Astonishing Easter gift

A blessed sunny Easter Day breakfasting and preparing to cook our Easter Feast. Clare and I went to the Eucharist at St Catherine's. There were over sixty of us present. We returned home straight after to make the most of family time. Owain arrived just after one, following a frustrating morning of train cancellation, getting off at the wrong stop for a train connection and needing to take a taxi to get him to Bristol Parkway where he was able to catch a Swansea bound train which fortunately for him was running late.

Anto took charge of roasting the shoulder of lamb and Kath cooked the tuna steaks to perfection. We drank a four year old Cote de Nuits Pinot Noir (Owain's birthday present) with the lamb and a Dao Portuguese wine to follow, while Clare and Rhiannon enjoyed a Cardonnay. Apple Crumble to follow, then by special request a Simnel Cake instead of the usual choccy birithday cake.

I was totally surprised and taken aback by Clare's birthday present - she commissioned our friend Fran to paint a traditional Byzantine icon of the Hospitality of Abraham, symbolising the Trinity especially for me, the size of an A3 sheet of paper. It is so beautiful. Fran and Mark came around to deliver it, just as we were eating cake. I was speechless.

It's still a work in progress believe it or not. Fran wants to consult me about the detail in the image. Over the past few years of her journey into iconography from an anthroposophic perspective, we've have several discussion about the layers of meaning in classic icons. It will stay with us for a couple of weeks while they are on holiday, and then be returned for completion. It looks different when viewed in different light conditions, sunshine at different angles, candlelight or artificial light. By bed time we'd decided it could go on the chimney breast above the dining room fireplace, our banqueting table reflecting the archetypal table at which the angelic visitors sit in the icon, pointing beyond themselves to the unseen undivided Trinity. I feel humbled by such a gift, thinking 'Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof ...'

When Fran and Mark left, we walked down to Blackweir, enjoying the evening sunshine, then had supper and chatted over a bottle of Primitivo until it was time for bed. Having a belated birthday celebration may have been disruptive of convention, but it gave me such pleasure. I still can't believe I'm so old.