tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171991260814631092024-03-01T05:41:17.549+00:00Quodlibetquidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.comBlogger554125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-45722399876980902822024-02-17T14:35:00.001+00:002024-02-17T14:47:46.061+00:00An English Country Churchyard<img id="id_2a5f_5fff_b9c2_e042" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/1E6_C-px-ChY0PI4MIK1EC6MO69TJsw6O" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br> <div>St Gerrans, Portscatho, Cornwall </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7213_475_aeaa_3641" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/1aewPZ_rAxmJH0vQoBVq09XpBBCmWaiYY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b129_a3eb_2b5b_f1ec" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/16TWNCAPqJ9luJrn6WfkqvfcIU70wu8sV" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2628_78df_234c_341a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/1ejqCbd9uop5XBpVke3CkEmFNNGsduHRi" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br>The Celtic Cross in the churchyard has weathered to a stone lollipop, and I’d have missed it, if I hadn’t seen a photo. Alfie spotted it first. </div><div><br></div><div>Frank had been on a trip to his local church in Ombersley, and was knowledgeable about the features and their use. Alfie read tombstones with alacrity, quite a feat for a five year-old. Well done those teachers! </div><div><br></div><div>We paused at the Holy Water stoop in the porch, a sure sign that this portion of the church pre-dated the Reformation. I explained what it was for, and we made the sign of the cross together. Some holiness would have remained. It is timeless. </div><div><br></div><div>According to legend, St Gerran was rowed across the bay in a golden boat with silver oars, but when the Bronze Age barrow was excavated, there was no sign of a saint, or a golden boat: this may have come as a disappointment. </div><div><br></div><div>I was impressed that the church was open, and made a point of leaving a donation. There was a card reader, and I have a phone. What a long way we’ve come since the days of golden boats and silver oars. </div><div><br></div><div>I knelt at the altar rail and prayed for peace.. Alfie said in no uncertain terms that he prayed every day and didn’t see the need to join in now. I wasn’t going to argue, I only invited participation to be polite. </div><div><br></div><div>Frank was keen to explore the gallery, so we ventured upstairs There was much to wonder at: rain dripping into a bucket, a “Concert Here 7:30pm” hand-written sign stuffed behind a chair, an ancient stained glass window …. </div><div><br></div><div>I had noticed a sign indicating that servicemen were buried here, and we found four war graves. I always stop to pay my respects, and was pleased to see that the plots were well tended. </div><div><br></div><div>One, of a merchant seaman, “Known Unto God,” brought tears to my eyes. Was this young man washed ashore below, identified only by the remnants of his uniform? I wondered about his family, and for a moment, felt their grief. </div><div><br></div><div>I am a lifelong explorer of churches, and always find peace within. </div><div><br></div><div>Here’s a poem by Philip Larkin than sums up my feelings entirely</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/fbRsS-vMxiQ?si=czvXuGSeLB0csIue">https://youtu.be/fbRsS-vMxiQ?si=czvXuGSeLB0csIue</a></div><div><br></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-64983950004567230952023-12-26T20:36:00.001+00:002023-12-26T20:43:51.606+00:00Merry Christmas!<div><br /></div><div>Christmas Day. Never quite how you imagine it’s going to be, is it? </div><div><br /></div><div>I eschewed turkey for venison this year. We were going for belly pork, which slow roasted in a bbq rub is a favourite in our household, but by the time I got round to do THE shop, it wasn’t an option, so, “Why not?” I reasoned, and went for the deer option. </div><div><br /></div><div>I grew up working class in the 1950’s, and venison, other than poached, would have been unobtainable in my world. Chicken was so expensive, it was a once-a-year Christmas treat, and even today, it has a special place in heart and memory, but my husband is tired of it. I have never liked turkey. </div><div><br /></div><div>“Cook from frozen 1hr 45 mins at 350F” No problem, except, yes, a problem: the joint was still raw. The stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts carrots and broccoli were all cooked, but the meat course wasn’t, so dinner arrived, all vastly overcooked an hour late, and the meat so tough my husband had to put his teeth in to eat it. </div><div><br /></div><div>However as the two of us had made good use of the extra hour by getting sozzled on homemade damson gin and Prosecco, we were both very chilled about it. My signature mushroom and garlic sauce was a hit, and covered a multitude of culinary sins with very little effort. </div><div><br /></div><div>The twelve month matured Christmas pudding went down well with Ben and Jerry’s Karamel Sutra Icecream. We usually have crème anglaise with it, but unfortunately one of us had forgotten to get milk in, so it was off the menu this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>We settled in front of the Christmas Tree to watch a movie: Jim Carey’s “A Christmas Carol,” because as Tom Lehrer once sang: “Even though the prospect sickens … dum de dum de dum … Drag out the Dickens. “ I’ll post a link, if you haven’t met Tom before, you’ll love him. </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s late-ish now, we’re stuffed and sleepy, so head for bed. Just before dozing off one of us remembers we’ve forgotten to open our presents. