Lent

This last 2 weeks have run along a particular theme I've found, one of Love. I've had friends who loved someone and who are grieving their loss, friends who thought they might love someone but couldn't decide what that meant, friends who loved each other they were willing to forgive almost anything and friend who loved someone from far away, missing them and feeling their pain. In the midst of it all I celebrated Lent and me and alex spent a few days apart while he went to Oldham on business. I suppose you could add me and the cat to that list of people, as we were out of sorts and missed him very much! Anyway, Ash wednesday gave me a chance to pause for thought during one of Rob's sermons which was all about forgiveness and especially self forgiveness, release and love too. It was again one of those talks of his I'd love to be able to bottle up and take away with me.


In an effort to take my mind off all these weighty subjects I had booked a massage on wednesday, pure bliss. Honestly. Everyone should get a regular massage, I'm a total convert! Then Friday night Danielle came over and we went to Laura's for some tea. She put on a lovely spread of salad, bread, cheeses, smoked trout, quiche and we had a glass or two of red wine with it and put the world to rights. Only thing was it was absolutely chucking it down with rain and lightning so we got away before we got too comfy and watched a dvd from home. It was good to catch up. Next day we mooched around Cotteridge, Bournville and Kings Heath. Bournville was the most fun. We actually went into Cadbury World www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en/cworld but only around the shop as it's £13 to go round and we didn't have the time to justify that kind of money, But we did get chocolate easter eggs and bags of misshapes from the factory shop, and looked in the little cake shop and bakery on the high street. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3056286.stm. We had a look at Selly Manor too, which I'd love to go back to see properly www.bvt.org.uk/sellymanor/.

Then we went to Kings Heath to the Organic Cafe, somewhere I'd been wanting to visit for probably a year now. Everything they sell is organic, the food is fresh and tasty and heathy. It's a lovely spot and seemed really popular. They sell organic wines and beers and have a shop selling everything from organic kitchen cleaners to seeds to gardening tools and organically grown plants. It's lovely!

Then last night, after I'd dropped Danielle off and pottered and welcomed Alex back home there was an amazing sight. At about 10.30pm there was a lunar eclipse. It was such a weird sight, but beautiful. It's not something I expect to see very often and quite amazing. It made me think that however complicated our loves and lives seem, the planet we are on will never stop amazing us, doing its thing through the millennia. Wow.