Skyping has been lots of fun today. I've said hi to Pete Greig in Guildford as we dreamt up the program for this year's Feast, caught up with Andy Freeman in Reading after his mammouth trip through the US and Mexico, shared a cyber smile with a friend who invited me to Morocco and now my Brother is sending me disturbing YouTube videos from Birmingham. Ah the wonders of the modern age... xc
The House of Sven is now at full capacity with Stephen outnumbered three ladies to one strapping young man. We're quite an international mix from three different continents. My lovely English husband is living with I, his Irish wife, Nat who's family hails from Mauritius and Fumino from Japan. It's lovely to be living with a group of people again and to have life get back to a more even keel post Steve's crazy projects and Spring Harvest. It's nice to enjoy simple pleasures of eating food with nice people and enjoying good conversation over a cup of tea... xc
Yesterday Charlotte, Helen and I embarked on a blustery prayer walk with the ever excitable Missy. We chose local high point The Trundle and spent the walk up catching up and the walk around and down praying. It was quite fun praying whilst looking straight through to the coast, the spire of Chichester Cathedral standing proud on such a clear sunny day. It had to be the funniest prayer session I've had with the girls as I hiccuped my way through chatting with our Father whilst Helen and Charlotte ran after Missey to stop her eating Sheep poo. I think God was chuckling... xc
God is good. I have been really encouraged recently thinking about all the good things God has done in the last six months: a friend's healing from OCD and food allergies, great stories of mission and prayer combined with potent effect within the 24-7 community (we have a prayer room in Bagdad, Iraq right now!) and just being reminded of all the things we're blessed with. It's so easy for me to let the dross of daily life and the discontentment bred from a consumerist society overwhelm my perception of God's activity in the world around me...
This week I have had a pickpocket following me around taking key pieces of paraphernalia from my pockets and bag… Well in honesty I am my own pickpocket as my forgetfulness or distraction has led to the loss of my badge, my food vouchers, my hairbrush and the temporary loss of my iPhone. Calm down Trundles – it’s ok I realised really quickly and ran back to claim my Precious…
So Steve and I are off to Spring Harvest in Minehead. I'm there to croon alongside the growling Simon Paylor and my Hillsong harmony husband. Should be fun, I've never been on team there before so it's a whole new experience. See you all on the flipside... xc
Do you ever wish you had a time machine? Ever pray that you could back to the moment you had a really bad idea that you thought was pure genius and scream to your deluded past self... "For the love of all that's good don't do it!" OK I'm being dramatic but I'm assuming that unless your an extra terrestrial from a planet where your kind never 'fell', you can relate to this feeling. This week I would mostly like to do over April Fools Day...
So Steve and I just got back from a weekend in Falmouth, Cornwall. The DeLoreans were playing at Nathan's Mum's 60th Birthday Party. It was a fantastic do and a great excuse to get all glammed up. Apart from a rather frighteningly large gig before Christmas I think this is the most I have ever prayed whilst performing with the band. I'd had a sore throat all day and then in the forth song my voice started to cut out! Suddenly my nightmare was becoming a reality: I was losing it only a little into our opening set. God must like party music because even though it was tough I got through by the skin of my teeth and everyone seemed to have a great time... Note to self, sing less more regularly... xc
It's been a month of new things in the House of Sven. God has answered our prayers, given us new opportunities and brought creativity out of necessity. I know God is outside of time, knows everything and is pretty much the Don, but I still marvel at the little joys and provisions He sets up in advance...
It's been two years in the making but we have finally got a finished lovely bathroom that I don't feel terribly embarrassed by every time someone comes to stay with us! It's absolutely beautiful, I love my green wall and it feels positively luxurious compared to our old hell hole. If you've yet to have the pleasure of popping round to the House of Sven then the before and after shots (left and right respectively) should help you to understand my shallow but sincere celebration!
