The organist librarian

Walking with elephants to the Okovango has been an amazing series with really closeup shots of wild animals all of the big 5. We must preserve these wonderful animals! 

It was a pleasure to take the boys to the Museum of Childhood and they enjoyed the puppets, snakes and ladders and moving toys. The pirates exhibition seemed more suitable for older children? Sadly some of the cases are poorly lit. Good cafe. I was forced to sit down and do some sketching as my right foot was hurting. In the end I came home to rest rather than try to serve at Mass. Programme on wild animals in the city. Rats can reproduce very soon after birth. Alligators and elephants can coexist with humans!

Waved off the kids and Louise and Tom - they will be back on Wednesday. Listened to second half of King's - lovely Michael Berkeley, Harold Darke, Howells, Lennox Berkeley and Warlock Bethlehem Down. Listing composers I have seen or met. A lot! Carols from King's. Dennis announced yesterday that the baptism will be on April 23rd in Dublin so booking flights. Nice walk round South Norwood lake very clear sky. Met Mary from St John's and had a good chat. Dennis and AnnMarie came for bubble and squeak. Watched videos from the 60s featuring Michael Goldthorpe and little Ann! Programme on elephants in Tsavo.

Monday swam 24 and to mosaic and collected everything as I will not be there again until June. I have the right number of tiles I hope. 9 at tai chi! Home for lunch. Catenian council at Brendan's and Philip made a strange remark about the most committed person taking on too much i.e. me! To Chinese for a good meal £23. Tuesday we both swam and I did 22.  Had a wierd dream about Guilini conducting a concert on a beach and some of the chorus arrived on zip wires including Simon and then it poured! To Gate cinema for RSC from Stratford Love's labours won which is Much Ado set after World War 1. Dogberry was hilarious! To Turnham Green and finished one book. To Chiswick business park on bus and another oil painting class doing the brown and white. Liz was at servers council. Wed Sean joined in at Tamar's and we went to Gunnerbury park for lunch. I went from Acton Town to interfaith group and Stefan spoke without notes on yoga. I went to the Westminster debate on Faith and poli...

To Kent House. Unfortunately got off at Bromley South where I should have changed at Orpington. Anyway Brendan met me at Sevenoaks station in his BMW and we picked up Fergus (very grand house). Visited Oakwood House (lovely but expensive) Village (not so nice) Holiday Inn (disappointing) and finally Darenth Valley Golf club and his will be a good venue for a St George's Provincial Gala Dinner and Dance. Menu  Butternut Soup, Lamb noisettes, two desserts and cheese. Brendan will also book the Heartbeats. It was a miserable day so came home and had a rest watching Picasso programme - my tooth was bothering me. I went to Bloomsbury Baptist to hear Henry Fairs play Buxtehude, Hoffmann and Bruhns. He is now so fat I am amazed he can see the pedals! They locked a troublesome door which i do not think they should have done. It made my exit befofe the Nielsen awkward. Mark Doran was at mass -confirmation candidates and Fr Andrew had asked Mark to help with radio mike. There were 6 se...

Sunday Dec 28 and Xavier was clearly delighted to see us. He celebrated Mass for us in the little oratory next to our rooms. He sits on the floor with the shawl round him guru style. I did a meditation on the family. We saw the impressive library upstairs and I borrowed Fr Sebastian's book which I later bought. He founded the ashram and his colleague is 92 and very serene. I road pillion on the motorbike holding onto Xavier to get money form the Kalady ATM! Quite an experience! Only the second time I've fdne that. At 3 we went by tuktuk taxi to seee 6 elephants at the sancturary. Sad to see them chained but we did see 2 returning from their bath in the river and they seemed welled cared for. We saw a temple with a huge cow statue and climbed up inside the Kalady stoopa with 8 sides for Adi Shankara who was born there. I preferred the temple where his mother is remembered. It is by the river and very calm. 

Sunday cont. After our interesting drive sat in the sun and read my book. To Sirocco restaurant on the Thiemens Island waterfront for delicious calamari, fish, sushi and chocolate brownie. This was our treat for Stan and Mette and was excellent value at R900 for all 4 of us with excellent De Greuvel wine (R175) included. I found my diary in the car under the seat so that was a relief and have now put the remaining three addresses into the Tom Tom. Monday Stan had a meeting about the Knysna literary festival so we had a quiet time  and a nice chat to Ann on Skype and then set off with Mette to go on the ferry to Featherbed reserve. We boarded a car pulled by a truck to the top of the hill in glorious sunshine and then walked down with a walking stick which was a great help (wish I had had one on Mt Sinai). A 2.2 km walk. I did not attempt the Needle point rocks or the sea cave. A lovely buffet lunch with loads to eat. We went to the Food lovers market and bought spices. Worked o...