The Parents’ Paper issue 28 Spring 2019 Pope Francis on... Page 4 and Page 8 READ IT, LOVE IT, LIVE IT Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 Journey ... Vacinations Page 11 The work of the CWL Page 5 Reach examines this journey and others… ... into Easter

Read in full

Page 6

2 • Reach • Spring 2019 It’s always a pleasure to be working on the spring edition of ‘Reach’, as it makes me think about warmer temperatures, longer days and the pleasure of trees, shrubs and plants blooming and flowering once again. With this in mind, we’ve included a section on preparing your garden for spring which we hope you’ll find useful and put you in the mood for the warmer weather! This edition explores the notion of ‘Journey’, starting with our annual journey through the season of Lent into Easter and then moving on to our perception of journeys in general. It’s actually surprising how much the concept of journey impacts upon our lives in so many ways. Our new series ‘Spending time with…’ commences by looking at how we interact with difficult people and gives tips on the best ways to manage this. Look out for the next edition when we look at ‘Spending time with… the elderly’. Julia Editor LEGAL DISCLAIMER ----------------------- The information and/or links in this publication are provided for catholic education and information purposes only. The Editor and Publisher (hereinafter referred to as CathCom) will endeavour to ensure that all the content of CathCom Reach is in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church. However CathCom is not responsible for the contents of any of the linked sites. Neither does CathCom necessarily endorse and/or support the views expressed by the information contained within those linked sites. A Dear Reader Reach is published in September, December, March, and June. By Phone: UK: 020 7112 6710 Ireland: 01 699 4407 Editorial Team Julia Beacroft editor@reachnewspaper.com Advertising ads@reachnewspaper.com Subscriptions subs@reachnewspaper.com Website: www.ReachNewspaper.com Contact us mention and/or listing of linked sites does not indicate CathCom’s endorsement of any organization`s and/or entity`s activities, reports, publications and/or programs. CathCom cannot be held responsible and/or liable for any damages, real, imagined, past, present or future from the information contained on any linked site and/or other sites that it links to hereafter. While we take reasonable steps to check our advertisers and linked sites are bona fide, readers should carry out their own checks before entering into any contract or arrangement. You may not modify, reuse, reproduce, or publish any content within this publication without the written permission of the Editor. ------------------------------------------ Please send articles for publication by email supplying photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format).

Read in full

Page 7

Spring 2019 • Reach • 3 Journey into Easter Continued from Page 1 ASH WEDNESDAY MARKS the commencement of the Lenten season and our journey towards Easter. For these six weeks we are advised to undertake the Christian discipline of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as we prepare to participate in the Lord’s death and resurrection. Many of us choose to ‘give something up’ for Lent, such as chocolate, biscuits or alcohol , while others opt to ‘take on something extra’ instead, such as attending an extra church service, praying more frequently or perhaps becoming engaged in charitable work. Whatever our options and no matter how much or how little we become involved, the fact remains that each year we undertake a spiritual journey which culminates in celebration, and it seems quite appropriate that we travel annually towards this point. Of course journeys play an integral part in our lives in a multitude of ways. Apart from the obvious travelling to other destinations for pleasure, business, and family reasons or out of necessity, we are generally engaged in a journey of some description. In fact, we embark upon a life journey which initiates with birth and concludes with death, and our ups and downs throughout our lives can be likened to travelling up mountains and dipping down into valleys. And of course, each life journey varies in length. When we undertake a new adventure, task or business we are often referred to as being on a ‘learning curve’ or learning journey, which intimates as always, that we have a starting point, a distance to travel and a final destination. How quickly we reach that destination depends upon what we encounter on the journey towards it. Most of us will be all too familiar with stumbling blocks and difficulties or, on the other hand, ‘lucky breaks’ and unexpected developments which can make all the difference. And in reality, learning in general is a life-long journey and is still not completed as we approach death. Faith is frequently referred to as a journey which parallels our life journey and closely resembles it in some ways. Our faith journey, like our life journey, only reaches completion when we leave this world and we continue to learn and gain new insights and knowledge about our faith throughout our lives. It also has its ups and downs – our faith can appear to be strong at varying points of our lives and far weaker at others. This is, of course, influenced by life events. Some of us are natural travellers or wanderers and others far prefer to remain in their place of safety and comfort at home – wherever that may be. But whichever category we fall into, journey is an integral part of all our lives. In summary therefore, it could be said that: 1. Journeys define us. They are important markers of our lives. And they remind us that we are all travellers of some sort. 2. Journeys reveal our shortcomings. They show us we are not alone in this world. That there are other wanderers out there, in search of truth and meaning in this great universe. 3. Journeys teach us about life. 4. Some journeys never reach a conclusion while we are still alive! And so, wherever and whatever it may be… Happy journeying!

