I was awake at seven and found a message pointing out an error in the advertised timing of one of the services on Sway. I got up straight away to correct this, and rather than return to bed, I carried on working on next Thursday's Morning Prayer for uploading to YouTube while Clare cooked waffles for breakfast. I finished the job afterwards, and then went into town to collect the filleted salmon she ordered by phone yesterday. Walk down Romilly Crescent I car passed me by with 'Feliz Navidad' playing loudly on the car stereo - a reminder of the presence of so many Spanish ex-pats in our neighbourhood.
Ashton's the venerable fishmonger's stall in Cardiff Market was surrounded by customers of many nations buying their Christmas specials. On one side of the stall were several dozen bags of fish and game orders awaiting collection. It was a pleasure to wait, as people were chatty and in a good mood. You never have to wait very long as there are so many staff behind the counter, well organised, working efficiently. It's a little seasonal treat I really enjoy, that ten minutes at the fish counter, remembering standing there with my Dad seventy years ago, while he ate a dish of Penclawdd cockles.
I caught a bus which dropped me in Cowbridge Road East, also known as Canton High Street, as it still has a good assortment of small shops. The Codfather, a fish and chip shop which suffered a fire nineteen months ago, has now reopened, and there's a new supermarket which isn't part of one of the major chains. It may be middle eastern or eastern European, I didn't have time to stop and check it out. I went straight to Mr Berry's the butcher, to collect our small turkey, some streaky bacon and sausage meat for stuffing. The fish and the turkey between them cost nearly a hundred pounds. Very much a sign of the times.
When I got back I checked my sermons and printed off all three, so that I don't have to think about this at the last minute. This should help me to relax as I face an intense twenty for hours of leading worship and preaching, and hopefully not be too exhausted to enjoy the fast approaching fiesta.
After a snack lunch, I slept in the chair for over an hour, catching up on what I missed earlier. I then had the energy to hoover the carpets and wash the floors, while Clare went out shopping, so the house looks welcoming when the family arrives.
I've been thinking a lot about Gaza this past few days, with the death toll past twenty thousand now, and two third of them women and children. Hospitals are no longer able to operate and women in danger of dying because there is no longer the means for them to be delivered by caesarian section. Despite rising desperation anger at the situation in countries sympathetic to Israel, and persistent efforts to get urgent aid into the Gaza Strip, through northern and southern border crossings, there is no movement.
Talks about a pause in hostilities and release of hostages are still unfruitful, and pockets of fierce fighting continue producing even more casualties. Houthi rebels in Yemen, armed by Iran are shutting down the Red Sea to shipping traffic, which is now re-routing via South Africa, adding huge delays and expense that will soon be reflected in the cost of commodities internationally. None of the heavily armed nations want to intervene in a way that will draw Iran into the conflict, or the Iranian backed militia in Lebanon but the more the Israelis persist the greater the risk of escalation becomes. It's going to be an unquiet Christmas throughout the MIddle East, as well as in Ukraine.
I went for a walk in the drizzle as the sun was setting. Occasional strong gusts of wind made it hard to control the brolly, so I gave up, and only got slightly damp in the end.
Owain arrived at eight and we sat and drank a bottle of Swiss Gamay which he bought last year and kept until now. It was still healthy and good to taste. I headed for bed early, with an early start to Christmas Eve at St Peter's in the morning.
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