Digital birthday

I slept longer than usual, tired after yesterday's extra long walk, but came down to breakfast to a table, half covered with food and half with cards and presents. It's hard to believe that I'm seventy six today. As well as cards from the family I had digital greetings from Sara in Sweden, Valdo in Switzerland and Connie in Germany. That says a lot about the friendships I've made over the past thirty years.

There were thirty of us at the St Catherine's Eucharist. Mother Frances announced the re-starting of the Thursday morning service at St John's. Suitably it will be a requiem Mass for Prince Philip. After a lunch of salmon and roast veg with a bottle of Chianti Reserva, a siesta before walking up to Llandaff Weir and back. My fitbit phone app tells me that I have slept ten and a half hours since yesterday, compensating for the additional exercise I guess. That's how I really know how old I am!

At supper Clare presented me with a special vegan birthday cake made mostly of chocolate, fruit and nuts. It was delicious. Such a pity we couldn't share it with the family, but never mind, next Saturday we'll all meet up in Cheltenham for a picnic lunch.  Just like last year, wt eight we had a family Zoom conversation for nearly an hour, but so much happier to sit at home with Clare at my side. Then, the fourth episode of 'Line of Duty' with lots more bewildering intrigue and a dash of high melodrama. I'll have another Zoom meeting tomorrow afternoon, for a Eurodiocesan Safeguarding training session. I wonder what else will crop up this week?

Special birthday girl

I woke up late this morning with wound discomfort and found I'd leaked blood out of my dressing again. It's happened several times lately, and may be to do with being less active, sitting around for longer spells in the evening. Thankfully it wasn't a messy disaster, just a rather worrying repeat. There seems no simple way to relieve pressure from the wound area when I sit for any length of time. I have to move around often and not let it build up,and this inhibits both concentration and relaxation in different ways. I rang and booked an appointment for tomorrow morning to visit Riverside Wound Clinic for a check-up, but also, to ask advice about dressing and management of the wound, given recent changes.

Today is Clare's 75th birthday, and she was up early working out on her exercise bike while I cooked the porridge and laid breakfast. She opened her cards and presents afterwards, including two different CDs of 'cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason from Kath and Owain, plus from me, a CD of Catrin Ffinch playing works by John Rutter and another of Cerys Matthews singing a variety of traditional Welsh folk songs, plus a few hymns and choruses that are part of the core Welsh cultural repertoire - all beautifully played and interpreted. So many tunes I have known since childhood, though not the words, sadly. 

Clare's Welsh language enthusiasm puts me to shame. I keep on telling myself that I should make more effort to learn Welsh properly, but Spanish retains my enthusiasm. I notice and listen when I hear Spanish speakers in the park, and am pleased when I understand what I overhear. Many more people I hear speaking Welsh, but rarely do I find I understand what they say, and it doesn't grab my attention.

There was a fine damp misty rain for much of the day, very low cloud, I suppose in reality. Clare and I went out to the shops together and I went out again separately later for a walk in the park, and to see if I could buy a nice pastry to serve as a mini-birthday cake. Unfortunately the small tart I bought had a custard filling, which is verboten in Clare's dairy free diet. So I scooped out the content, and replaced it with recently made blackberry puree plus soya cream, which, with a few candles around the flaky pastry case made just about the smallest birthday cake imaginable. I was also delighted to get a bunch of roses in an unusual shade of pink.

At eight after supper, we had a Zoom call with Owain, Kath, Anto and Rhiannon, plus Rachel and her friend Patrick. It's the first we've done for a month or so, occasioned by Owain and Kath being unable to come and join us to celebrate in person today. The call sped by, and we ran out of time before we could say goodbye or sing happy birthday, but it was lovely to be together anyway. I lost count of the number of phone calls and messages Clare had today. Such a happy time for her. Love laughs at lock-downs, and without violating restrictions or putting anyone at risk, admittedly these days, it's thanks to technology.

Just about every urban borough in Wales is now under restrictions to curb the contagion. We've got used to accepting limitations on our activities for reasons infirmity over the past eighteen months, so this has hardly any impact on us. It must be a nightmare for people whose entire work, domestic and social lives rely on their mobility.

Wednesday friends re-united

St Swithun's Day today. At least it didn't rain!

After breakfast I had a phone call from my GP in response  to my email of yesterday. She's booked me in for an ECG next week, and promised to write to Mrs Cornish the surgeon as I had expressed concern about the need for at least an examination of my wound, as it's nine months since she saw me. Since the infection, its stability seems to vary widely from day to day, which makes me wonder if I am still managing it correctly.

Mid morning there was a socially distanced coffee morning in the gardens of St Catherine's held at the time we'd normally celebrate the midweek Eucharist there, and maybe will once more in a few weeks from now. It was great to see people for the first time in five months with whom I have kept contact via email, such a happy reunion. The church garden looks so well cared for and abundant with fruit and veg too! Last week there was a produce sale which earned £140 for church funds. When will be the next, is what people are interested to know.

