2010:365:195 No roses today.

What do you do while your dinner is cooking?  

Here I often take the opportunity to write the blog!  

We woke to heavy rain this morning which put paid to any idea that I had of going to the Rose Gardens for an early walk.  Eliot sniffed the air, looked at me as if I were mad and retreated to the sofa for the rest of the day!  For a dog who loves to be in the sea he's a real coward when it comes to rain!

365Project needed a picture so ... this is it!  One of the first things I noticed in the kitchen was the bottle brush!  Why not take a picture of it?  

It did cross my mind that any neighbour who might have been up early could have wondered what was happening at the rectory!  With brush in one hand and camera in the other I spent a happy three or four minutes looking for a good angle and interesting background!

The diagonal worked best .... and maybe the blue provides the strongest background ...?

Using the bottle brush was inspired by a number of folk from Australia who've been posting pictures of real bottle brush plants.  I've seen them growing here but not often.  

Just for a change this morning I had a pot of green tea ... well ... I'd had a few coffees at home first!  The Coffee Club uses a most attractive wee pot that was just asking for a picture.  Apparently you can buy all sorts of green tea with "things" - ginger, lemon, lotus flower ...!  I'll have a look for those on my next shopping trip.

Tea on its own wouldn't be a good morning break.  It needed something.  And this is the "something"!

Most of the cakes at The Coffee Club are home baked and this moist, light sponge was perfect!  It did cause a bit of amusement as I positioned it against the wall to get a photograph.  The walls are a lovely shade of turquoise and work well with the coffee colour of the cake (I think). 

Being Wednesday it was Holy Communion in the side chapel.  I'm always struck by the reflections and shadows on the chalice and paten so, before anyone arrived, a few pictures were taken.  

With today's awful weather we were a very small group who gathered; but the fellowship is good and the service is always special.  It is certainly one of my favourite moments in the church week.  

O Lord of life, who made us in your image

and taught us to offer ourselves to you

as a living sacrifice:

fill us with your lifegiving Spirit

that in the renewal of our minds

we may be dead to sin and live to you

in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

Celebrating Common Prayer

Evening Prayer - Form 1