End of summer in sight

It's the feast of the Assumption today, signalling the end of summer holidays in Europe and the return to school for the kids in the coming week. Our holiday making season still has another couple of weeks to run. School exam results continue to be a bone of contention causing so much uncertainty for so many youngsters about to leave school for college or university. As if living with the pandemic wasn't already overloading us all with uncertainty.

It's another overcast misty day, with no wind to drive the clouds away. Clare cooked pancakes for breakfast, eaten today with fresh fruit jam she made yesterday from a surfeit of ripe plums and greengages. So the label on the three jars calls it 'Plumgage Jam' - delicious!

I went to the King's Road pharmacy to collect my prescription and was disappointed to find that it isn't open weekends. As the surgery now sends prescriptions by default direct to the pharmacy across the road for patients to collect later, this is unfortunate for any who work away during the week and are obliged to collect medication when they return. I believe it's possible to arrange for a script to be sent to a different pharmacy - fine if you know it in advance, however ....

I spent some time sorting uploaded Oxwich photos into suitable albums, and emailing weblinks to the children, then cooked a vegetable paella for lunch, one version for Clare avoiding things banned by her anti-arthritis diet, and another for myself, including them. We then walked up the Taff to Llandaff Weir. It didn't rain, but we got damp anyway due to the high humidity.

In the evening, we watched a programme on S4C about the visit last year to perform at a spring festival in New Orleans by the Welsh speaking North Walian brass octet 'Llaregub'. It's only recently we heard them for the first time in this year's on-line National Eisteddfod closing concert broadcast on S4C. They are an excellent swing band and their American audience received them with delight and enthusiasm. Another source of pride in our performers. "Praise the Lord, we are a musical nation!" as Organ Morgan said in Dylan Thomas' play 'Under Milk Wood'.

After that we watched a programme about the making and subsequent popularity of the award winning family sit-com 'Gavin and Stacey', an interesting account of the series and its endearingly positive and hilarious take on the relationships between two families, bound together by the marriage of this couple of young lovers. The series put Barry Island on the map as a go-to South Wales holiday resort, which now attracts visitors from fans from all over the world. 

Palm Sunday Pastoralia

The sun shone, but it was too chilly to start this morning's Palm Sunday procession at St German's out in the churchyard garden, Palms were distributed and blessed in the hall. Then we walked briskly across to the garden before entering church and doing a couple of circuits before starting the Mass. Last weekend a volunteer team came and did a superb job cleaning and tidying the garden, which had become overgrown in recent years. Then Hilary and Peter came with some bedding plants to give a lovely touch of colour to the place. Such a great source of good cheer to the congregation, numbering fifty people today.

After the service there was a sixtieth birthday party luncheon for local locksmith and church stalwart Richard Hill, his family, friends and congregation members filling the hall. Sadly, being well aware of the excellent food being served, I could only stay long enough to say grace and call for the first toast before going home, conscious of the need to arrange a bereavement visit for tomorrow's funeral at St Mary's Bute Street. Fortunately, making contact proved easy. When I arrived at the son's house, where we were meeting, I was touched to discover that Mam's coffin was in one corner of the lounge, very traditional. It's such a rarity to see nowadays. I introduced myself to husband, son and daughter in law and explained what had happened, and from our conversation gleaned additional information to add into Fr David's notes passed on to me. Then I felt confident about doing justice to the occasion tomorrow.

Another impressive episode of 'The Night Manager' this evening on BBC Four, full of tension and surprises, setting the scene for next week's finale. Straight after it, a Spanish comedy film was showing, also on BBC Four. 'Los Amantes Viajeres' is a very Rabelaisian spoof on the American 'Airplane' film series. I had to stay up and watch it for Spanish homework, and it made me laugh out loud. Although I would have struggled without sub-titles, it was good to hear dialogue at a normal pace, and find I could identify about half of the words, even if that fell short of full comprehension.