Epiphany - ish

What a cold dreich morning today, no heavy, lying snowy just very wet sleet which didn't lie but made everything, and everybody, very wet
Our service this morning, which celebrated, a day early, the arrival of an indefinite number of persons of indeterminate gender travelling from the East to a stable in Bethlehem. If they followed a star as clear as Venus has been in the southern sky recently, it's no wonder, so bright, clear and beautiful - and next to that crescent moon, even more so.
Our nativity scene is now complete in front of the altar and I think will remain there until Candlemas, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and the 40th day of Christmas and Epiphany. It's on the 2nd of February which this year falls on a Sunday
Our celebrant for this morning was the chaplain from the cathedral so a new face and voice for us, which is always interesting. For me different voices can make the well known words sound different. Frequently, something I've heard and said a thousand times before will catch me and make me think when said slightly differently.
After church we headed home in time for Ali to arrive with the girls. She wanted to pick up all the stuff from school which she had brought here when she went on Maternity Leave just over a year ago. It's all in her car and tomorrow afternoon she'll take it into the classroom. It's an in-service Day so she's been given the afternoon to set up - clearly the best use of her time.
Bonnie has a big day tomorrow too, she starts nursery, this week she's doing part days then full days from next week, like Josie, for 3 days in the week and they'll have a day with mum and a day with dad.
We did very little, stayed in to keep warm and I took down a few of the decorations, I'll need to do the rest tomorrow. As we have done for a few years now, I'll leave the outdoor lights until their batteries run out. I like seeing them brighten up these cold dark evenings.
Life returns to a degree of normality tomorrow and I'll start the preparations for my visit to India. I'll be heading off early February for 4 weeks. I think this is likely to be the last visit, but I've said that before! It all feels more major though and flights and insurance are all getting so expensive. I'm looking forward to some sunshine though as well as seeing all my friends both in the school and the local community. I have my ticket and visa.