Read in full

Page 8

4 • Reach • Spring 2019 was yet to come, he continued. “There are lots of stationary Christians, who do not walk, bogged down by everyday things,” he said. “They are good people but they do not grow, they stay small.” They are like ‘parked Christians’ - they park themselves. Caged Christians who do not know how to fly with the dream of this beautiful thing the Lord calls us to,” he said. God is inviting everyone to keep going and seek the joy and delight of being with the Lord, he continued. He asked that people maintain that yearning for God and not get too comfy, but “go forward a bit, take risks. The true Christian takes risks and leaves one’s comfort zone.” On another occasion, Pope Francis also spoke about life as a journey: “Always remember this: life is a journey. It is a path, a journey to meet Jesus; at the end and forever. A journey in which we do not encounter Jesus, is not a Christian journey. It is for the Christian to continually encounter Jesus, to watch him, to let himself be watched over by Jesus, because Jesus watches us with love. He loves us so much and he is always watching over us. To encounter Jesus also means allowing oneself to be gazed upon by him. “But Father, you know,” one of you might say to me, “that this journey is horrible for me, I am such a sinner, I have committed many sins... how can I encounter Jesus?” But the people whom Jesus most sought out were the greatest sinners. They reproached him for this, and the people — those who believed themselves righteous — would say: this is no true prophet, look what lovely company he keeps! He was with sinners... And he said: I came for those in need of salvation, in need of healing. Jesus heals our sins. And along the way Jesus comes and forgives us — even when we make a mistake, when we commit a sin. And this forgiveness that we receive is an encounter with Jesus. Pope Francis on… Pope Francis (@ Pontifex) Twitter Christian life is a journey, but not a sorrowful journey; it is joyful. ‘”No parking zone: Christians need to journey, take risks”, Pope says’ True Christians take risks to constantly seek out Christ, because they know that receiving God’s grace is just the beginning of a lifelong journey toward real joy, Pope Francis said. Settling and being content with the first grace one receives from God is like filling up on the appetizer and leaving the restaurant unaware that the best

