Sabbatical

My anxiety is still revving high.

Francisco had a rainy day at the Chelsea Flower show and saw in person all of his favorite tv personalities, plus a million cool flowers. 

The kids and I watched some Fiddler on the Roof.

And very specially--we got to attend a bell ringer's practice. 

I love the old plaques marking the bell ringers' accomplishments.

The view from the tower. 

The thing that raises and lowers the ends of all the ropes when they aren't being used has a crown on it marking their ringing for the coronation (also there's a plaque). 

Treasures of the tower.

The boys both got a turn ringing again--and Q was just tall enough to get to do some supported 360 degree ringing with the tower captain. The first thing that Blaze, our sweet tooth, noticed and commented on when we walked into the tower is that there are a lot of sweets--I guess they take sugar breaks while ringing. Anyway, one of the ringers shared some with the boys, and they were pleased as punch. 

I loved seeing the people who ring together. Really old and pretty young (though my boys were the youngest by a long shot). One lady short, needing to stand on a ringing box to give her a couple of inches of height. (My boys stood on a big box.) People who'd been doing it for decades and newbies. Even an American! I love how welcoming and supportive these little communities can be. A treat to step into it for the evening. It makes me wish I'd taken up bell ringing when we arrived. 

The rain happily paused for our walk home. 
 

This morning parents were invited to read at the boys' school, so I brought Blaze's Complete Book of Dragons and entertained him and his friends. He looked pleased as punch to be sharing the book with them.