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh! Before O go, I should mention the parsnips. They were the last straw for the air-fryer. Never mind, I’m treating myself to a new one. My husband said,” Call it a belated Christmas present.” I gave him gloves. </div><div><br /></div><div>https://open.spotify.com/track/4uarCMpjlIooBsKVsB7pN1?si=6jPaUqxXQtmCQT80s-EoEkA</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_72fa_2acd_40c8_9a20" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AEYmBYTbwkbd-qDiiGpjkWDx5BA9h4qmwZ_omvmf8pztpX5gYDQP1M69gmSNSjJ4NurtvwApRjwf90ZBqOmjg6JNbaIOKGS3Kg" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></div> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-38761380379794600552023-11-14T03:55:00.001+00:002023-11-14T03:55:55.078+00:00My Covid<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">0n the 24th March 2020, I received this message :</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info & exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I knew it was coming, of course. Sometime in December 2019, rumours were emerging of a novel virus, maybe an accidental release from a biowarfare lab, maybe a bat virus gone rogue: who knew then? (Who knows now? ) people were dying, it was spreading, who knew that Christmas 2019 would, for millions, be their last? </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">On being ordered to stay home, I set myself a few tasks: to blog daily (I didn’t) to keep in close virtual touch with family and friends, which I did, and to light a candle at dusk every evening at sunset. That I kept up for two years.</font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I remember being surprised at my parents’ generation often describing “the war years,” as the happiest of their lives. I’m not going to claim THAT, but I gained a sense of how that might be. Every day came awash with an extra sense of how good it was to be alive. There was a coming together ( at a distance ) of people in the pursuit of a common aim: staying alive. In fact the nationwide Thursday night cheering for the NHS was the first time I actually met many of my neighbours. We were kinder to one other, more helpful: it was a good time to be alive, primarily because we WERE still alive. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">The U.K. government led by Boris the Toxic Buffoon muddled through, endangering as many lives as it saved. I shall say no more on that topic, sceptics may tune into the Parliamentary inquiry currently convening and find that out for themselves. It’s worse than you think. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I had a mission. March 2020 found me one of only two members of the Church Council under 70 - thus able to leave home for one of the few permitted activities: opening the church. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The sanctuary was cleared as only five ( plastic ) chairs were permitted for the five people allowed in the building for private prayer. Every door and window opened, every chair sanitised after us, free masks on hand, the wearing of which was compulsory. There were lists of attendees with contact numbers, that had to be kept. Thankfully I only needed to use one once: and that was because Dennis picked up an infection at work. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I had a dedicated team. We scrubbed and cleaned with enthusiasm. We moved furniture in and out as the numbers permitted at Mass increased. We bustled about with a sense of purpose I have a kind of nostalgia for. </font></p><div><br></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I ran a tight ship. There were no infections. Nobody died.</font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">The rules were strict. When Mass was first permitted, hanging around inside afterwards wasn’t. My best schoolmarm persona emerged as I emptied the church with the imperious command, “No Loitering!” </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">We could shop, walk outdoors with members of our household,go to church, but not sing, “bubble” with one family group. (I cheated, though cautiously didn’t bubble with the same household in a week …) Testing was routine, masking up a way of life. (The discovery of a pink floral one, that I sewed from a pattern I found on the internet, prompted this post. “Lest We Forget.” ) </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">At its peak Covid infections in the U.K. topped 300,000 a day. I lost count of the death toll. Everyone in my family eventually caught it, though post vaccination, and although sick for a few days, there are no lasting effects. Or so I believe. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">Covid’s not over. It’s dropped from the news, because thanks to amazing, and timely, developments in cellular biology, vaccines became astonishingly quickly available, at least for those of us fortunate to live in the west, with a decent healthcare system. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">Eleven months after that text from HMG, on Feb 2nd 2021, I received my first shot. It became safer to venture out. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">During that year of Lockdown, , I celebrated both my 70th birthday and my 50th wedding anniversay. There was a brief respite in October 2020 when five people were allowed to gather together. I had a celebration dinner with my daughters and husband, at The Royal William south of Gloucester. My wedding anniversary we toured our children’s back gardens, and toasted each other at the statutory distance of 2m. