All in a day’s work
This morning was spent mainly in the office it needed me, I tell you. For the past couple of weeks I’ve just been dumping things there on my way to my next appointment. It’s still not at the spotless stage, but it’s closer than this morning.
I drove to Home City at 12.30 to drop of a ham to my sister, the chef. Each year a certain parishioner gives me a ham for Christmas, and usually a LARGE ham at that. It costs a fortune for me to get smoked, but it’s so delicious at Christmas time and I have plenty of meat for when visitors drop in. If ever I become a bishop my motto will be: “There’s only one thing better than a slice of ham and that’s two slices of ham!”
It was then off to my podiatrist appointment. I’ve been having trouble with my right foot since I returned from overseas. I know what the problem is – my feet are as flat as a pancake. But in addition to this, I wore ill-fitting shoes on my study tour/holiday and with all the walking I did my foot had no support from the cheap shoes I was wearing. So when I saw my podiatrist a few weeks ago, she strapped my foot and urged my to buy a decent pair of shoes. Which I did at great cost, twice the price I’d normally pay for shoes. Since then my foot has been much better, but today she also recommended I purchase some orthotics to put in my shoes. I did this also. I could already feel more supprt for my foot. Who knows maybe I’ll be able to run in the next marathon.
Then it was off to one of the several tertiary education institutes nearby to talk on the work I’ve been doing with a social justice group I’ve been instrumental in establishing. It wasn’t so much talking about the issue the group is involved in, more why it was established and how it functions and seeks to achieve change. I’m chairperson of this group, and together with the doctor (a woman) who is the vice-chaiperson we did a good job of presenting our methods to the class.
By the time I arrived back home it was almost 6pm. Just enough time to call a couple of people to ask if they’d speak here in our parish on various topics next year. They both said yes, which I’m thrilled about. So that mean’s I have two adult education nights organised for early 2003 one in February, the next in March. One night will be on models of church, the other will be on the spirituality of the saint who is our parish patron.
It was then off to the third Christmas dinner I’ve attended in the past six days (four more to go!). Tonight’s was for the support group I formed for those people who have a family member in prison. I’m involved in a number of groups and causes, some of them quite public. This group, by its nature, is very quiet, and it’s also one of the groups I feel the most privileged to be part of. To see the change in these people from the time the group first met is just awe-inspiring. These parents and family of people in prison were timid, shy, scared, and insecure when we first met. Now they’re confident, able to laugh (as well as cry), supportive of each other, and inspirational. I’ve just come home, actually. We’ve been chatting away for over four hours at the club. In fact, the club asked us to leave because we’re were the last one’s there and the staff wanted to go home! It’s been emotionally and spiritually taxing to be facilitating this group – but I’ve been so blest to see the miracles of transformation occur in the hearts and souls of the members. The group gave me a book for a Christmas gift, which was totally unexpected, and unnecessary, but a wonderful surprise, just the same.
So that was today. Tomorrow is a rare day when I have just one appointment in the morning for an hour. I’ll be able to finish my office work. And then on to the house work. My housecleaner had to withdraw her services due to ill health, meaning my house hasn’t been dusted, vacuumed, and so on for almost two months now, and its starting to show. I’ve organised for a professional cleaner to come in next week to get the place nice for Christmas, but with the visitors I’m expecting to pass through my front door in January it will soon need cleaning again. There’s little point in advertising until after the holidays and school returns. Meaning it will be mid-February before someone is cleaning on a regular basis.
I’m off to bed. Good night!