The Day After the Night Before

I was on such a high last night after seeing the film in London and meeting the director, albeit briefly, that I was still wide awake at 2am and didn’t really want to go to bed. So I ended up having only 3 hours or so of sleep before getting up again for church. I hadn’t eaten any supper yesterday either, as the film screening coincided with my usual evening mealtime, so I enjoyed a toasted tea cake at coffee afterwards. I chatted with Molly, who has started coming to St Luke’s recently and who has the beginnings of diagnosed Alzheimer’s. I haven’t asked, but I think she’s probably only in her 70’s. It’s good that she’s getting out and enjoying some lively company. She’s also just joined a community choir.

Home for some lunch, then it was back to St Luke’s to attend a service celebrating the life of our dear friend Roger, who died unexpectedly just before Christmas from a heart attack. His wife Daphne found a folder containing detailed notes expressing his wishes for his own funeral, so the service reflected his long ministry as an ordained priest with the readings and hymns he had chosen. His family and friends spoke of him as a person, which evoked happy memories of his friendship with my parents and myself here in Tiptree. I shall always remember Roger’s lovely beaming smile, especially when he was receiving communion - it was my privilege to serve him the chalice on many occasions. Such a kind and positive man, who always encouraged the rest of us with his gentle voice, and who never gave up in adversity, even with his own considerable health challenges which included learning to walk with a prosthetic leg after an amputation below the knee due to diabetes complications.

So a very busy day after the night before, and unsurprisingly I fell asleep on the sofa in the evening. My blip is therefore a bit of an emergency one, taken very late at night, of the daffodils I blipped in bud last Friday. I’m horribly behind with so many things which need doing, so shall try to get back on track with everything today and tomorrow.