Monday was a holiday! It was Easter Monday. I don't know what that means, but hey, we had a 4-day weekend, and that was good enough for me.

It started with someone from B & Q coming round to look at things and measure up for my new kitchen. He was here for over an hour, and then he said he'd like to go off and work on it and get back to me by Wednesday or Thursday. I said sure! It was a bit of a blustery day, and so I wandered into town for a bit, and then went and did some supermarket shopping. Afterwards, I came back and got all that unpacked, and went and visited Liz Kirby for a bit, then decided to come home, do my ironing, and watch telly.

The rest of the week was pretty noneventful. Our weather didn't improve much, and we had misty mornings, followed by a bit of sunshine, and some wind, and then very cool evenings. Towards the end of the week, it did start to get warmer.

On Saturday it was a lovely, sunny day. I walked into town and went to St. Wilfred's Roman Catholic Church to say a prayer for the Pope. From there I continued on, doing a bit of shopping. When I arrived at Parliament Street, there was a German Festival going on! Beer garden from Bavaria, knockwurst, bratwurst, goulash, sweets, apple strudel, etc. all being cooked, and the smells were wonderful! German beer was on tap, there were trestle tables and benches set up, and an oompah band was playing at one end, and a Scottish bagpipe group at the other. An interesting combination, right?

Anyway, I decided that I would partake, and after getting goulash, potato pancakes and beer, I sat myself down at one of the tables and was just enjoying the food, music and the nice weather. Needless to say, the place was alive with humanity! Anytime there is a sunny day, you will most definitely see the British out. As it was noon (you know the old saying [old Indian proverb]: “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun”), the place was really crowded with most of the tables full, and everyone enjoying themselves. I met a number of congenial folk at my table, all of whom were residents of York, but most had come from somewhere else, i.e. Lancashire, Scotland, Cornwall, London, etc. And you know, they picked up immediately that I wasn't originally Yorkshire, either! We all had a nice visit, and then I decided I needed to head back home, as I'd purchased some knockwurst with pepper and cheese in them that were raw, and I needed to get them into the fridge! What a lovely day. That evening we received the news that Pope John Paul II had passed away. The stations on the television had a history of his life, pointing out how he'd been instrumental in helping in the fall of Communism, working to bring better relations between the various religions, his being the most traveled pope, and how charismatic he was. I am glad I had the opportunity to have lived during his time. His will be big shoes to fill.

Today was another lovely day, and I walked over to church. Our pastor talked about the late pope and the influences he had. It was nice to see him included in our Methodist service, and to have had prayers lifted up to him. Afterwards, I came home, and Bruce Corrie called. He asked what I was doing, and I said nothing, I'd just returned from church, and he asked if he could come pick me up, as he and Sally were just in the garden. Sure! He came and got me, and as we pulled into their driveway, I noticed another car there along with Sally's. I asked whose it was, and Bruce said, “It's yours!” Well, I was absolutely speechless (I know, many of you have never seen me that way!), and I just kept saying, “Really? You're kidding.” Then I just grabbed him and Sally and gave them a big hug and said, “Thank you seems so inadequate. Oh, I made these peanut butter cookies, and I brought you a batch. My gift certainly pales by comparison to yours!” They laughed and said oh no, that they were MOST welcome. So Bruce and I set off for a ride in my blue 4-door Toyota Carina with a sun roof! No, it's not new, but it's in great condition, and hey, it's FREE!!!! I still have to pinch myself to make sure it's for real!! I drove over to show it to Richard and Liz Kirby, but they were out, and then I went to Tesco and went shopping. Now I'm home, and my feet can hardly stay on the ground.

Man, I've had a good week, and I hope you all did as well!

Love,

Denny