Happy New Year

2010 began with Mass for me and the Polish nuns who take care of our kitchen and chapel. We celebrated Mass at midnight and ended some 35 minutes later. Instead of joining them for tea after Mass (we wanted to see Sr. Raymunda dance - she's the latest addition to the community and is 80 something yrs old). I went back to our refectory to join some of the guys who were awake ... but I was too late. They had already celebrated and went back to bed. There was still Panettone on the table and some champagne .... so just for the fun of it I took 2 mouthfuls of champagne. Got terribly headachy (I can't drink any alcohol). Went back to my room and couldn't sleep. Decided to clean my room instead till like 3am or something before I fell asleep. What a way to start the New Year.

The protestant churches rang the bells at midnight and the Lutheran's fired fireworks into the sky. But the rest of the world here which is predominantly muslim and jewish just slept through it all ..... they celebrate their new years on different dates.

Anyway New Year's morning was one terrible pain in the left hand and feet as the swelling has not subsided. So the guessing is it's either a problem with the heart or it's the side-effects of the prednesone for my asthma. Need to take calcium for bone-regeneration and lots of physical exercise to get the bones growing. So the New Year's resolution is to take one hour off each day from studies to do exercise like brisk walking. Sounds good - except there's so much work to do and taking a work could mean being beaten up by muslims.

Tonight we'll have vespers at 7.15pm with the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus. Will pray for you all, that God will bless your 2010 with health, joy and blessings.