A Convenient Film

On Thursday night at the fuse we watched Al Gore's well talked about "An Inconvenient Truth". It was basically about global warming and how badly we are screwing up our planet.

This is a topic that really interests me, within the last few years I have been convinced that we are doing too little too late. I don't think it takes that much intelligence to see how our consumer standard of living in the west has grown so much out of control that it's not really sustainable.

I'm not sure what response is needed.

For example,

Myself & Chris try and shop locally, recycle, walk not drive (too much) etc

But is this enough ????

I keep having huge realizations about small things, like the other day I was in boots the chemist buying deodorant, and saw all the aerosols and I couldn't believe that we are still all buying aerosols (and I wouldn't class myself as a keen environmentalist), yet to me, even me this seems absurd given the current state of things. It's the same with packaging, plastic milk bottles, carrier bags, (for our wedding gift list, our room was filled with packaging). We seem to produce so much stuff for such little reason.

Anyway back to this blog post because this is actually about Al Gore's film. I was a little disappointed I must admit, as I felt that there was a political agenda to his film. Although he raised some good stuff it all seemed quite tame with a big "America can save the World" plug at the end.

One of the things that is hard to discern is what truth to believe. It seems that people (environmentalist,politicians,companies) all are using this topic for their own gain. For a person on this planet, who believes in God, loves his creation, I guess I want to cut through all the crap and get to what actually is happening and what can be done.

I recommend watching "An Inconvenient Truth", it can stimulate a must have conversation with friends, but just bear in mind that it could actually be "A convenient Film" for a political career.

Getting Married

Ok so its been a while, but I have had alot going on. Myself & Chris got married on November 4th and have just emerged with smiles from our honeymoon in spain. We had a wonderful wedding, with loads of amazing friends and family present.

The honeymoon was fantastic, we spent two weeks in a villa in southern spain; Breakfasts on the roof terrace, afternoons drinking coffee in Granda's beautiful squares, and nights infront of log fires.

People keep asking me if there is a bit of a lull after a huge event and great holiday, but I can honestly say this is the best bit - being married is just great. I love living and dreaming with the man I love, thinking about what God has for us in the future is amazing.

Well thats enough gushing! A big thank you to all of you who have loved and supported us during this time.

Mrs Lorensson

The Fuse Website

With alot of work by Chris, Nicky, and Nathan, we finally have our fuse website up and running. It's great! Make sure you check it out, put a link on your blog, and enter the online community of the fuse. I think 2006/07 is going to be a good year.

The Way God Works!

Ford Mondeo
Originally uploaded by chrisandruth.

It's amazing to know that as you carry on with God, you begin to grasp more and more the mysterious ways he works. Me and Chris were totally blessed by a couple who gave us a car today for free - its something we really need right now - but the thing that always blows my mind is the WAY God does these things.

Story.

We were planning to 'get away' for at least two weeks this August. We have the wedding coming up in a few months and lovebristol festival behind us, and its been a completly crazy year. REST, RELAXATION, READING were the three R's on our list and we really wanted to get out of Bristol too. So my dad who has a small little cottage in wales said we could go there for a week, all we needed was a car to get there.

After thinking about renting a car, a kind friend said they would put us on the insurance and let us borrow their's, however just two days before we were going they said it wouldn't work on their insurance. Also my grandfather passed away and in the middle of this two week break was his funeral. We thought we would just wait until my grandfather's funeral, and then leave with a rented car (which would give us at least a week).

This is when things just kept going wrong.

It seemed an impossible and expensive task to rent a car - the day before we were due to leave we couldn't find a car hire place that 1. had a car cheap enough, and 2. would accept chris as the main driver.

It got to 5pm and we both had a sobering "God Moment": Chris turned to me and said "You know Ruth, I'm just not sure God wants us to go away" and although I had no idea why I knew this was true.

Aside
You see for me and Chris, we have seen God move massive obstacles in a mighty way for us when he wants to do something in our lives. And this was the opposite.

So we gave up on the holiday, and stayed in Bristol. In fact this is it. Our "Vacation" as the americans call it.

But TODAY we were given a car, which needed to be given away today (which we would have been away for if we had gone on holiday) God had something else for us. The very thing that was halting us from going on holiday, he wanted to give to us permanently! Transport! Woohoo!

It IS a remarkable journey to know God in your life. It encourages me to trust in HIS understanding and not my own.

THANKYOU GOD THIS ONE WAS ON YOU

Ode to the Hiett

I feel that I need to pay homage to my current, almost gone surname "Hiett", as it has served me well. Chris and I have decided once married that we will be the "lorenssons". This descision was made with much deliberation, sleepless nights, and vodka lime & tonic. The reasons are for another blog.

But for now I would like to pay my respects to the name I love & Cherish. Here are some great reasons to be a Hiett:

1. It's got a great heritage - orginating from the Hueganots who fought and got persecuted for their faith.

2. It's got one of the hugest, luxurious hotel chains of the world! (Not that I have ever stayed in one)

3. It's got it's very own coat of arms.

4. Not many people have it.

5. It can sound sort of japanese if said with the right tone

6. You can tell I'm running out of great reasons now - so I will just cut to the chase and say that I have loved being a hiett, I have taken my role seriously in my family tradition in fighting for what I believe in. I have a hueganot cross tatooed on my back - so I will never forget my heritage. AND I have two brothers who are more than capable of carrying on the family name.

