Tuesday

The weather has been lovely, warm and sunny and bright, and 72 when I drove through town, and I have needed to be about.

 

I went to Walmart and was gazing at what passes in this country for smoked salmon, and thought happily of the smoked salmon lined up for me when I get home.  And what is going to be on my first shopping trip to Waitrose, Sainsbury, or wherever, will be Melton Mowbray pork pie, and Ambrosia creamed rice.

 

Of course there will be many things - apart from wonderful friends - that I will miss when I am back in the homeland.  This is cattle country, and I'll never find better steaks.  And the wonderful skies in Oklahoma.   I will miss Wednesday nights at Emmanuel, but the church I will be joining in Oxford looks very active and promising.  If anyone is interested it's website is http://www.standrewsoxford.org.   

 

I thought too of how accommodating people are here.  This afternoon I needed a prescription, I'd had my last refill, and my doctor is away for Spring Break but my pharmacy gave me it to me anyway.

 

Everyone has started cutting their grass and Kevin came today to do mine.  I told him I was going home, and after looking and sounding suitably sorrowful - and very taken aback - he asked what I was going to "do".    Do??   Do??   I asked.   He pointed out that I am busy here, I have a hospital chaplaincy round  for example.  I told him I was going to retire.

 

I hope David Cameron is not about to call a General Election.  I have had it with elections and politics.   My tv remote is stuck on Fox News and doesn't know its way anywhere else - although on another channel, I think about 1am or some other unsuitably late (or early) hour, there is a programme about the Real Secret Service in Britain, I have made a note to watch.

 

Well, I have a living room to tidy up a bit, the contents of two cupboards are strewn all over the place.