You can always tell when I’m busy because there is a break in the frequency of these posts!

I worked on Monday as I had to prepare the menu for October’s School Masses. I also had a Cantor’s meeting on Tuesday night which meant that I had also to prepare the month’s Sunday Mass menu.

The preparation was broken by a wedding meeting followed swiftly by a meeting with the school council. I had been aware of some ill feeling among older students (13 yrs!) regarding my song choices. Their agenda was to return to lifeteen material about which I am largely suspicious. In the event the meeting went well and I invited them to see the connections between song choices I had made and the readings. The following day I met with the President of the Council and he really got it and I asked him to state what the connections were for each song.

In the evening the Cantor meeting also went smoothly.

Thursday became a day off during which I had agreed to play for the annual Founders Day Mass for St Joseph’s Hospital. I was a little surprised that there was an old Allen Organ in the chapel. I had to use this as the piano was locked and no one knew where the key was. The power cord for the organ had been re-routed to come through the swell pedal opening and across the pedalboard. Once I had obtained a screwdriver I was able to re-locate the power cord to the more conventional route!

I spent the rest of the day at the beach.

Friday was also a day off so I took my kayak to Fort Desoto for the day. I had not intended to stay quite so long but my glasses fell into the sea as I left one beach and it took me a while to retrieve them!

I was up early on Saturday to connect with my family who were celebrating the 18th birthday of my niece Catherine. it was great to see them all and although it might have seemed a bit of an intrusion to some of them it was the only way that I can connect and feel part of family celebrations.

In the afternoon there was a wedding at which the mother had changed everything since the meeting I had with the couple. She insisted on certain things because’ she was paying’.!

Sunday was much the same as most Sundays except that I stayed working during the afternoon. I was determined to get three days off the following week and at the same time complete my tasks.

There was a school Mass on the Monday (usually Wednesday) since the priests were away at a Convocation with the Bishop.

I spent Monday preparing the Music Editions for singers and instrumentalists for next week’s Pastor Installation Mass.

The first part of Tuesday was spent getting an MRI scan of the brain and eyes followed by an appointment with a specialist to discuss the results. Fortunately they found no cancer so my eye condition remains unsolved. I returned for another wedding meeting and did what I needed to ensure that the next three days could largely be holiday.

I spent Wednesday at a nearby beach and went into work in the evening for a rehearsal with instrumental musicians prior to choir practice. It all went well and so I stopped off for a little drink on the way home.

On Thursday I started with a trip to the doctor to discuss my blood pressure which I had been recording over the last two weeks. It had been high for my last visit but now with the help of some medication it was normal. I spent the rest of the day in Caldesi Island with my kayak.

I had been experiencing some loud noise from a neighbouring apartment. this started again in the early hours of Friday morning between 1am and 3.30am. I had again called out the security to sort it and on Friday morning I took it to the management. They were amazed as they had already sent a strong letter and decided to phone them to tell that in no certain terms …we’ll see what happens tonight! I spent the morning at the local beach and then returned to tidy the car and apartment and to get my air-conditioning examined by engineers. I decided that tonight I would stay in and now at 6pm I look forward to a time of ironing and lounge lizardry!

Last Sunday was as you might expect a bit full on. I returned home during the afternoon for a rest before going out again for the evening Mass.

The Papal visit and all the materials I was producing for the parish to connect with it all occupied me greatly. As a consequence Monday which might usually have been a day off was not. Tuesday was spent working on producing instrumental arrangements for the weekend Masses.

On Wednesday there was the usual School Mass followed by a meeting to discuss in greater detail the music for the school Masses. The evening’s Choir practice was unusual in that it included a visit by the RCIA group. They had come to visit what they imagined was (and is) a community of prayer. We began with some introductions and then two of the choir spoke about how their membership had deepened their faith.  Then I got the group to sit among the choir and taught them all the refrain of ‘We have been told’ by David Haas and asked them questions relating to the text. Each RCIA member shared with a Choir member their response. We concluded with a sharing by the group of their favourite hymns. This all took less than 30 minutes and we then resumed the rehearsal by learning my own ‘O Sacrament of Love’.

Thursday was a kind of ‘day off’ with a visit to the doctor to discuss blood tests. In the afternoon  went into work to practice the Prelude (and Fugue) in Eb which I’d chosen to play during the weekend. In the evening I joined a number of friends from the staff for a meal and visit to see ‘Once’ at the Straz Theatre. This was a wonderful show in which the cast were also the musicians, singers, stage shifters, dancers etc. They even provided some Irish folk music before the show started. After the show we adjourned to another gastro pub for a nibble and beer.

