Blog fever

A few of us bloggers are taking a break in the office generously provided by John F on behalf of Quaker Life. It has to be said, and I hope this isn't too horribly ungrateful, this office is very untidy indeed. Three words: health and safety. The mess I can cope with, but the other side of the office from us is dead pongy because the egg salad sandwiches from the QL meet & greet have been left out there for two days.

Today is warmish and balmy here in lovely leafy Bloomsbury and I've got another three people to read an Advice/Query while sat in the Friends House courtyard. I'm debating whether to go into the afternoon session later for 'Civil Liberty: the Kingdom and the State'. The possibility that it will be more *shudder* worship-sharing fills me with despond.

This morning, I did get into the main session in time for Elsa Dicks' farewell message as she retires from being BYM's Recording Clerk. I like Elsa lots. She sits unspeaking at the Clerk's table of both BYM and Meeting for Sufferings, and has a lovely sweet smile when someone says something funny. When she needs to speak at MfS on some constitutional clarification, she is always well-informed and clear-thinking. It was great that she had a platform to speak freely, and her review of her time in post was interesting, informative and of course funny. I do hope she gets asked to do a Swarthmore Lecture sometime.

Other things I did today were having another lovely soup & salad in the extension of the Friends House Restaurant up on the ground floor and going to a lunchtime Q&A with Beth Allen which was hosted by Woodbrooke. This evening there are five 'themed groups' we can take part in including equality and inclusion, Circles of Support and Accountability, and slavery and racism. Also, Peckham Meeting is on tonight or I could go home early and do some baking for a post-BYM party tomorrow evening.