Just a quick lockdown weekend update – Saturday saw the usual house chores, grocery shopping and a neighbourhood walk and ended with watching some Netflix.

I woke early on Sunday and got an hour’s work done on a book I’m putting together before taking our eldest for a short driving lesson in a car park near our house.

She’s getting the hang of the basics, starting off, braking, pulling into and out of a kerb and into a parking bay. I think she’ll learn much faster than I did, it took me ages! Just like learning to swim, there was so much remember and coordinate at first and it was hard to imagine that one day I’d be able to drive so effortlessly.

We got home not long before our family usually watches a livestreamed Mass around 11am. During last year’s lockdown, we only watched an online Mass a couple of times. I’m still not sure whether I’m really praying along or just passively watching, but it’s still valuable to be able to hear the readings and Gospel proclaimed, while the homily offers some spiritual nourishment for the week.

It’s a nice ritual while the churches are closed and we can’t get to our regular parish Sunday Mass. We clear the coffee table and place a crucifix on it, light a fragrant candle, and don’t wear our pyjamas or snack while we watch haha.

Last week I spoke to Fr Dan Serratore, a priest whose livestreamed weekday Mass was interrupted by the earthquake in Victoria. Another priest narrowly missed being hit by one of two large marble statues that crashed to the floor from about seven metres up.

At 5.9 magnitude it was the largest recorded earthquake in the state, but they seemed pretty unfazed by it all. See the story and a video here.

The photo is of my awesome clove and sugar scroll from morning tea today. The driving student made a batch last night and it’s a miracle there were any leftovers (there certainly aren’t now!). The recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction and the recipe calls for cinnamon but we love spice here and the ground clove made a nice change.