On Friday I arose gently and had a Diocesan Musicians meeting at Whiskey Joe’s. I met some new faces on the music front and managed to decide the initial 4 core singers for a Florida version of the Wild Geese.

I did some more organ practice and then went to St Joseph’s Hospital to meet with the Chaplain there to discuss next week’s Founders’ Mass at which I would be the musician. That completed I was able to keep my evening appointment for an MRI scan. I was amazed that this facility was still open but was informed by the staff that the equipment was so expensive that they needed to use it as much as possible. Unfortunately the consultant who sent me there did not provided me with any paperwork so they could not proceed but agreed to obtain this and fixed another appointment.

I retired to Charan’s bar for a couple and met some friends who were on their way to the Long Bar so I followed them there.

On Saturday I had two funerals in the morning after which I did some more practice and then the Vigil Masses began. the homilies centred on the James reading and so I invented a post-communion chant on a text, ‘Faith without deeds means nothing’. In the evening I watched the Pope celebrating at the Festival of Families. He gave a great homily there and I incorporated texts from that into the Sunday morning Masses. I was pleased that the choir managed to do a good job with my ‘O Sacrament of Love’ but even more pleased that the Eb Prelude of Bach went so well.

I returned home during the afternoon having stopped en route at Goodwill. There I bought a framed print of a Sunset Beach scene and a food mixer!

In the evening I was back at church accompanied by a Cantor, trumpeter and (for his first visit) an accordionist. It reminded me of the time in 1997 when Marty Haugen and I co-led a Wild Goose music week on Iona. One of the pieces we did in the final concert included the line ‘Let every instrument be tuned for praise’. I didn’t have the courage then to refuse an accordionist and the same was true tonight. It turned out to be just as well as he was really good!

Thursday seemed to be a day of medical visits and Friday started in similar vein. At 8am the dentist fitted a crown and even while this was taking place my phone rang. I later discovered is was my personal retinologist who somehow had obtained the blood test results ordered by another doctor!? He suggested that I get an MRI of the brain area just to rule out various possibilities as the blood tests has not revealed another possible cause of my left eye’s condition.

I spent the rest of the morning starting my online tax return for the UK. By midday the clouds had cleared and I adjourned to the beach for a few hours. I returned to do a bit more tax stuff then joined friends at Charan’s Bar. Back home I prepared a fine tuna dish and after watching a bank robbery film went to bed in the wee hours.

I awoke at a reasonable hour and fell asleep only to awake at a very reasonable hour. I did some more work on the taxation (while watching Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0) before going in to work. I managed to get some more work done on the Papal visit materials I am creating for the parish and sorted out my agenda for the week. At 4pm I began the routine of weekend Masses. This weekend my voluntary was ‘Wir Glauben alle in einen Gott’ (JSBach). According to my notes on the music I had played this in 1978 in the church of St Jean Chantal, Paris. Happy memories!  After the second a friend from the choir suggested I join him for an expensive burger at Flemings. I agreed and it was indeed a fine burger.

Back home I opened a cider and watched the repeat transmission of the arrival of the Pope in Cuba.

There was good weather during my two days off last Thursday and Friday so I enjoyed a mixture of beach and sorting my UK Tax declaration. By using the wonderful Skype phone I was able to talk with a HMRC inspector and get some really good advice.

On Saturday I picked up my new glasses but the lady in the opticians was most unhelpful and paid very little attention to her job. (More of this later). I went into work and did some admin prior to the weekend sequence of Masses.

Later that evening I went to bed early but was awoken at 1am by loud music from an other apartment. The same had occurred last night. I reported it to the 24-hr neighbourhood team but there was no reply so I reported that to the Apartment boss!

The choir had been fantastic on Wednesday at the rehearsal and were OK at the Mass but it all convinced me that short term memory is an issue and that the sooner we get the rehearsal suite built the better.

On Monday I was in the chapel for the 8,30am Mass to kick off the Novena which I had steered for the Papal Visits to Cuba, USA and the World Meeting of Families. That went well and gave me time to drop into LabCorp to get some blood tests done. In the event the queues were so long that I would not have been able to keep my next appointment. so at 10am I was back at the office preparing for a meeting about the School Masses. It was a great meeting in which all were able to exchange views and I was able to widen things to non-musical matters.  I had hoped to lunch on a bargain (reduced) chicken noodle thing but never got to it since I discovered that the chicken was blue. I went back to the store was loud in my complaint and walked away with a few lunches of my choice! Bargain!

