Palm Sunday

The beginning of Holy Week started with a procession from the Rectory to All Saints with palms and palm crosses. The Rev. Roger Sharpe led the procession as the minister today - always a very popular figure at Winterslow. Mary looked splendid in her chorister's uniform and wore it with great pride - her first such procession. Sara took the Junior Church today and got the children making more palms from paper and bamboo sticks. Cynthia asked me, after the service, to give the intercessions at a special Communion service (her very first) she is conducting after having been priested on 27th June 2009. I felt quite flattered and accepted readily. As we had left my car at the School we walked back to it from church over the fields - such a pleasant walk on a fine Sunday morning. Tom had taken himself off much earlier wanting to jog back home over the fields so he was a little distraught when we arrived back nearly half an hour later. We were only back for about 15 minutes before we set off for North Baddesley to meet up with the Russells (our children's godparents) at The Water Margin Chinese restaurant. We had their extensive Sunday luncheon buffet which was absolutely excellent - in fact I had forgotten just how good their food is and was delighted that I had suggested it as a venue to meet up. We had a large circular table with a lazy susan and by sharing all the food had a lovely intimate meal. Everyone was impressed by the meal. After exchanging Easter eggs, they proceeded on their journey to Worcester and we returned home. I mowed the front lawn and cleaned the car whilst Sara prepared a lovely tea. Tom became happy and then distraught. The happiness caused by finding that his Xbox live worked using a long lead lent by Klynn to connect his Xbox to our router (this will save us £40-£50 on buying a wireless dongle) but distraught to find he has misplaced the software card to initiate it. He is able to initiate it for 30 days with a free trial but as we've paid £40 for the software card we need to find it soon. This wasn't the only strange disappearance today. A boiled egg Sara left on the kitchen window sill for my lunch tomorrow vanished, a doll's crotched hat turned up on the top of the kitchen bin and Sara distinctly heard the rattle of a teaspoon in her mother's cup when she made tea this morning in the kitchen. Today marked the 21st anniversary of Gillian's death too! Sara has also felt her mother's presence in the past when she has been in the kitchen. Did Tom leave his software in the kitchen too I wonder? Early night tonight - well maybe not quite so early as hoped - it's past 11 p.m. already!