Advent

A second breakfast courtesy of St Luke’s this morning at Café Church on this second Sunday of Advent. I’ve put a couple of pounds back on recently, so it will be just basic meals and no extras tomorrow. It’s hard to watch your weight around Christmas with all the run-up events happening. I have another lunch to go to on Tuesday, so will no doubt eat too much again then.

Having been unable to have our Chesham book club pre-Christmas meet-up due to illness, my lovely and thoughtful friend Lucy sent her gift in the post along with a card. It’s an advent candle, which needed to be started off burning down the days straight away. I met Lucy 15 years ago in Chesham through a mutual friend who also lives there but, by an incredible and entirely unconnected coincidence, her late father was the much-loved Rector of St Luke’s here in Tiptree during the 1970’s! There are people among the congregation who still remember him with great affection. And, in another coincidence, a retired clergy friend of mine in Tiptree served his curacy a long time ago at St Mary’s in Chesham! I find that the Church, broadcasting, and the flying club scene are all very small worlds indeed - in my own life they have even overlapped with each other at times over the years.

As you can see, I’ve burnt the advent candle down to today’s date. And I’m also very happy that it’s an advent calendar with no chocolate in it!