Read in full

Page 9

Spring 2019 • Reach • 5 The work of… Catholic Women’s League (C.W.L) The Catholic Women`s League is a Roman Catholic lay worldwide organisation founded by Margaret Fletcher aimed at women in England and Wales. Through emigration in the past, the CWL may be found in some Commonwealth countries. CWL is united in friendship and love, where members use and develop their talents in projects for the world, the nation, the diocese and the parish. The Patroness is Saint Margaret Clitherow. History In September 1906, at a Catholic conference held in Cavendish Square, a small group of women proposed the idea that an association of Catholic women could be formed, with the aim of giving weight to and promoting Catholic principles in English social and national life. A year later, reports of that meeting referred to those ladies as the founders of the League, but it was a Miss Margaret Fletcher who had first propounded the idea. Margaret Fletcher, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, was born in Oxford in 1862. The latter part of the 19th century was an exciting time for women. It was the age of improved educational methods, especially for girls At 17, Margaret went to the Slade School of Art and then went to Paris to continue her studies. She returned home for a while to run the family home after the death of her mother. When reading the writings of St John of the Cross, she decided to become a Catholic. Having sought the advice of a priest friend who sent her to the Jesuit church in Farm St, she was received into the faith on September 9, 1897. In 1906 a national Catholic conference was held in Brighton, and permission was given to distribute a pamphlet about a proposed league of Catholic women. Margaret Fletcher became president. In the choice of members, Margaret Fletcher insisted that the League needed women with “balanced common sense”. By the end of 1907, the Catholic Women’s League had held its first general meeting and today the League is still flourishing. Relief & Refugee Since the First World War, members of the Catholic Women’s League have assisted refugees, initially those from Belgium. During the Second World War the Catholic Women’s League joined other societies in preparing for work among the civilian population. They were already working for the Forces with the huts and canteens. In 1942 a Relief and Refugee Committee was established, to organize aid for refugees and since then they have continued to help support the needs of many Asylum seekers and refugees from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Far East. The Relief and Refugee fund has also supported the work of CAFOD, a charity formed in 1962, following the successful first Fast Day in 1960, organized by the Catholic Women’s League, Union of Catholic Mothers and members of the National Board of Catholic Women. Recently they have concentrated support for those seeking asylum in the U.K. through agencies working for asylum seekers and refugees. Applications for grants are accepted from recognised agencies on behalf of clients, the majority of whom are isolated, deeply traumatised and disempowered. A small grant is a great boost to their wellbeing, enabling them to buy food or warm clothing, especially shoes, or bedding. WUCWO Founded in 1910, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations unites the action and prayer of 100 member Catholic women’s organisations around the world in order to promote the presence, participation, and co-responsibility of Catholic women in the Church and society in order to enable them to fulfil their mission of evangelisation and to work for human development. Services Committee Today the Committee works to assist present and past Service personnel and their families. Requests are welcome from any serving, or retired Service person or their dependents. They do not need to be Catholic, only to have a relative who served in the Forces. Requests for assistance are passed to the CWL through the Royal British Legion, SSAFA, Social Services and some St Vincent de Paul groups. Our Lady’s Catechists This is a committee to facilitate distance learning of catechetical courses for adults and children. This committee provides postal courses for First Communion training for children living abroad or where training isn’t available. As well as this they provide useful courses for education of prisoners in the Catholic Faith. They have also started a new course on the Rosary which can be used as a study aid for prayer groups and parish groups alike.

Read in full

Page 10

6 • Reach • Spring 2019 Whether it is us as parents at home or our children’s teachers at school, a lot of work goes into teaching our children. We think carefully about the best way to teach and about the impact this will have on their education and how this will form them as people. However, you cannot underestimate how much a child learns from observing the world around them and the behaviour of the role models they look up to. We instinctively know as parents that we have to be aware of our temper, language and behaviour around our children. But what about lifestyle? When we think of lifestyle we often think of what we eat, what we drink and the amount of exercise we take and we know that this will have a direct effect on the health of our children. But our lifestyle is much more than this – it is about the life-decisions we take and our attitudes to people. Family Life Spending time with our family is obviously important for the development of our children. Raising confident and happy children requires a warm, nurturing home environment. It also gives them the tools to deal with life and the problems we all encounter. We all have different situations but balancing money/work with spending time with the family is very difficult. The way we manage this balance each day has a direct impact on our children. But underlying this is an on-going, silent but very strong lesson in how they should live their lives. How we balance our work and our family time teaches our children not only what is most important to us, but what should be most important to them. Additionally, the career we choose and the jobs we do will influence what they think is a priority in life. If we do a job only because it pays well this will teach our children money is the most important thing. If we spend all our time with our children and no time working to provide for them this will teach them that providing for ourselves and our children is not important. Sometimes we have to step back and look at our life as a whole and see how it teaches our children. Finding Meaning in Life On top of balancing money and family, it is important to understand how we find meaning in life will also teach our children what is important. If we do a job that help people, if we set aside time in our week to volunteer to care for people, or if we strive to change the world for the better – this will teach our children far more about the need to love our neighbour than just telling them. Sharing Imagine the situation, 2 children are fighting over 2 biscuits. One child has both biscuits the other has none. What do you say? SHARE!!!! Pope Francis has been constantly telling us to look after immigrants, many of whom were just like us until they lost everything. When we say “Share” to our children – are we just teaching by our words or are we willing to teach by example and share the things we have. When we look back to 2016 – in the same way people look back at World War II – will we look back and see a country that helped those who had lost everything? A country that shared? Or will we look back and see a country that turned its back on those that needed us. Will we see ourselves as the child that had 2 biscuits when someone next to us had none. Space for God There’s going to Church and there’s going to Church! It is obvious that we cannot teach our children the importance of Catholicism, the Sacraments and Jesus’ teachings if we do not take part by listening to God’s Word and going to Church. However, the importance we put on going to Church and spending time with God will also teach our children a huge amount. If it’s a last minute thought, if we go to Church when we’re free, if we pray only when we need help, then this will teach our children that our Faith is not as important as everything else in life. If our children need to be picked up from school we don’t do it only if we’re free! We make sure we’re there because its important. How important is our Faith in our lives? What do we teach our children?

