BRING ON THE BOXES

The moment cannot be be put off any longer - we have been talking about packing for several weeks now, but finally we have got to actually do something about it.  I have to say that despite 12+ moves in the last 16 years of marriage, this one is proving to be the most challenging of all.  We are having to separate things into one of four categories - stuff we don't expect to need for a year or so and will remain packed up for that time, stuff that we don't plan to take to Africa but that we will need access to in Shrivenham for the month before we go, stuff for me to take to Kampala and stuff for Ronnie to take to Juba.  For the first time since he went, I am beginning to feel grateful that Chad is not around.  The packing is tricky enough as it is without the added burden of a large ginger cat investigating every box you open.  Incidentally, according to Madeleine and Richard, Chad's new carers (no one can really 'own' Chad), he is now not as large as he was before.  I think he is pining for us, Ronnie thinks he is just slimming down to a reasonable size now he isn't being over-fed by me.  She may have a point.

We had a lovely time at the Smallwood Speech Day yesterday, although it was a little poignant as many of our goodbyes were probably adieu and not au revoir. This final week at school will be more of the same of course, only made worse by the build up of emotion that the Year 6 leavers always manage to generate at this time of year, culminating in a tear-filled final Eucharist service in chapel on Friday. The difference this year is that I will no doubt share some of that emotion.

For avid beard-followers everywhere here is the latest update ...  

For some reason it has reached a stage at which everyone feels able to comment on it without considering my feelings.  As a consequence, I am beginning to think of it as a Marmite beard - sadly not because it is the colour of Marmite (if only) but because people seem to love it or hate it.  In the end, my riposte is usually 'it's my face and I'll grow what I like on it'.