I spent yesterday in Brighton with a terrible streaming cold, trying hard not to spread it to everyone else as they are all off to Greece for D`s brothers wedding on Sunday. I was very torn as I wanted to stay for Tiger`s 5th birthday party with a puppet show by J and her impro group and parachute games with D. They always have such amazing birthday parties. But I really needed to be at the Meeting House as there were lots of things on here as well, including a meeting on Climate Change in the morning, and baby A`s christening in the afternoon. So I got up early and came home.
A big Russian contingent arrived (lots of kisses on three cheeks) and there were Japanese, Latvian, and Estonian ex residents ,as well as many English relatives and friends, and lots of children. We were all ready and waiting at 2.30pm, but the Russian Orthodox priest did not arrive! No response from a phone call, so after we waited for an hour and a half, we started on the tea which included Japanese sushi, caviare, Russian salad, salami sausage and an amazing assortment of home made cakes.
Eventually a very apologetic robed priest arrived (a lost diary, five children at home, thought it was next week etc) The ceremony was lovely, some of it in Russian, the baby was immersed in a big black bowl, annointed with myrrh, and his head was tonsured. There was incense wafting around which you don`t often find in a Quaker Meeting House. I found all the symbolism very moving. The baby looked angelic throughout, and very contented sitting on either his Latvian godmother`s or his Korean grandfather`s lap.
In the middle of it all. a Czech woman arrived wanting B and B for the night. I think she got a totally erroneous view of Quakerism. Anyway she is quite at home here now and is happily eating a supper of fish and chips with two of our other residents.