All Clear at the Dentist's

Up early this morning as I had to attend a dentist's appointment at 8.30 a.m. at their new premises in the refurbished Old Manor Hospital (the old asylum hospital) which still raises titters when you say you are going there!  The new premises are really lovely and reminded me a little of the new law courts.  They have exposed the old roof beams and the inside is very spacious and open plan.  I was delighted that this was only a routine examination and my teeth - those I have - are in good condition - all Grade 1 whatever that means! It did mean that I didn't need to concern myself with having to half any fillings or other treatment.  Having paid my £15 NHS examination fee I left feeling rather good.  I drove to Waitrose where I bumped into Zoe again who wanted some advice about a service she is leading at Whaddon on Sunday. It seems strange to be advising her; but with having no services myself to take for the Clarendon Team.  I met up with Mike from St. Pauls and we had coffee and a cake together and a chat and he asked about my work as chaplain with Alabare.  I invited him to come along this morning to see for himself and he stayed with me throughout my turn of duty.  Mo, the chaplain from Barnabas House, also came and joined me as she was interested in learning about the work of a chaplain with the general homeless and seeing how it compared with her own role with homeless/abused women. At the end of the session one of the service users found that he had left his room key at the hospital where he had been having an x-ray.  Mike and I offered to go up to the hospital and retrieve it - I drove and Mike went in to the x-ray department to get it.  We returned to Alabare Place with it to much appreciation.  After having dropped Mike off at Waitrose to regain his bicycle, I drove back home and mowed the bank.  Sara took Mary and her friend Izzy into Southampton to do some shopping in West Quay and they arrived back just as I started on the mowing. It was tough work as the grass had grown up quite considerably with the rain and sun and was still quite damp.  I detached the grass box and left the clippings on the grass. I'll let them die and then rake up when they are more like hay.  That way I will be able to get them into the already quite full garden refuse bin.  After all that exertion I went to Parkwood and spent some time in the pool, steam room and spa and after a nice warm shower treated myself to a Chinese meal which I brought home.  Sara is feleing really unwell tonight and spread herself out on the sofa watching some dreadful horror/thriller called The Elevator which I chose to leave her watching when blood seemed to be spraying everywhere.  not my type of film.