Prendiamo un'Aranciata?

Aran Charter (aranciata) aka DJ Fizzy Orange

Since I started learning Italiano I have found myself not only thirsting for knowledge of how this beautiful language is constructed, but also for fizzy oranage!  I kept hearing this phrase Aran Charter, un'Aran Charter, de Aran Charter.  I quickly gathered it was some sort of beverage and not a person and tried to imagine what it was.  Maybe it was coffee with Irish Cream - MMMmmmm.  But no, Aran Charter - or the correct spelling aranciata is in fact fizzy orange, but wow!  I just keep on drinking the stuff now!

I've now read a quarter of the way through a great book called Essential Itatian Grammar from the Teach Yourself series and the Open University.  The thing I love about this book is it reminds you of what a noun is - a newspaper, a dog, a person (these are nouns) and the difference between a definite article (the) and an indefinite article (a or an).  I still find it a bit of a challenge matching up the masculine, feminine and singular, plural endings to the verbs and nouns etc.

The Earliest Sunset

The Earliest "Sunset" in the Northern Hemisphere

If you live in the northern hemisphere, this evening we saw the earliest sunset of the year!  From now on the evenings are going to start getting lighter.  The Shortest Day is still to come, but that's only because the mornings are still getting darker.  We still have to wait until 1st January for them to start getting lighter.
So be comforted to know, that tomorrow the sun will set the same time it did yesterday!

Diet Snow and Decorations

Some of the Diet Snow which fell this week

This week, most of Great Britain was covered in snow and some parts still are.  We saw some snow early in the week, but it was just a sprinking.  A mate commented that it was dandruff.  Another  refered to it as diet snow, which made us all laugh.  The next day, I heard someone comment about a pathetic Southern attempt at snow, which also made me laugh.  The snow did come eventually, but now it's nearly all gone.

This week, I helped put up some Christmas decorations.  Another person and I put up the snow.  I thought that was very appropriate.  Putting up decorations always gets me in the mood for Christmas.

K2 Snow

An Engagement and a Birthday!

Another week has gone by and I've managed to find the time to log on and share some thoughts.  This might be a bit of a bulk blogging session, so hopefully it will keep you going for a while.

Tuesday 16 November, we heard the wonderful news that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged!  Congratulations and best wishes to them both!
More details from the BBC.

Buckingham Palace, London

Friday, 19th November, The Kerith Centre at Bracknell, Berkshire was 21 years old, but the date seems to have gone unnoticed.  Last year we celebrated the opening of the building and remembered how God blessed us and demonstrated His miraculous provision.  It's great to see how Jesus Christ is growing Kerith Community Church.  He of course, builds His church out of people, not bricks and mortar.
Last year's celebrations from Simon Benham's blog.

Mr Chunga Latte outside the Kerith Centre, Bracknell

The Most Colourful Autumn in 80 years

This week I heard on The One Show that this year has been the most colourful Autumn in 80 years!  Whenever I have seen a beautiful Autumn scene, usually rich in golden warmth or rustic bronze, I have photographed it.  Here for you now are some of the best shots.  The top one is the best Autumn photo I think I've ever taken.

Comments Welcome!  Which one is your favourite?

Autumn is Still Shining

The Sun shining through the amber leaves

Autumn is still shining
It can make Winter wait,
Like an extended exhibition
At The National Gallery or The Tate.

Most of Britain is gripped by
Yellow, orange and brown.
I saw a squirrel leap over leaves
As big as himself!
I say most of Britain,
In Scotland in the North and Bristol in the West
I'm told, most of the trees are bare
Waiting for the frost to cover them
In icing sugar, against a deep blue sky.

On my Autumn walk, I went past our old house,
I don't remember George the Cat so much now
And how he used to greet me with his sweet Meow.
The amber leaves were waving and throwing
The sunlight everywhere
All over the leaves on the lawn.

George the Cat - we were the best of friends!

Armistice Day

The Cenotaph, London

Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15 v 13 (NIV).

The Cenotaph, London