In the afternoon I worked with colleague Neil to prepare a daily e-blast to the parish about the Pope’s visits etc. The end result was a great feat of collaboration. On my way home I stopped at Goodwill and bought an unused $150 juice extractor for $10. Bargain number 2, I thought.

On Tuesday I went to my usual physiotherapy and discovered that it was my last. The last session was a good deal longer at 3 hours as it included a meeting with the doctor. It will be great to get some time back again! I went into work but was really tired so I left at 3.30pm for a rest at home.

Refreshed on Wednesday I was in early for the School Mass. The choir was excellent and all approved. I had a funeral during the late morning but was back for a meeting about the new rehearsal suite. It was a very positive meeting but I can’t say more here. During the afternoon I had a wedding meeting and time to prepare for choir practice.

The choir were good although tired and a little depleted by known absence.

Today, Thursday, the first stop on my day off was the doctor to check if a thyroid test was among those he had ordered. The retinologist from the scare last week had suspected a thyroid problem. So convinced that it was included I went again to LabCorp and completed the tests very quickly. My next stop was the radiologist for an x-ray of the left foot which I’d sliced when I stood on some glass on a beach a few weeks ago. Even though it was no longer painful the radiologist agreed that it was the right thing to do. I had still had no breakfast or lunch since the blood test included a fasting one, but I still had to visit the optician to complain about my new glasses and more particularly about the treatment I had received on Saturday. The technician this time was excellent and spotted the issue immediately, promising to address the staff issue also.

It was 2.30pm when I dropped into the Long Bar for brunch. I was home soon after intending to pop out again later but fell asleep in the chair and decided against it when I awoke. Now at 10.30pm an early night beckons. I have the dentist in the morning!

The meal last Friday turned out to be even more entertaining than expected. I was welcomed at their new family house by a glass of red. My hosts were a bit embarrassed about the cork problem and when I arrived they were straining the wine through a coffee filter. It was a fine Italian and I matched it with my gift of a St Emilion.

There was evidence of three children in the house but they kept their distance and even for the meal we adjourned to outside leaving them to do what kids do! I knew Danah from church but had not met her husband who turned out to be a fine organist who had played a significant role in the creation of hauptwerk (virtual) organs and particularly in the recording of pipes of fine organs throughout the world.

After the meal we adjourned to the lounge where I was able to admire their extravagantly designed façade to one wall. The façade, which house a virtual fire and TV was designed according to the hauptwerk principle of baroque organ cases!

The following day I did some work in the office prior to commencing the usual round of weekend Masses.

Monday was Labor Day and I spent much of it pootling about the apartment until joining friends at the local.

Tuesday began with another visit to the physio and a return to the office to work on the bulletin pages in English and Spanish relating to the Papal Visits to Cuba and USA and to the World Meeting of Families. I had produced a series of resources which next week will form an e-blast to the parish and appear on our web site. Much of the liturgical stuff will be done in the daily morning masses in the form of a Prayer Novena before the Pope arrives in USA.

On Wednesday we started with School Mass and then had our monthly Liturgy Meeting. This one seemed to focus on music. I hate attending meetings without fore-knowledge of the agenda. After the meeting one parishioner contacted me to ask me to play a more prayerful piece (softer) at the end of the Mass at which he took his own family. How do you respond to that? One eminent local musician advised that I should have replied, as though deaf “what did you say?”

At 1pm I left the office to enjoy the good weather and returned to prepare choir practice. The rehearsal went very well and I was delighted to have an almost full rehearsal. We did some detailed work on this week’s Communion Antiphon by Chris Walker.

I seemed to have mislaid my wallet so was unable to begin my 2-days off with a welcome drink and instead returned home where I discovered my wallet!

Wednesday 26/8 started with a School Mass and was followed by a meeting to discuss the possibility of putting on a whole parish performance of Tales of Wonder by Marty Haugen. During the afternoon I had an emergency visit to the dentist following the disintegration of another tooth. I have insurance but still had to part with $500 as a part payment for the crown. A temporary was put in place and after two hours I was back in circulation for the first choir practice of the new season.

Thursday became a day off as I had both a funeral and a wedding on the Friday. There was another funeral on the Saturday so it was a good weekend for my bank account.

