Easter Week blossom

I returned to St German's yesterday to celebrate the Wednesday morning Mass for nine people, but on this occasion no Tredegarville school children as it's still their Easter holiday time. Most of the congregation weren't there on Monday evening, so it was a pleasure to be reunited with a different small group of the faithful, who help make the church such a friendly welcoming place. 

After the service I went over the Splott to visit my old friend Graham Francis, who lives just around the corner from St Saviour's Parish Church, where he's happily made a home since his retirement a few years ago. He's living with stomach cancer nowadays and faces this truthfully, stoically with admirable courage. His energy level is much diminished, but not his interest in life, or ability to talk about this of mutual interest. We both share an interest in the variety of Christian groups from the Middle East and Asia that meet in South Wales, if not Cardiff itself. As I've been thinking lately with Roy Thomas about reviving the Spiritual Capital research project, it's great to have someone like Graham around who is a mine of current information as I'm hopelessly out of touch eleven years on from the last publication of our research data 

To be there on time I needed to cancel a clinic visit, but with a slow improvement I'm getting back to a state in which a daily visit isn't strictly necessary. We need to be careful not to run out of medical supplies at home, and with a weekend trip to Kenilworth coming up it was essential to check and stock up more than usual.

In the afternoon, I went to UHW to visit 92 year old Sheila, to whom I was introduced two years ago by Dr Laura Ciobanu, during her annual visit here from Romania. Laura arrives on Mayday, and we plan to meet. She's aware that Sheila hasn't long to live and had recently asked Laura to ask if I'd get in touch with her, as she'd like me to officiate at her funeral. Her son and daughter in law were at her bedside, but despite being frail and weak, she recognised me, and in a no nonsense way asked if I'd take the service, and proceeded to discuss the hymns she'd like. Although she'd only met me once, she said she thought we'd made a good connection at the time. I reassured her that I was willing and felt honoured to be entrusted with this task. And then, we said our farewells. She's due to go into the Holme Tower hospice in Penarth tomorrow, a lovely place to spend her last days in this world.

Today, Russell and Jacqui came over for an early lunch, unfortunately overlapping with my clinic visit. Coincidentally, the timing was just right for me to catch a 61 bus in both directions, so I wasn't away for long. The walk is part of my daily exercise regime and if I take a convenient bus, it's due to leaving it a bit late to leave the house and needing to be punctual. Not that it matters, as often the schedule runs late, especially in the afternoons. Anyway, I did get out for a walk in Llandaff Fields later in the afternoon. The leaves on the park's many chestnut trees are growing rapidly to full size and covered with tall white 'candle' blossoms. A magnificent sight. Pink and white cherry blossom has dropped this past few days due to wing and rain, their colour briefly transforming nearby grass. It's one of my favourite times of year.