After Charlotte via Skype and Sarah via Facebook unleashed the pestering I have decided to acquiesce to their request and launch my new hair cut on the unsuspecting world. Big news boys! It's OK if you can't see the difference. I've been lamenting the affects of a rather poor hair cut for a few months now and was pretty gutted that my normally fun and bouncy curls had fallen flat. My was resembling a triangle. Today I braved a new hairdresser and though it's not a different style it is a dramatically different curl. Hurrah I have happy hair again! Thank you very much Adam and Hoppers. xc
Steve and I had a lovely Christmas full of family, friends and great food! We enjoyed singing carols, catching up and hanging out with dozens of family members, old and new (Judah gets cuter by the day) and have been thoroughly spoiled with all the gifts we've been given. We thoroughly don't deserve all this outrageous blessing!
It's Christmas day! I love it. Steve and I drove back to Chichester in the very wee hours of the morning last night and woke in our own home with big grins on our face for Christmas Day. We've had a wonderful weekend seeing family members old and new...
Singing at Shepherd's Bush Empire was definitely a unique experience. Walking onto stage in front of two thousand people was bizarre, so many faces looking up at you. Enough to make your mouth go dry. What a great crowd though. So many people up for a party, instantly smiling, singing and cheering. The moment I sang "Who ya gonna call?" and two thousand people shouted "Ghostbusters!" was my second favourite moment of the whole gig...
At last, after quite a wait and a lot of hard work from his beautiful Mother Judah Tobias Alleway has entered the world. I cannot wait to meet him. By all reports both Mother and Son are happy and healthy so prayers of blessing and rest would be appreciated. I'm afraid I'm a little too tired this morning to blog about last night's performance so this morning's good news is my priority and I shall say adiue! xc
Today is a big day for more than one reason. It's the eve of Mike and Di Harding's move into a new home (they've been moving from one rented place to another for most of the year! It's also the day of the much anticipated Shepherd's Bush gig, the DeLoreans are prepped and ready to go with Christmas jumpers and a killer set (even if I do say so myself ;) The Delirious guys are so lovely we really want to do our best for them. Lastly and most importantly: today is the day that Emma gives birth to our first niece or nephew!
...it's a time of year that makes me very happy. I've managed to get all but the last few presents for family and friends and many of them are wrapped in sparkly boots wrapping paper beneath our rather disheveled looking tree. I fear it's the last year for Steve's plastic wonder. Mr Bin man will be enjoying it's lack-luster festive cheer from January...
I can't believe how fast December is going! We're only two weeks from Christmas and one week from The DeLoreans supporting Delirious at Shepherd's Bush. Ooo I've come over all faint! The gig sold out weeks ago and we're starting to work out a killer set. We've got 40 minutes to get everyone in the party mood and about two hours of party tunes to choose from...
There's a fine film of dust over most of the house and when Matt and Will left this evening their faces were as black as coal. Stage one has begun! There is officially no bathroom in this house (I've made my first trips to the local public facility)! They've removed the suite, stripped the walls and pulled down the ceiling. Lots of shrieking and laughing were to be heard but thankfully only one nervous 'Er... Caaarlaaaa' came from the top of the stairs. There's no going back now! xc
In approximately eleven hours the House of Sven will be altered beyond recognition... well our dreaded bathroom will be at least. After over a year of planning and saving we are finally about to embark on the mammoth task of ripping out our skanky, rotting, slightly spooky bathroom, gutting the room, rebuilding it and installing a shiny new suite! Well I say we, what I really mean is I will make tea whilst Matt, Will and Derek do all the work :)...
I got sucked in to the entrancing world of video editing last night. My head was in a funk after a days work and I wanted something fun to do so I sat down, went through all the footage of my Hen Day a year ago and turned it into a fab ten minute video of fun in the sun and sea...
Sunday the 25th November was proxy Christmas! The House of Sven was home to much eating, drinking and making merry as our friends and Chi family celebrated the arrival of our Lord on the earth a month earlier than the rest of the world. This tradition stretches back the yester-year of University when students from the four corners of England wanted to celebrate Christmas with friends before heading home for the real McCoy...
