Partying like ...

there's no tomorrow? But there is tomorrow, and everyone in the photo will have to be clothed and in their right minds before 10.30 tomorrow morning for the last service as our rector sees David, the Bishop-elect of the diocese of Argyll and The Isles (in the pink shirt), off on the new part of his journey while we gather ourselves for our new chapter. For tonight we held a dinner party in the wonderful pop-up restaurant just down the road, Chatters, and my photo only shows the half of it - the other tables are off-stage to my left. The noise at this stage was considerable as everyone talked yelled at each other over wonderful food (I'll maybe devote an extra to a timbale ...) and people we'd only met at online services became subsumed into the melée as if they'd always been there.

There was a whole day before this, of course - I think the most vigorous activity I indulged in was attempting to clean the purple stains left on our new pale front steps by birds who had gorged themselves on the purple berries of a next-door bush and had then relieved themselves without getting any further than the end of a branch. Hard brushing with soapy water didn't cut it, so if any of you blipper hive mind can offer advice ...

We also had a walk to ensure an appetite for what for us was quite an early dinner, and I did a double dose of Italian to ensure that I'd get away with one lesson when I staggered home in the evening. There must have been more than fiddling around on the computer, but for the life of me I can't think what. There was much less rain than was forecast for us, and we managed to walk to and from dinner in sunshine/under clear sky. 

And now I'm wrung out (again) - but it was a good night. I'm afraid I felt the urge to speak, briefly - maybe I just like bonging a glass for silence. I laughed a great deal - not least when I discovered that the reason Sarah, sitting next to me, seemed far taller seated at table than I was. Were her platform sandals somehow making her sit tall? Had I lost another couple of inches overnight? Nope. Her chair turned out to be about an inch or more higher than mine.

Of such small triumphs is an evening made.