London

It's been a bit busy lately.

On Wednesday I spent all day in London with my lovely eighteen-year-old god-daughter, yesterday morning I did playgroup, we had a visitor in the afternoon, and in the evening some of us from the children's work team got together to plan our next Big Happy Sunday. It will include music, surprises, and ice lollies. About midnight last night I revised the latest piece of work and found lots of mistakes in it. Told you I work better at night.

So, some of the highlights -

The street entertainers outside the National Gallery. There was a guy playing Fur Elise on glasses of water, and god-daughter wanted her photo taken with the Gold Man. She has a smartphone and it took me seven attempts to take a picture.

The original Monets and Van Goghs in the National Gallery.

Watching god-daughter rapt with the original Monets and Van Goghs. Van Gogh is her favourite artist, and it was such fun to watch her losing herself in the work. She tore herself away at last, saying that if she stayed any longer she wouldn't be able to resist touching.

Sharing a favourite painting with her, and she loved it, too.

Chelsea Buns and elderflower fizz. (Also at the National Gallery. BTW, the National Gallery is free, but you can leave a donation.)

Introducing her to the sculpture of the newborn baby outside St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Benji. The sweetest little Blenheim Cavvy spaniel was running about in Green Park, so we asked his owner if we could say hello to him, and she kindly let us make his acquaintance. (Our little Daniel was a Blenheim Cavalier, Blenheim being that reddish brown and white colour.) Typical Cavvy, sweet-natured, eager, pretty, with eyes for nobody but his mum as soon as she got the dog treats out.

Ice cream in one of the poshest places in London. Because we could.

Tony being there when I got off the train at 11.30, taking me home and bringing me a cup of tea.

Seeing playgroup children loving the toys we chose at the Resource Centre.

Sunshine.

The garden.

My friends on the children's work tam, I will miss them so much.

And something bittersweet - one of the team bought a copy of my book 'Women of the Bible' for the children at church, and I signed it for them. In two months, we leave the village. Writing in that book was the first time I felt like crying.