Peaceful Christmas

St Mary's does the big Christmas service at Midnight Mass, so there was a congregation on Christmas morning small enough to fit into the choir stalls - and it was a quick jog trot through the liturgy, as Fr Richard (and the holy hounds) had to be at Llanigon for the main Sunday/Christmas Day service at 11am. He was also doing duty as priest and organist, so had to keep dashing to the organ, playing the first verse of the carol, and then leaving the congregation to sing on unaccompanied while he went back to the altar.
Agnes the poodle howled daintily through the first carol, and then went to sleep.
It seems, by the way, that Fr Richard is building a shrine to Our Lady of Capel-y-ffin. Apparently a Norman lady had a vision there.

As Islay became gradually less able to walk, so my walks became shorter and shorter - until they became trolley pushes. So this year I decided to head up Cusop Dingle in the afternoon (pleasantly full of game stew and plum and cinnamon sponge, and a wee dram of whisky). I got as far as Llangwathan Mill, which is one of my favourite cottages up at the top end of the Dingle, before I felt I had to turn back. I'm sadly unfit, so I'll be getting the maps out and planning a few more long walks in the New Year. It was a lovely mild day, and all my favourite waterfalls were looking beautiful.

All this, and Doctor Who in the evening. I cried - "happy tears", of course (you'll have to watch the episode to understand the reference....).