Tuesday was a heavy work day, as ever, starting early with final planning for Sunday. By midday I’d got as far as printing the Worship Aid. At noon we had a meeting of the Executive (yes that’s me too!) accompanied by pizza. and ice tea. Then during the afternoon I did the usual music rehearsal with the school for tomorrow’s Mass followed by some planning for a two funerals this week. I got home at a reasonable time in the evening and settled down to some movies. It was strangely cold so I didn’t go out.

On Wednesday I awoke to news that it had been the coldest November night on record and whilst we did not get the snow that had paralysed so much of USA it was cold. For the first time I reached for a jumper. I started work with the usual School Mass then had a meeting with the Liturgy Co-ordinator, planned a scheme for dealing with the Advent Wreath, started learning Walton’s Crown Imperial for Christ the King. Strangely I had never learned it before but this year the time is right.

The evening meant choir practice and although three had phoned in sick there was a goodly attendance and a joyful noise was heard. We had quite a laugh as when I’m tired  tend to keep myself awake with my own brand of humour. After a few weeks of bemused expression they are beginning to get it.

Back at the apartment I managed a short film and hit the sack

This morning it was still cold and I was in the office soon after 8am. I decided to get my stuff in order for Sunday and also for the funeral later in the morning. There was a pleasant surprise, the like of which never happened in my previous employment. A group of parents arrived to give the staff a ‘thanksgiving’ cake. Mine was a pecan pie, the pronunciation of which is achieved by forgetting all consonants except the ‘p’.

I was also able to return the portable bed and sheets that the housekeeper had lent me until I got a bed. In the middle of this assignation my brother Chris spoke with me on Skype. I am nearing agreement to rent out my Sheffield mansion so his advice is invaluable.

The funeral was interesting in that in the absence of any requests the priest and I had got together and produced an Order of Service. Of course when we got there  met the niece who presented her intentions which included a young singer who would sing ‘a capella’ (or ‘Acapulco’ as we unpretentious musicians prefer to call it). She was a fine singer but her pronunciation of the latin (Ave Maria) was curious. The mini skirt and platform shoes added to her aura.

I decided to go home early today as I had been doing excessive hours of late. I stopped at a charity shop and bought a shelf unit. as the staff carried it to my car the back fell of so then I had to return to the store to buy a hammer.

By 3pm the shopping bug hit me again and I was off to Aldi. Any later and the traffic would be terrible. It feels wrong buying kitchen utensils which I already have in abundance back in Sheffield but have to buy again here. Tonight it was a cast iron casserole pot … always useful, I suppose.

Later I went off to relax at a local bar band in the event I discovered another which named Dachshunds I had thought was a dog-grooming centre but turned out to be an agreeable place of libation boast 3 craft beers. I got chatting to a couple who had friends in Sheffield and whose origins were Wales! I returned later for a film or two.