Finally! I've just managed to put together a little slide show of the boys' pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was very difficult to choose a few shots from the hundreds that had been taken and also try not to include shots of people. I don't think it's fair to put pictures of other people in the public domain without asking their permission first and especially as I don't even know most of the other pilgrims.
Anyway, I managed to choose a few shots from each day so hope you enjoy it.
Yes, they're back from their travels at last. The weary but very happy pilgrims flew in last night full of enthusiasm, eager to share their experiences . . . and their dirty washing - literally!
Ah well, such is life! Actually I really don't mind. It's lovely to have both the paterfamilias and number one son home safe and sound and so obviously having had a great time.
I'm looking forward to a 'debriefing' session over supper tonight and looking at all the photos eventually - just a few hundred, I'm told! I'll try and post some of them here soon.
I don't know whether it's the Chelsea Flower Show or what that prompted it but I had an email from my brother today saying, 'Nothingon your blog for ages about the garden. Something must be growing surely!'
And he's quite right of course. I must say the garden's not looking at its best at the moment. We seem to have had a lot of cool, wet weather recently and I can't say I've been tempted to go out there and do much about the weeds which are flourishing.
I decided I'd take a walk around our little patch with my camera and just snap at whatever I could find. It's amazing when you look at the results, how much there is growing after all.
Of course at this time of year, lots of plants are putting on a bit of a spurt and there are several things that look quite promising given a bit of sunshine (please!) in the next few weeks.
Plus of course, that's the beauty of photographs. You can edit out all the weedy, untidy bits and make out it's all glorious!
Fortunate too today that Signor Vivaldi was free and able to accompany my stroll with the camera. I know the music's a bit of a cliché but I hope you enjoy the slide show.
Thanks to Mary for posting this video. No offence intended - I'm sure there are many, many priests out there who can skip the light fandango with the best of them! Besides, that's not the point, is it? The message is in the punchline. It made me smile so hope you do too.
Fed up with all the stories of 'sleaze' in Westminster which has become our staple diet over the past week? Beginning to wonder what happened to old fashioned words like 'integrity'?
Do you remember the T Mobile ad filmed at Liverpool Street Station?
Fr Leo has just sent me a link to this similar video filmed at Antwerp Central Station. Sit back and enjoy the reminder of days of innocence epitomised by Julie Andrews:
As the Holy Father has been too busy to text me on his latest movements, I'll have to make do with updates from 'the boys' who seem to be having a great time and a wonderful pilgrimage.
They appear to be following in the Holy Father's footsteps - literally. They checked in at Notre Dame hotel in Jerusalem yesterday after Pope Benedict himself left the same hotel in the morning.
I didn't hear on the news whether His Holiness had also been in a cable car over Mount Masada like 'the boys'! (Thanks to Danny who's been uploading photos to Facebook religiously (pun, intended!) so that I can be with them 'virtually' if not in person, and for allowing me to pinch the odd shot until the 'boys' get home and I can see their photos).
The Holy Father ended his visit today and here is a clip from the Vatican YouTube site of his final address. Poor man, can you imagine, you're all packed and ready to board the plane and you still have to stop and chat to the press. You never have that problem on a Thompsons holiday!
Gardens at Chartwell on Bank Holiday Monday.
All ready for the Champions League final - glad I was a 'neutral' on the night! 
All ready for the Champions League final - glad I was a 'neutral' on the night! 
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