The weekend involved the usual run of Masses but I suffered a flare-up of the neck problems which I would have to mention at my next physio visit on Tuesday morning. After the Saturday Vigil Masses one parishioner invited me to dine with him at a top steak restaurant in Tampa. Had I been paying I would have baulked at the prices but it was an excellent meal. On the Sunday afternoon I tried out my new grill and did a fine ribeye steak myself.

On Monday I kept an appointment to have my eyes tested. Everything was so thorough. An assistant did all the usual tests and then in came the doctor to check her results and do an examination. In the course of his feedback he relayed that I had choroidal folds in one eye. This is a rare condition in which the retina appears like a rucked carpet. The condition can be caused by a tumour behind the eye, by thyroid disease or merely be congenital. Clearly the first of the options was more disturbing and I was referred to a retinologist on Wednesday.

Fr Chuck, our newly ordained priest, was celebrating his 27th birthday on Monday so I joined colleagues at Ulele Restaurant. The place was converted from an old Water Works and is a splendid setting. Some of my colleagues remarked privately that I seemed a bit preoccupied and left earlier than they had expected. I suppose unconsciously I was worried about the optician’s diagnosis.

I returned home needing to sleep well and as chance would have it one of my neighbours was having a party into the wee hours and that was a bit frustrating. I had not experienced this kind of noise before.

On the Tuesday morning (the start of September) I drove out of the apartment village and saw two dead ducks on the road. this was not the best way to start a day of special prayer for the Care of Creation! During the physio session they did some particular work to adjust the flare up with my neck.

At work I did some more work on the Papal Visit materials I had been preparing. I had arranged to meet with the Deacon to discuss these and they were enthusiastically received.

On Wednesday after School Mass I attended the appointment with the retinologist. After 2 hours of tests he was able to assure me that there was no tumour behind the eye and to order further tests which might assist with the identification of the cause. I returned to work much relieved and shared the story with them and my family.

Later that evening we had a great choir practice and looked at the idea of using Chris Walker’s Communion Antiphons resource.

Thursday became a day off transferred from Monday so I went in search of Visionworks to complete the prescription for my new glasses. Later in the afternoon it became sunnier so I dropped down to the beach and joined friends at Charan’s Bar.

Today Friday I awoke later than usual and visited the centre to report issues with my air-conditioning. As a Brit I have no idea what to do with a/c so it is good to have workmen attend to issues without further payment from myself. He was able to explain that my unit is about 30 years old! I may get a replacement.

There was an almighty storm this morning so I have decided to tidy the apartment and do housey things. Later tonight I will be joining a parish family for dinner. Elizabeth plays violin at church and Danah is a concert pianist. Her husband makes virtual organs so the conversation should be amazing!

Last week began with a visit to the physio and thankfully the doctor again reduced my frequency of visits to just once a week. Long workdays characterised this last week on both Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday I was able to go home earlier and sort a few things. I visited another branch of bank of America where, unlike my own branch, I was really impressed by the staff and their efficiency and politeness. In the course of the visit I became a member of the human race … The USA has recognized me finally as a resident alien and my credit card application has been approved after so many refusals. Don’t they recognize a man of distinction, a real big spender, when they admit them?

The doctor also advised that I could resume using my kayak so on Friday I was out there for the first time since the car accident. I spent a great day at Caladesi island beating the storms just in time to discover the Oldsmar Brass Tap and the newly opened Tampa Bay Brewery bar. Later I returned to the old faithful Charan’s bar. Not looking forward to lugging the kayak up three floors, I decided to leave it strapped to the car roof, intent on using it again on Monday.

On Saturday I had a morning funeral so I stayed around to do some work in the office before beginning the usual weekend vigil Masses. While working I was delighted to be able to receive a skype from Steve and Carol, friends from my teaching days in North London. Sunday was a day of more Masses and a rest before the evening Mass.

On Monday 24/8 I was up early and driving back towards Caladesi Island. The water was very calm but the temperatures soared. Fortunately a breeze picked up in the afternoon and I stayed till after 4pm. During the day I had lunched on a healthy option of nuts. Unfortunately one of them broke another tooth or at least the side of it. Moments later I cut my foot on some glass on the beach! Back on terra firma I washed the wound and washed my hair getting so much soap in my eyes that I could not drive for ages. I stopped briefly at the local Goodwill store and bought nothing … and then at the local Publix convenience store … I had received a tip off that there was a promotion of cider so I bought 60 cans! At Charan’s I got into a great conversation with a Mary and Jim and came home feeling mellow.