Read in full

Page 11

Spring 2019 • Reach • 7 In honour of St Patricks Day here are a few traditional Irish recipes for you to enjoy… Ingredients 200g plain white flour 250g plain wholemeal flour 100g porridge oats 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt 25g butter, cut in pieces 500ml buttermilk Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter. 2. Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more 3. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. Eat very fresh. 4. And it’s the perfect accompaniment for traditional Irish Stew. Ingredients 1½kg/3lb 5oz stewing beef, cut into cubes 175g/6oz streaky bacon 3 tbsp olive oil 12 baby onions, peeled 18 button mushrooms, left whole 3 carrots, cut into quarters or 12 baby carrots, scrubbed and left whole Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp chopped thyme 2 tbsp chopped parsley 10 cloves of garlic, crushed and grated 425ml/15fl oz red wine 425ml/15fl oz chicken or beef stock Method 1. Brown the beef and bacon in the olive oil in a hot casserole or heavy saucepan. 2. Remove the meat and toss in the onions, mushrooms and carrots, one ingredient at a time, seasoning each time. 3. Place these back in the casserole, along with the herbs and garlic. 4. Cover with red wine and stock and simmer for one hour or until the meat and vegetables are cooked. 5. To make the roux: In a separate pan melt the butter, add the flour and cook for two minutes. 6. When the stew is cooked, remove the meat and vegetables. 7. Bring the remaining liquid to the boil and add one tbsp of roux. 8. Whisk the mixture until the roux is broken up and the juices have thickened, allowing it to boil. 9. Replace the meat and vegetables, and taste for seasoning. 10. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. Ingredients FOR THE CAKE: 240g / 8 ounces Butter 240g / 8 ounces Granulated sugar 240g / 8 ounces Self-Raising flour 1/8 teaspoon Salt 6 teaspoons Instant coffee crystals 4 tablespoons Hot water 4 Large eggs 2 tablespoons each butter and flour for cake pans To make it easier to move the layers around after soaking with the syrup (and for prepping the spring form pan if you want to use one in the cake`s assembly)Baking parchment FOR THE COFFEE AND WHISKEY SYRUP: 300 ml / 0.5 UK pint strong coffee 240g / 8 ounces granulated sugar 6 tablespoons Irish whiskey FOR THE TOPPING: 8 tablespoons Confectioners icing sugar 4 tablespoons Irish whiskey 600ml / .75 UK pint double cream TO DECORATE THE TOP: 2-4 tablespoons Chopped hazelnuts Method 1. A PRE-BAKING NOTE The cake appearing in the image was baked in 8- inch pans. If you prefer thinner layers, use nine-inch pans and shorten the baking time by five or ten minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. 2. Preheat the oven to 180° C / 350° F. Butter well two 8- or 9-inch cake pans: then flour them lightly. (As mentioned above, if you have a spring form pan of the same size as the pans you`re baking in, make it ready by cutting a baking parchment circle to cover the bottom, and a strip of baking parchment about half an inch taller than the edge for the sides of the pan. You don`t need to grease this baking parchment: it`s just to keep the whipped cream topping under control when you remove the spring form after chilling the cake in the very last step.) 3. Cream the butter and sugar well until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time and continue beating after each until the whole mixture becomes very light. Sieve the flour and salt together; then at low speed with the mixer, or by hand if you prefer, fold two thirds of the dry mixture into the creamed butter, sugar and eggs. Dissolve the instant coffee in the water and add it to the batter, then fold in the remaining 1/3 of the flour. 4. Spoon the batter into two 8 or 9-inch cake pans / tins. Smooth the top of the batter, levelling it out. Then bake the layers for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides of the cake pans. Allow the cake layers to cool for ten or fifteen minutes, and then carefully turn the layers out onto a rack to cool. When they`re out, wash the cake pans and dry carefully. You`ll need them again shortly. 5. For the syrup: Heat the strong coffee and sugar together gently until the sugar has dissolved: then boil rapidly for 1 minute. Make sure you do this in a pan at least three times the size of the syrup or it will boil over. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for three minutes or so, and then stir in the whiskey. 