The Gangsta headphones were back in place this morning as I walked round to Lottie's for work. In the next month the DeLoreans are playing a Wedding, a private party at the Hilton hotel and of course our super exciting Shepherds Bush gig. With so much happening I thought I better get practising again so I can give them my best...
Steve and I had the most lazy, relaxing week in our cottage hideaway the English Cotswolds. We snuggled up in our converted Hayloft to escape from the world and recharge some very flat batteries. The week was fantastic and in the midst of it Steve and I celebrated our first Wedding anniversay. As we explored a box of memories (Steve's strippy Wedding socks, the comb from my doomed viel, the games booklets from the reception as well as all the usual photos and guest books) I found it weird to remember life as Carla Trundle and marvelled at how quickly the last year has gone...
Continue reading "We're home! And I'm nearly happy about it..." »
Steve and I are off on our first proper holiday this year, a much needed week break in a beautiful little cottage between the home of Shakespeare and Adam's favourite castle. I'm as giddy as a school girl!. Tomorrow is our first Wedding anniversary and I'm looking forward to reflecting on what's gone, looking ahead at what's to come and celebrating all God's done for us. I'm bringing a tonne of books and gleefully anticipating some space with Steve and with God. If we have an internet connection then I look forward to splurging the all the thoughts that have been spinning around in my nogin since the 24-7 Feast. If we don't then I guess there'll be a flurry of posts next weekend :) xc
I love England, I miss it when I'm gone. It's been over a week since I left for Seville and I've chilled in the heart of the city, met with the international team, taken part in the Round Table and enjoyed the Feast! Steve and I have just arrived home to a clean but cold house and I'm looking forward to a few days rest. As I download my photos and upack my suitcase I have a lot to think about. I'll share my thoughts in the coming week but until then happy monday. If you were in Seville I hope you're home safe and sound, if you weren't, here's to a new week in a fresh autumn... xc
Del boy and this side-kick Tim have been round this week knocking out the cracks running through the rendering in the House of Sven. Within two days our house went from being dishevelled, to looking like a zebra, to imitating a Smurf! We wanted to go for something a little different but weren't quite banking on the irridesence of the blue! Oh well, it needs another coat so if it doesn't grow on us we can always change the shade :) xc
This morning Steve and I got married again... well sort of. Just over a month ago the Chichester registry office called me to nervously inform me that they'd made a mistake on their certificate of our marriage. It's almost a year on and my heart was in my mouth wondering how much I care about the legality of our marriage as our vows before God are what seal the deal. Have we been living in sin???
There are very few situations in life where Steve can truly say his wonderfully rational mind is totally over-rulled, ignored, even shunned by his heart. Football however seems to bring his passion to the fore and though the idea of tackling someone faster than you on a concrete pitch, playing in the dark may sound like a terrible idea to me... Steve didn't think twice. A few hours in A&E later and Steve is no longer he-of-the-unbroken-bones... that's right, when he hit the deck his shoulder popped out, popped back in and his collar bone went, "Ow!" as it got a big nasty crack in it. A rather tired looking Dr. said he'd be fine but please pray for his healing :) xc
The last week has been a whirlwind of music, work and attempting to unwind. Our gig on a deck over looking a lake last Friday was great, Steve has been entertaining me by trying a new beard experiment and Nat our gorgeous new housemate had her 28th Birthday. I’m to looking forward to the week after the Round Table and Feast (my two events in Seville, Spain) so I am fit for something resembling a social life again. I feel terribly boring at the minute: I work, I resemble a zombie, I sleep. Ah well it’s all worth it to hang out with lots of people I love in my favourite Spanish city. Hmmm I may even go hunting for the famous chocolate shop that made me shed a tear of ecstasy!