In the afternoon I was called by a HSBC Safeguarding officer enquiring about the small trust fund I manage, as there's been no activity on it for several years. He wanted to know if it was still needed, as it was only intended as a 'holding account'. I was able to explain the situation to him satisfactorily, as I'm in the throes of handing over trusteeship to someone with a longer life expectancy. I'm of an age where it would be far wiser to relinquish such a responsibility, rather than leave this as a legacy issue to be sorted after my demise. Progress to complete the handover has inevitably been delayed by the pandemic, but the path ahead is now straightforward thankfully.

This evening I took part in a Parish Zoom meeting to review and discuss the future offering of on-line services. It's been popular and appreciated, and I'm very proud that Canton Benefice was one of the first to broadcast a live Eucharist. The challenge is how to sustain this along with the offering of public worship in churches, which will require so much more effort to prepare than ever before.

Unusually, I completed my daily 10k in three shorter walks today. It's proved to be not nearly as tiring. Interesting.

   

State of Alarm - day Sixty One

A good night's sleep, and a quiet time of worship, which included listening to BBC Radio Four's Sunday Service, as well as praying the Offices of Matins and Holy Communion. This morning radio service reflected on the seven fold gifts of the Spirit, and offered profound food for thought. 

Prepared by a Scottish team, it's the second time in recent weeks that I've listened to a non liturgical non-Eucharistic act of worship from Catholic presenters. As there are plenty of on-line streamed Masses available for people to attend, it's really good Catholic broadcast media isn't duplicating these offerings but creatively stepping out of comfortable routine, drawing on the immense wealth of spirituality which perhaps would only be easily accessible to people in an organised retreat, or else willing to go on line and hunt for it. It's true we've all got more time to think at the moment, what's impressive is the quality of the offerings being made by faith communities.

This morning the impulse returned to work on my short-story-turned-into-a-novel again. I had intended to write more while I was here but this is only the second time I have loaded the file in fifteen weeks. Funny how it's possible to get into the flow write thousands of words and forget to insert chapter headings! That's where I left it back in February. What I needed to do, was to help Clare who is reading the first draft to navigate the second half of the 73k words of text.

When I was out walking yesterday I understood what I needed to write in order to turn the story towards conclusion. I only had a vague idea up until now. It's grown and grown as the lives of the characters have unfolded in my imagination since I started writing seven months ago. It was quite a surprise that it developed the way it did, and so easily.

I found it refreshing to work on something different and creative, just for the sake of it. Eventually I went out for my daily walk, and just had enough time for supper before our family Zoom call, so refreshing to see them all enjoying each other's company again.

Confirmed in the news this evening is that the Spanish government is re-opening eight airports to commercial flights as of tomorrow. Ibiza is one of them. The national State of Alarm with phased removal of restrictions depending on regional infection rates, and government powers to act without consultation have been further extended for two weeks, so there's no guarantee that airport opening will not be reversed if conditions require. Does it mean British Airways will now honour my home flight booking for the 8th June? I don't trust them. Pero ya veremos.

  

State of Alarm - Low Sunday

Another warm day, but cloudy. Lots of time today for prayer and reflection while walking my first hour. This morning I noticed that four of the six tiny snails observed gathering over the past few days have disappeared, either moved into hiding, or perhaps taken as food by a night predator. As it's a bit more humid there are several more larger snails out and about. I found one on the path with an edge of its shell broken off. It was surrounded and covered with tiny back ants, and was making an attempt to get away from their efforts to exploit its vulnerability. 

I'm fortunate enough to be in contact, one way or another, with people here and back home in Cardiff every day. I woke up this morning to another lovely round robin email from members of the St Catherine's Wednesday morning Communion group - all keen to stay in touch during lockdown and share news. I hear occasionally from Canton parish clergy too.

The times of solitude and silence in between exchanges by phone or messaging are rewarding, allowing memories and ideas to surface and provide fresh food for thought. I wish there was enough time to write about many more things from past experience I now have time to revisit. AS time goes on, I listen to less live radio daily, and listen to music instead, or just enjoy a world of silence, punctuated by occasional birdsong and a passing car.

Yesterday, Clare WhatsApp'd me a little video of a guy with a fine operatic tenor voice standing at his front gate in a street of similar appearance to ours, either in Canton or Cathays across the Taff, performing on the anthemic non-conformist devotional classic 'Arglwydd dyma fi' to the street, with a soprano lower down joining in. English translation 'Lord here I am ....etc' Perhaps you have to be a Welsh speaker or learner to appreciate this fully, but the musical energy would be recognised in any part of the world under lock-down.

