Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 April 2007 00:03:56
He is Risen indeed - Alleluia!!!
I've been very lax in updating my blog - it occurred to me this afternoon that it's been two weeks since I last updated. Lots has happened in that time, so I'll start in reverse order and work backwards, possibly coming round full circle.
So, Easter Sunday. This was our first Easter at the new church and it totally lived up to our expectations. The morning service began with a procession around the church singing Hail Thee Festival Day - quite a difficult hymn to sing congregationally as the tune changes with each verse, but great fun anyway. The choir sang Mozart Missa Brevis in C. The whole service had a proper "Easter" feel to it and the presence of the Risen Christ was, I think, obvious to everyone there.
After Mass, we were served with "Resurrection Glory" cocktails - a drink made with champagne, cointreau, cherry brandy and angastura bitters. It's great being Anglo Catholic - you get to experience all manner of alcoholic drinks! I was introduced to a very elderly lady with a zimmer frame who has been away from church for a few months having had a fall. She had heard that I'm soon to be licensed as Reader in the parish so she was very concerned to know of my Anglo Catholic credentials. Once I informed her that I would be helping myself to a large Gin & Tonic when I got home, she seemed satisfied that I was obviously Theologically Sound!
So that brings me nicely to lunch. Some people have an aversion to cooking a Sunday Roast, but I find it quite easy. Basically, bung the meat in the oven and pour a large gin. When gin is finished, have another one. When second gin is finished, it's time for the spuds to go in. Another gin. When that one's finished, dinner is cooked.
We had a great lunch. I'd bought a chicken from the free range butcher in West Dulwich. When I say "free range butcher", I don't mean that the butcher himself is free range (though he might be for all I know) but that he specialises in free range meat. This is a proper butchers shop with sawdust on the floor and a geezer behind the counter wearing a blood splattered apron. It's usually necessary to queue to get in to the place. So, roast chicken with home made sage & onion stuffing from my grandmother's recipe (i.e chuck in a bit of this and a bit of that and when it looks right put it in the oven. Quantities? What are those?). For pud we had strawberries in a raspberry puree with a truckload of whipped cream piled on top. All of this was washed down with a bottle of Semillon Chardonnay which was on special offer at Sainsbury's.
So now we back track (I said it would be in reverse order). Last week I went back to my old church to celebrate the 80th birthday of a dear friend from the congregation. I was a little apprehensive about going, but actually had a lovely time. It was great to see many old friends, even though it has only been 6 months since we left. It was lovely to see the 2 churchwardens. They had allegedly "fully supported" the Vicar's decision to permanently remove my licence. I say "allegedly" because I suspect that it was more a case of him telling them what he was doing and they having no choice but to agree. I suspect this, because I've known them both for many years and find it hard to believe they would have jumped at the chance to get rid of me. I don't know though. The subject didn't arise and I deliberately didn't mention it as I saw no point in re-opening old wounds. As far as I am concerned, they are both very dear friends and I hope that this will continue. The thing is, whatever happened in the past happened. I miss the old place, but asI've said in previous entries, I'm convinced that I'm now where God wants me to be.
Mum is now out of hospital. Compared with how she was 3 weeks ago and how worried we all were, it's now hard to believe she was so ill!
I called in yesterday morning and The Beloved & I went in this evening (Sunday). She'd been to church and then went to lunch with some people from said church. I get the impression that it was quite a party and she thoroughly enjoyed herself! It seems that company seems to stimulate her and this proved it - she spent a day with lots of people and was full of beans when we saw her this evening!!
Tomorrow is a bank holiday, so The Beloved and I are intending to have a well earned lie in. When we eventually surface, we'll be having a proper f*** off fry up breakfast with bacon and sausages from the same butcher where I bought the chicken.
I'm still battling with the fags. I haven't totally given up yet, but I'm down to about 4 a day. Just a little push and maybe I'll cut them out completely. That said, I went to the pub tonight. I didn't have any fags on me, but I smoked 3 cigars. (Naughty naughty, slap wrist!)
Our vicar is off to Zimbabwe on Tuesday with about 20 other clergy led by our area bishop. Please hold her and the rest of her party in your prayers.