A day in the life of an Abbey housekeeper

And so the fun continues!

7:30am       Alarm goes off, I pretend alarm didn't go off
8:00am       Get up, get ready and walk to the Abbey, avoiding the sheep poo if possible
9:00am       Morning service
9:30am       Start work!
                  Washing laundry/scrubbing toilets/vacuuming/making beds
10:45am    Set up for morning tea
                  Make tea/coffee
11:00am    Serve Morning tea
11:30am    Wash dishes from morning tea
12:00pm    More washing/scrubbing/cleaning/laundry etc
12:30pm    Set up for lunch
1:00pm      Serve and eat lunch
1:30pm      Wash up lunch dishes/mop scullery floor
2:30pm      Finished!
                  Go for a walk/check online land/sleep/chat with lovely people
5:00pm      Back to the Abbey to set up for dinner
6:00pm     Serve dinner
6:30pm     Serve dessert
6:45pm     Wash dinner dishes/mop scullery floor/pack up dinner stuff
7:30pm     Finished again!
                 Random social activity/crochet or reading
9:00pm    Attend evening service/be lazy and don't attend evening service
9:30pm    Set up and serve After Service Tea if I'm on it this week
10:15pm  Think about bed/read/chat/go for a walk
11:00pm  Go to bed
                Listen to snoring!!

The shift varies a lot, sometimes starting at 7am for breakfast, or sometimes in one block. I think I'm getting quite used to the routines here now, and am enjoying being around people so much. There are 15 volunteers staying at the Mac and it has a great feel. Here are some pics of daily life in the Mac:



Lots of people getting
sick...this is my strategy
for staying healthy. It says,
"Leesa's cup full of Leesa's
germs for Leesa only" hehe



Vollie = Volunteer
Ressie = Resident
There you go, whole new language
it seems......

My lovely bed in Mac A where I
listen to snoring.



On my day off, Greta (fellow vollie) and I went across to Mull and drove to Tobermory, the biggest town on Mull. Poor Nessie couldn't come across to Iona, so I had to go across and see if she was ok! It was great to get off island for a bit and explore some new shops! Here are some pics:

There was a space in my stomach that could
only be filled by fish and chips.
So so yummy! I would drive 1.5hrs again
just for this!!!!

Random knitted birds on a string...very cool though!

Greta taking pics....

......me relaxing!

My day off ended in a rather lovely way too, with an evening walk up Dun I (big hill in the middle of Iona). The sun sets about 11:30 at the moment so it's never too late for a walk :) The evening light is amazing. From the top you can see the whole island and surrounding water. The sea is so gentle it feels more like being on an island in the middle of a huge still lake.




Contemplating the lovely scenery....

View from the top. The big building on the right is the
MacLeod Centre...the Abbey is on the left.



Jumping off!! My jump wasn't very good :(

More stunning beauty



Enough from me for now. Just in case, mobile phone coverage here is pretty bad, so if I don't answer I'm sorry! Best to msg instead. Internet is ok, but only available in one room in the Abbey.
Have a wonderful week. God bless :)

First days on Iona

After 3 ferry trips I have made it to the end of the world!  I'm sure if I were to swim out a bit I'd fall off the edge :)


Ferry #1: Ardgour-Corran



Ferry #2: Lochaline-Fishnish



Ferry #3: Fionnphort-Iona





So, this is 'home' for the next 8 weeks!

I'm not actually living at the abbey, but work and eat here every day.  Volunteers stay at the Macleod Centre 2 mins up the road.  The island itself is only 5kms long, with a population of 125 (not including the community).  There is the Abbey of course, the Macleod Centre, Gift shops, small supermarket and a few other buildings.  There are also heaps of historical sites and beautiful beaches to explore.  I haven't had much of a chance to get out and take photos yet though, because the weather has been horrible!  The day I arrived was good, but since then it's been rain, wind and no power one morning too.  I've got 8 weeks here so I'm sure there will be photo taking opportunities soon :) 

Daily life at the moment involves lots of washing dishes, making beds, doing laundry and scrubbing toilets.  I work 7.5 hrs a day, 5.5 days a week....Tuesday will be my first day off...yay!

Here are some highlights so far:

• The Abbey - there is something special about coming to work each day in such an old and beautiful place.  I love going past the tourists into the entrance that says "residents only"!  Hehe...
• People - I've met some lovely people so far.  The team I work with are great and we have heaps of fun.  There is always someone to talk to, but also enough space to be alone if I want.

Challenges so far:

• Sleep - A lady in my room has taken snoring to a whole new level.  It is epic.  I cannot understand how so much noise can come from one person!  Alas, even with earplugs a good night's sleep is a faint memory :(
• The community here has a strong focus on justice and peace, which in itself is a good thing.  Aside from that the community is quite liberal, so it's a good challenge for me to take on what is good, and also hold on to what I know is right.   

So, enough writing...time for some photos of the journey to Iona.  Have a lovely week.  God bless! :)

More than chocolate and cheese :)

Ok, so I stole that title but it's very appropriate.  There is lots more to Switzerland than chocolate and cheese!  This was my first trip to continental Europe (if you don't count the european part of Kazakhstan and Istanbul airport!) and I'm very eager to get back and see more!  Above all though, this trip was about catching up with some beautiful friends whom I haven't seen in years:



...and their cutie-pie daughters





A very special couple....

I love it that "goodbye" these days is more like "see you later".  Being able to stay in touch with friends is such a blessing.  I'm sure it would have been a wonderful time no matter where we were, but wow what a country! 

I got a good flight from Aberdeen so took the train there on Thurs night and got up at 3:15am to catch the early flight through Amsterdam to Zurich.  I don't have a good track record with early flights but managed it this time!  My friends met me there and we spent the first night in Rapperswil before heading to the mountains for two nights, then back to Zurich for the last night.  Here are some photos of what we got up to:

Relaxing.... :)  Having friends who organise everything makes for a wonderfully stress-free holiday...thank you!!!


Weeeee!!! I'm flying!!!



Here comes the sun...da da da da.....

Beautiful scenery!! Every building and landscape looks like it belongs on a jigsaw puzzle :)

Stunning castle..can't remember the name!

Old buildings in Scoul

Zurich

Scenery on the way to the mountains

Yummy Swiss food.  I think I'll go to Switzerland for breakfast...and lunch...and dinner

Masters of the BBQ




Beautiful fresh fruit and yummy cake :)














Raclette!!!

Never mind the expression...this
carrot cake is really good!


















Mountains to climb.  There was still some snow on the ground...special!




That's Italy on the left, Switzerland on
the right...does that count as "going" to
Italy I wonder?



On the way up....





At the top!

And so, having just arrived back in Inverness on Tuesday I'm already getting ready for the next adventure. This Wednesday I'm of to the Isle of Iona to work with the Iona Community as a volunteer for 8 weeks.  It's soon summer holidays, so no chance of teaching work for a while!  I will make it back to Inverness in time for start of the new term. I hope you have a wonderful week.  Let me know how things are going in your part of the world! God bless :)