Even though the day be laden......

In these difficult times when my days are filled with hassle with jobhunting, dealing with the DWP, and trying to sort out creditors, I have been glad to be reminded of a song which I came across as part of my reader training. I vaguely recall that it comes from the Iona community, so apologies to them if I am breaching copyright by quoting the words below. I can only suggest you buy it from them if it is available.

The song is:

Even though the day be laden

And my task dreary

And my strength small,

This song keeps singing in my head,

For I know that I am Thine

I am part of Thee

Thou art kin to me

And all my times, all my times

Are in thy hand.

Church good today

Well, the title says it, really. Speaker whom I normally disagree with only said one thing which with some effort could be taken to mean sonething that I might take issue. Generally encouraged to seek more of the Holy Spirit and to seek a more 'given' life. Much of which I am doing anyway in my quest for ordination, but it was an encouragement to me in that area. Anyway, I can't be outdone by my 'Soul Survivor' kids, can I?

Soul Survivor II

Kids back from Soul Survivor. Sounds like it was really good. I think at least one of them has turned a corner, spiritually, and all of them seem to have moved on.

The eldest went as a helper this year, which he found difficult and challenging.

Ford KA power steering fluid leak II

Well, I've put in the new fluid, and the leak stop fluid, and it all ended in a puddle under the car within 48 hours. I think I will have to take it to a garage to get the leak fixed.

[Edit 10 July 2012 ...


The leak was on the steering rack, not just the pump. I bought a new (ie refurbished) steering rack, but never got round to putting it on (long story) and have no scrapped the car but still have a spare steering rack.

So: if you need a Ford KA power steering rack, I am open to offers if you are willing to collect. Leave a comment with your email address and I will contact you to giving approximate location (this is supposed to be an anonymous blog) and we'll take it form there.]

Ford KA power steering fluid leak

Opened the bonnet to hunt for the power steering fluid reservoir top up hole, expecting it to be a long hunt for a vague and dirty nut somewhere impossible to reach. The furst thing I see is a clean black lid with a picture of a yellow steering wheel and the bright yellow words "power steering fluid". I guess that might be what I'm looking for then! Someone needs to lift his bonnet more often!

[Edit 10 July 2012 ...


The leak was on the steering rack, not just the pump. I bought a new (ie refurbished) steering rack, but never got round to putting it on (long story) and have no scrapped the car but still have a spare steering rack.

So: if you need a Ford KA power steering rack, I am open to offers if you are willing to collect. Leave a comment with your email address and I will contact you to giving approximate location (this is supposed to be an anonymous blog) and we'll take it form there.]

Unemployment continues

I keep applying for jobs, trying to do at least one per day. Hard if you try to make them vaguely relevant jobs in a bleak market. Todays attempt: Senior Civil Engineer designing airstrips in third world contries for the MoD. Might have some ethical issues to think through if I get offered the job!

Ford KA power steering fluid leak

OK, so the garage topped me up. End of noise. "Fine", I thought. But today I see I am leaving a trail of oil spots, which I expect are the new power steering fluid making a quick getaway.

A quick trawl through the web suggests this is a common problem. Solutions:

1. Continue topping it up and polluting the environment (if I can find where the reservoir is, me not being a mechanical type)
2. Find the leak and replace the damaged part - ie dismantle the whole front of the car and pull the pump out through the headlamp hole (not on my budget!)
3. Try one of those fluids that blocks leaks.

Anyway - the car is seven years old, and judging by the web many people get thos problem much sooner. So I can't complain.

[Edit 10 July 2012 ...

The leak was on the steering rack, not just the pump.  I bought a new (ie refurbished) steering rack, but never got round to putting it on (long story) and have no scrapped the car but still have a spare steering rack.

So: if you need a Ford KA power steering rack, I am open to offers if you are willing to collect.  Leave a comment with your email address and I will contact you to giving approximate location (this is supposed to be an anonymous blog) and we'll take it form there.]

