It’s been seven weeks now since the lockdown started and this is what it’s like living in a clergy home.
My mum is at home all the time! Her clergy robes hang in the hallway and also on the washing line after a funeral. Our dog, Holly has got so used to us both being at home that she won’t be away from us for more than a few minutes. I’m not sure how she will cope when the church opens again and my mum goes back to work.
People knock on our door to say hello and leave presents on our door step. Then they move to the bottom of the path and my mum talks to them from the door step. It’s nice to see people.
We go through so much food because my mum is always home. I wonder how often she ate in the Funky Monkey before the lockdown?
We have a stack of craft equipment in the cellar and every Saturday morning my mum wanders around the house looking for tape or ribbon or some other craft stuff that is probably still boxed up from the house move – or Holly has stolen it!
Them, every Saturday afternoon our dining room gets turned into a Messy Church film studio and sometimes I’m asked to do strange things, like being blindfolded for a game or sticking my face in a plate full of cream! It’s actually quite fun!
Every Sunday evening at 9.00pm we stop what we’re doing and our lounge becomes another makeshift film studio for Compline live streamed.
I’ve become an expert at moving furniture around, balancing an iphone on a music stand and checking lighting! I also have to give feedback after live streamed services. “Was the sound ok?” or “Could you see what I was doing?”
I’ve become the dog sitter. Every Saturday afternoon and every Sunday evening at 9.00pm I take the dog upstairs and make sure she doesn’t escape or make any noise. I’m not sure those watching Compline would appreciate Holly jumping around during prayers. So I watch my mum online from a different room, just like everyone else. As soon as the live stream has finished, I know I can let Holly out.
It has been fun having my mum at home and seeing what goes on to get ready for services. The best thing has been cooking and baking. Having my mum at home all the time means we have time to cook and bake together much more and we do that every day. I also like the cakes that Elaine keeps delivering to our doorstep.
When this is over and my mum goes back out to work I hope we carry on baking and cooking.
Alex (Curates son)