First Portfolio Completed/The Mystery of the Paperclip

Another very busy day.  Up early this morning to take Tom to the village shop to pick up the newspapers for somebody else's round which he is doing today.  Tom has a day off school (another one of those Teachers' Training Days) so had offered to do the extra round.  I cooked an omelette for Mary and myself for breakfast which Mary really enjoyed.  Sara did her normal stint at Morning Star whilst I stayed at home and did some Complex work and prepared for my meeting with Nils this afternoon.  Lunch was a few prawns in vinegar which Leo, the cat, went crazy for.  After lunch I met with Nils to complete my "end of term" reports for the Diocese and to plan my service in Whiteparish on 5th February - where I am leading a BCP Evensong and preaching.  I need to get my sermon drafted by early next week.  Nils seems to have every confidence in me to preach and isn't too concerned to see my sermon before he goes away on retreat next week.  He did remind me that I should attend Morning Office at least once a week - I've slipped in that regard over the last few weeks.  He said that he missed my presence.  I will try and go tomorrow morning before I drive across to Westbury for a meeting with my fellow student, Ashley.  Tom was football training at Alderbury this evening so I drove him over at 6.00 p.m. It was pitch dark and despite the "floodlights" the ground was wet and slippery with much under repair and so the training was cancelled.  I did manage to get to Staples to buy a large box of colourful paperclips - a mystery, why is it that we seem to send out more paperclips than we receive?  Surely, the balance of paperclips in and out should be quite equal?  I guess we use paperclips for all sorts of other things other than clipping paper together! Finally completed my first portfolio this evening.  It was a very frustrating exercise as the page numbering kept going awry and causing me all sorts of problems.  I had to resort to hand writing the page number on some pages.  Still, it is done.  I'll be happy for a simple "satisfactory" pass.  Feeling quite tired after a very long day.