What's the world coming to when I've been to church now twice in two weeks?

Helge and Stephanie left this morning to continue their Camino. Paddy and Rebekah took Una out to the Brick People while I showered. I was up early because having Sebastien sleep in the other bed I didn't sleep much at all – his snoring is some of the worst I've ever heard. I won't even try to put into words how awful it was, ha ha. Anyhow, I caught up with Reb, Pad, and the dog at the Brick People, and helped Rebekah build some new sculptured. My initial attempt fell over after only a few minutes, so I rebuilt a stouter more “bird-like” figure. It was really fun, and Rebekah took some really great pictures that she's hoping to use in the magazine she's going to the US to edit. On our way back Una wasn't anywhere in sight, and she didn't show up at her usual place, but, guessing she'd be back eventually, we went back to the house, got cleaned up and left for church, leaving the door open for her.

Okay, yes. Church. This will make the second Sunday that I've accompanied Rebekah and Paddy to mass. Sebastien came with us too. I'm not going for any religious or spiritual reasons, and I can't say that participating has changed my already too complex views, but I kind of enjoy going as a cultural, and as Reb smartly pointed out, communal experience.

After the short mass, we got home and though the dog didn't come when called she turned up in the main house lounging in one of the beds. It seems she'd worn herself down chasing and digging for hares or mice or whatever it is she smells.

Being a bright sunny day with a nice breeze I helped Rebekah by hanging some wet laundry out on the line in the courtyard, joking about how domesticated I was becoming. Most everything dried pretty well before the weather turned suddenly and it started sprinkling. Silly weather.

For lunch I brough Hannah's Rosemary/Garlic/Lemon/Butter chicken to Spain. It turned out really well. The best part was walking outside to the yard and picking fistfuls of fragrant fresh rosemary – I expect her to be a little jealous, and even more anxious to runaway and live on some European farm ha ha. For the remainder of the afternoon we basically sat around and read, which is pretty normal here – and ever so nice.

Dinner then was a mix of varied foods from the fridge, making sandwiches, leftover veggie soup, and we had some eggplant so I found a recipe in a Delia Brown cookbook that Paddy has (signed by her... it seems Paddy knows her!) and made Stuffed Italian Eggplant... turned out alright I suppose, though not something I'd eat every day... or every month for that matter. Did give me some good ideas on how to make a wicked pasta sauce however. After dinner we cleaned up, I copied some music to James' iPod for Sebastien, I packed up my bags to be ready for the morning trip to Madrid, and finally exhausted, headed to bed.