Learning to Live in England, Part 24

Thursday, August 5, Transfiguration

Elias phoned this morning, and arranged with Demetrios to come to our house around 1:00. So Demetrios said he'd just nip over to the supermarket to pick up some groceries he wanted, and he would be back by 12:45. I, my wet hair in rollers, did the dishes and had vacuumed hoovered most of the flat when the phone rang again, and it was Elias saying he had arrived.

I had to ask him to wait 5 minutes while I got dressed and tied a scarf over my head. (We have a lot of 'robe days' here, in which we do brush our teeth and wash our faces, but Demetrios doesn't shave and I don't put on makeup and we wear our bathrobes.)

Elias hadn't had lunch, and I didn't have much in the house, which is why Demetrios had gone for groceries, but I found some veggies, some salad makings, and some bread and cheese, which I prepared while he sat in a chair in the kitchen and we chatted.

He brought it up; I didn't - the unfriendliness of St. Nicholas Church. He is acutely embarrassed by it, does all he can to ameliorate it, being friendly with absolutely everyone, whether they like it or not. He says he goes there because (as is the custom) they pay him to sing and he needs the money. I think the real reason he goes there is to be a godsend to us and to everyone else in the parish. Literally, God has surely sent him there, when he would rather be anywhere else. Elias says the situation isn't going to change. I asked what about waiting for the younger generation, and he said the younger generation doesn't care about religion at all. Massive loss of Tradition - it isn't only among Anglicans!

Demetrios came home more or less when he had planned to, and the two of them went off to a nearby pub to have coffee and chat some more.

In the evening, we had James, Demetrios' godson, and Kim for dinner. We had Shrimp Newburg. Well, they say 'prawns' over here; 'shrimp' are so small you could imagine yourself eating earthworms. It was good, but not as delicious as usual, for some reason. Fresh raspberries with cream for dessert pudding.

We told stories I promised not to repeat here, and laughed a lot and had a wonderful time; James and Kim are so much fun to be with!

About halfway through the meal, they asked what we were doing the next day, Friday. As we hadn't any plans, and as they were taking that day off from work, they suggested we should all go to York. Of course we agreed, enthusiastically.

We can't get over these young people seeming to enjoy spending time with us oldsters! So delightful.