Lazy Richard??

I am a failure -- it is over two weeks since I last posted on my blog, and I am very sorry.   You can tell I am back in the full swing of being a vicar, inundated at the moment with  funerals, along with weddings.   All this is in addition to many meetings, but it is good to be back even if I don't get time to do things I did on my sabbatical.

I have been able to do some reading around my time of study, but not as much as I would have liked.  We have had our Annual Parochial Church Meeting, which last year was very challenging, and this year was like it usually is. Having said that three churchwardens have not stood for re-election, and only one has replaced them.

There is not much else to report, other than to say I continue to reflect on my time away.  I am seeing my Spiritual Director this Thursday in London, and no doubt that will help move things on, and sort things out in my mind.

Later this month I am going on retreat, and it is during that time that real decisions will be made.  My retreat is at Sarum College where I trained for ordination, and I'm looking forward to that very much.  I hope to get time on Salisbury Station!

Next week I also have a meeting with our new Archdeacon, and again I am looking forward to meeting him.  He is also coming to St Paulinus to preach a week on Sunday, and afterwards for lunch.

One silly thing I have done is to delete all my diary from my Google calendar.  As I had no backup, this means I have had to reconstruct my diary from memory. 

So if you had planned some extravagant evening for me, and I had accepted your invitation and failed to turn up, then I am very sorry. If you read this and think to yourself I hope Richard still house a certain date in his diary, it is worth just checking with me to make sure I have.

Healthwise it has been one of the best periods on medication that I have had.  Tomorrow is the last day in the present four-week spell of taking the drug Sutent, and this is followed by two weeks off.  Other than my hip which is hurting quite considerably (not surprising considering the cold damp weather) I have felt quite well -- even my feet which usually calls make great problems, have not been too bad.

Tomorrow, that is Wednesday, 2 May, I have another CT scan, and whilst I feel everything is ok, until the medical people look at the results, I won't know what is going on inside me. My next appointment with the oncologist is in two week’s time, and then I shall know for certain.

On Friday this week Charlotte is 30!  It really doesn't seem 30 years since I was standing by Sue in Grimsby Maternity Hospital being the official timekeeper and uttering those words 12.28(pm).  So this Friday Sue, Charlotte and I are going out to lunch, in slightly different circumstances.  We are having a family get-together on Monday.

I will endeavour to do at least two blogs a week to keep my many fans are advised. Please feel free to let me know if you feel I have let you down but not blogging!