Ablutions

2/14/12    Can't quite believe the first morning's flow. I gave myself plenty of time to figure out what was and was not possible in the bathroom - turning on the water heater, discovering which fosset's the hot water would or would not flow from - so glad of the suggestion I took to bring with me a sink stopper - realizing that the shower head was just decoration and that the big bucket with the small jug hanging from the side had a particular purpose - to be filled with the right blend of hot and cold and the jug to throw water over me in the corner of the room nearest the drain - no separation of any bathroom function - a rubber blade sweeper of course is the crucial component at the end of the process to wipe the floor of water, sweeping it towards the drain. Then to fill my water bottle and use my steripen  purification system for the first time and taking a long drink - trusting the water thus purified for the first time and of course brushing teeth with water from the water bottle. Forgive the mundane details - its just that for me these are special moments of navigation.

Then to prayers at 7:00 a.m. in the chapel of Brotherhood House. First ten minutes just two of us reading and working our way through morning prayer. Then the priest on duty arrived to join us. The very elderly brother who was on hand from the beginning guided me carefully through the page numbers and great array of books to consult and follow. Little did I know or recognize that this elderly man was Ian Weathrall, Chairman of the society. I discovered this over breakfast and was delighted because this is the first person I've met who knew my grandparents personally, and here we met in chapel without each other's names and him guiding me through morning prayer. Can you see my smile!!:)

Breakfast of cornflakes with powdered milk made with boiled water. Toast and butter with good bitter orange marmalade. Then back to my rook to write this blog.

Chilly air this morning but bearable with my coat on.