I believe...

Friday 26th March, 2021

It feels like the proverbial April because it has been a day of sun and showers with only the strong wind as a constant. I have spent most of the day in motion. I had an early walk to the village to help at the Community Centre but I arrived too late. Then at 12.30 I took off again. I took my litter grabber but in the hour and a half walk only filled one bag. The walk was a variation on my usual. Up over the hills at the back of the village whence one can see the Forth of Tay and the North Sea as well as St Andrews and Tentsmuir forest and across the East towards Perth. It was, it is such a glorious view. Ploughing and the rain had darkened the earth, the sun glinting on various lakes and streams, buzzards circling, some cock pheasants fighting and prancing in defiance of each other and then that silence caused by the wind in the trees. Celandine, rhododendrons, blue hyacinths, daffodils and the leaves of the trees almost colouring the sky as one looked up through them. It was magical and heart warming.

I took a turn in the lane I had not taken before and the view was even more spectacular than usual. I walked down in to Tayport, bought a huge bar of Coop milk chocolate, on offer and a lunchtime treat ( regretted almost immediately) for £1. A bus back almost to my front door. Then some hoovering of carpets.

I had had an email from my solicitor about the purchase of a flat. He wanted to contact me, something difficult to do under my personal circumstances. I telephoned him and said I am utterly incompetent, hate paperwork, trusted him entirely as he is a friend of a friend and hoped all would be simple. He promised to do his best. We then talked of Church music as he had been a choral singer at Cambridge University and has been so since graduating. We almost got in to a theological discussion but agreed that perhaps one day when we had, if we ever had, time. I love such discussions so I hope. Any way I feel relieved and filled with hope.

Now to read and pray for it is still Lent and I am hoping to pop in to Church tomorrow for the first time in months. Yet bad news stalks for the infection rate in Scotland seems to be going up and is the worst in the UK! Or so I am informed. Whatever I have a positive email from a friend and I will not lose my optimism. Also I have been sent the list of Catholic Churches in Cheltenham.....I might also go to Evensong in the Anglican one as I love their choral tradition. Lent prepares us for the shock, the incredible, the awesome joy of Easter. As Lacordaire wrote: " I believe, help my unbelief".