6. Now put a piece of baking parchment in the bottom of each layer pan, covering the bottom of it as completely as possible and making sure to leave some sticking up and out on each side so that you can pull the cake layer out of it with minimum trouble later. Then return the cooled cake layers to their pans. Find a skewer and use it to poke concentric circles of holes into the top of each layer, being as careful as you can not to go all the way through the layer and out the bottom. Then slowly pour half the coffee-and- whiskey syrup over each layer, and leave it to soak for 2-3 hours. 7. For the filling / topping: Whip the double cream to the soft-peak stage, and either slow the beater down and stir in or blend in by hand, the icing sugar and then the remaining whiskey. Turn the first layer of the cake out onto a serving plate and spread its top with about a third of the whipped-cream-and-icing-sugar mixture. Add the second layer and cover it with the remainder of the mixture. Then sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts: or if you`re not big on nuts, or allergic, top with shaved bittersweet chocolate. 8. Chill well before serving. One note: All told, there is nearly 175ml of Irish whiskey in this cake -- the equivalent of nearly four Irish bar measures of whiskey (or 2 doubles). Maybe we`re just being overcautious, but it seems unwise to drive after you`ve had more than a slice of this: there might be enough alcohol in it to produce a false positive on a test and get you in trouble with the local constabulary, and no one wants that. So, a word to the wise... hang the car keys up first! Irish Soda Bread Irish stew For the roux: 50g/2oz butter 50g/1¾oz flour Irish Coffee Cake

Read in full

Page 12

8 • Reach • Spring 2019 Our Journey through Lent Christians around the world mark the beginning of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. This ancient day and season has a surprising modern appeal. Priests and pastors often tell you that outside of Christmas, more people show up to church on Ash Wednesday than any other day of the year—including Easter. But this mystique isn`t reserved for Christians alone. The customs that surround the season have a quality to them that transcend religion. Perhaps most notable is the act of fasting. While Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during the Lenten season, many people—religious or not— take up this increasingly popular discipline during the year But Pope Francis has asked us to reconsider the heart of this activity this Lenten season. According to Francis, fasting must never become superficial. He often quotes the early Christian mystic John Chrysostom who said: "No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great." But this isn`t to downplay the role of sacrifice during the Lenten season. Lent is a good time for penance and self-denial. But once again, Francis reminds us that these activities must truly enrich others: "I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt." So, if we`re going to fast from anything this Lent, Francis suggests that even more than candy or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards others. In his annual Lenten message, the pope writes, "Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience." Describing this phenomenon he calls the globalization of indifference, Francis writes that "whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God`s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades." He continues that, "We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people`s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else`s responsibility and not our own." But when we fast from this indifference, we can began to feast on love. In fact, Lent is the perfect time to learn how to love again. Jesus—the great protagonist of this holy season— certainly showed us the way. In him, God descends all the way down to bring everyone up. In his life and his ministry, no one is excluded. "What are you giving up for Lent?" It`s a question a lot of people will get these next few days. If you want to change your body, perhaps alcohol and candy is the way to go. But if you want to change your heart, a harder fast is needed. This narrow road is gritty, but it isn`t sterile. It will make room in ourselves to experience a love that can make us whole and set us free. Now that`s something worth fasting for.

