Catching the rays

Busy, busy day. The text came last night saying that this morning, to mark the Jubilee, we were doing 'Zadok the Priest' as the anthem, so an earlier start. We were a bit light on voices though, only 3 each of sopranos and altos and 2 each of tenors and basses. And all the sopranos were seconds and if you know Zadok you will know that it starts very loud and very high - we just had to go for it. Added to thank we were doing a special arrangement of 'Congratulations' to congratulate our minister, Karen graduating PhD and an introit (rehearsal time 4 minutes). Then when we got back from the truncated coffee break it was to find two more descants (rehearsal time zero). I enjoyed hitting the high notes for Zadok (I may have been a bit sharp though) but didn't enjoy knocking anthem books on the ground immediately afterwards, crash. We had 3 books and numerous bits of paper, too much, too much. It felt a bit under-rehearsed and scrappy though. Not our usual high standard!!

It was still cold when I got home and although I could here the music drifting across from the Meadows Festival I decided to give it a miss. It was on with the tidying up. Having bought Proper Brasso (not the wadding) I gave the brass fender a good clean, with the Thames pageant on in the background. The fender looks amazing now - very bright and very shiny.

Then on to the bedroom. At the end of an afternoon of cleaning and tidying I have treated the chest of drawers and washstand with Danish Oil, put clothes away, discovered that the clothes moths have eaten my Russian wool scarf (Moscow 1989) and the inside of my Australian sheepskin slippers (Sydney 2002). Both have now been consigned to the dustbin. I discovered the sandals I thought I may have left in Barcelona had never actually BEEN to Spain having never left the box on the top of the wardrobe in M's room and I also found I have a surfeit of black shoes and sandals - mmmm! But, best of all, I found the opal stud ear-ring I thought I'd lost. It had got stuck in the wrap for my pearls. That's the second time I've lost one of that pair and then found it again. I'd like to think it was an omen. In was so glad to find it as it has sentimental value. Dave bought them for my 49th birthday, in Sydney in 2002.

On and off I dotted to and fro to watch the Jubilee pageant and as it got wetter in London, it got sunnier here. The end was amazing - some very soggy singers belting out 'Land of Hope and Glory' standing on top of a barge on the Thames. Only in the UK!

Molly enjoyed the sun, sitting in the bay window, catching the rays.

Wel,l 2 rooms down and two to go. Clothes for Wednesday's concert are looked out. Tomorrow it's the kitchen and M's room and probably some packing for Majorca. But to-night I have opened my bottle of pink fizz to celebrate 60 glorious years - well my in-laws would have been married 60 years on Thursday and 60 years ago I was 6 months off entering the world.

Outside the sky is blue and the sun is shining and off to cook my tea. Happy Jubilee holiday.