Clean, smelling sweetly and happy to be home ... Eliot returned from kennels this morning and has had a good sniff around. Once he'd drunk from each of his water containers (and those that aren't officially supposed to be drinking fountains) he stood at the back door waiting for it to open!
Nice to have him home.
The main reason that he was away was to facilitate my going to an ordination service in Belturbet in County Cavan. That was a late night by the time we'd had the service, enjoyed a great coffee and made the two and a half hour drive back home. I was the happy passenger ... so the journey, for me, was totally stress free both there and back!
Belturbet has a gorgeous church building.
Clergy robed in one of the galleries so we could look over the congregation as they gathered to join in the ordination service.
Afterwards the newly ordained deacon, Rev Naomi Quinn, was one of a number of speakers who had the opportunity to address the people. It was so good to see her at this point of the journey, and to catch up with others who, over the years, I've had the privilege of getting to know.
Belturbet is one of the parishes in Bishop Ken Clarke's diocese and he gathered the proceedings to a conclusion.
As is traditional, all the clergy and lay readers wait in a semi-circle for the newly ordained person to emerge from the church where she had the chance to greet us before we all adjourned to a nearby building for refreshments.
Meanwhile the Parish Magazine is ready for collection tomorrow ... that was the big job completed yesterday morning ... and the church is beautifully decorated for Harvest Thanksgiving. Photographs of that will follow.
Right now it is incessant rain and feels nothing like the balmy autumn days that we'd prefer to enjoy!
However, this is home and it is comfortable and dry. Outside temperatures are still a reasonable
12 °C
For some readers that will sound cold ... but not here! It's quite pleasant really.
In the background the dishwasher is churning away ... it was loaded up while lunch was cooking ... getting that done will make the kitchen begin to look a lot more organised! It might even be possible to see the counter surfaces once again! I had no difficulty in resisting the temptation to take a picture of lunch ... in reality it looked grand and tasted good ... in a picture it may have resembled nothing quite so much as a dog's dinner!
Fairly soon I need to take a run down to the hall. ["Run" as in "drive" - in case you think that I've found a sudden burst of energy from somewhere!] There's an Antiques and Collectables fair on at Saint Nicholas' today - but I'd be afraid that this weather will mean buyers may have stayed at home.
It were my soul's desire
to see the face of God;
it were my soul's desire
to rest in his abode.
It were my soul's desire
a spirit free from gloom,
it were my soul's desire
new life beyond the doom.
Church Hymnal number 633
Old Irish - versified by Eleanor Hull (1860-1935)
Sung to "Armagh" composed by Charles Wood (1866-1926)
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