Read in full

Page 13

Spring 2019 • Reach • 9 Think of all the relationships you’ve developed with people in your life. Your relationship with your family, friends, significant other, boss/co-workers, clients, barista, barber, and dog walker- just to name but a few. There is a reason that each of these people holds a position in your life, some out of necessity, some obligation and some out of desire. If you don’t get on particularly well with your personal trainer, then you can quickly and easily find a new one to replace them. But what do you do when you aren’t on the same page with people that you can’t just replace? When you’re constantly dealing with difficult people you’re bound to feel a higher level of stress in your life. The most common and enduring difficult relationships involve family, people who have known you your entire life. They can have a bias that they know what’s best for you and in some situations, this can be very frustrating. It’s important that you take the time to evaluate every relationship you’re investing your time, energy and soul into. Are these relationships uplifting you or depleting you? After you spend time with someone or a group of people ask yourself if you feel energized, inspired, happy, and optimistic or do you feel exhausted, depressed, annoyed and anxious. This is a clear sign about the type of transaction behind the relationship. If you find yourself in a situation with difficult people that you must endure; keep these tips in mind: Be Proactive & Have a Plan Go in with a plan. Strategically set your meeting, dinner or get- together in between other appointments. Make it very clear that you only have 30 minutes or 60 minutes. Mentally prepare yourself beforehand about the direction for the conversation. Establish as many parameters as you feel necessary. Prepare yourself for how you will handle certain conversations. Have the proof, research, documents or some good answers ready! Be Strategic About What You Want Most difficult people you’re dealing with operate like clockwork. If you already know how they’re going to think, respond or act, then be strategic with your objective for the encounter. If there is something specific you’re trying to get the other person on the same page with, then first think of something that would be even greater than what you want- even if you know there’s no way it’ll happen. That is what you ask for with full confidence. Then your “compromise” is what you wanted all along. Pick your battles wisely and know what’s worth fighting for and what’s not worth your energy or peace. Hold Yourself Accountable You can’t control how others think, speak or act, but you can control how you react. Make sure that you are coming from a place of peace or love and not out of hate, jealousy or trying to be “right.” When you are genuine with your words and actions you will leave these types of interactions with a much greater sense of inner peace. Focus your attention on what you can learn from this interaction. You can learn something from every person you encounter- even if you aren’t keen on them. You will either learn something positive you want to emulate or something negative that you will avoid in your life. Hold yourself accountable, it’s quite easy to blame the other person. What can you do better to improve this relationship or situation? “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” - Wayne Dyer Every person views the world from a different vantage point. You never know what others have been through or what has shaped the way they see things. It’s okay to see the world differently on an intellectual, spiritual, financial etc. level. Your experiences are your own and their experiences are their own. Focus your energy on meeting as much in the middle as possible instead of expecting others to view the world from your eyes. You didn’t have a choice with your family, but you have the opportunity to choose every other person in your life. That is a great power no one can take from you. Choose wisely. NEW SERIES Spending time with… Difficult people