This morning (Tuesday) I was back at the physio and the main man took charge of manipulating my neck trying to free its movement further. No amount of ‘it’s good for you’ can compensate for the anxiety of having your neck pulled in a direction it has never visited in its 57 years!

Back home this evening I was really pleased to receive a postcard from my good friend Ali. It was a beach view from Tynemouth. Seemed a touch ironical!

I’m re-issuing this one as I am not sure that it got out there! I’ve added some recent news.

Last weekend was a real humdinger! We celebrated the patronal feast at all Masses but the 11am mass was the main one. We had Hispanic choir and instrumentalists join those from other Masses and sing alongside the Parish Choir. I had constructed a music menu that was truly bilingual. Despite the fact that there was some obvious misunderstanding s in the worship aid the whole thing was a great success. I had to play a further Mass while all others went over for the Barbecue. I loved the irony that on a day in which celebrate a saint who said to his killers ‘turn me over, I’m done on this side’ we celebrate with a bbq! I was able to join them after the Mass as it was still going strong.

I remained during the afternoon to catch up on some admin. In the evening I visited the Long Bar briefly and then home. Monday was a day off and I spent it at the beach until it started raining!

I spent much of Tuesday, after physio, composing new settings of the two psalms for the Assumption Masses. I then prepared various documents for the Cantors so that the evening session with them would be effective. In the evening I responded to information from one of my choir that Publix was doing a promotion on cider and root beer. Needless to say I was attracted by the smell of a bargain!

On Wednesday we had a Liturgy Meeting in which I was able to introduce some ideas for a bereavement service I had toured in Hallam. Following this we had a staff lunch with great food provided. We usually celebrate staff birthdays at this gathering but they had forgotten my own!

During the afternoon I visited a local music store to check out equipment for a local funeral home.

On Thursday, after physio, I popped in for a funeral and then went home. It rained again.

Today was a day off but I spent most of it in the apartment catching up on some correspondence and washing/ironing. In the evening I went in for the Vigil of the Assumption. The weekend would be a long one as in addition to the usual weekend Masses there were also Assumption Masses on Saturday at 8am and 12.15pm. I would need to get some good sleep tonight.

Saturday was a hard day with the predictable addition of Assumption Masses. The midday one was very poorly attended and one would have to ask why we scheduled it.

It was good to remember Bill Hayward by playing his ‘Assumption’ at the end of each Mass. He has recently been re-admitted to hospital with a lung infection.

Sunday was as usual but some cantors were away so I had to do their role as well! It would seem that my meditations after communion are going down very well and leading folk to prayer. I tend to select a phrase from the homily and either improvise a sung piece on it or select some thing which picks up on it. On my way home I dropped into Goodwill and bought some more surround speakers, a digital photo frame and some candles.

On Sunday afternoon in a moment of weakness I stopped by at the Long Bar arriving at the same time as some friends. So I stayed a little longer and then rushed home to cook a rib eye steak and chips before going out again for the evening Mass. Elizabeth the young violinist had arrived early so having prepared the various instrumental parts she was to play I gave her a lesson in improvisation.

I was so tired that I went home and watched a film and then sleep came upon me.

It was great to wake up at 9am on Monday morning, my day off. By 9.30am I was on the beach and stayed till around 1.30pm. It was very sunny at around 93F. Then I called in for the first time at Cigar City Brewery. I had visited the BrewPub with Jenie Lismore but this was much closer. After one thirst quencher I went to Best Buy to get some speaker wire and then returned to Goodwill to see if the remaining Onkyo surround speakers were still available. They were thankfully.

I was home by 4pm to receive messages from Steve & Carol from UK. I nipped out for more thirst quenchers at Charan’s Bar. In fact I only had two and returned to the apartment to see Chelsea lose to arsenal in the Charity Cup Final. My UK neighbour Andrew had already ruined my enjoyment of the Man City game by telling me the score … and it wasn’t good news!

In the evening I settled down with a cider and more rib eye steak ‘n’ chips. Good night!

Last weekend was a real humdinger! We celebrated the patronal feast at all Masses but the 11am mass was the main one. We had Hispanic choir and instrumentalists join those from other Masses and sing alongside the Parish Choir. I had constructed a music menu that was truly bilingual. Despite the fact that there was some obvious misunderstanding s in the worship aid the whole thing was a great success. I had to play a further Mass while all others went over for the Barbecue. I loved the irony that on a day in which celebrate a saint who said to his killers ‘turn me over, I’m done on this side’ we celebrate with a bbq! I was able to join them after the Mass as it was still going strong.

