The Class Mass resumes

This morning's Mass at St German's was special. For the first time since the pandemic a group of three dozen children joined the regular congregation of six. As they were  all from the year six group, they were old enough to have been before and be used to the service. It meant that I was able to lead them in singing a few familiar choruses, as I used to do on locum duty in times past.

The new head teacher at Tredegarville, Vicky Constantinou, started work on Monday, so after the service I went down to the school to introduce myself and welcome her. She's promised herself to join a group of children and see for herself what happens next week or the week after.

When I got home I went straight out again and fetched the week's veggie bag. After lunch I went into town on the bus part of the way, to save time, and caught a bus part of the way on the return trip for the same reason. I wanted to buy a computer mouse, as the one I most often use has lost its clicking sensitivity. It could be easy to fix if only I could work out how to open it up without breaking it, so I took the least desirable line of action and shopped for a new one. 

To my surprise the only well stocked digital hardware retailer in the city centre, John Lewis, doesn't stock them. The Curry's tech store in St David's centre closed during lock-down, but fortunately Ryman's in Queen's Arcade still sells a variety of computer peripherals and office supplies, and there was a choice of half a dozen on its shelves. Bravo!

It was so pleasing to see St John's City Parish Church open again on a weekday, as it was closed during lock-down, and only opened for the Sunday Eucharist once this became permissible. Now 'Cards for Good Causes' has opened its Christmas pop-up shop in the north aisle and the public is free to entre and pray as well as buy cards. It was quiet when I went in, and apart from the shop, the lights weren't on and the nave was quiet and empty. Eight happy years of my final ministry appointment were spent here. It seems a long time ago now. Already many if not most of the people who were actively engaged have died or moved on, and been replaced by others, so it's the same building, but a different place for me now.

I cooked a soup for supper using the dark green tops that are often tough of the two huge leeks that were in our veggie bag. According to Clare it didn't have a distinctively leeky flavour. At least it looked green! We watched a couple of laugh out loud episodes of M*A*S*H after supper, and then I went upstairs to do my smartphone Duo Lingo daily drill, and some writing before turning in for the night. For no accountable reason I was overwhelmed with drowsiness and fell asleep fully clothed with the Blackberry in my hand, sleeping for an hour and a half before ending the day properly.