Read in full

Page 14

10 • Reach • Spring 2019 1. Order summer-flowering bulbs and seeds This is the perfect task for a wet and windy day! Summer-flowering bulbs such as Lilies, Gladiolus and Ranunculus can be planted in early spring for a colourful summer display. 2. Clear up flower beds and borders Have a general tidy up and remove leaves and other debris from your flower borders, lawns, ponds and containers. You can cut back the old dead growth of deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials now, although if you like to be wildlife friendly then its best to leave the tidy up until early spring. If the soil is workable you can dig a 5cm layer of organic matter such as well-rotted manure, compost or recycled green waste into empty garden borders. 3. Clean your greenhouse Wash your greenhouse before spring arrives! Before long your greenhouse will be home to trays of seedlings and cuttings. Sweep out any plant debris on the floor and benches and disinfect with a hot solution of garden disinfectant such as Jeyes Fluid. Make sure you disinfect the inside of the glass too - overwintering pests and disease can survive in the smallest nooks and crannies. Whilst you’re there, wash pots and seed trays to help prevent diseases infecting your young plants. Ventilate your greenhouse well over the next couple of days so it dries thoroughly. 4. Sow seeds that need a longer season In January and February you can start to sow seeds of plants which require a longer growing season, such as Geraniums (Pelargoniums), Begonias, Antirrhinums, Peppers and Aubergines. They’ll need to be grown in a heated propagator or similar, to ensure good growth. 5. Hunt down garden pests now Take a closer look at the crowns of your perennial plants and you may find slugs, snails and aphid colonies sheltering from the winter. If you still haven’t cleared last year’s pots of summer bedding then do this now and be on the look-out for the white vine weevil larvae, which live in the compost and feed on plant roots. Destroy any you find and be prepared to treat for vine weevils this year, using parasitic nematodes or chemical drenches. 6. Install water butts Install water butts in your garden now to collect seasonal rainfall. Not only does this help the environment but rain water is good for watering ericaceous plants such as Camellias, Rhododendrons and Blueberries (tap water is often slightly alkaline). When installing a water butt make sure it’s correctly positioned below a downpipe to make the most of the rainfall. 7. Move deciduous shrubs If you have a badly placed deciduous shrub then now is the time to move it whilst it’s dormant. Choose a still day to prevent the roots drying out. Take a wide berth around the shrub when digging it up and try to take as much of the root ball as possible for the quickest establishment in its new location. When planting shrubs in their new position, place them at the same level they were previously in the soil, and remember to water them in well afterwards. 8. Fix fences, gates and trellis Any broken structures or tools are best fixed now so you have more time to spend in the garden during the rest of spring and summer. Treat your wooden garden structures with a wood preservative during dry periods. 9. Clean gardening tools Give your tools a clean and a sharpen! Caring for your garden tools not only helps preserve them, it saves you money in the long run and helps prevent the spread of disease. Dirty secateurs may introduce bacteria and fungi to fresh pruning wounds. Sharpening your tools will also improve their performance; they’ll be easier to work with and will give cleaner pruning cuts. 10. Create a composting area Try setting up a compost area in your garden! This could simply be a ready- made compost bin or you could build a compost bin yourself using spare bits of wood. Not only will you have somewhere to put your garden waste but your plants will benefit from the rich compost created when it all breaks down! Make sure you have a good mixture of grass clippings, vegetable peelings, paper and woody prunings. To help the process along you’ll need to turn your compost with a garden fork each month to keep it aerated. Preparing your garden for Spring!