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">I hope and pray never to have to live through another pandemic: though another is an inevitability. </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody">When the next one comes, I hope the lessons of this one will have been learned. Anyway, one thing for certain, it won’t be me shouting, “No Loitering!” at group of recalcitrant worshippers enjoying their one legal get-together of the week! </font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_704d_8046_9379_17d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AK7aPaC07ePScn8JTlBCXpZbhWamNxvmYjOUXN2uTAObeXfgSe9LYbdvk_hamH6EPgZhknMZtzH7q6ac1ZIQlAwwbzbmonAg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="UICTFontTextStyleBody"><br></font></p> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-46770541178823766202023-10-20T18:27:00.001+01:002023-10-20T18:27:33.975+01:00John McGuiness RIP<img id="id_3ba7_5c2_4736_a229" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AK7aPaDLSdZPX2FlkvQk5SGeTD2fqaJH-I6F7Br0rKUq3cdemA_5KOSNuVQPH8y8ftBQXpK6kFazvIW6ihMcJZ2pEcva7-WYuA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><div>John, who wishes to be called, “ Skinny,” by the way, died on Wednesday. We, my husband I,, met him when he was living on the streets, but that was a long time ago. </div><div><br></div><div>Skinny was fifty-a-lot, but would have passed for seventy. Living on the streets does that to you. </div><div><br></div><div>I introduced Ray to Skinny. I’m an evangelist, of sorts, and Ray rolls his eyes at God, so they were well suited. </div><div><br></div><div>Decades ago, Skinny was a hardworking artisan with a family and a job. Then he was hit by a truck, which took out his right hip, leaving a wound that would never heal. First step to living on the streets:</div><div><br></div><div>Bad Luck.</div><div><br></div><div>Skinny was not compensated fully for his disability because the truck driver fled the country. Second step:</div><div><br></div><div>Injustice.</div><div><br></div><div>After a spell, the drugs given to control the pain, stopped working,. Third step: </div><div><br></div><div>Intolerable pain.</div><div><br></div><div>Skinny took to buying opiates off drug dealers. Fourth step:</div><div><br></div><div>Addiction. </div><div><br></div><div>This looks like a downward spiral, doesn’t it? It got pretty bad, but Skinny had guts. He got himself help. He helped himself. He managed the addiction, he got off the streets. </div><div><br></div><div>Ray and Skinny developed a relationship and regularly took each other out for breakfast. A couple of times, I joined them. We all gained weight.</div><div><br></div><div>Two year ago Skinny was diagnosed with acute kidney failure, a year ago, lung cancer. </div><div><br></div><div>Consequences.</div><div><br></div><div>Skinny’s attitude to dying was to ignore it. I think right up to the end, and beyond, that worked pretty well for him. </div><div><br></div><div>His mum was with him stroking his forehead as he died. I’m glad of that. When I’m back home we’ll have a wake. Just Ray, and her, and me. There was no funeral. </div><div><br></div><div>But there was a ceremony. I took a stone and said Skinny’s name, and blessed it and him:</div><div><br></div><div>“John McGuiness, now that you know who you really are, be at peace.”</div><div><br></div><div>And I cast it into the water, where it will rest until the end of time. </div><div><br></div><div>Amen.</div> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-9307397375346902322023-10-19T06:35:00.001+01:002023-10-19T06:35:08.094+01:00Dancing Feet<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">My friend Darlene treated me to wonderful gift today: she drove me into Bellevue for a pedicure. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">My feet were washed, pumiced, massaged and lotioned, my nails given a short, back and sides, emery-boarded, polished and buffed. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">As feet go, they looked amazing, and felt fantastic. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">As I was being primped and pampered, I thought about the places where these very serviceable and extremely reliable feet had walked:</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">The green hills of the Cotswolds, under the skirts of which I was born: the Welsh and Scottish uplands, the Swiss Alps, the Carpathian Mountsina, African Velt, Hawaiian rainforest, and Sinai Desert.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">They have trudged, heavily through rain, and deep snow, plunged into streams, paddled in oceans, slipped down the banks of rivers, and tip-toed in and out of children’s bedrooms. They’ve been there for me, and apart from a spell in orthopaedic boot following a snapped tendon in my right ankle, they’ve never let me down. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Above all, they have danced! The Lancers at speech days with school friends, The Dashing White Sergeant with sixth formers at the local public school, out-paced boyfriends at discos, accopanisd family members at parties and weddings, including my own, swayed and turned with Xhosa women in South Africa and with pulsed into sand woth Bedouin in Egypt. </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">They once featured in a poem, about that experience:</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Here am I, in the Sinai desert, with my dance troupe, at dawn, performing to the music of oud and drums. It is my fifty-first birthday. As I recall the magic of this day, I am reminded of my strength and my resilience and am full of laughter. I hope this comes through in the writing</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">A Work of Heart</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">To write this poem, I planted my feet, Strong, bare feet, </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Firmly, in the sand.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I raised my arms, then,</p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"> Dropped them, as I was taught, </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">To my shoulders.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Aligning my palms to the strengthening sun, I waited,</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Alert, for the words</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">To drift, or bounce or slide Down,</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Down</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">With the music.