Good news!

Seven of the eight fish in the pond have now been spotted so it looks like only one was taken. They're all very nervous now though.

* * * * *

The social evening on Saturday went very well. Everyone really enjoyed it and are talking about 'the next one'.

Sunday, church, then walked with Elder Son, GrandSons 1 and 3, and Theo, then had dinner with Daughter and family. I said I wanted to see them before we went on holiday "in case we die or anything". Husband asked what the 'or anything' could be.

* * * * *

Tried to put on a load of washing the other day but the machine said, "UP". I checked the manual but after I'd gone right through and found no reference to 'UP', Husband pointed out it was for our old machine. We didn't have a manual for this one. It's all online.

I went shopping and left Husband to sort it out. It turns out the machine was being updated. Yes, our machine is on the internet. Who'd have thought it? Not me.

Back in the real world I have jigsaw problems. 

If you've ever watched Would I Lie to You? you'll know that when comedian Bob Mortimer is a guest on the show he drives the rival captain mad because it's almost impossible to tell if he's telling the truth. He spins what sound like outrageous yarns and they turn out to be true.

Well, anyway, my jigsaw is playing similar tricks with my mind. "This looks like a piece of orange," I say to myself. But there isn't an orange in the picture. Similarly this looks like a bit of a globe to me

But can I find a globe in the picture? And why would there be when it's a kitchen cupboard?

But then you don't expect little pink creatures in a kitchen cupboard either.

Lost!

I forgot to say: something - we assume a heron - has taken six of our goldfish!

It is very sad as we've had them for years, and some were parents and children. Husband says he has spotted two left but they are hiding, unsurprisingly.

Spent a large chunk of the afternoon ironing bunting while Husband has been to the hospital for his ear check-up. He's hoping to be dismissed as it's been two years since the operation to remove the growth. Discharged, that's the word.

And here are some slightly sandy cuttlebones.

Oh, but we do have tadpoles in the pond!

Fulfilment

Six days since my last post. That's unusual unless I'm on holiday, which I'm not. It's just life - and preparing to go on holiday!

So, Sunday, hm, church. I did a rewrite of psalm 51. Think it was okay. Can't remember the rest. Not a lot I guess. 

Monday, again, can't remember. Tuesday, walked with Daughter and Louie. Then writing group, then Zac's.

Came home from the walk with pockets full of cuttlebones to take to Italy for the budgies.

A good writing session with nine attendees and four apologies. The group has grown and everyone is enthusiastic.

Got a parking ticket.

My own fault. It's difficult parking near Zac's and I'd done a loop of the block and couldn't find anywhere. It was raining so I squeezed on the end, on double yellow lines. "Nobody's going to be coming around on a wet Tuesday evening." They did.

Wednesday, GrandDaughter2 has been studying Welsh culture in school and that morning was an opportunity for parents to go in and see all the work they've done. GrandDaughter2 and her best friend did a Welsh country dance. They're both shy in school so it was very brave of them to volunteer, and they did it beautifully.

Thursday, a meeting first thing i.e. 9.30, with Kim to finalise Saturday evening's church social. Then it was off to Rough Edges to give a helping hand as they've lost their volunteers. A busy day and quite good takings but not sure if it will be enough to keep the shop going. The money it takes is meant to pay for its keep and support the work of Zac's but it's barely breaking even with its keep at the moment.

It's tricky because it's valued in the area and with those who use it regularly. Kathryn, the manager, finds herself comforting and counselling lots of the customers, so it's important not just for financial reasons. That said Zac's is our prime focus and we can't afford to subsidise RE. Also good volunteers, who understand the ethos behind it, are hard to find. We gave it three months to prove itself and that's up soon so it will be decision time. Not looking forward to that.

This lady was snapped up quickly!

Today Josh is coming to replace some of our fencing and I am trying to catch up on blogging and life.

In between I've done another jigsaw (one piece missing.)

And we've been watching season 3 of The Capture. I followed it - mostly - to episode 4. Finished it last night having to ask Husband, "So was he a goodie or baddie?"

And I've continued to pile stuff on the spare bed ready to take to Italy.

Oh yes, and I was very excited to discover an email from The Fulfilment Centre saying my parcel was due to be delivered. Several emails in fact. Having no recollection of ordering anything fulfilling I waited with bated breath. 

It turned out to be very fulfilling!

Lizzie in the looking glass

Went into town early so I could 'do' the charity shops there before my appointment. Nine shops but lots of them don't sell children's clothes any more (not profitable enough) and those that do had a very poor selection. 

Caught a glimpse of myself in a shop mirror. Realised I should have looked in a mirror before I left the house. Mustard tights do not go with a red shirt.

Meanwhile, remember that jigsaw with its edges not on the picture? I persevered. 

Ice cream and a dog. All it needs to be perfect - apart from the whole picture - is a bag of Maltesers.

Highland cow on a diet

A nice bit of driftwood on the beach

And a mermaid's purse.

I've spent a lot of time this week going around charity shops looking for things to take to Italy. I have acquired a huge pile of books for children - and maybe some for me - but not many clothes. 

In between I took a lovely walk along the beach to Mumbles (and caught the bus back), and had a good chat with the pastor from church about stuff. He sympathised with my latest problem and said that, in his experience, it was never the people he was trying to help that were the problem but other Christians in ministry. Sad but true.

I'm currently not going out on Friday evenings to support working girls because I am 'disloyal', so that's sad. Maybe things will change but I'm not banking on it.

Had a lovely day yesterday with GrandDaughter2. We visited the Upside-down House in the morning, attacked some more charity shops, had KFC for lunch, and then, inspired by the recent workshop, I got us trying our hands at some artwork.

