My life is not a mess really ...

I love Dave Walker's cartoons over at the cartoon blog and applaud his campaigning spirit against the forces that are closing down SPCK book shops in the UK.
This cartoon which comes from his Guide to the Church spoke to me today - actually I think the office depicted here is rather too tidy - this cartoon vicar is obviously not working hard enough!
When I showed it to Dr B he remarked "hmm all it needs is the regional council's 5 yearly visit to turn up early on the day you have got stuck in a snow storm somewhere in Belgium."
Oh dear. That was the day I ended up hosting the regional president (think bishop but without a mitre) in my living room which was awash with synod papers and circulars (well the whole house is your office - this is how everyone lives isn't it?). An hour into the discussion the president cannot resist saying, "Jane, I am so glad to see you put my letters to good use." And he carefully extracts a recent missive from underneath the whiskey bottle on the coffee table. As is the way of a truly committed untidy person I felt no shame, but as this was France I took the hint and went to the kitchen to fetch some glasses. Time for an apéro.
There are two things missing from Dave's cartoon
- there is nothing on the chair for those seeking pastoral help - it helps people feel rather better if they have to move the last month's newspapers off the chair before they're able to sit down;
- the phone should be ringing invisibly under a pile of papers somewhere, it will of course stop just as you find it.