Z goes out, on a whim (but not her own)

At about 3.30, Al came through and said they'd all decided to go out ("as a family", isn't that sweet?) to Southwold, and home via the splendid fish & chip shop at Pakefield - would we all like to come? The Sage said it was too late a return for the bantams, as they'd all be roosting in trees and he would spend half the evening catching them and putting them to bed. Ro said he had too much work to do. I said I had more potting on to do - pfft, I'd love to come.

It had been a cold, dull morning until the sun came out, and then it turned hot and lovely, albeit with a strong wind. Southwold was quite busy, although not many hardy people were still on the beach at 4 o'clock. We walked to the pier, watched the activities of the water clock at 4.30 and then spent half an hour building sandcastles. At Pakefield, we ate fish and chips on the green by the cliff, walked a few yards to show the children where their daddy had lived for 10 years (if you know Lowestoft, it's the Old Rectory, which was in the news a few weeks ago as the former home of the chap who bought it from us, who has recently gone to prison. A story which upsets me) and then drove past the house where we lived for the first year of Al's life.

This morning, I was busy after the service getting nominations for the PCC. The treasurer was a bit upset - nothing to do with me or anyone in the church - and wasn't sure she wanted to carry on. I didn't try to persuade her, I just listened to her and said how I'd try to put things right for next time; that she worked so hard it wouldn't be fair to push her into doing something she had doubts about but that I hoped she knew how much she was appreciated. I meant it of course - I don't do flannel - and she considered it and said she'll stand again. I'm very relieved; quite apart from the problem of having three days to find yet another treasurer, it would be awful to have a really fine person driven away, quite unintentionally, by another, equally fine, who was maybe seen as being more pernickety than was required in the circumstances. I've written and addressed that person's concerns tonight, with sincere thanks for the work done. I know, you'll call me a creep. I deny it, but agree that I'm a peacemaker and a negotiator. I also think it's important that each person in a disagreement keeps his sense of self-worth and doesn't feel he hasn't had his point of view taken into account.