Last night, I put the clocks on before going to bed an hour early, and woke up refreshed at the right time. No church today, quarantining with Clare. After doing breakfast for Clare and myself, I said Morning Prayer and the Eucharist texts of the day, as I did under lock-down in Ibiza, rather than watching on-line.
So far, no unwelcome covid symptoms to prompt a lateral flow test. I went out to get some Ibuprofen and vitamin C tablets for Clare before cooking lunch. I found her playing the piano when I returned, part of the cure she reckons. She's not sleeping long hours now, but still coughing. It was sunny and warm enough to serve her lunch in the garden. Also therapeutic.
When I left for my afternoon walk, I saw a few people returning home in their sports gear clutching their Marathon participant medallions. I was due to say Mass in St German's this morning a journey that would entail road closures and diversions, impossible to predict. At least I didn't have that uncertainty to disturb my sleep with. I did a big circuit of Llandaff Fields, amazingly well used. Cricket was being played and family groups were picnicking. The newly refurbished children's playground was crowded and busy, and there were long queues outside Cafe Castan for drinks and pizza. I enjoy walking in the park at all times in the year in harsh weather that keeps crowds at home and I'm almost alone with the elements and the trees. It's perhaps loveliest when the Fields are full of people enjoying themselves in good weather and there's a murmur of happy voices in the air.
More speculation from the media commentariat today about Putin's intentions now that his invasion plan has failed to deliver. More rumours of staff changes in military and intelligence services. The breakaway republic of Donetz leader has announced a coming referendum to formalise its relationship to Russia, and the Ukrainian intelligence now alleges that Putin's new war aim is to partition Ukraine, seizing some of its best agricultural land assets in doing so.
President Biden spoke out vehemently against Putin as a war criminal and went off script in a way that was taken to infer that American policy promotes regime change. Well, I guess he inadvertently gave voice what many in the world are wishing, but the only valid way for this to happen is by the Russian people rising up against their leadership. If only ... Interesting to hear Kremlinologists try to identify someone in the upper echelons who could replace Putin. All guesswork. It's so unpredictable.
There was nothing of interest to me on live TV this evening so I looked on iPlayer and found a programme showcasing neglected and abandoned heritage buildings in Wales which played a part in our social history but have fallen into ruin and in some cases it seems fallen out of history as well. An old Swansea Theatre, a remote farmhouse and a stately home dating from the 1550s, colliery buildings, a nineteenth century marine fort, several grand mansions built for the wealthy in Victorian times, and several chapels purchased by a retired pastor with a vision of restoring them to full use.
A chapel in Maesycwmmer near my home town was featured and the person talking about it was Dr Elin Jones, prominent Welsh academic and lifelong non-conformist still active in the remnant of Wales' chapel going community. She was my first girl-friend when we were sixth formers. We parted company after we went to different Universities. She told the story of the beginnings of the Welsh revival of 1859, referring to the book about it written by her great grandfather who was a chapel minister at that time. It's a story I remember hearing her tell sixty years ago. It was fascinating to see and hear her talk after so many years. I was reminded of her father, a union activist, by her gestures and the way she spoke. It was quite a surprise, taking me on a brief trip down memory lane.
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