Author: Carol Purves

Goodness, I’ve not been in touch for ages.  So now I have a choice to make.  Do I continue with the stor of Mary Slessor or do I tell you about my goings-on?  Right , lets’ leave Mary for a while (but to obtain the book try Amazon, then From Jute to Jungle by Carol Purves)

Continuing my exploration of the Eden Valley, I visited Kirk Oswald.  I found it to be a delightful village just the other side of the river.  The day was helped by the glorious weather as I soaked up the atmosphere sitting outside one of the historic pubs.  Walking a few yards up the hill I could see Saddleback (I think that’s what it was)   The journey back was picturesque with hardly any traffic until I reached the A6.  That’s my sort of travelling.

Carol, up the Eden.

Welcome to the Japanese friend who visited my site yesterday.  I trust you have enjoyed reading my news.  Also friends from Brazil.  Welcome to you all.  Soon I will tell you more about Mary Slessor.

Carol

Something about the story of Mary Slessor.

Mary was born in Aberdeen but brought up in Dundee.  The family were desperately poor mainly because her father drank heavily.  This
meant Mary had to go out to work at the young age of eleven.  The work was very hard for a slip of a girl as she managed two machines at a jute mill.  The jute industry made Dundee prosperous but not for the thousands of families, like the Slessors, living in the slums just above the bread line.

How will Mary get out of this situation and become known world-wide?  To find out read further blogs or buy my book (From Jute to Jungle) from Amazon, on Kindle or from myself.

Carol, the author

I’m sorry I haven’t been ‘blogging’ lately but my computer hasn’t been functioning.  Something to do with a change to Windows XP which I can’t begin to understand.

But what better day now to blog.  Easter Sunday.  With about 80 others I went to the Sunrise Service at our local cemetery at 6.30.  Of course by then the sun had risen but  being situated high up on a hill overlooking the city and the hills beyond it was very atmospheric and meaningful.

Yes, Easter Sunday. – Christ has risen.

Carol, the early riser.

Hello, especially to visitors from Brazil.  I notice quite a number of hits from your country.  How different Britain must seem to you and vice versa.  I’ve never been able to visit Brazil but imagine hot jungle and large cities, again very hot.

I’ve just had the opportunity to go to both ends of my small country.  Two nights were spent in Edinburgh.  Although I was working, I was conscious of the cool climate and biting winds.  Then I traveled down to spend a week on the South Coast of England visiting another friend.  This time the weather was warm and sunny with the temperature considerably higher than Scotland.  The places were less than 500 miles apart.  What a difference.  Best of all I was able to wear thinner clothes. something which I seldom do in Carlisle.

Carol, away from home.

A strange title you might think, but it’s the title of my latest book.  This is a biography of Mary Slessor, a Dundee born missionary who started working in the jute factory at a young age and then went on to become a missionary in the jungles of Calabar, West Nigeria.  Hence the title.

In her 67 years she encountered plenty of adventures, cannibalism, killing of twin babies, slavery, murder and heathen worship, to mention just  a few of the atrocities.

To have another book published is a great excitement and the culmination of about three years work.  This has been the most difficult of my books to get published and therefore  the most rewarding.

It is available from Amazon and on Kindle as well as in paper form which can be bought from me.

Please order a copy.  It is well worth reading.

Carol, the author

For Christmas I received a book about the Eden Valley, so when possible I’ve been exploring the area.  I’ve visited some of the places near the mouth of the river, but last week I went to Armathwaite, a village which straddles the Eden.  Maybe straddle is not the right word as most to the buildings lie on the west bank.

I’d chosen a dry but very muddy day, so my walking was confined to a couple of miles of quiet roads.  It is a beautiful village with a station on the Carlisle/Settle Railway, two shops, two pubs and a lovely church.  Situated in nearby Coombs Wood is one of the ten carved sculptures along the length of the Eden.  I didn’t find it, the mud was too deep.

Carol, an Armathwatie visitor.

In Carlisle we very seldom have snow as the city seems to have its own micro-climate.  The same can’t be said of the Lake District.  Last week I went to the village of Dacre high above Ullswater.  I had intended to walk in the area but very strong winds and rain put paid to that.

Instead I visited the village pub to sample delicious home-made soup and home made bread while being regaled with stories from a local retired farmer.    A very pleasant way to spent an hour.

On the return journey I was facing the north Pennine Fells topped by pristine white snow.  A beautiful sight.  Beautiful Mother Nature controlled by a loving Father God.

Carol, the snow admirer.

The weather in this country is so extreme at the moment that we are encouraged to pray –

for the jet stream to be in the right place for this time of year.

that God would presence Himself with those who are suffering.

that God would give His wisdom and strength to the government etc.

that homesty and integrity would be the hallmark of all involved.

that God would protect abandoned properties.

that out of this tragedy righteous decisions would be made for the good of the people and the healing of the land.

Carol

The other day I took a nine mile drive to visit my nearest outlet centre.  That was fine, except that it was a couple of 100 yards into Scotland.  If Scotland goes independent will that simple time of shopping be fraught with problems?

Will I need to pass through a border control, which is going to add time to the journey?  Maybe I could wade through the river to evade the control!!  Will I be able to spend sterling or will I need to get another currency just to buy a pair of shoes?

Oh goodness, maybe in future I’ll buy my shoes in Carlisle in England .

(For those of you who are not aware of Scotland’s desire to go independent, I expect you’ve had similar problems in your own country)

Carol, the English woman