Torrential rain in Stratford last night = an hour’s work with the Shop Vac this morning, and again tonight before bed.

Anecdote from coffee hour at church: A middle-aged couple from Toronto are house-hunting in Perth County. “Is this a dry basement?” asks the husband as he explores the furnace room. “Oh, yes, very dry. Never a problem,” replies the selling agent. Husband shines his flashlight on the access to the furnace filter. “Soooo … Why is the furnace up on legs?” Selling agent has no idea, none at all.

The young lad in the hardware section at Canadian Tire told me that they’ve sold out of wet-dry vacuums twice already this spring.

It’s Holy Week, which means lots of work for the Catholic and Anglican church musicians. I’m already tired, and we haven’t even started the drive from foot-washing on Maundy Thursday through Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Saturday to the blast of allelulias on Sunday. I can hold pitch while chanting psalms and I’m a fast learner who doesn’t fuss, so I’m the cantor. Here’s hoping I don’t cough at exactly the wrong moment, as is my wont.