A better day

• My car has been repaired and is parked again on my drive. Seems small and pokey compared to the courtesy car, but at least its mine. Also, they had to repair the adjacent damage so the whole thing is much improved, adn they even topped up the power steering fluid so that is much quieter too. (Except ther is still a leak leaving puddles under my parking spaces)
• The Jobseeker's Allowance people say they will get my paperwork processed today, so I am hopeful for a paymen t before the end of the week.
• My parents kindly lent the £400 excess for the car, which I should be able to claim back and return to them, but they also included an extra £100. If it were possible to earn a place in heaven they would ahve two tickets already!
• Enjoyed some nice family walks with what's left of my family while the teenagers are at soul survivor. Canal, beach, nature reservce - can't beat it.

Leading worship

With most of the clergy still away on holiday, I was again called upon to lead the two morning services today.

The 9:30 went generally well, except that I made the congregation stand for the confession and forgot to lead them in the rsponses to the creed.

The 11:00 was more of a muddle. I wasn't sufficiently prepared, spent to much time chatting between the services so I didn't have time to check everything was in place, and ad-libbed too much without knowning what I was really trying to say, so it came out as a mumble.

But I am still alive, and the clergy will be back soon!

Soul Survivor

Watched part of Soul Survivor on God TV the other night.

God spoke to me through it, that my current unemployment is definitely part of his training programme for me.

Big family row today

Is the plastic cup yellow or green? We each think the other party is colour blind. The truth is that it is midway on the spectrum between green and yellow, and it depends how you demarcate the colours on the spectrum.

Personally, it would never have crossed my mind to call such a blatantly yellow cup green, admittedly a rather dingy yellow, but yellow none the less. However, if you put it alongside a yellowish golden delicious apple, which despite being yellowish is undoubtedly greeen, it matches the cup perfectly.

So obviously it is green no yellow no green no yellow no green no yellow no green no yellow.... you get the picture

£3 to feed 9 people over the weekend

Fortunately, Mrs is adept at rooting in the back of cupboards and the bottom of the freezer to find old forgotten stuff, and we have plucked all the cat-urine-watered-apples from the scrawny tree in our yard. So were still not hungry.

catch-up

Not blogged for a while. Where am I?

Work: still unemployed. Still desperate. Still applying for everything vaguely relevant between Land's End and John O'Groats.

Finance: it's all a disaster. Arranging terms with the various credit cards. Getting unpleasant calls from collection agencies. etc. My advice to everyone - cut your credit cards up now! Even our debit cards are being declined at the supermarket till. Not sure what/if we will eat this week.

Jobseeker's allowance claim: still pending. Apparently the current hold up is a form to do with the mortgage. They want me to send in my mortgage protection insurance policy. I don't have one. I have a life cover policy and a critical illness policy, neither of which is specifically linked to the mortgage. And neither of which pays out for unemployment, since I am neither dead nor sick. So they want me to send in a document for a non-existant policy! I ave sent the policies for the life and sickness insurances, hoping that they will do.

Marriage: celebrated 20 years on Wednesday. Parents gave us money for a petrol for a day trip to Windermere. Very nice. But she's cross with me for not sending in a child tax credit form (I thought my phone call was enough) which is why we have even less money and even ore worry than usual.

Car: has been repaired. Which means my very nice courtesy car has to go back today. But my car won't be returned till next week, because they want me to pay the £400 excess - which I don't have. My parents are ending the money, but it won't arrive till next week. I should get the excess back off the other party in sue course.

Church: Leading the 9:30 on Sunday, but it's going to be communion, which I have only lead once before and I have lost my notes. I will have to meet the rev and see what he wants me to do. BUT I HAVE ENOUGH STRESS ALREADY!

Kids: off to Soul Survivor next week. It's good for turning unspiritual teenagers into spriritual ones.

Interview report XVII

It's official - the internal candidate got the job.