Guilt free I get ready to be a lorensson - and will be proud of it.

Best Pic of lovebristol festival

The Lolly Pop Man

lovebristol festival - the aftermath

Went to a Ana's party last night - it was great to see many of the lovebristol festival team there. It's amazing how many people put in so much work to the festival.

It made me think how people cope differently to winding down after such a crazy high energy driven event like the festival.

For example . . .

Simon - Did all the web stuff and tons more - He has still not stopped, been at work this week, has Geoff from canada has been staying with him, AND he is driving him to the airport as we speak, or shall I say as I type. He is officially winding down at 3pm this afternoon - that's 5 days 8 hours after the actual festival! Hats off to you Simon!

Matt - Headed up the sports zone, and again so much more - Matt unlike simon has had the last two days off. He hasn't coped very well - he said to me "I feel so unproductive" - this my friends is what festival life does to you - it steals the lazy dvd day away from your mind - and fools you into thinking that every minute of every day you can multitask at least three life transforming tasks.

Clare & Greg - I cannot go into the amount of hours, heart, and energy that these guys put into the festival - it wouldn't give them justice. They have been spotted in various parts of Bristol during the aftermath. Clare was seen at the launderette doing a years worth of washing. Great idea clare - she has an appointment in the very near future at tony & guy (thanks to the love bristol team !) so I am sure we will see her waltz in someday with her florida tan and golden locks - am sure she will now take time to paint her toenails as she is Bristol's flipflop queen. Greg, has been a bit subdued, he has been spotted trying to put up fencing in Hengrove park, and flyering lovebristol flyers in his neighborhood. It's ok doctors say it's just postfestivallovetrauma - he should be back to his usual self in a few days.

Alice - Alice was around day & night during the festival itself - Long 15 hour days under the grueling sun! Alice planned to go to her grandmother's house in the country - to sleep and be cared for, and receive countless helpings of homemade apple pie. Good thinking Alice - Get away from Bristol - that always works - Nice ideal, apart from she ended up looking after her nephew while her sister looked for jobs in the area. THEN she came back home to find that her lodger who is getting married today, had all her helpers pull out, so alice spent all day yesterday, and today preparing food.

Tim - Tim Dobson - Vital member of the board - One of the overall chief's of the festival. Tim hasn't stopped sending email's - He's been gathering information, stories, thankyou's from everyone. The only mail's I've been getting are forwards from Tim (Please someone have pity on me and send me a nice personal hello. These emails have been really encouraging. Word has it on the street that the Dobson clan are being whisked away to a secret location in france. Internet free zone apparently! Horray for the Dobson's well deserved holiday.

The Thompson Five - What can we say - lovebristol festival wouldn't have happened without the thompson five. Finlay headed up the extreme sport zone (and although could have blatantly won the prize, from his mothers teaching of humble ways refused to enter the comp), Jo did an excellent job pulling together the Big Top line up (think he might be a band manager one day), Lilly managed to get the family zone in place (which was amazing, snakes and all), Chester, now chester liaised with all the food vendors and fed the entire site for 5 days! And Dexter, of course was the official lovebristol social networker. Wow - it's kind of embarrassing for the parents of those five don't you think?- just watching those kids do all that work. After a week of putting up with hundreds of people in and out of their house the thompson five's way of winding down after the fest is the go to florida - nice - woohoo for the thompsons, and woohoo for florida! They might even let their parents go!

The Rotheram Girl - Suzie came along three months ago and had no idea what it meant to offer a few hours help to Greg Thompson. She has given every spare moment on the phone pursuing Greg's crazy ideas. Horray for suzie. Suzie's way of winding down is to buy a house - mmmmm - AND to join one25 as a volunteer - We are in awe of you rotheram.

Holly - Holly the events organiser of the festival - Did an amazing job of holding everything together and looking perfectly made up *Nars all at the same time. It's easier for holly to wind down because 1. she has been through this before, and 2. she is LOVED UP . . . .

Lucy - Lucy did an amazing job with the food at the festival - She made around 5K! - Lucy is a machine - she doesn't wind down - she just eats up more! She's probably doing another version of feeding of the five thousand somewhere in St Pauls. I have good reason to believe that she is holidaying in france sometime in early september.

Me - Well my way of winding down is to make sure the house is stocked with blossom hill california red wine (for evenings only!) to paint my house, and to plan my wedding. Still getting up at 7am every morning, still feeling the urgency of doing something every minute of the day, still expecting a million messages on my phone. But I'm fighting against it - book in one hand, dvd in another - I will rest, will relax, will wind down.

Conclusion

I think that it takes a certain kind of person to get invloved with something that takes over your whole life for a while - people who are willing to push themseleves beyond their capabilities and sacrifice things for a greater cause. When it's over those people don't change - instead it puts a hunger in them for something more.

On Holiday!

Flickr: Photos from chrisandruth

technorati tags:Ruth

Good Morning Britain!

This is the first day of my hoilday - stayed in bed until 11am woohoo! Now I have all the time in the world to blog away - sharing my deepest thoughts and welsh/bristol sense of humor.