
30
2006
Time out at Ceilidh
It’s been quiet around Westserve for a couple of weeks – mainly because I’ve been away, enjoying a delightful break up at our house at Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains, 100k or so west of Sydney.
I usually spend most of the time up there working around the house or garden. Sounds boring, I know, but it’s relaxing and enjoyable for me, as we work towards changing the house to be more suited for us long term.
It also has a deep psychological component for me.
For all of our married life, Rob and I have lived in accommodation provided by the church I have been working for at the time. That may sound like a really good deal. It can be, but there are a few challenges with the system:
- Sometimes (often?), the house provided isn’t really suitable for our family at whatever stage of life we are at. That is less so as our family grows up, but was a real issue at one point.
- Rob and I still need to buy a house for our long term use. I have no particular security of tenure in ministry, and at some stage we will retire and need somewhere to live. Not coming from wealthy backgrounds, that means we need to buy a house now, while I’m still working.
- We decided from the beginning that the house we bought wouldn’t just be an investment property, but would be ‘our’ house, for our use when we needed or wanted, and for ministry use when appropriate.
- That’s been good, but it does mean we have had to furnish and run two complete houses.
That sounds like I’m complaining. I’m not, but I am pointing out that it’s a complication for people in ministry. Even with the generous pay levels of Sydney Anglicans, very few of us on one income in ministry can afford to buy a place in Sydney -hence our house ‘Ceilidh’ at Blackheath. Despite the cost of procuring it, it’s been a great blessing over the years. The boys have enjoyed our many times up here, and it’s always been ‘their’ place (as opposed to whatever house we lived in in Sydney), and it’s been a great refuge from the pressures of ministry for us and for many others.
I guess that’s one reason why I enjoy working in and around it when I’m on holidays.
It’s wonderfully peaceful and quiet up here. The upper Blue Mountains climate is much milder in summer – and colder in winter, but the house is equipped to deal with that. We are also fortunate to be very close to some of the best scenic spots in the mountains, and below are a few photos taken at those spots and in our garden this autumn (Click on the thumbnail for a larger image).
It’s been a great two weeks, and God’s been very good to us in providing this house for us. Back to the grindstone on Tuesday!
(Oh, and kudos to whoever can work out the meaning of the house name, ‘Ceilidh’ ;-))
Comment
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Neil, I’m glad you’re enjoying a well earned break. The view looks great, and the house sound like a home.
From my dictionary, a ‘ceilidh’ is “a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.” I don’t know how to pronounce it.
— Danny Haynes · Apr 30, 07:13 AM · #
Hmm…Dad, what we’re lacking up there is more Irish dancing…
— J · Apr 30, 01:23 PM · #
Nice one Danny!
While we are distinctly lacking in the Irish dancing department, you are pretty right with the definition.
The source I originally used (long forgotten) had ‘ceilidh’ (pronounced ‘kay-lee’) as a Celtic word to describe a place of happy/joyful gatherings.
Not much dancing at all here, but some storytelling! ;-)
— Neil · Apr 30, 02:26 PM · #
Neil, I have a lovely friend in Scotland whose little daughter is called Eilidh, pronounced similarly.
Those Gaelic names have some charm, don’t they!
— David McKay · Apr 30, 06:34 PM · #
You a paint a lovely mental picture, Neil.
— David G · May 1, 04:46 AM · #
@David Mc – That’s a lovely name – but I don’t envy the child at school. I think I would have the English pronunciation tattooed on my forehead!
@DavidG – It’s a lovely physical place too. ;-)
— NeilA · May 1, 01:37 PM · #