Surprise gift

Couldn't help waking up thinking about my homecoming from Ibiza a year ago today. And in this year, two operations against the odds, given the enormous backlog for surgical attention as a result of the pandemic. It's nineteen days since the removal of the Seton's suture, and each passing day I notice minor improvements. The internal bruising is fading away and discomfort is minimal. The sense of freedom I experience is wonderful. I have so much to give thanks for.

I celebrated the Eucharist at St Catherine's this morning with eight others, and then after lunch went up to 'The Res' to celebrate the Eucharist again for a congregation of a dozen, as Jan is away on leave this week. In the post, a book arrived for me from Jan's husband Peter, written by one of his PhD students Claire Gilbert. It called 'Miles to go before I sleep' The author is suffering from a form of blood cancer that is being tackled experimentally with stem cell therapy. It's not known if this will lead to a cure or if it will prolong her life. She writes to her friends about what she's learned from suffering, knowing she may not have much longer to live, and as it is, she lives in constant pain. Peter thought her writing would resonate with my experience. I look forward to reading it next week when we're relaxing in Aberaeron.

I finished recording and assembling the components of tomorrow's Morning Prayer video and uploaded the finished product to YouTube. Then I started work on next Thursdays video for St John's the Baptist's day, so that I can have that ready for publication next week. Our holiday cottage as wifi, we've been told.

Another glorious evening of singing in round four of 'Cardiff Singer of the World'. One of the singers, an Icelandic woman (for the first time) was obliged to drop out and self quarantine. With twenty four hours notice Claire Barnett Jones a mezzo soprano from Somerset was recruited to take her place, and despite strong competition from the other three singers, from Kosovo, Madagascar and another English mezzo soprano. Nevertheless she won, much to her own surprise. She has formidable voice, and she'll do well in Wagnerian roles in times to come. A marvellous evening.