What is he doing?

Swiss break

 Rebecca on the carousel. Fancy choosing a spinning one! She'll make a good traveller.

 Lakeside view

 Girls and their friends

Rebecca was quite often in 'Fairy' mode, waving her wand over me.

St Martin's Fair, Switzerland

Happy Birthday to me

When I think about it, I've had a really good week.
Monday I went to art class and learned about impasto. First time I'd used a pallet knife since school or college. In the evening to Singing where we learned a specially written song about Bonfire Night. Not that there were any fireworks around then. maybe Halloween has taken over from Guy Fawkes. Although there was a really good display last night in someone's garden which I watched from the landing window.

Tuesday I went to the Diocesan Evangelical Fellowhip and heard a presentation on Thinking Biblically and Ethically. I stayed to lunch too, and hadn't realised it cost extra. Whoops! had to borrow from a friend. Then went to visit a retired missionary who lives in a dinky flat near the market. And back to town in the evening to see 'Hope Springs' a good idea with an imperfect script.

On Wednesday I went to South-town to have a hair cut, and bought wool to knit leg-warmers when I'm away and an art pad for painting when I'm away. Probably won't be needed but it's best to be prepared. Then to visit a friend in hospital who is now reconciled to leaving her lovely home when she is discharged. Which also related to my current thinking on housing for seniors, as there's some land for sale in the village which I rather hope will be put to that use.

Today was spent packing and cleaning, and then I opened my presents at lunchtime as I'll be away on the day. How old? Well, that might be why I'm thinking about housing for seniors, and using that US term rather than 'elderly'. Tonight we're going to a bring and share housegroup meal thingy, to learn about values and vision of the church in town.

And tomorrow?
I'm going to hug my granddaughters.

Going away

My auntie Marjorie rarely went on holiday. 'Too much packing and unpacking' she said. I found that really hard to understand, but now as I enter my senior years (I think, but not sure which birthday that happens) I have an awful feeling I'm headed that way. With dates booked to go away, there is suddenly a yawning hole in the diary, because who knows what might happen in that space? Will it be too much or not enough? Will I get cranky if I'm out of my usual routine? What will I do if I don't sleep in a strange house? I think this is supposed to be called being adventurous, but could it be that a time comes when we'd rather have the predictable? O, how dull.

Now HoF likes to have everything planned. Checks on Googlemaps exactly where each bend in a road comes between airport and hotel. Has lists of possible trains to catch. Whereas I like some surprises and the serendiptious. Or I did.

So if you wonder why we seem to be having so many outings and trips, it's because we'd better get on and do so while we can. Maybe a round-the-world ticket is the answer..................... Sorry about the inheritance, kids.

Cousin Dee

Last weekend we had a visit from American Cousin Dee. One of a vast family of cousins whom we would never have met were it not for a letter written in 1880, preserved by a man who had been given it by his aunt, even though he didn't know who it was from. It was from Dee's ancestor and led to restoration of cross-Atlantic realtionships. On such slender threads do our family connections hang. Dee is an adventurous lass who travelled to England to do research for novels she is writing. We took her to visit cousins, the original family cottage and Elan Valley all of which she embraced enthusiastically. We had never seen the dams in full spate before, a lovely sight.

Joys of Herefordshire