Tuesday Jan 15th

Get this.....
Get the Catholic Herald this week ( it comes out on Friday in newsagents etc, available in Catholic churches on Sunday). There is a news item which is the latest on a story I uncovered last year, and which has been buzzing ever since: the local Catholics in Chideock are fighting to save their Sunday Mass.....Chideock, the place of the Chideock martyrs....who were tortured and executed in 1594 for having Mass in the village. The local parish priest has announced he won't say a regular Sunday Mass there any more - the plan is that the people must drive into town for Mass there. Candlelit vigils, pleas to the bishop, all appear to have been in vain.....and there is a real loyalty to the Mass in this place and it seems tragic that the clergy won't listen to the families who are really keen to keep it all going.

MEANWHILE, IN THE LOCAL LIBRARY.........
Have you asked for books by Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict in your local library? It would be v. helpful if you did. I have been waiting weeks and weeks to get a couple of them them from Sutton Library, and I am sure I am now going to be told they are simply not available. IF MORE PEOPLE WENT TO ASK FOR THEM THIS WOULD CHANGE. You would love - really love - the latest book by Peter Sewald, which has glorious pictures, fascinating stories and background :"Pope Bnedict XV1: Servant of the Truth". If you ask for a book in any library (fill in a card, and perhaps pay something like £1.50p) they are duty-bound to seek it on an inter-library loan, obtain a copy somehow, do all they can. But if something turns out to be extremely obscure then of course it just isn't fair to expect libraries to get it. IS THAT THE WAY YOU WANT PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO VIEW OUR CHURCH AND POPE? Well, it's up to you.

DOMESTIC
The sink is blocked, so I bought some stuff to pour down it. Glorious fizzing noise and I got mildly worried as smoke (or steam? not sure Didn't get near enough to explore in detail) wafted up. Opened back door and planned quick getaway if things turned nasty. What happens if house explodes? Neighbours get hurt? Nothing happened. Fizzing subsided. Blockage remains. Waited a while as per instructions on packet then tried again. Same result. Packet said try no more than twice then call a plumber. Am out all day tomorrow so impossible for plumber to call. Sink thus blocked until Thursday. Am keeping everything clean by bailing it all out, using plastic washbowl etc etc but it's annoying. Water does seep down the drain eventually but v.v. slowly. Whatever can be jammed down there?

Exchange of emails with sister who lives at other end of the world, most reassurring, covering a lot of topics. Felt suddenly near. There are some things you can only discuss with a sister.

It has been pouring for much of the day. I love rain and as we are still technically in a drought (I think we are still banned from watering our gardens) it is good to have water being chucked generously down on us. But there is talk of flooding and we are in a Flood Alert District with cards posted through the doors a while back warning we must hurry out if the Thames overflows.....we must put things on high shelves, move precious things upstairs (!!) etc. What things count as precious? My wedding pictures, old doll Janet, books (but which to choose? AAAARGH!) , various scrapbooks....but what about embroidered sampler that took ages to make, Jamie's dear little christening mug, small crucifix given to me at Confirmation? Have we enough high shelves for all of that? And should one be boring and include crucial paperwork, info for HM taxes, etc? And what about passport...and, golly, computer???

Local historians say it has never flooded here, and certainly there are no records of any floods at all and all maps confirm: all fields and farmland for past several hundred years with local river, tributary of Thames, running same course throughout. Flood-plain is further down river and (until Embankment built in 19th century) bits of East London.