Today is a fun day. I have straight hair, I've eaten two corn on the cobs, Steve made his best sandwhich ever (roll, pastrami, gherkin and brie) and is now sneaking James Bond keyboard riffs into a track he's recording :D I've Skyped with people in the US, UK and Canada and emailed people in about 10 different nations about prayer rooms all to the tune of Alison Krauss and the Union Station Band. Ah the joys of working at home...xc
Saturday night was an absolutely blast! Steve, Nathan, Rees, Jim and I wailed, rocked and funked out at Andrea Clarke's 40th Birthday Party. It was the first time we've performed two sets of material and I have to say, I would've enjoyed boogieing to us, there's only one song choice I'd change and a few old classics I think we're yet to throw in, but all in all everyone had a good time...
Just a quick note to say that The DeLoreans have uploaded a few live tracks onto our MySpace. If you've been dieing to hear what the greatest time travelling covers band might sound like click here and be kind.
The Hardings have returned to the House of Sven after a month of festivals, friends and fickle weather. We're a little weary, happy to be home and facing an industrious September. After a slow spring working on a couple of projects Steve is now running at full speed after a packed summer and a pleasantly full autumn and winter coming up...
Today is my 26th Birthday, it’s the last day of Soul Survivor, and I’m still working so I’m yet to feel any older. I woke this morning to a room full of balloons and a stack of lovely presents from Steve. I am thoroughly spoilt!
Some time ago the lovely Sarah Bainbridge emailed me to ask if Steve and I would be willing to give an interview about using the Living Generously gift scheme for our Wedding list. After much typing, digging back through my blog archive, a little reminiscing and a few lost emails we have a result! Living Generously posted the article this morning. To read it click here. LG is a fantastic initiative founded by 24-7 wonder-man Pete Worthington, don't just stop at reading our article, take a look round the site and maybe create a gift list of your own... xc
Being part of the DeLoreans Covers band has been a real hoot recently. What with sausage club accompanying rehearsals, a recent rough recording we did actually sounding cool and our brand spanking new website we can really get started on promotion. If you'd like a sneaky peak at our new website click here. A few of the links are being completed this afternoon but you'll get the general idea! xc
Steve's away at Soul Survivor North this week hitting those holy chords for new SS worship leader Ben Cantalon and the lovely Tim Hughes. At first I felt sorry for him being on a rainy campsite for a week then I realised his best mates are in the band so it's almost a week away with the lads...
Hey everyone, I've resurfaced post break and family visit to 300+ emails and an every growing to do list. I've contacted prayer rooms in Australia, South Africa and Denmark today... I love my job. Nothing can bring me down though as the sun is shinning and it's a beautiful day :)
Steve and I are on home holiday, the second of the only two days we could find together amidst all the summer festivals. It's delightful. I am checking in only briefly to show you the photos below. Our band The DeLoreans had a photo shoot on Sunday evening with a real DeLorean Car! Uber exciting, muchos gracias Helen for your photography skills...
The lovely Susanna Rhyhiger has joined us from Switzerland so to show her a little Chi hospitality Charlottie invited us round to show off her gloss work and feed us delicious scrambled eggs and salmon. Yum yum. We came, we ate, we admired. Also in the offing were rediculously large mexican hats and flying helicopters. Never a dull moment at the house of Terris... Download Helicopter.3GP xc
Friday night was fantastic! Stephen and I hosted the fancy dress Deathly Hallows Dinner Party and our friends arrived in incredible costume ready to celebrate the end of an era. I came as Nymphadora Tonks, Stephen as Remus Lupin, Nelly as Lucious Malfoy, Matt as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Will as Dudley Dursley, Helen as Rita Skeeter, Adam as Severus Snape and to trump us all Lisa came as Cybil Trelawny (left)...
