I spent the weekend in Eastbourne at a women’s conference organised by Kingsway, at which I was one of 30 + speakers. Firstly, i have to rave about the weather. Dedicated readers of this blog will know that a Jo appreciates some sun in her life, and this weekend the sun beamed on us, and made everything sparkly and beautiful. My friend Ally and I were staying in a hotel on the beach front, and to get to the conference venues we walked along the promenade and it felt very exotic and luxurious. There were coffee shops dotted along the way and palm trees and old people chatting on benches and little ones learning to walk and playing with stones and a spindly peer bravely reaching towards the horizon- one of the ones that hasn’t caught fire yet. It was all blue and cream and grey and white and altogether like walking around in a painting.
Despite having to do a seminar, I managed to enjoy the conference. Highlights for me were Amy Orr-Ewing preaching on Ruth and Naomi, a performance by an American singer called Kelly Minter, dinner out with my lovely aunt Anita, who was also speaking at the weekend, the chocolate fountain and hand massage session, chatting with Ally in a hotel lounge (not ours!) on a sofa that was more sculpture than furniture, and realising that my seminar was over! What a relief.
I have come away feeling that there are so many things about my speaking style that I need to work on, and realising just how much it takes it out of me, but also encouraged to keep going, if only to help a couple of people consider going on anti-depressants- not that I am a drug pusher or anything…
So that is my report back from the weekend. I hope you had a good one too.