Rosy weekend

Tea with the Gregorys last night - it's been so long since we've really hung out; excellent to touch base again.  Obviously I was so excited about getting there that the camera got left at home.  Ate tea of tortillas on the balcony which overlooks a fairly main road; gorgeous sitting out there with the sunset in our faces - until it got just a little too chilly.   Today was a busy day and really so special - our dear Jeremiah was baptised!  (I don't mean 'our' in the biological sense...he's just become such an integrated part of our fellowship).  He particularly wanted Grant to do the deed - Nick had the whole day off today as Grant preached in the morning and we had a visiting guest in the evening by way of Austin Walker from the UK.  Both services were excellent and although we all love Nick's ministry it's also good to have a small amount of variety occasionally :) 

It was another stunner of a day, so we took a picnic lunch to Caroline Bay where the annual Festival of Roses was underway.  Liz had a craft stall in a huge marquee and was demonstrating a paper topiary creation among other things - I am already now in the process of making one and will post the result when it's done.  Rene was part of the live entertainment (and by far the best act).  Saw several familiar faces in the throngs - the advantage of small-town living!

After the pm church service we popped over to the Gregorys again as Nick needed to drop off the sermon-recording-device; got an invite for fish and chips (who could resist) so had tea with them a second night in a row.

And...I played my violin in church for the first time today.  A little premature perhaps but I was getting to the point of needing to overcome my fear of playing in public and just get on with it.  I wasn't appallingly bad but certainly there were no sweet notes issuing forth - I don't think it was a distraction either way!  Thankfully Grant was on piano and pretty much drowned me out anyway - I had asked him to play loudly :)  Had heaps of much-needed encouragement after the services.