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I lifted my head and </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Listened, listening, For the deluge.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Quietly at first...</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Trilling over my fingertips </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Snaking down my arms </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Shivering across my shoulders </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Thrumming through my breast </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Shimmying with my hips</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Turning Turning Turning</p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Clapping with my hands </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Stamping with my feet -</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 12.7px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">The poem came! And</p><p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I DANCED. </p><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ea36_65e7_eb18_bb76" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AK7aPaCdueZdEQvWfAkzn78CW8smXRVK4LB90o0EF8iUvD32cUaDd53CzHP3DmrvFizLqfVEl1omQOR7wzQSbmeAsuP7PpTfqw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-69180806636078132472023-10-05T15:28:00.001+01:002023-10-05T15:28:46.916+01:00Getting Mislaid …<div>Diary of an Elderly Englishwoman</div><div>October 3rd 2023</div><div><br></div><div>I’m airborne, en route to Seattle and a month with friends Darlene and Steve. </div><div><br></div><div>One would never buy wine from a can, not THIS one, anyway, but it’s actually quite … um, Nice. I get as drunk as is sociable on long haul flights, because my intention is to sleep between lunch and .. lunch. It being served now, and around the same time, Pacific, at the other end of the flight. </div><div><br></div><div>There are always adventures. My lounge provider at Terminal Three had switched companies, and finding Lounge No1 when every other lounge was discoverable by a letter, proved a challenge, but I overcame it. </div><div><br></div><div>The lounge passes come as a job lot with the premier bank account Ray insists is good value, but only, I reckon, if you exercise every ounce of ingenuity to find the lost lounge and have a full English Breakfast and a complimentary gin and tonic. </div><div><br></div><div>Yes, I’m getting squiffy on notionally free booze, which is the way to go. 👍🏼</div><div><br></div><div>I was the last on. I always dawdle, and noticing my boarding group was #9, I foresaw no problem. I was savouring that g&t. I wasn’t last in the boarding queue, but I was near the end. Handing over my boarding card, I discovered I had been randomly selected for the full security search. Taken out of line and moved to one side like a drug mule, was a little disconcerting, but a quick examination of conscience flagged up just a lipstick that hadn’t gone with the liquids, and that doesn’t count.</div><div><br></div><div>I may have smiled too much and my joke about having won the lottery (“random selection”) didn’t get a laugh, but I recalled from the DHS warnings in the US that jokes are not welcome, so I forgave it. </div><div><br></div><div>I did feel rather special. I’ve never been “randomly selected”, before, unless you count the time when a scammer was allegedly giving me an iPad, </div><div><br></div><div>It was the full works with an electronic wand. The security lady was efficient and as friendly as allowed. Suddenly there was a kerfuffle at the desk, One, “Mary Francis,” had checked in at the desk but not arrived in the cabin, so there was a panic on … “I’m here!” I squeaked, like an excited puppy, relieved that, for once, being mislaid was not actually my fault. </div><img id="id_25ba_c705_f520_f426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AK7aPaDWsAXeZ9tUUVlETswZadNp0OaaDPJPDxdson-1ZGBoHOp6VhIT52nRFduTyxjRQTGGwc2VcoLJ2jnks6AgiwaWPj-oGw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><br> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-76193412128338174772023-09-23T08:31:00.001+01:002023-09-23T08:31:15.676+01:00Saving The Planet <div>Diary of An Elderly English Woman:Day Two</div><div><br></div><img id="id_5098_8648_450c_242b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-zHQrHURhFg0l_Pr1vnLxN5-cPfXmctTZvcc76wUvMKgqkFKJ9tInvTvCYiOSRNt0dyo_PmqMWrhkY27nc90zZ9bmtm7Q" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><div>“Apothecary”. What an evocative word! I was mulling over it awaiting my flu jab in the pharmacy in Ledbury yesterday. </div><div><br></div><div>Imagine a wizened fellow of indeterminate age, distilling belladonna for the beautiful ladies, and extracting mercury for the gentlemen with the pox that had succumbed to more than their charms. I picture Merlin, only crazy, as a consequence of the mercury fumes. </div><div><br></div><div>I came close to flirting with the handsome Nigerian pharmacist:: Twenty-third of October, 1950,” I purred as he inquired of my birthdate to fill in (out) the obligatory form.</div><div><br></div><div>“Yes! I know!I don’t look a day over thirty!” </div><div><br></div><div>This was so ridiculous we both laughed. </div><div><br></div><div>I enjoy making people laugh. </div><div><br></div><div>In, jabbed, out. Walk up the hill to the Sue Ryder Shop ( Thrift Store) for an item I’d spotted on the way down.</div><div><br></div><div>“I’ll take this off your hands, “ I said, handing over a gaudy insulated picnic tote, on wheels, to the volunteer womanning the till.