Then, while I was in the garden yesterday evening, I heard a woman's operatic voice, singing loudly a wordless melody. At first I thought she might have been singing a saeta, but not so. The sound came from a house in the estate to the north of where I am, out of my sight, 4-500 metres away, reaching me as she sang from the roof of the house. The sound varied presumably when she changed direction standing there. Intriguing what occurs under lock-down. Last night there was a big global media celebrity concert of people performing from home under lock-down, but grass-roots musicians and artists performing spontaneously for people in their barrios has been happening ever since the restrictions were imposed.

I walked in silence and enjoyed the sounds of nature this morning, just to have some thinking time, then this afternoon I listened to 'Vengue', the debut album of Ojos de Brujo eighteen years ago. It was characteristic in many ways of their initial development of a Spanish electro pop fusion with some interesting songs, but the  'sound' was lighter, and didn't convey the same conspiratorial 'in yer face' sound of all their other albums. It seems that they parted from the record production company with which they made 'Vengue', probably because they could afford to go independent on the back of their success. Doing things on the bands own terms certainly reaped superb musical rewards for the rest of the time the band worked together.

This evening we had a lovely forty minute family Zoom meeting, children and granddaughters too.
Kath and Owain both knew the history of 'Vengue', probably looking it up after I said I was keen to have it to listen to out here. They all looked as healthy and in as good spirits as it's possible to be under the circumstances. A nice way to finish the day.

State of Alarm - Easter Day

As soon as I got up at eight, I continued work on the Easter Day audio service ready or upload. It took me far longer than I expected, so it was eleven before I was able to stop for breakfast and the Office of Morning Prayer. I was impressed to hear the Queen's very affirmative Easter message to the nation at the end of the BBC Radio Four Sunday programme. An unequivocal and exemplary Christian message of resurrection hope, from the leading lay person of the CofE and of a kind that is as unprecedented as the circumstances of the broadcast.

I had to catch up on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter home Communion service later in the morning to retain my concentration on the task n hand. This too was inspirational and a very well prepared  service considering the conditions. Bishop of Dover, in effect his assistant in the diocese, Rose Hudson Wilkins joined him on-line him in the service, giving a superb dramatic rendering of the John's Gospel passage about the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene. I get the impression that this crisis is bringing out the best in Christian preachers everywhere.

I've had an exchange of emails with Dr Laura Ciobanu in Romania today. She's a specialist in lung conditions among the elderly. I imagine this puts her on the front line, but she doesn't talk about her hospital work. I notice that their number of reported covid-19 deaths is 316, average 16 per million, is quite low on the countrywide scale, with 6,300 cases altogether. Few big cities, poor internal road networks and a dispersed rural agricultural population may work to their advantage.

I got most of my day's walk done in the afternoon, but again finished after sundown with light rain, almost a mist settling. Thankfully it's not been cold. While I was out after lunch, I had an idea for a short videoed Easter greeting, and broke off to write and record it for YouTube. It only took an hour for the file to upload, and then I had a link I could send to Dave, albeit a bit late in the day to be an evening message for Easter day, but never mind. I can relax now.

After eight, we had short a family Easter day gathering on Zoom to greet each other, which was very nice, and finished my walk before having a late supper treat - beans on toast! And so to bed, time to say Evening Prayer and start catching up sleep.

State of Alarm - Easter Eve

I awoke at the dawning of another mild and sunny day, and over the course of the morning a flow of birthday greetings from family, and church members here in Ibiza. This included phone calls from both my sisters, Pauline (91) and June (85). Most amazing of all was a fifteen minute YouTube video compilation of photos, music, songs performed and birthday greetings from Arizona, Bristol, Kenilworth and Cardiff, masterminded by Kath's technical mastery of current digital media. What a delight it was, such laughter, such affection, I was close to tears, realising how much effort and co-operation this had called for, just for me!

To my amazement, after lunch, churchwarden Jayne arrived with an amazing surprise birthday cake for me, which she'd baked according to a vegan recipe given her by Sarah. That one took me three weeks to finish, savouring a small slice at a time, as it was so rich. This one's bigger, and tastes just as good. What at lucky man I am!

Thinking of tonight's Paschal Vigil, for which the world church cannot gather tonight, I recorded the blessing of the light of the Paschal Candle to send to Dave for uploading with the text to the website before I started lunch. Sharing good moments of these holy days is for me one good thing I can do.

At seven, Kath organised a family party using Zoom,, linking family members together. What a lovely hour we spent together! Zoom admin decided not to cut us off after the set 40 mins, so we had that much longer to laugh and joke, and enjoy being family. It's when the dark shadow of death hangs over one's life that valuing God's most precious human treasure comes right back into focus. 

By this time it was getting too dark to do my 10k for the day, and I failed to complete for the first time since I came here with time on my hands. I also failed to do my Duo Lingo daily language drill, something which happens perhaps two or three times a year. (I need the structure in my life!), but never mind. Then I had to knuckle down and concentrate on producing tomorrow's worship and sermon. No writer's block, but I was so full of ideas that editing them all down to a sensible length before bed defeated me. 

