Dinner-time, breakfast-time

1 The late-young and the early-old, they both met for dinner yesterday evening. The guest brought a plentiful supply of a mild curry together with a box of rice. During the cooking in the oven, the two talked about this and that and then went on to different others. The talking continued during the eating. Amongst all else, they registered the benefits of a home-based parent, one who ordered the domestic life, who was the centre of that life. After the meal, being up-to-date people, one attended to a laptop whilst the other was equally occupied with a desktop. The conversation continued even as the visitor drove away, about 2315.

2 The morning was occupied with the preparation for a second visitor and with a companionable breakfast. Coffee and scrambled egg on toast were provided, sufficient for sustenance whilst being no impediment to conversation. Lourdes, the life and death of a credit union, the radicalism of the present government, the impact of radicalism and hard times on the fortunes of a political party, the significance of the contest between Lords and Commons over the current Bill, the consequences of the result of a referendum on AV, the likely results of the district and parish elections in May, a consideration of the new Town Clerk, a recollection of the Pope's visit to the UK, the appeal of the recent Homeless service in EG, the experience of Catholicism being represented by a 100-story building, and concluding exchanges about influential authors - they all were discussed over the table. Both left the table well-fed.

3 And so to the day: a visit to an elderly man in East Surrey hospital, a reading at Mass, and a quiet evening, preparatory to a visit to Gatwick airport just after mid-day. Meanwhile, the search for a missing passbook may continue.

Home, lady, it's time to come home