</div><div><br></div><div>“£3 please,” she replies, handing over one of those second-generation cash machines that require a pin. Deja-vu kicked in with a moment of panic, but fortunately, this time, I remembered. </div><div><br></div><div>I am now the triumphant owner of a vital piece of kit that is an essential tool in my new regime. </div><div><br></div><div>Confused? I’ll explain. I am Doing My Bit ( as my grandparents would say during the Second World War) to Save the Planet. I am Walking To The Shops. </div><div><br></div><div>This is no great sacrifice, per se, as the Co-op is less than half a mile away, but my Noble Purpose on arrival, is to collect a pre-ordered bag full of discounted food that had reached its use-by and was headed for the bin. It’s now headed for my newly acquired picnic tote on wheels for the drag up the Hartpury Rd and supper. </div><div><br></div><div>Him Indoors and I are hooked. You don’t know what’s IN the bag until you open it, so every day it’s like winning the lottery! OK, so you might not, as a rule, buy a plant-based Cornish Pasty, but it tasted good, as did the apple pie, and the parsnips, so no complaints. </div><div><br></div><div>I got my steps in, fed us both for £3.39p AND according to the App, saved 1.7kg of CO2 :more if you count the walk. </div><div><br></div><div>Win-win-win.</div><div><br></div><div>https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/too-good-to-go-end-food-waste/id1060683933</div> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-88356141331615305082023-09-18T16:53:00.001+01:002023-09-18T16:56:06.613+01:00No Room At The Inn <div><br></div><div><p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjDFA_REiTfJyDraEnEPX5mfGKmHn6azpqMi4VVxICbtSAI4vo4Toosfph3FA6qEC04Sb90qJmNj2Xmsd8p0HX6Ow-zb-JvkRM7o71GlM4g3uguXTEHf4cgSofqidzz6lm9kRTJXR5r4/s640/Photo%25252020141130115225.jpg"><img src="blob:null/2811dff9-561f-4789-801d-4ed6203bb116" alt="Attachment.png" id="id_72fa_1f1c_c878_e892" style="width: 152px; height: auto;"></a></p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><b><i>UPDATE: Funding was withdrawn from this centre some time ago. The building is now integrated into an expensive facility for rich old people. The homeless are back on the streets.</i></b></p><p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Looks empty doesn't it? The New Pilot Inn closed some time ago. I used to frequent it, and I still do, though these days in it's new incarnation as a refuge centre for the homeless and street people. They call it 'The Vaughn Centre ' now, and it does good work as the centre for the BRILLIANT Homeless Healthcare Team and GEAR, the Homeless charity that offers facilities for aforementioned fellow-citizens down on their luck.</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">My mum and dad used to play darts here. In my (very) late teens, I used to accompany them on match days, and marvel at how my father could hit the bullseye and calculate any combination of the number 301 in seconds. Mum, not so good at either, but a worthy member of the team anyway. I was never good enough to play in the team, but could occasionally hit the board ...</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Two weeks ago, I learned from my friend Tony Hipkins, who majors in holding Gloucestershire County Council to account for its provision for vulnerable people, emailed to say that GEAR had no funding to open the Vaughn Centre at Christmas this year. I shall find out why, in due course, to see if a fuss needs to be made about it, but in the meantime there is some cash to raise. £200, in fact.</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Abigail and I went to church this morning. Not together, because she goes with with her mum and dad. When I arrived she was crying becauss she'd lobbed her pet dinosaur across the aisle and hit somebody. When mummy had requested she desist from such behaviour, Abigail took offence and started to howl. She's my granddaughter, and I love her to bits, but I know mummy is right, so Abs just has to get over it without sympathy from grandma.</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Father Aidan gave me permission to make an appeal for a second collection for GEAR and Christmas, and I was preoccupied throughout Mass as I wondered what I was going to say: the "Feed The World" angle having already been taken.</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Abigail returns from Little Church with an activity book all about Advent. "Look grandma!" She announces, loudly, because that's her volume setting, "There 's no room in the inn!"</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">A light goes on in my brain.</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">"I'm not sure of what I'm going to say, because this is so close to my heart, (and here I tear up) but Abigail has just reminded me of when I was a teenager and used to go with my mum and dad to play darts at The New Pilot Inn in Gloucester, which is now a refuge for the homeless, and which can't open at Christmas this year because it has no money. Honestly, if the church can't open the inn door to the lonely and the lost at Christmas, we might just as well pack up and go home... " </p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Not sure how I ended up, but the result was a collection that raised far more than £200</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">That's Christmas sorted, now let's see what can be done for the new year ...</p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 8px 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 21px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"> </p></div><div><br></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-60501804754165856092023-08-26T10:48:00.001+01:002023-08-26T10:54:46.311+01:00Listening To A Trumper<p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">It’s rewarding work, turning up at the Mission, serving food to vulnerable adults who don’t mind listening to a few minutes of religion in exchange for a sausage roll, a bowl of soup, and some nice people to talk to for an hour or so.