I remained during the afternoon to catch up on some admin. In the evening I visited the Long Bar briefly and then home. Monday was a day off and I spent it at the beach until it started raining!

I spent much of Tuesday, after physio, composing new settings of the two psalms for the Assumption Masses. I then prepared various documents for the Cantors so that the evening session with them would be effective. In the evening I responded to information from one of my choir that Publix was doing a promotion on cider and root beer. Needless to say I was attracted by the smell of a bargain!

On Wednesday we had a Liturgy Meeting in which I was able to introduce some ideas for a bereavement service I had toured in Hallam. Following this we had a staff lunch with great food provided. We usually celebrate staff birthdays at this gathering but they had forgotten my own!

During the afternoon I visited a local music store to check out equipment for a local funeral home.

On Thursday, after physio, I popped in for a funeral and then went home. It rained again.

Today was a day off but I spent most of it in the apartment catching up on some correspondence and washing/ironing. In the evening I went in for the Vigil of the Assumption. The weekend would be a long one as in addition to the usual weekend Masses there were also Assumption Masses on Saturday at 8am and 12.15pm. I would need to get some good sleep tonight.

At the end of the week I was expecting a visit from Jenie Lismore, an alien from UK. So I decided to get as much work done as I could in the few days remaining in that week. My early version of Finale Music programme had begun t be found wanting so I updated it to the current version in anticipation of a busy week.

Much of the work centred on preparations for the next weekend which would be the celebration of the parish feast day of St Lawrence. This year they had settled on a bi-lingual Mass at 11am and Feast Day masses at all other celebrations.

Monday and Tuesday were spent on creating further arrangements for the 11am Mass and the rehearsal on Thursday evening.

We had experienced such terrible weather over the last few weeks so when it appeared that the sun would show on Wednesday I decided to take a day off. It was a great day of peace at the beach. At 6pm Jenie arrived and since she was eager to explore we took a 40 minute drive across the miles long bridge over the bay to Fort Desoto and then back into town for a meal and drink at Cigar City Brewpub. Back at home we opened a few bottles and caught up on the news.

I was delighted to discover that the liturgical musician Paul Inwood had had his submission selected by the Vatican as the ‘theme song’ for the Jubilee Year of mercy.

It was a rude awakening on an all too early Thursday morning. We had decided to visit Anna Maria Island which a number of friends had recommended. It was beautiful with houses painted in pastel colours. It was clearly the play area of the rich as the marina testified. After this we journeyed along the coast via Longboat Key and to Sarasota where we chanced upon another Goodwill Store. I had not been well during the day so I returned to the apartment for a few hours kip while Jenie went walkabout. I was back at St Lawrence by 6.30pm for the rehearsal starting with instrumentalists and then the choirs at 7.30pm. Three violins, a bass guitar, pianist and congas turned up. There would be a further guitarist on Sunday and possibly a trumpeter. The choir was made up of both the English and Hispanic Choirs so it was good to come together as an expression of one parish. The rehearsal finished early so we were able to return at a reasonable hour to cook a large pizza before bed at midnight.

The next morning was a steady surfacing. I had a funeral at 11am and it was not worthwhile going far before that. After the funeral we headed to Dunedin and thence to Honeymoon Island and the neighbouring Caladesi Island which was only accessible by ferry. Once on the ferry we were told that it is in fact accessible by kayak so I shall be returning as soon as my health improves sufficiently after the whiplash injury.

Jenie had to be at the airport at 6pm so we stopped at one of my haunts for a drink and I ordered her an Uber Taxi to the airport as I would have been caught up in terrible Friday night traffic. I remained a while chatting with friends and then as I was about to leave in came my new neighbours so I was able to make introductions with them.

It is now Saturday morning and the rain is falling again. There was a period of brightness as I received a Facetime call from Maggie and Ian, two wonderful people I had met at St Marie’s but with whom I had lost contact over the years. It was great to speak with and see them looking so radiant and to be able to fill in the gaps since we last met. I’ll be heading in shortly for the next round of Vigil Masses that herald the weekend and the Patronal Feast celebrations. Tomorrow, since St Lawrence was burned alive, we shall be having a parish barbecue in his memory!