Read in full

Page 15

Spring 2019 • Reach • 11 To advertise in the Reach Newspaper call UK: 020 7112 6710 Ireland: 01 699 4407 ads@reachnewspaper.com Did you know that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), only water (a human right) ranks as highly as vaccination in terms of the greatest impact on health globally!! Having your child vaccinated is your decision. It is therefore important that you have access to current, up to date, evidence based and accurate information to help you make the decision on whether you should take your child to be vaccinated or not. Your local Practice Nurse, school nurse, GP or Health Visitor are all specialists in public health and are able to offer you further advice if needed. Having your child vaccinated or immunised can offer protection against nasty and potentially fatal diseases and we as a population have a greater chance of reducing, and ultimately eradicating, potentially fatal diseases. Vaccination programs start from the age of 8 weeks. However, vaccinations are not for babies alone, but are offered at various stages throughout our lives. These include booster vaccinations for children and teenagers as well as vaccinations to protect against 4 different causes of Meningitis and Septicaemia. Vaccines are also offered in later life for Pneumococcal (PPV), Shingles and Flu. Have you heard of Herd immunity? Herd immunity is where the uptake of vaccinations in a particular area is high. This means where lots of people have chosen to have their children or themselves vaccinated against diseases. When this happens, even those people who have not been vaccinated build up a resistance to nasty and highly contagious diseases so they become less likely to contract the disease! The more people who vaccinate themselves and their children, the more chance there is of reducing or even eradicating potentially fatal diseases. Vaccinations To find out more, see your nurse, GP, Health Visitor or School Nurse. Or go to: www.immunisationscotland. org.uk www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vacc inations www.immunisation.ie www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/ LiveWell/Vaccinations/

Read in full

Page 16

12 • Reach • Spring 2019 Across 5 Recipients of a letter from Paul, probably; NT book (10) 7 Ancestor of a race of giants, as mentioned in Exodus and elsewhere (4) 8 Stay on pace; marching order (4,4) 9 Sabotage (6) 11 `------ and Shepherds`, song by Purcell and others (6) 12 Poetic paean (3) 13 Third-largest Nigerian city, site of the country`s first university (6) 14 Preoccupy; haunt (6) 15 Scottish North Sea fishing town, famous for its `smokies` (8) 17 Horizontal intrusion of igneous rock as seen in much of Hadrian`s Wall: window feature (4) 18 First of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures (10) Down 1 Anti-aircraft fire: criticism (4) 2 Israeli Mediterranean resort in its alternative, biblical, name (8) 3 Bird of prey, the red variety of which has been regenerated in the UK after near extinction (4) 4 Runaway slave owned by Philemon (8) 5 City synonymous with Anglicanism (10) 6 According to the Bible, he lived to be 969 years old (10) 10 Third largest of the Channel Islands (8) 11 Apprentice, novice (8) 16 City of the Italian Piedmont, noted for its sparkling wine (4) 17 Handel oratorio; united Kingdom of Israel`s first ruler (4) SOLUTION Across: 5 Colossians, 7 Anak, 8 Keep step, 9 Derail, 11 Nymphs, 12 Ode, 13 Ibadan, 14 Obsess, 15 Arbroath, 17 Sill, 18 Pentateuch. Down : 1 Flak, 2 Ashkelon, 3 Kite, 4 Onesimus, 5 Canterbury, 6 Methuselah, 10 Alderney, 11 Neophyte, 16 Asti, 17 Saul. To make you smile… What`s worse than raining cats and dogs? Hailing Taxi. I applied for a job today and they asked for three references. I wrote, "A dictionary, a Thesaurus, and a map." Heard about the pilot who decided to cook whilst flying? It was a recipe for disaster! I WRITE ALL MY JOKES IN CAPITALS. THIS ONE WAS WRITTEN IN PARIS. I didn`t realise how bad a driver I was until my Sat Nav said, "In 400 feet, do a slight right, stop, and let me out. What goes through towns, up hills, and down hills but never moves? The road! Why did the librarian get kicked off the plane? Because it was overbooked! Why do birds fly south in autumn? Because it`s too far to walk! What travels around the world but stays in one corner? A stamp. What sound does a bouncing plane make? Boeing. Where do cows go on their summer vacation? Moo York I went out drinking on St Patricks Day, so I took a bus home... That may not be a big deal to you, but I`ve never driven a bus before! Where do sharks go on holiday? Finland! Where do sheep go on holiday? The Baaa-hamas! Why did the witch stay in a hotel? She heard they had great broom service! ... Travel one-liners!

Read in full

Page 17

Read in full

Page 18

Read in full

Page 19

Read in full

Page 20

Read in full

Find your local Catholic Historical Church newspaper. Scroll to find yours.