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I am full of existential guilt about it, because doing good makes me feel good, but I am reconciled to this since learning (EdX course ‘Science of Happiness’) that we are genetically programmed this way, and it helps species survival rates. So that’s OK then.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It was my turn to give the talk. It’s a tough gig. Most of the audience are appreciative, but I am very ambivalent about doing it. Anyway, I said I would, so I did.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Unfortunately, I spoke without notes, and close to the beginning of my ‘put your trust not in men’ homily, I accidentally called the President-Elect of the United States of America a narcissistic sociopath.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Michael got up and quietly informed me that if I was going to talk about Trump he was leaving. I kinda got the hint, and also the strong feeling that calling ANYONE a narcissistic sociopath wasn’t exactly Christlike, so I rowed back and galloped to the finish, sitting down absolutely determined never, ever, to do the talk again.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Michael hadn’t left, but I could see he was upset so I went over to him and let him tell me what a hypocrite I am ( I am, I am, it’s true.) and then to give me his reasons for supporting Trump. I listened and I listened good.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Trump offers hope to people like him. Michael feels his voice is finally being heard. After I sincerely apologised for upsetting him, we had a real conversation. At the end of it I was both enlightened and chastened.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Michael was given up for adoption at birth, but his mother changed her mind, and struggled on for two years before giving him up for good. A string of foster homes followed, then a boarding school. Then prison …</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Michael, in his forties, is good-looking, and intelligent. As his story unfolded I offer up absolute respect for him: for having a completely shit life and not being totally crushed by it.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Yes, Michael gets that mysogyny and the racism don’t look good, but he believes that’s media hype, ” The media lies. He’s a good man with a family who wants to change the way the world is run … ”</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Michael is sitting in a room with some very unhappy people with a food voucher in his hand looking for a job that’s being done by someone in China and he wants the world to change in a way that would give him a life more like mine.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I wouldn’t vote for Donald Trump in a million years, but after my conversation with Michael, I understand why people did.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I don’t think my little homilies ever achieve much, and I sweat blood over them, but today mine achieved something. I made a monumental error of judgement, but as a result, I made a real connection with a young man whose opinions I really needed to hear.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><img id="id_b88d_3900_1b97_be71" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-yo4UOsOKzt2lYKCQBWbhqIU-auaMyQ-6dNlsyFbq4q2joo4Bq86cdyQ7iCe9sCG_hPSzJZXO3F8ZD7Rc6XCQTl0ycZ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br></span><br></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br></p>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-68398893097549763212023-08-13T22:33:00.004+01:002023-08-14T15:19:43.168+01:00Understanding everything except the Language: Going To Mass <img alt="" id="id_e32f_2538_25c6_1199" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-xzlhmnrW_8BtB6EwGgocVg2uVhkHzfiBP3lmrkdT6tN9iu385RbuMMfQldMZ8M_B0xuUqs1DI0DABdb4iE1_FIfBAujg" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">When I arrived fifteen minutes before La Misa began, a couple of dozen worshippers were already seated outside the church on the plaza. Things were not looking good for a ringside seat. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">This story begins last Sunday: I incomprehensibly turned up nine hours late for Mass. Duh! I know enough Spanish to read “Sabado 2100,” and know the service I was aiming for was the previous day, and I’m Catholic enough to realise a Vigil Mass is on a Saturday. But it was a beautiful walk and I put it down to experience and the sun. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Fast forward six days. Kate is taking Darren and Frank on a boat trip in the morning, so I’m headed for theVigil Mass, at the appointed hour, quite excited at this adventure. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A few years back I attended Mass with my friend Ursula, in Klosters, of all places, reknowned in season for the skiing, and notable because every car is a Ferrari. No need, I assured her, to translate for me, I know what’s going on. I understood two words, “Gott” and “Kuchen”, which was offered with coffee after Mass, and lived up to expectations, as did God. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It’s the same the world over you see, you know you’re being welcomed, making your confession, saying the Gloria listening to the Bible, and so on, until being sent out in peace to serve the Lord.,</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">There’s actually something rather spiritual in understanding everything but the words: my attention remained with Christ, in the priest and people in the Bible readings and the pinnacle of the experience, in the bread and wine. I looked forward to repeating the joy of it. