To St James Church, it being the 5th Sunday of the month and the day for a Family Service but it was poorly attended at this time of year. Some efforts to try and find a new livery stable for Debbie and Sundance without result so far and plans to go to the Earls Court Boat Show on Friday.
Panamanian Bishops are pressing for General Noriega to be turned over to the Americans, but I do not think that the Vatican will allow it whilst at home the political New Years messages abandon the centre ground.
Today was a rather poor day for achievement and satisfaction. I was the first to awake and I came down to get the morning drinks; Coffee for Diana, tea for me and Daniel and orange juice for the girls. In fact, Debbie was already awake, reading, and Daniel was at his Archimedes Microcomputer system. Della was asleep but, before long, they were all in our bedroom (except Daniel), and then in our bed until we got up. Today was the fifth Sunday in the month which means in Little Paxton that we have a family church service. We went to it this morning, but first Daniel had to clean the car, and I had to tend the fish and doves before finishing reading my book on navigation. Di had cooked us a nice fried breakfast.
** PRESS "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
The service was rather poorly attended, as is common the first Sunday after Christmas with all of the visiting and outings etc. We dropped Daniel off at home and then drove off in search of a new riding stable for Debbie. We have become disillusioned with Offord as there is now almost nobody else for Debbie to ride with and Fiona is so unreliable for lessons and so unpredictable for livery. We went to Stoughton which seemed to be quite large enough but seemed also to be totally inaccessible; then to Gransden which seemed tiny. Diana and I fell out over the responsibility for resolving Debbie's riding problems and tending to her care for these outings. She is convinced it is down to me, but I think that I have also done enough.
Home for a roast lunch and then, this afternoon, I spent some time reading boating books and more still typing up a standard letter for making enquiries of the riding stables in the area which I will send to each of them. Tea and then after, I read more boating books. In truth, I am still fascinated with boating and our new boat and cannot wait for the boat show to see the accessories that we need. Even so, I should be catching up with my work, but I can hardly find the time or enthusiasm to do this. A I read, Debbie was watching once again, the video of "Anne of Green Gables" which she loves.
We made plans today to go to the Earls Court Boat Show on Friday. Later this evening, I compiled my journal entries for the day, the month and the decade, typing the text into this computer to mark what could be the start of a new electronic era. A call to Mum today who is fine but pleased to hear from me. The Rev Peter Lewis had asked after her at St James Church today. The winter weather was unseasonably calm, dry and quite reasonable today. The news is of the Panamanian Bishops pressing for General Noriega to be turned over to the Americans, but I do not think that the Vatican will allow it. New Year messages of a highly political flavour from the politicians and they are all now writing off the centre ground in the British electoral scene. We shall see.