Sharing the good news ...

Today was incredibly monochrome. I saw a tiny pink light of the dawn above the Clyde just before it turns south and becomes the Firth, but by the time I got up it had vanished into a uniform grey colour whose only change throughout the day was to become darker from about 3pm, when it let loose an intermittent fine drizzle. The result of all this lack of light was that the few outdoor photos I took were totally unremarkable unless you live in the Sahara, or maybe the Australian Outback, so instead I'm sharing the lead story on page 4 of the local paper, aka The Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard. I think we've all felt a lift in our spirits with this announcement - even in a church where there is not only a retired priest but also a competent and well-equipped team of lay people to conduct services, preach, pray and so on, there is a feeling of bereavement when a priest moves on and another isn't yet on the horizon. And we're quietly pleased that we managed to get all the necessary work done to the same timescale as our last vacancy - a good example of teamwork and leadership, I'd say.

In other news, the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway announced the election of their new bishop following the retirement of our former lovely Bishop Kevin. All change in the Pisky world!

Church was still a chilly place this morning despite the slight rise in temperature - this has the effect of making the walls wetter, so we can't really win. I had to laugh, however, at how people all settled down to chat/drink coffee/mingle at the back afterwards, despite the chill. There's also a radiant heater in the narthex which warms your head a bit ...

We eventually came home, had the coffee we craved, had some lunch, read the papers - and then went out to walk along the old road at Benmore, gazing into the misty hills and feeling the slight chill of very fine drizzle. We talked about the church tower (as you do) and about learning to write fluently. (Again as you do - I didn't start it, honest.) We had confit duck legs with roast potatoes and carrots along with some steamed pak choi for our dinner, and finished the last crumbs of my d-in-l's chocolate/nut/cherry cake with yogurt. 

I seem somehow to have acquired an extra couple of pounds (as in lbs) these last few days. My jeans were complaining painfully this morning. I must stop eating ...