The sound equipment I bought at Goodwill on Monday 26th all works. Not bad for $30!

Tuesday 27th was along day in the office with the usual planning but in addition I had to get the month’s music ready for the Cantor’s meeting that night. All five Cantors turned up and we met in my new office. We were able to try out some new ideas which were accepted readily by most.

Wednesday 28 started in the usual way with School Mass. It was preceded by a procession of Saints, I don’t think I have played ‘Oh when the saints’ as many times!

In the afternoon there was a wedding at 2pm. The bride was there at 1.50pm in jeans and t-shirt to set up some flowers. Next to arrive was the priest at 2pm swiftly followed by a parishioner who was so embarrassed that he returned to the hotel where he knew the family was gathering and discovered everyone sat in the bar in casual gear. they thought the wedding was 2.30pm but it was already 2,30pm by that time. At 2.15 the mother arrived and was upset that no one was there but she was 15 minutes late. By 3pm the groom had arrived so I renegotiated my fee and we eventually got started at 3.20pm.

I stayed around to get stuff ready for the choir practice which went well but I was not well and finished early.

On Thursday there were two funerals and I worked in between these. The best news imaginable came after the funeral when my brother Richard and his Brazilian friend Camille announced their engagement, I raised a glass in their direction.

I spent Friday on the kayak and returned to an unnamed island off Fort Desoto. It was a beautiful day.

There was a Spanish funeral on the Saturday morning for which I played and then hung around in the office to prepare for the weekend celebrations.

it was All Saints so we did my Blessed are the clean of heart. One of the priests talked about his childhood heroes, Hercules and Xerxes, before referring to the saints themselves. So after communion I invented a chant to the following text:

Who can climb the mountain of the Lord?

Hercules, Xerxes or the rest of these?

We are children of the living God,

we long to see his face.

I had much of a day off on Monday and went to Caladesi island with my kayak. I was in the office by 5.30 to prepare for the All Souls Day celebration. We read out the list of dead parishioners interspersed by Alstott’s Grant them eternal rest o Lord. This week there were 5 funerals so you can imagine how long it took to read the list!

Tuesday was another preparation day. On this occasion it was to prepare the Song sheet for the November school masses which had to be done by noon so that they could be shared with classes prior to the Music practice at 2.30pm! After the practice I went home.

I had not been well for about three weeks. The doc had prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler and had sent me for an x-ray which turned out to be fine. I shouldn’t reall complain to much as there has been so much sympathy from parishioners who brought me fruit and throat lozenges.

Wednesday’s school Mass presented some great singing from the students. Following this we had a liturgy meeting and during the afternoon I had a meeting with my lawyer about the car accident almost 6 months ago. I also visited a parishioners house to inspect an organ he was offering the church. In the event it was not very good for us so I continued to Office Depot where I spent $!35 for the parish. All bargains of course.

At 4.30pm I spent an hour moving most of the choir music up to the mezzanine in preparation for some new shelving arriving next week and for work to start in the middle of the month converting two offices and a corridor into a rehearsal area for musicians.

Choir practice that evening was fantastic. we learned another of Chris Walker’s communion antiphons, harmonies for ‘Come to the water’ and ‘Shepherd me, O God by Haugen. Then after the rehearsal I got embroiled in a discussion with some of the RCIA team who were expressing hesitance about to members who were living together. Do they tow the RC line or turn a blind eye?

On Thursday I had an awful headache so I was pleased that I did not have too much to do in the office. I had just sent a recording to the choir when the internet went down. There was little point me remaining as I had done my work so I visited the doctor again and elsewhere tried to negotiate payment for a medical bill.

I was so tired on Thursday evening that I sat down and fell asleep before eating the meal I had prepared!

Today Friday I was up early and found my mum available on Skype so we had a great chat. Then I took my kayak and I towards Fort Desoto for the day. I returned home to watch the second half of Chelsea-Liverpool which I had only seen part of on Saturday. It didn’t get better so I am hoping that the next screening this evening, Chelsea-Kiev, will be more gratifying.

If you know the score please do not tell me before 10pm tonight!

I