You may remember last week that I was waxing lyrical about a bookcase Steve and I purchased from that household Mecca IKEA last week. Well this innocent looking lump of wood ignited something in me I’ve gone to great pains to squash/hide…
One of the less essential but easy to waste time with applications on my new MacBook is the Photo Booth. Hours of fun taking photos and videos with the web cam built into my screen. Here are our first experiments, fun if not flattering…
Once again our Father God triumphs over a pesky yet tempting apple: I am the proud owner of a brand new, asolutely free MacBook! My silence in the last few days has been a frustrated one as I've had loads to write about but no trusty iBook to expound upon...
There is nothing more frustrating than being late by only a few seconds. I think I’d prefer to miss something by a mile than be tantalised with the possibility of catching it if I could only move a little faster…
Today is full of good omens (er not that I believe in omens) but it's definitely better than yesterday. Yesterday was the most humiliating day of my life...
I've been enjoying a fresh burst of motivation and a slightly grazed nose as I've been bent over the grind stone enjoying the feeling of many ticks on my to do list. The invitations to two gatherings I'm pulling together for 24-7 went out last week and it's been a breaking of my perverbial work dam as I've been able to get my teeth into several other topics and wade out of the tired fug that has wrapped it's vice like grip around my brain for the last few weeks...
***Photos added!*** We did it! We actually pulled it off! The DeLoreans rocked The Waterside Pub with our unique offerings from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and today. My highlights include the look of glee on every female face as we segwayed from Love it When You Call by the Feeling into Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlysle, Smiles and Dave singing along to our 2manyDJs tribute - Independant Women into 9to5 and the moment everyone started dancing and singing along!!!
This morning a girl joined my train and sat next to me bringing the tzz tzz tzz tzz of the bass seaping through her headphones with her. I looked around and stared transfixed, almost opening my mouth to tell her that there was a comb sticking out of her hair when I stopped myself realising she had left it there on purpose... why?
It's official, we are an actual band that's stopped rehearsing and has started booking gigs. Hurrah! Come, come one and all to hear the delightful, booty shaking tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today at:
The Waterside Pub,
Chichester,
8pm Wednesday 27th June
Check out our myspace and come support me in my first venture as a real singer... er what on earth am I doing!!!???!!!!
Blues and sunshine, bizarrely born to be together. I was captured by the deep drawl of Slim Lightfoot a local busker as I meandered through town on Saturday. His rhythmic guitar stopped passers by in their endless pursuit from one purchase to the next. We stood licking our ice creams in the hot sun listening to a man sing about life, love and a hard days work. It was wonderful to take a break, a time out and join with some strangers to appreciate a few songs. Music has the incredible ability to unite…
Just wanted to say a quick hi from my comfy sofa late on Sunday night as I probably won't have the time tomorrow. Thanks to all who prayed for us as we met last week, all went very smoothly and thanks to some wise old heads and some divine inspiration no mountain too high, no valley too deep. I'm off to curl up under a duvet and sleep til I wake eye mask firmy in place to stop that pesky sun bringing any premature eye openage ;) xc
I kissed my husband goodbye and stepped out into the sunshine of Whyke Lane this morning. My iPod in my ears crooning Shawn Caulvin sweet voice as I strode among the morning foot traffic…
Oh my goodness I am so proud of my fabulous musical husband, he's reached the dizzy heights of D List Celeb. Sunday his co-production of "I could sing of you love forever" was played on Radio Two and this afternoon I jumped around the living room in glee as Cathy Burton was played on Hollyoaks! With my gorgeous husband tinkling on his keyboard. Spanning the dignity of the BBC and the young, hip Channel 4 all in one week. Swoon... I married a pin up... xc
I am typing from the past. It is now 15.16 on Thursday afternoon but when you read this it will be Mid-morning Friday. Who says you can't warp the space-time continuim. As you read Steve and I are winging our way up the country on our mamouth road trip from the South Coast of England to the Highlands of Scotland...
This Easter was a real break form the norm as Steve and I ventured into new waters and invited both sides of our stupendous family to come and join us in Chichester, rather than high-tailing it round England. Though we lacked the slick hosting skills of our proficient mothers the weekend was a resounding success...
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