A slow day

Now and again, a slow day is needed for rest and recuperation, and that is what I had today - after getting the FH's breakfast, and letting out the hens, I went back to bed with the laptop and a heap of books, to think about my service for Sunday.  I had a mooch around some blogs, looked at the finances [that invoice still hasn't come in for the hob connection] and talked with a beekeeping friend of the FH's on Facebook.  The FH sat and did a jigsaw - he is doing a beautiful "Flying Scotsman" scene at the moment - and then we both had a nap before lunch!  The sheer luxury of falling asleep whilst listening to some Christian radio through the laptop was amazing....it was almost a shame to wake up and have to make lunch.

This afternoon, the YFG has had her piano lesson and then we went to that supermarket because she wanted some particular items for her DoE expedition this weekend - her waterproofs are going to get an exceptionally good workout, I think, looking at the weather forecast as it isn't very good!  I have told her to look out for church porches for somewhere dry to sit to eat their lunch, and maybe make a hot drink on the wee stove.  They may not have time for a hot drink, so I can imagine that hot chocolate may be required at the pub where I have to meet them at 3pm before we drive home.  She is looking forward to the experience, and hoping that the "real" expedition next month will be a tad drier.

The rain is doing our potato plants the world of good, and they are thriving.  We have been working on the rotavator problem, for the turning over of some rough ground that the chickens had been on for several years, and although a local member of the travelling community had offered to do it for £175 [if I had been there when he told the FH that price, I think I may have collapsed...] we are looking at renovating UJ's old one, which should cost a lot less, and we will have a working piece of equipment at the end of the exercise, which I think is always worthwhile.

I was interested in the news recently that the main supermarkets are beginning to struggle, and that Morrison's has had a 7% dip in like-for-like sales over the last year - I do like Morrison's and wish that there was one a bit closer.  I am going to read more about that tomorrow.

The girls in Nigeria and their families are constantly in my thoughts and I cannot begin to imagine how their parents are coping in these very dark days.  I read about a church in America which has learned of most of the girls' names and is going to assign each member of the congregation to pray for particular girls by name.  There is nothing that will give those families any comfort until they are able to hold their daughters in their arms again, and that is what I pray for.