Sunshine and clouds returned for most of the day. Clare's study group arrived for a session after breakfast, and confined myself to the front room and spent the morning preparing Thursday Morning Prayer and a Biblical Reflection for next week. By the time I finished, Clare had already started lunch, but I joined in, preparing the carrots and Brussels sprouts for steaming.
A phone call came in from Fr Dyfrig asking if I'd cover for him at St Catherine's tomorrow as he can't make it. His own cover for the service at Dewi Sant is unable to make it due to sickness. Being free and with no other plan than to be in the congregation for the service which I make a habit of attending, I was happy to agree.
After we'd eaten I dozed off in the chair listening to a documentary on the Radio. It seems like a waste of time but it happens when I've nothing urgent to get on with apart from regular exercise. Then I walked in the park for nearly two hours getting back just before sunset. Clare had an early supper before going to her meditation group. When I'd eaten, I recorded next week's Morning Prayer and edited it into an audio file, ready for assembly into a video slideshow, which can wait until tomorrow.
Clare returned from meditation group with a copy of Diana's new book just printed, called 'Names and Addresses'. It's a thank-you to both of us for reading and commenting on it. The publicity launch is in a week's time.
In the day's news, Suella Braverman has launched a viciously critical attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a letter to him issued in acknowledgement of her dismissal. Hell hath no fury like a woman sacked. I don't see how that's going to win votes for the Tories in the next election. Tomorrow the Law Lords' judgement will be issued on the legality of the government's policy of sending illegal migrants to Rwanda. This letter tries to shift the blame away from herself on to Sunak, before the announcement is made. I find it amazing that she has any supporters left after such foolish behaviour recently.
The situation in Gaza worsens each day with no relief from the fighting for the thousands trapped in the hospital grounds and buildings. Nothing other than first aid is possible with dwindling resources, without power several premature babies have died. The same will soon happen for intensive care patients. There are so many dead bodies which cannot be taken away from at Shifa hospital that a mass grave needs to be dug in the grounds to reduce the growing public health risk. It's outrageous.
The Israeli military say they are willing for patients to go to another hospital, but it's too dangerous for patients to be moved anywhere with continuing firefights going on all around, and stray bullets injuring sheltering people. Other hospitals have also been damaged and are not equipped to cope with patients they have.
All this tragedy is visible to the wider world as it happens thanks to modern communications technologies. The Vietnam war was said to the the first to be televised, but the internet makes it all more immediate. The backup power supply (presumably) for mobile phone masts will run out of fuel in the next day or so. Then there will be a news blackout, and heaven knows what will go unreported from both sides.
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