phone: +44(0)1970-880-416 mobile: 07974-113-283
e-mails: jrl@aber.ac.uk and wendyling8@gmail.com   website: www.johnling.co.uk

December 2009.

This year has been marked by the birth of not one, but two, grandchildren, trips to Cambridge, Dublin and Torun, a notable birthday get-together and a delivery of furniture.  Read on!

John has been busier than ever writing and speaking about bioethical issues.  He has given talks at a number of churches and theological centres, including a six-lecture course for a group in Torun, Poland.  In addition, he is now on the board of trustees for LIFE, the UK’s foremost pro-life charity.

He gave in (twice) to that incessant marketing pressure to acquire more electronic stuff.  The first was a netbook, which weighs about 1 kg and slips so easily into his briefcase, yet has the power and memory of his bulky home PC.  Wonderful!  Then came the capitulation to a sat nav – we call her Tracy, for obvious reasons.  If you’ve ever been lost at night trying to find some obscure church building in a foreign place, then you need one too.  Wonderful!

Still on a materialistic note, we made three other beneficial purchases.  First, we had the cavity walls insulated.  Now there is little else we can do to decrease our home’s carbon footprint – though saving money is our real driving force.  Second, we bought a three-piece suite – our first ever in 37 years of marriage.  The settee is also a bed – the night of its delivery we slept on it, soundly.  Third, we had a new garage door installed – after 47 years, the old wooden one was on the verge of totally disintegrating.

Sea fishing has not been so productive.  The right combination of fine weather and suitable tides remained largely elusive – where is this global warming?  The good news is that Lazy Lady, and especially her newish engine, which was so troublesome last year, performed remarkably well.

All the regular trips and activities continued – committee meetings here, speaking engagements there, plus family visits, magistrates’ sittings, orchestral concerts, art exhibitions, eating out.  The latter included lunches at Turners in Birmingham (Michelin-starred, but a friendly experience) and Ronnies, just outside Bristol (voted the Good Food Guide’s best restaurant of the year) and incredible value – £12.75 for a superb three-course lunch.  The main art exhibition for us was called ‘Turner & The Masters’ at Tate Britain, which was good, but not great – fancy us, now criticising the structure and themes of the show’s curators.

Wendy still enjoys retirement – an abiding topic of thankfulness.  The needles (knitting and sewing machine) have been kept extra hot this year – see below.  Swimming, gardening and keeping fit (we have upgraded to Wii Fit Plus and have both maintained BMIs of 22) are her dominant pastimes.  We celebrated a belated birthday party for Wendy’s 60th – the entire close family (eleven of us) got together (logistically, no longer a simple affair) for a massive Chinese meal at the Chung Ying Garden in Birmingham.

No trips abroad this year. Instead, we spent a few days in Cambridge – John’s birthplace.  How he reminisced!  We visited his maternity home, old schools, places of mischievous play, plus, of course, many of the historic sites and sights.  One highlight was the Christian Heritage guided walking tour conducted from the Round Church.  It is serious history come alive – if you are ever in the city, check it out.

Simeon and Anne and their three daughters still live in Birmingham.  Simeon presses on at the firm of solicitors – business is OK, but the recession has cast a shadow almost everywhere.  Anne is now less tied to home and is spreading her wings with more meetings and friends.  Esther (6) is in her third year at school and has become quite fluent at reading and creative in other ways.  As John climbed up a ladder she warned him that according to the instructions, ‘Only one person is allowed on it at any one time’ – how sweet!  Her new front teeth are growing well and her swimming is fast improving.  Rachel (4) has started at the same school.  She has an engaging, languid streak, but is very canny with a huge and vivid imagination.  The CD of their school Christmas concert is so entertaining – every twitch, forgotten word and sidelong glance is fascinating to see.  Naomi (2) surprised us all and suddenly decided to walk during our family get-together in February.  And can she chatter?  Wednesday is our regular webcam evening with them all.

Benjamin and Glenda are now three.  On 30 October at 09.29, Tiana Eliza Ling was born (6lb 12oz).  Because she was delivered by Caesarean, she looked gorgeous and smooth from the very first.  All three are doing well – what are sleepless nights, when you are so young?  Ben is involved with the same work, but is now part of the Aberystwyth University.  Glenda is back car driving, which gives her much more freedom.

Anna and Christopher are also now three.  On 29 April at 03.38, Mia Frances Joy Ryman was born in the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin – she weighed 8lb 15oz.  In June, we went to the Emerald Isle to see them.  It is only about 60 miles across the sea, as the crow flies, from Aberystwyth, but it takes virtually a whole day by land and ferry.  Anyway, it was well worth the effort to see them all in their home and city.  Christopher continues as a teacher of English as a foreign language.  Anna is simply enthralled with motherhood.

John’s Mum (now 88) is OK-ish.  In April, she was knocked over in Reading Station by an impatient passenger, who rushed off leaving her on the ground with a broken hip.  The latter was replaced and she has made remarkable progress, but inevitably she is not as active as before the accident.  Earlier in the year she upgraded her computer system to include webcam, Wi-Fi, on-line banking, the lot.  She now has the best set-up in the family, though sometimes it can confuse her.  We are spending Christmas with her in Reading.

By the way, you can see pictures of the ‘Lings at Christmas’ (and much more, including some of John’s lectures in Polish!) at www.johnling.co.uk  Scroll around – you will eventually find something of interest.

Christmas can be a mixed time – good food, happy conversations, fun and laughter.  But it is also a time of poor television, disappointing presents, bad weather and sad memories.  They are all important, but what is Christmas really about?  Of course, it is incarnation – the second person of the Trinity coming on His rescue mission.  For that we are ever thankful.  And for us, it is summed up in the words of John 4: 42, ‘… we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.’

We wish you Christmas blessings and then a peaceful and happy 2010.

Greetings,