State of Alarm - Day Seventeen

A slightly warmer day today, clouds and wind, but no rain. I finally got around to giving my fleece a much needed wash, plus towels and a nightshirt and they all dried beautifully. Two swifts flew past this afternoon, so maybe more have arrived and will start feeding nearby soon. The sun has brought out into the open many more lizards in the two places were there are stone or concrete surfaces for them to warm up in the sun. I've seen lots of fast moving little brown lizards, small than the large green backed lizards, more than a hand-span in length, are the smaller ones juveniles, a different gender from the larger ones, or a different species? I have no way of knowing at the moment.

On the side of the fourth step down from the terrace last night, I noticed a tiny snail stuck to the wall, the size of my little fingernail. By this morning it had relocated itself to the pillar on the corner of the terrace, a metre above surface level. An impressive feat of climbing for such a tiny creature in twelve hours. I wonder where it's heading and what it expects to find there?

All the time I had to spare after domestic tasks and exercise today was devoted to making an audio file of Sunday's Ministry of the Word. Sarah and Clare contributed readings, but I felt strange about having to record the St Matthew Passion reading on my own, when every year just about, since I was ordained, I have read this in conjunction with between three to six other speakers, plus a church congregation acting as Jesus' lynch-mob. It sounds very amateurish, the best I could do under the circumstances. It's for a unique occasion, and won't be required another time. Hopefully it will do the job, just this once in history.

Strange, but I haven't come across any April Fool stunts on the radio today, although Clare did send me a short video of so called King's College Cambridge male choristers singing in place of the boys by using helium to raise the pitch of their voices. But then at the moment there are lots of parody videos in circulation and some hijacking popular melodies to sing lyrics about covid-19 and coping with a pandemic. Amazing what people do with time on their hands, to entertain themselves and others. Just like me really, I suppose.

   

Lockdown in prospect.

After breakfast this morning I learned from Rosi that FEREDE, the state recognised non-Catholic inter-church agency is recommending that churches do not meet for two weeks, and that everyone self-quarantines in the meanwhile. In UK this advice is given for anyone with covid-19 symptoms or has been near someone with those symptoms. It's a double precaution against transmission from someone who is a symptom-less carrier I suppose. How it's meant to implemented is not stated. In UK the connections between isolation and vulnerability is better considered.

I spoke to Clare before she headed off by train for Rhiannon's birthday celebration in Kenilworth. She was nervous about travelling, but determined not to miss out. Owain is going too. 

So, getting a Sunday sermon published on-line is one thing. I'm not sure the house technology kit would be up to live web streaming an act of worship, assuming others were keen enough to bother to watch it on home devices. I can't say I haven't done this before, thinking back to the time when I did a Christening in Aiglon Chapel eighteen months ago, streamed over iPhone, iPad and Macbook to family in L.A. South Africa and Oz. Some how-to discussion is needed to prepare this. It would be easy enough to record a downloadable liturgy audio podcast. The decision about compliance has first to take place with the Chaplaincy Council, then I can get to work.

What a strange situation I've landed myself in! It was a big step of faith to break out of domestic confinement after 18 months doing battle with this damnable ailment, and doing so has been far more inwardly nerve wracking than I could have anticipated, especially with all the Spanish Police check hassles on top of everything. Getting that done yesterday, however, has proved to be something of a breakthrough, as I discovered when I went out shopping before lunch.

I drove to St Josep, as I know there's a supermarket there with convenient parking. It was still quite well stocked, but busy with customers with full baskets, whether due to the weekend or covid-19 is anybody's guess. I got all I needed, and then walked to the pharmacy to stock up with antiseptic in case I run low. I was delighted to find I could explain myself fully in Spanish to the charming young woman who served me. She spoke English but didn't mind me insisting on making the effort. Now I feel more grounded, and that does me good, even if the prospect of a length of time in solitary retreat with no respite is just a bit daunting.

After a good walk this afternoon. On the teatime news I heard that the Spanish Prime Minister has declared a State of Emergency. Fortunately, there's plenty of open countryside here and few people are out and about on foot, so thankfully it's possible to exercise in self isolation. Clare has now arrived without incident in Kenilworth for Rhiannon's belated birthday weekend.

This evening, I revised and finished my Sunday sermon, and attached the readings for the day to the front of it, ready to upload to the Chaplaincy website. So that's a start made.