The third gift

The New Year dawned windy but dry after the midnight rain, and I only woke when it began to be light - woke with the parrot-cage mouth and hangover head of someone who enjoyed her own hospitality with a will! But I was so thirsty and I'd drained the bottle of water by my bedside, so I got up first and made the tea - though after that I lazed in bed drinking it for a while. Then I had to make bread and fill the bird feeder and clear up breakfast and open a few windows (it was insanely mild again) - and light some incense.

One of the presents our second son gave us was a beautiful box of oud from Saudi Arabia. He gave us a little incense burner several years ago, and as an incense-addict I already had a stock of charcoals and little tongs - though I really must replace the lighter I used to use; today I had to light a candle to get the charcoal going. However, if you look at the larger photo you can see that I succeeded - and the perfume is glorious. I felt that the Wise Men had perhaps arrived on their way somewhere ...

Later, talking of Wise Men, Himself went off to practise a voluntary for the celebration (early) of the Epiphany tomorrow, and I took myself for a head-clearing walk along the West Bay, into the wind, with the waves battering the sides of the prom as the tide turned to go out (extra photo). The road down to the shore had been deserted, but the shore was quite busy with small children squealing as they threw stones into the sea and then ran from the tongues of water threatening to catch their feet, people with and without dogs, and a couple having coffee in the lee of a shelter. There were smiles and random Happy New Years - it was all rather jolly.

I spent the afternoon writing Intercessions and catching up on the Italian - I've been hanging onto my place in the Diamond League by the skin of my teeth this past week. Then we had a labour-free delicious dinner of left-overs from last night and collapsed over the telly. 

Hard work, this new year malarkey!