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">And joy it was. I entered the church and was offered a foldaway seat between a monumentally gorgeous statue of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, and the electronic candle- thingy the name of which I know neither in English or Spanish. I was grateful for the seat. The singing was amazing, and spontaneous. No hymn sheets or overhead projections, everyone burst into song at the appropriate time, and once I grasped the tunes, I sang along in tongues, a feat I first performed in a pub in Dublin, but that is of course, quite a different story. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div>The church was rammed, and hot. Many women had the foresight to bring fans. Caught up in the moment, I waved my hat in front of my face until I realised it wasn’t achieving anything. </div><div><br></div><div>I wished I’d brought my phone with the missal on it, because I found it rather difficult to remember the words of the prayers, when everyone around you is using different ones. </div><div><br></div><div>My words yesterday were “Señor” Señora and “confiar”which I took to mean confess. </div><div><br></div><div>Good enough to get me through. </div><div><br></div><div>En el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo amén</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br> </div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-89210229258938675472023-07-04T14:38:00.001+01:002023-07-04T14:38:36.410+01:00Twitter Feed: The Cancelling of Jeremy Corbyn<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I don't mind being called a Corbynista. Only recently becoming politically active, it did come as a bit of a surprise that playground tactics were part of the mix, but I've been called worse. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"> I became politically active because of Jeremy Corbyn. Before, I was merely a retired headteacher with a conscience, a state of beng which I now understand to be "woke", and I have no problem with THAT either.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I respect Corbyn enormously, and see him out and about tirelessly campaigning for peace and justice, and ask myself why every elected politician doesn't feel compelled to do the same, when 1/3 of the children in the U.K. are growing up in poverty: maybe because they're not woke?</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I not going to hanker after a comeback for him though. Who'd want to drag anyone back to the abuse, antagonism, and vilification he had to put up with, simply by personifying what the Labour Party claimed to be. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">I'm getting to the point, bear with me.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Setting aside the trauma many obviously suffered at the prospect of Britain being hauled into the 21st Century as a modern social democracy - and we're all now feeling your pain - am I the only one who sees the bigger picture?</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">The entire establishment conspired against the one</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">politician in my lifetime who offered the prospect of a decent standard of living for all. I watched with detached amazement as a general, an Archbishop, the US Secretary of State, and HIS OWN PARTY united to bring him down.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Doesn't anyone else get how fucked-up this was?</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Still is.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">Jeremy Corbyn has become the bogey-man of the establishment. The gentle jam-maker from Islington has to be continually presented as a threat of unimaginable proportions to... what, exactly?</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">A political class content with 1/3 of British children growing up in poverty, and an economy looted on behalf of the obscenely rich by the obscenely rich.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 15.5px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;">So, go ahead, call me a "Corbynista," and I'll come right back at you with, "Sucker", and we'll see who blinks first. </p> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-51966635536868126372023-06-26T08:42:00.001+01:002023-06-26T08:44:27.808+01:00Bugsy and Malone: A Near-Death ExperienceThis is a piece of “Life-Writing” from eight years ago. Abigail recently celebrated her twelfth birthday, and is into maths, not bugs, these days …<div><br></div><div><b>The curious case of the dead caterpillars.</b><br><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ea96_9a80_3d8a_2238" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81pYsE5pnejrXEZfgBDa7MHuO3rIbEb_T004d9bPzrUQBW-srY-MzFOC9MDZsAgGIkXymxV0JMDXUeT69tF9cWoe7w-_jg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br> <div>I have been picking the larvae of the, as yet unidentified, butterthing off my buddliah and putting them in a bowl to watch 'em go through their life-cycle. More for the benefit of the grandchildren you understand. Though the inner child here IS sighing over the demise of the Nature Table, which must have seen off more frogs and toads than global warming and fungal infections combined, and I exaggerate only slightly. </div><div><br></div><div>Remembering Miss Cornish's instructions to give fresh leaves every day, I have been replenishing the food supply accordingly. I had the bright, but as it turns out, disasterous, idea of putting bunches of foodstuffs in water, thereby drowning two of the inmates of my little prison. <br><div><br></div><div>They were pale, inert and unresponsive. Very much all three. I was not so much troubled for them, as they had lived blameless lives and were certain to go straight to heaven, but I was a bit concerned for Abigail who was becoming attached. And it didn't make me look good. Though of course, in life we are in the midst of death , for