Ethel's favourite... Footprints

One night, a woman had a dream.

She dreamed she was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from her life.

For each scene she noticed two sets of footprints in the sand.
On belonged to her, the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of her life flashed before her,
she looked back at the footprints in the sand.

She noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.

She also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times of her life.

This bothered her so, and she questioned the Lord:
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
that I you would walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I wanted you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied:
"My daughter, I love you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was there that I carried you."

  
Ethel, at 100 years of age, sat on a bench commissioned in celebration of her birthday and bought by her family and many friends.

T'Messiah

Ted Buckley wer a smart lookin chap, yer naw,
When ee donned issen up a courtin ta goa.
E courted a lass a little bit soft, 
Bu'rree warn't much better, cos ee went middlin oft.

E went fower times a week, an sometimes moor,

E got there in good time, but he din't know when ter goa.

But ther once come a neet when he were rather la,
T'poor lass din't know whether ee'd got lost er wat.

It were't Sunda afoor Christmas, ah well remember t'day,
Cos early snow ad fallen an reight thick it lay.
Nine o'clock struck an ther wer no sight a Ted
But she's noan 'ev expected him, if shoo'd been reight i'er 'ed.

Owivver shoo edn't much longer ta wait
Afoor sh'erd somda rettlin' at t'gate.

In a jiffy t'doar oppened an Ted walked straight in
Sher looked as farl as sher could, burr'ed same old grin.

"It's a rough neet," He said as ee sat dahn i't chair.
"Ther's bin many a war," shoo said wi a sneer.

"Ther's naw need ter blame it all o't snow.
Wheer tha bin callin, that's wharr Ah'd like ter know!"

He said, "Thah think Ah've bin ter t'pub suppin ale,
But tha'll change thi tune when Ah tells yer mi tale."

Ah've bin tert chepil t'arken to t'choir,
Ther've bin givin selections through 'Andel's Messiah.
T'new parson were theer burree dint speak long,
Cos ee wanted t'arken to this service o'song.

Ah can't remember each item just as it went,
But Ah'll try t'explain what Ah thowt it meant.

Ther sang o' some sheep as ad gotten astray
An bi what Ah understand ther'd all gone a different way.
Ah don't naw ah many or ah much ther cost,
But that dunt matter - main thing is, ther wer lost.

Then a young man gorrup an sung bi issen
Whether ther wer 'is sheeep at were lost, Ah sure ah can't tell.
Cos he sed ivvery mahntain an 'ill bi med low,
An Ah thowt - aye-up - ther bahn ter find t'sheep, choos weer ther goa.

Then a young lass gorrup an in a reight clear voice
Shoo said the'd no need ter sorrow, but greatly rejoice.
It wer a stiff piece - Ahm shoor it wer 'ard wark,
But shoo sang it as easy as if shoo wer a lark.

Ah axed oo sher wer, so's Ah could eer er again some day,
(Shoo's leadin serpranna an ther call er Miss Ray)
Then up jumped a chap - ee, an e wer cross,
Ah wondered if ther'd ta'en is sheep fer't them that wer lost!

E said ther'd imagined a vain thing an, ee, an e wer in a rage,
An t'organist banged as if e wer in for a wage!
T'audience wer fair suited - yer could tell bi ther face,
When 'id finished 'is piece an sat dahn in 'is place.

T'other singers were that mad at 'im bein sa clever,
Ther gorrup an sang it'd rain fer ivver an ivver.
So ah med fer t'doar as fast as Ah could,
Ah thowt Ah mun be off if ther's bahn ter be a flood."

So when e'd finished tellin 'er abaht t'Messiah,
E sed, "Nah then - attah satisfied, Sofia?"
Shoo sed, "EE, Ted, that sahnded fair grand."
An shoo'd go see it ersen next time it kem rahnd.

Th'Inkeeper's Story

Breakfast? Nay lass, Ah'm not 'ungry.
Ah nivver thowt abaht owt ter eat.
An Ah'm as breet as a button this morning,
When Ah thowt Ah'd bi deed on mi feet.

Last neet! Ther'll nivver be owt like it
If Ah live ter bi 'undred an ten.
Ah've bin changed owerneet somehow, Mary,
An Ah'm capped how it 'appened an when.

Yer'll recall that young couple through Nazareth?
We'd noweer ter put em in t'inn.
Well Ah fun 'em a place dahn in t'cowshed
But t'weather wer awfully thin.

So when Ah'd gor all't visitors settled,
An you wer asleep in yer bed,
Ah loisened owd Jess through 'er kennel
An wended mi way dahn ter t'shed.

It wer clearer than dayleet in t'farmyard
Almost midneet it wer - t'moon at full.
Not a glimmer from t'houses in't village,
An snow covered t'ground soft as wool.

They'd ed nowt ter eat, ter mi knowledge,
So ah took 'em a bite an a sup,
An some oil in case t'lamp wanted trimmin,
An swaddlin ter lap t'bairn up.

Then Ah fended ter t'cows an ter Jenny,
...Ah've nivver know t'cattle ser calm...
The Ah browt some clean straw dahn fer t'manger,
Just ter mek sure t'bairn wer warm.

Ah don't think they noticed mi scare like,
As Ah roamed abaht sidin't place through,
They were ta'en up wi looking at t'bairn
An 'is mother 'as same name as you!

Such a bonny wee bairn he is, Mary,
Poor thing almost lost among't straw.
But Ah couldn't disturb 'em much longer,
So Ah left 'em an stood aht in t'snow.

A still neet it wer, strange an quiet,
As Ah leaned up agen doar jamb.
Then Ah fancied Ah heard t'sound o' music
As though t'star wer singin a psalm.

At fust, well, Ah thowt Ah wer dreamin!
But they heard it on t'illtop an all.
An Ah seed 'em come running daht t'illside
An mekkin ther way dahn ter t'stall.

It wer Reuben an Shep an young Jimmy,
They'd bin up at t'top, tendin t'sheep.
Ther wer telled ter com dahn inter t'village
Weer ther'd find t'little bairn asleep.

Nah't strangest of all wer owd Rueben,
Leavin t'lambs nobbut yesterday born,
But all e would day when Ah asked 'im
Wer "T'Lord'll tak care on i's own."

Well, sommat wer drawin mi, Mary.
So Ah went in wi Reub an 'is men.
Wi stood a bit just lookin at t'bairn,
But Ah 'ardly know what 'appened then!

Wi went dahn on ahr knees, ther in t'stable,
While t'mother took t'bairn on 'er knees,
An she crooned a soft lullaby ower it,
While we knelt Reuben, Shep, Jim an me.

Nah, God's bairns, all on 'ems lovely,
Why ahr own wer a bonny wee thing,
An wi play wi 'em, nurse 'em an love 'em,
Yet we knelt ther like wi would to a king.

So that's why Ah'm noan varry 'ungry,
Ah's like ter walk t'ills all day long,
But we've t'visitors' meals ter see ter,
Varry soon we'll both on us bi throng!

But fust, walk wi mi ter t'cowshed,
Cos Ah've a feelin at someday, when we're owd,
We'll bi glad we looked after that bairn ther,
An fun it a place out o't cowd.