The beginning ...

... a very good place to begin!
Friday morning is school assembly ... the pupils sang a wonderfully cheerful song about J-E-S-U-S being the "King of the Jungle"!!  It made me smile and they clearly enjoyed it too.  No photographs from that.
However ... next on the list was typhoid and hepatitis vaccines ... you don't want to see the needles, do you?  Well ... you're not going to ... even if it didn't hurt.  Now that I think about it I wish I'd asked to take a picture ... just for fun!
The treatment room has sparkling clean curtains ... that will have to do!

 The day continued with a very pleasant lunch with a friend and then PACKING!  Not my favourite occupation but it appears that I managed to bring most of what is required ... forgot to pick up the paints and brushes ... but I can survive without them!
Finally (with a little detour to CMSIreland (Church Mission Society Ireland) I headed out to Drumalis.

 A cosy room in the old building will be my home for the next while ... and I'll enjoy the taps which are part of a marble and brass wash stand!  It is gorgeous.

 However, I was most captivated by the sculpture at the entrance.  It has always been a favourite with two figures entwined so closely that it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.  In the interesting damp light of dusk I took about forty pictures of it just walking round and trying to catch every angle.  The floodlights played some fun tricks and although these pictures were taken within a few minutes of each other it looks as if some are in total darkness!  Using the flash for a few of them gives the variety of tones as well.

 I find something very strong and comforting in that embrace ... it made me think of a line from a hymn: "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."

 There's plenty on which to reflect as the night draws in ... and the days ahead are ready and waiting ... nothing planned ... no pressure ... just resting and listening.

 The first floor double windows in the tower are in my room ... when daylight comes I'll manage a shot or two of the garden view

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For now ...
... a quotation from tonight's reflection (Exodus 3:5):

"The place where you stand is holy ground."