Struggling to get audio editing done, abandoned myself to bed at a unsocial hour. As I worked,  I imagined numinous Easter Vigils, Orthodox, Latin, Anglican, Taize - all part of past fifty five years of adult discipleship. They mean so much to me. This year, the world and not just the church is in such unfamiliar territory, but the story we tell in such a different situation remains unchanged. We're the ones who'll be changed.

Christ, yesterday, today and forever. 

All time belongs to him and all eternity 

To Him be praise and glory forever.

State of Alarm - Easter Eve

I awoke at the dawning of another mild and sunny day, and over the course of the morning a flow of birthday greetings from family, and church members here in Ibiza. This included phone calls from both my sisters, Pauline (91) and June (85). Most amazing of all was a fifteen minute YouTube video compilation of photos, music, songs performed and birthday greetings from Arizona, Bristol, Kenilworth and Cardiff, masterminded by Kath's technical mastery of current digital media. What a delight it was, such laughter, such affection, I was close to tears, realising how much effort and co-operation this had called for, just for me!

To my amazement, after lunch, churchwarden Jayne arrived with an amazing surprise birthday cake for me, which she'd baked according to a vegan recipe given her by Sarah. That one took me three weeks to finish, savouring a small slice at a time, as it was so rich. This one's bigger, and tastes just as good. What at lucky man I am!

Thinking of tonight's Paschal Vigil, for which the world church cannot gather tonight, I recorded the blessing of the light of the Paschal Candle to send to Dave for uploading with the text to the website before I started lunch. Sharing good moments of these holy days is for me one good thing I can do.

At seven, Kath organised a family party using Zoom,, linking family members together. What a lovely hour we spent together! Zoom admin decided not to cut us off after the set 40 mins, so we had that much longer to laugh and joke, and enjoy being family. It's when the dark shadow of death hangs over one's life that valuing God's most precious human treasure comes right back into focus. 

By this time it was getting too dark to do my 10k for the day, and I failed to complete for the first time since I came here with time on my hands. I also failed to do my Duo Lingo daily language drill, something which happens perhaps two or three times a year. (I need the structure in my life!), but never mind. Then I had to knuckle down and concentrate on producing tomorrow's worship and sermon. No writer's block, but I was so full of ideas that editing them all down to a sensible length before bed defeated me. 

Struggling to get audio editing done, abandoned myself to bed at a unsocial hour. As I worked,  I imagined numinous Easter Vigils, Orthodox, Latin, Anglican, Taize - all part of past fifty five years of adult discipleship. They mean so much to me. This year, the world and not just the church is in such unfamiliar territory, but the story we tell in such a different situation remains unchanged. We're the ones who'll be changed.

Christ, yesterday, today and forever. 

All time belongs to him and all eternity 

To Him be praise and glory forever.

State of Alarm - day nineteen

Having made a little video for YouTube of the blessing of palms for Sunday, and done the full audio of the Ministry of the Word with Passion Gospel reading, I  felt this would be long enough to absorb in the morning and so haven't prepared a homily to go with it. Each evening this week, until Friday I am going to offer an audio reflection on the scripture readings of the day. 

I don't therefore be doing a Tuesday Bible Study audio as well this week, so why not do a Sunday evening reflection on the scriptures set for Palm Sunday Evening Prayer, as they have the unfruitful Vine of Israel theme running through them? This proved to be an interesting little project, although it took up more time than I expected, and I was completing my daily 10k as the sun disappeared over the horizon in a clear pink sky at the end of a pleasant but still coolish day.

I joined the chaplaincy on-line prayer group using the Zoom app for the first time. It took me a little time to get my head around the way it works initially, but it's quite simple and user friendly. There were nine users on-line, eleven people, as there were two couples, one of them in the Canton de Vaud at the moment - such a small world! I forgot about the 40 minute time limit, and we were cut off unceremoniously, which made me wonder if I'd done something wrong, as the firs tone to log in. Hopefully someone will tell me if I did!

When I tried to load the the BCP 1662 MP3 audio files into Audacity for editing I received a rude awakening, as there was something different about the file encoding which rendered each one in a micro-second, sounding like a loud scratch or a blip. Very odd. File opened and played perfectly in the Windows app provided. 

Then I re-discovered the ability Audacity has to record audio played internally on the PC, as well as from an external microphone. This enabled me to recover editable files which were then easy to stitch together, tidy up and turn into an MP3 file with less hassle than usual. It means I can record audio straight from the web to incorporate in edits I'm making, very much easier than what I ended up doing the other night.

All I have to do tomorrow is record the Sunday evening bible study I've prepared, and then all is prepared to start Holy Week in the best way possible.