Sonning.

We have arrived at a lovely hotel by the banks of the Thames. It's very warm and boats come and go. The gardens are wonderful and that is where we will be eating. David is well known here and it's a pleasure to see him in his natural habitat!

Up early

I woke with the sun shining through the window and several important things to do before breakfast!  I have now sent the birthday cards, organised my dog's home for the next few days, picked the hymns for Sunday...  put all the important numbers into my mobile phone, had my early morning sneeze and am getting ready to do the midweek at St JUst.  Tosh has already gone to the cattery...David caught the early ferry!   Henley, here we come..well later today anyway. 

St JUst wedding

Here we are Saturday morning , the sun is shining and I have a wedding at St Just. Last year many of the weddings were rained on and we had several damp brides slithering down the aisle...This year so far no one has got wet!   Lets hope it continues.   This time last year was when a sudden storm erupted and blew the marquee down.....no dramatics this year please God. 

Crispin...

Crispin has had his problems whilst we were away.  He broke a toe nail on the day we were travelling and I had to leave him with my friend with it hanging off. She took him to another old friend who is a retired vet who took off the offending nail and put it in an envelope with the injunction to sue the vet who was supposed to have trimmed it the week before. I have been so busy that I only got round to talking to the practice yesterday. I was fairly scathing because the old boy has been in pain because of her negligence. At the end a very pleasant young man apologised sweetly and then told me that actually I had rung the wrong vet!  Collapse of stout party!  

St Mawes

The midweek service at St Mawes is lovely.   For a start my husband David is the church warden and has been there before me to get the whole thing ready. The little church clings to the cliff and has none of the glamour of age that St Just has but has a steadfast loyal congregation who work hard to keep it beautiful. It's a great joy to go with David  to celebrate and later this summer I do the second wedding there. Alleluia!  

Crispin....an old dog.

After a couple of weeks of lotus eating yesterday was my birthday so the day was special.  It turned out more special than I could have imagined. Apart from the cards and good wishes in the morning my friend brought my dog back to me in the afternoon. She brought with her a very large parcel. I unpacked it and I was completely overwhelmed. When Crispin was a young dog I had commissioned her to make a sculpture of his head. This she did and the bronze has pride of place in my sitting room. Yesterday she gave me another. Crispin now old. It is very beautiful and made me weep.....she had spent hours and hours on it and had got it right. I was very touched by her generosity and talent.  Thank you God    and Val.  

Home

It was lovely to drive back to Cornwall from Exeter airport yesterday. It was bright sunshine and high summer. Lush green foliage is everywhere you look and it reminded us both of the times we used to drive here on holiday, looking for all the signs along the way that make for a good summer.   There's alot to do now I am home and I am not talking about the unpacking!  My dog has been hurt whilst I have been away and its particularly galling as I took him to the vet to get his toe nails cut so the problem of them snapping off would not occur!  The old vet from the village says she missed one!   

Airports

I suppose they are all the same. Long queues, hours to wait. This one is typical but smaller. I have bought the duty free Madeira and looked at the other shops. Now we wait. The one good thing about going home from here is that the place we are going to is equally beautiful. Not as much sun but in June it's lush and green.

Last day

There is a tension on the last day. I wonder if I've missed anything. Take one last swim. One last meal. And then I remember home. Are my trees still standing ? Is my dog alright? I have a 10am communion on Tuesday morning so I am not going to the mass here. It has been a wonderful holiday. Still time to enjoy it all. Packing later!

Small world

Here I am. A long way from home and suddenly two women from the same village arrived. We had no warning that we would all be staying in the same hotel but they grinned and said cheerfully. "Now we're here you will have to be good. Or we'll tell when we get home!". And I thought I was camaflaged without my dog collar!

And yet more sun

After a couple of days of rain we are back to normal again here. I am ready and anticipating the first swim. Breakfast in my cossie! The time here is slowly coming to an end and I will be very busy when we get back but renewed both mentally and physically.

Shopping

Bad news for blokes! There is a big new shopping complex a short drive from here! As we still have to get all the pressies it seems a good idea to take a taxi and get it all done on one operation. Makes sense to me but then I am not a bloke!

Poolside

We are having a quiet day by the pool which is just as decadent as of sounds. The sea is blue and I am thinking that maybe I'll go in it but the pools here are also sea water and safer! Out trip to Fumchal yesterday was great. We walked down by the harbour and looked at a few shops before lunching al fresco in the town square I could get used to this life!

Sunshine

It is gloriously hot here. I have been in the various pools twice this morning. There are alot of Lancastrians here all with authentic northern wit. We all know a good thing when we see it and this is a very good thing.

Flying

I am high over Africa right now having got on the plane at 6.30 am. We have all tried to doze but are woken by loud announcements from the pilot and cabin staff. The only good thing about this is that we will land in Madeira quite soon and it's still not quite 9 am.

Sunday in Funchal

We walked into the old town to attend mass in the cathedral. The singing of the youfull choir was full of joy and even rythmic clapping. We have come a long way and even David came up for the wafer. We went down by the harbour for lunch and had some wonderful king prawns.

Peeps in the night.

Sleep last night was punctuated by a slow peeping. It was not constant and in the dark I could find no evidence of where it was coming from. This morning all has been revealed. It was a small dish washer under the sink !!!! What ever next! The maid had put our small collection of cups and plates in the machine. The blasted bleeping was not heard by David who of course does not wear his hearing aid in bed! Never mind. The sun is out now!

Lazy day

We have spent most of today basking like old lizards in the sunshine. I have been swimming and reading and been extremely lazy. David has done the same but left out the swimming! I have talked to several ladies and we had a good lunch outside. If this sounds boring it isn't it suits us both perefectly.

Hot

WE have now had a couple of hot days of sun and today is so far looking good too. Last year I can't remember a settled spell of good weather so its all our fingers crossed for this year! Despite the weather I am busy.  I am doing the funeral of an old friend on Friday and this morning I am at St Just for midweek communion. The regular couple who set it all up are not going to be there so I may have to engage the services of my resident safe breaker!  Its old and cranky and I simply do not have the touch!  David to the rescue once again!