Still Rejoicing

Well done to Hélène, Deb (who identified it from a plant app! and Kevin) - the red berries yesterday were wild asparagus that I'd been picking for lunch today. 

Went to church, but the service was taken by a deacon from Évora; the Padre is ill, should find out tomorrow if it's Covid - which is really taking off in Mourão... So the Gaudete (Rejoice!) Advent Sunday was a bit subdued.

Cecílio and Ermelinda came, with Boris and Duda, for lunch (the dogs stayed outside, mostly) - it was warm enough with the fire lit to have the windows open. As usual, forgot about a photo until dessert, which was chocolate and orange (ours, soaked in rum) trifle.

My Dad, who I've posted a couple of Blips about recently, would have been 100 years old today. Most of my pre-digital photos of him are in our attic in England, but here is one of him sitting on our Toyota dual cab on the back porch of our house in Brazil, with Debbie (our oldest) when she was about four, I'm guessing.

In his usual independent fashion, he'd wander off and visit folk or get a lift into town - but we always knew exactly where he was and what he'd done and said and eaten - because the community would constantly report back to us (the elderly are not free agents there) - always had him a bit mystified and annoyed, probably, when he'd get back to our house and we already knew all about what he'd been up to.

Gratefuls:
- having a Dad who was a character (though I certainly wasn't always grateful for that!)
- lovely time with our friends, and that we have friends here, who are willing to bubble with us
- walking into church and seeing the stable Mike made for Padre Luís set up
- oh, and have to add, Hélène ordering a book for me that I wanted to give the grandkids - and then wrapping it beautifully and hand delivering it! (It was Kendall who put me on to the illustrator, she is amazing.)