Isn't it Ironic?

I love this time of year, I've probably said this before! It's the time of rich colours, reds, browns, yellows; the time of late afternoon sunshine, blue skies and chilly mornings; comfort food and thick sweaters, snoods, scarves and hats; knitting and crocheting and less sewing.

Today has been somewhat of an odd day. To explain this, I need to back track about 18 months.
When we first arrived back in the UK in April 2009, I home educated the children. I'm glad we did. It gave us time to de-America ourselves a little and gave us time to look around schools and decide what would work for the children coming from the wonderful Montessori school that they had been in for the previous 4 and a bit years.
Eventually, in October 2009, one of the state schools called to say they had three places. By then, we'd found a school place for Master Beehive the elder that seemed to fit in with our philosophy of education and suited him, but with the younger two, we were still floundering. I could have continued to home educate them, but, selfishly, I wanted to work. I wanted to study so that I'd get the coveted uni place I now have and finally realise my dream.
Anyway, long story cut relatively short, we were offered a place in the local catholic school.

We are not particularly religious. The children have been christened and we were married in a church, but the older I have become, the more distance I have placed between myself and religion. Odd really considering that we were a very christian family growing up, my parents were active in the church, I went every week from babyhood until I left home at 18. I just find my inner self struggling to contend with a belief system that opposes the very things I feel strongly about - the right to choose, gay rights, women's rights etc. I think these days more along the lines of a spiritual draw, that there may well be something more to life, but I don't think that "God" is it.

So, not agnostic, but not actively churchgoing and...to top this, Anglican, not Catholic.

So, the school has an excellent reputation. So ... longer story even shorter.

Cut to today - I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that the Pope came to Edinburgh today!
He actually gave an audience to the school that my younger two attend.
He then blessed Master Beehive the younger! Yup, the anglican child with the non-believer parents got a blessing from a Catholic Pope!

I think that has to be irony in the truest sense of the word!

My lads at their cub meeting this evening, can you see the Papal glow from the "blessed one" below?