Last Friday (March 7) was dry, bright and fairly warm. Spent quite a long time writing my sermon for Sunday, and after I’d written it felt very tired: so I lay down for a bit. Then unpacked and put stuff away, including cases in loft. Dot was busy preparing for visit of Peter and Caren tomorrow. Out for street meet at 5.30: Des, Chris, Matt, Ciara and Joe. Mary ill with shingles; Sam preparing to go to party. Mark going out for meal with his son Morgan before football match. Had good talk, then Dot and I came in for bacon and egg before walking with Des up to Carrow Road for match against Oxford. Should have won, but drew 1-1 after taking early lead. Watched a bit of European football and went to bed.
Saturday – Dry and fairly bright. Not too cold. Phil and Caren Gazley came at 11am for lunch, which Dot had taken great pains in preparing – soup, lots of bread rolls with multi accompaniments plus banana cake. Had good time, talking rather too much about illnesses but also other things. They left about 3pm and I had to lie down because I was feeling quite ill – not quite sure why. Felt better later and had a good tea. Watched some rugby – brave attempt by Scotland to lose a totally won game by trying to bulldoze over line instead of passing wide and then screwing up multiple lineouts. Later watched other things, including Death in Paradise and Bob Dylan film – No Direction Home (part one).
Sunday – Dry and bright. Bit of fog in evening. For some reason had plenty of time to get to church – and a good parking space too. Played in worship band, but not all songs. Dot did reading, and I preached on the temptation of Jesus. Several people said they liked it, and I sent a copy to Nikki. Dot invited a family round to watch rugby on TV – they were visiting from Harrow and were in a hotel. They intend to get a place in the new co-op housing scheme in Angel Yard on Sussex Street. England beat Italy quite easily in the end but only through brute strength. Italy more entertaining.
Afterwards I did bacon sandwiches and David FaceTimed. He and Chrissy seem well. Then Dot and I went to Lowestoft for poetry but went for a walk to the cliffs first. Fair number at poetry, including Joan, Lynne and Kaaren, plus Ivor and Pete. Sadly two dogs, including one owned by a woman with a cold who sang a song and sat in front of us. She left at interval. If she hadn’t, I would have. Recited six poems: The Broomway; Before the Sun fell from the Sky; Am I Nearly there?; Vanishing Point; Nearly; The Owls See Everything. Fairly quick drive home: fruit and toast.
Monday – Mainly dry, but some very light rain in afternoon. Duller. Caught up with acres of e-mails and their implications; sent off meter readings; ordered and paid for stuff; wrote report on Sunday worship for church agm. Spent quite a bit of time pruning roses, and dug up small tree in tub which had been nagging at me. Nothing worse than a nagging tree – even a small one. Dot walked to shop, partly to add steps. Watched a bit of football, including Spurs salvaging a draw against Bournemouth. Also a half-hour programme on chess which was sort of interesting in the ways it tried to popularise the approach – partly successful, but a bit strange. Then the first episode of Toward Zero , an Agatha Christie adaptation criticised for being woke, but we thought it was very well done. Didn’t really matter what colour the actors were.
Tuesday – Colder with a little rain. Finished off pruning the roses in the morning. Booked alarm service for next month. Felt very cold on the afternoon. Arranged to visit Phil and Joy tomorrow. Meanwhile Anna came to give Dot her violin lesson. While she was here I finished watching rugby highlights. After lunch watched second episode of Toward Zero. Excellent. Lay down for a while before cooking lunch, then we went to watch Norwich City implode and lose 3-2 to Sheffield Wednesday after leading comfortably 2-0 at half time. Astonishing: went from very good to very bad – as if someone had paid them to do it. When we got home cleared up and watched one of those village-by-the-sea documentaries – this time Johnshaven in Aberdeenshire.