I bought full fat milk by mistake the other day. I had forgotten how lovely and creamy it is. A perfect partner to my homemade muesli with Pink Lady apple.

Now for my friendship post. I like to say I haven’t got any friends. Only John. I am quite reserved, and think I am difficult to get to know. However, for the last three days I have had really good experiences of friendship.

On Sunday I meet Barbara usually. We got for a coffee in a local coffee shop after Mass, but on the 1st Sunday there is a coffee morning at church, so we stayed there. Then we walked through Howden park (can’t remember the name – it might be The Ashes) partly to get our steps tally to go up (goal = 10,000 a day, and mainly because Barbara wanted to check the amount on the card she was taking to Malta this week.  Barbara has a really lively mind, and we talk non-stop about anything and everything. We’re both in to holistic therapies, good food etc. That was an enjoyable morning.

Then on Monday I rang an old old friend. My age, but we have been friends since about 1968. Our boys grew up together. I remember the lads looked so cute in their little pushchairs and summer outfits. Then our two girls followed. I daren’t put up a photo of the four kids running around the front garden with no clothes on. Such a shame. We exchange Christmas cards with a bit of news on, and ring one another very occasionally. Her husband died on Valentine’s Day a few years ago, and my friend has told me twice about how consoled she was by her wonderful parish priest who was present when her husband died. Apparently, the priest offered Janet communion at the death bed, and although her husband wasn’t a Catholic he nodded, so the priest gave him communion.

By coincidence we met this priest at our recent Poetry and Prayer retreat in Wales, http://www.pathwaystogod.org/org/st-beunos  and after a few days I twigged that he might be my friend’s PP. He was, and he had actually written a very touching poem about the funeral. I rang said friend on Monday, and we just chatted and chatted. She was always very glamorous and is still teaching keep fit (or something) classes. She had had three classes on Monday.  She now has a boyfriend, with a very interesting back story. It was lovely to chat and we vowed we must stay much closer. She has always had an open invitation to come to visit us, and hopefully she will bring her boyfriend now.

Then, yesterday, my friend from down the road came for a coffee. Once again we talked non-stop. This time about computers, photography and technical stuff, though it can be about knitting etc. She has just come back from Singapore and China so had lots of photos. She had also made a photo book with iMac or iPhoto or something and showed me a hard copy. She has made three, just with generic flower pictures, so she can give them as gifts to – well- I got the impression it was to little old ladies who might appreciate being remembered. So kind.

Sorry for the lack of names in this post. I don’t like taking liberties with people’s privacy, except for Barbara, who says what she likes to whom she likes all the time. I’ve never known a more open person.

I like to be in control of what I make public. I am on FB, Goodreads, Twitter (a bit) and find that FB somehow gets hold of my blog posts etc, and plasters them on to my newsfeed. I also found that Twitter had post my Blog posts. I hate this, and have gone and deleted a few. Then I got fed up with this and left the last few.

Off birding now. To see some birds and another group of friends. Goodbye.