Spur of the moment

Wednesday today so our usual service. We'd agreed that Janet's first service would be our main Sunday service this week, so I led today's service. I probably won't be doing one again for a very long time so it was special for me.
There was a reasonable sized congregation of 10 and at my suggestion, Janet came in for coffee after the service, to meet some of the congregation. They likely won't be there on Sunday so it was a relaxed introduction for her and they were glad to have the chance to meet her.
We spent the next couple of hours exploring the church, introducing such things as the burglar alarm and the music cupboard. It was good. We're also going to go together tomorrow to visit a lady who fell after the service on Monday evening and as a result spent the night in hospital. She's home now, but will appreciate the visit.
Colin and I went down to Stockbridge and after some late lunch in Two Children bought some birthday cards ready for the September rush (6 birthdays in two weeks). I popped into the Shelter Shop too, after all it would be rude not to, wouldn't it. I came out with an elephant soft toy. It's the first time I've fallen for a soft toy in a very long time but it just appealed to me. It's been in the wash and is now in the tumble dryer and looking very smart.
We walked back past Inverleith Pond, it's full of green algae, the swans made me laugh as the pen and cygnet look like their heads are missing. The flowers in the water bed are looking good still, the purple loose strife and giant willow herb in particular.
Can anyone tell me what the other flower in the blip is? Google was not very convincing in the several offers it made. The heads are about four or five inches in diameter and the plants about four feet tall.
Back home this evening I realised that the UK Cursillo event is on this Saturday in Durham. I haven't been much involved in the wider Cursillo world for a while, and decided that actually I would thoroughly enjoy going so I've booked a return ticket for Saturday. I've got friends from across the UK who'll be there so that will give me a real boost. There will be a Eucharist in the Cathedral in the afternoon which will make me feel close to my sister who sang in a choir based there. I could do with a good sing and a few descants, lol.
I heard tonight that one of my oldest friends in Tirunelveli died today. His quality of life has been very poor for the last two or three years, so I've been expecting it and can't be sad in some ways. On the other hand we've been friends for almost 30 years and he's one of the first of my really close friends to die, he was just three weeks older than me. The funeral is tomorrow.