I forgot to take a photo from outside but I hope you can see that the floors are on a tilt. At the time I was amazed how weird it felt. It was dizzy-making. I couldn't understand but then worked out that my eyes and ears were experiencing different things and confusing my poor brain. Good fun anyway.

I think my eyes were still confused when I painted the thinnest highland cow in the world! GrandDaughter2's horse was very good though. She is into horses at the moment.

Off to the hairdresser's today - and more charity shops!

Try again

 Okay, so first/second attempt failed because the file was too big. 

So try, try again.

Remarkable Feasts

Today I've baked and iced a birthday cake for Zac's tonight and done a trawl of some charity shops for stuff to take to Italy. Got distracted and bought myself a book.

In my defence it was in with the children's books - sort of, though now I think of it there was another section altogether of children's books. Anyway, it looks like a lovely read as well as having interesting recipes.

Spent some time wandering around the garden never ceasing to be amazed that things I've planted and/or pruned are doing so well. One of the teapot plants opened its flowers today.

* * * * *

I have paid very little attention to the Artemis moon mission but there seems to be a lot of excitement about images of the dark side of the moon. Does this mean there is a bit of the moon we've never seen? Doesn't it rotate? I shall have to ask Husband who will take great pleasure - and time - in explaining to me.

For my age I am very ignorant of many things.

* * * * *

Now I've got the hang of recording - until the next time - here's my Palm Sunday reading that some of you very kindly asked about.

Sunny Monday afternoon

A lovely weekend weather-wise so I've been gardening.

You remember some time ago Husband had a phase of breaking teapot lids? Today I asked Husband for his drill so I could make holes in the pots and use them for planting.

It took no effort for Husband to break the lids but I thought my hand would drop off it took me so long to drill holes. Then one broke. But that's fine.

I only got into gardening a few years ago - probably during lockdown - so I still get excited when something I've planted grows, or even flourishes. And these are all plants I've rescued that were nearly dead, and they've blossomed again!

The heuchera on the right, the lime green one, was trodden on by dogs so often that it was losing its will to live. I put it in its own pot and it revived, and, now it's big enough I've planted it out - and in a less dog-friendly part of the garden

Similarly the hydrangea in the big tub on the left had been eaten to a stalk by snails/slugs so I moved it to its own pot and it's growing! I pruned the red-tipped bush on the right after it had dried out I think. Not sure how that happened but something brought it to death's door, and now it's looking great again. 

I feel like a parent whose child is growing up and getting ready for university. 

And the little hydrangea in the front is a cutting I took! (Admittedly all the books said hydrangeas are dead easy to propagate but this is me, the Great Plant Killer.)

* * * * *

While I believe that all writing is creative I have to acknowledge that some is more, hm, from the soul. During the service yesterday morning we went outside to dress the cross and before that some prayers were said. While I was listening I felt the words, "Did Mary weep at the foot of the cross?" come to me. So yesterday afternoon I wrote the poem in the previous post. 

It's the second piece of soul creative writing I've done in the last two weeks - the other one being the Palm Sunday meditation - after bemoaning the fact that I'd lost it. So I am very happy.

Did Mary weep?

Did Mary weep 
At the foot of the cross?
Was she the loudest
Of the wailing women?
Did she lose all sense of dignity?
Did she have to be held back?
I would have.

Or was she silent
Too stunned
By the betrayal, the injustice?
Surrounded by the women
Who loved him too,
Supported by the Magdalena,
Leaning on each other for strength.

Did she gaze dry-eyed
At her first-born on the cross?
And wordlessly question, why.
Did she remember the words
The old man spoke,
“A sword will pierce your heart”?

Did they walk along the shore
She and her beloved boy
Just days before
As the sun was setting 
And did the son prepare the mother?

Did he tell her what was to come,
Did she understand too clearly 
what his words meant?

Did she tell him it was too soon?
He should have many years ahead yet.
There was so much more he could do,
So much need he could meet.
Think of the sick, the dying, the insane.
Evil wouldn’t go away;
It could wait for him.
Did she cry, grab onto his arm,
Beg him, “Not yet”?
I would have.

Did he look tenderly 
Into eyes that were
As familiar as his own?
Did he hold her tight, 
Wishing there were a way
To keep her from suffering? 
Did he weep for what was to come?
For her and for himself?

Did she wonder
What it had all been for?
I would have.

And here's me reading it.

Keys to you

I've been very wishy-washy today so I decided to begin a new jigsaw. An hour later I'm considering giving up on it.

There's only been one jigsaw I stopped doing, and that was after three months and crying every time I sat down to it, so what's so bad about this one? 

Well, there must be about 2" top and bottom that aren't shown in the picture. Add to that the fact that pieces don't fit together very well, and the colours aren't true, and you may get an inkling.

I'll probably persevere.

I forgot to tell you that I went to visit Swansea Minster yesterday. (It used to be St. Mary's but it's got too big for her boots.) There was an art installation there I wanted to see: The Last Supper by Peter Barnes that used 50,000 keys from old keyboards to create the mosaic effect.

Sickening

Seeing a woman on the stage at a White House Easter dinner proclaiming that Trump is just like Jesus made me feel physically sick. I want to shout and scream.

What made it even worse was that there was a Catholic bishop, Robert Barron, standing on stage and applauding. He's since spoken out saying the Pope wasn't specifically referring to Iran when he made his anti-war comments.

Meanwhile in Israel members of the Knesset toast their victory with champagne, celebrating the passing of a law bringing in the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorist attacks. Hanging within 90 days is mandatory and no pardons can be issued.

And Trump tweets about . . . Bruce Springsteen. Can't think why.