preference, I'd rather teach Abi this lesson with a couple of caterpillars than with, say, myself. </div><div><br></div><div>I laid them out on the grass leaving nature to take its brutal course via the ant population, when I was struck with a thought. I'm thinking warm blooded and mammalian here. These are cold blooded and etc. What if Bugsy and Mallone were not passed, but just comatose? So I started to massage them, very gently, looking furtively around to check no-one was watching. Nada. </div><div><br></div><div>Having started the incredibly stupid 'save the 'pillars ' campaign, I decided to put them in intensive care and check regularly for vital signs. </div><div><br></div><div>75 minutes passes, and given slight encouragement with the end of my finger, Bugsy twitched. Aware that this could be some larval death throw, I refused to get too excited. I just watched. I actually took them to bed with me and subjected them both to pretty much non-stop scrutiny. At 11am the following morning, Bugsy raises his head. Within an hour, colour fully restored, looking in fine fettle, he wandered off out of sight. An hour later, Mallone followed. </div><div><br></div><div>I am thinking that invertebrates are far more interesting than I ever thought they were. I like to think the mullein moths in my garden owe their existence to me.</div><br></div></div></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-9152387760990632872023-05-11T06:16:00.003+01:002023-05-11T20:40:31.773+01:00The Earth Beneath My Feet<p>I remember when writing a blog post was a relatively simple affair. Inspiration came easily. There were stories from my past, funny anecdotes about my family, reminiscences from my school days, college years, teaching career, spiritual progression, and so on and so on. The list of possibilities seemed endless. There were even poems sometimes,some of which, I considered to be, “quite good.”</p><p>So what's the problem? Today I planned to write. Shouldn't be too difficult, I thought. Yesterday Ray got scammed out of a considerable amount of money, and I scraped the car against the wall in Gloucester Road (An event which I have yet to speak of to Ray, thinking, not without justification, that yesterday would not have been the best day to casually drop it into the conversation.)</p><p>But I don't want to write about scams and scrapes, I'd rather write about something uplifting, positive, cheerful, and if possible, noteworthy on a grander scale.</p><p>So I went for a walk in my garden. I took my shoes off and stepped, gingerly on the the daisy carpet, enjoying the sensation of having the earth beneath my feet. </p><p>I wish I could convey the wonder of the next few moments. I guess they ARE only ever moments, when suddenly everything makes sense. If you were to ask me to describe it, I would make you laugh, I think.</p><p>I felt like Eve, before Adam turned up. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvYkUz0LJGK3-ojyiszpp4UONOIwT-rqL4UMiauyYUhujyHF2ylHiTHvbeNlHHZKDAWXY2luEfAY0hcophx9x1dkjYoK-KKvuyi-jbSoAkitWtXNL1o5R6ar7QQPucT1T9Xk6F9NybWiXRS3JINKYOV4VQ8MSoh_HcSryTMR3-QN0LAHxMk1JP1vj/s4032/IMG_3206.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvYkUz0LJGK3-ojyiszpp4UONOIwT-rqL4UMiauyYUhujyHF2ylHiTHvbeNlHHZKDAWXY2luEfAY0hcophx9x1dkjYoK-KKvuyi-jbSoAkitWtXNL1o5R6ar7QQPucT1T9Xk6F9NybWiXRS3JINKYOV4VQ8MSoh_HcSryTMR3-QN0LAHxMk1JP1vj/s320/IMG_3206.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-63775869092672498452023-04-25T09:26:00.001+01:002023-08-26T09:53:45.755+01:00See Paris and …<br /><br /><div>Ray and I are celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary -two years late thanks to Covid.<div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4">We stayed in a bijou hotel “Little Regina,” near the Gare L’Este, which we could see from our fourth storey window. </font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4"><br /></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4">Despite an elementary proficiency</font> in, for example, ordering from a menu in French, I was struck dumb when confronted with having to do it for real. Except, as I explained to the gentleman at the next table, “Apres du vin, je parle le Francais tres bien.” </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Eating out in this district is very reasonable, €30 for three courses with a carafe of wine and an aparatif. The rum baba came in at €4.30 which seemed extravagant, but it was enough for two and swimming in actual rum..</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Lunch at the Eiffel Tower, with wine, champagne and three courses was €90 each, but that was to be expected. If you fancy it, be prepared to queue and go through security checkpoints twice. I spotted a heron in the mini-lake in the gardens below the tower which was exciting. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Asparagus with white hazelnuts, Steak Tartare and Lemon meringue pie. The waiter asked if I wanted the ST cooked. No, I said, because then it’s just a hamburger! It was delicious. I detected capers. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We checked out Notre Dame, took a boat trip, navigated the Metro and visited the Jardin Des Plantes, of course. Made a note to tell Darlene that the Rhodies are in bloom, or anyway, one was. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span>We brought my father here the year before his death, “ I want to see Paris and die,” he quipped, and he succeeded. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve no intention of dying imminently, but it occurs to me that I am 72 years old, and young Parisiennes are giving up their seats for me on the Metro, and that I may not come here again. But who knows? Ray was very taken with three courses, an aparatif and a carafe of wine for €30! <br /><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3CviFZBIS0XHa67YbSdI58YzE7lFwdEnrOpKxqY_kdpHRJ0Y-cRozlkUT43pBRkrIRy-CCPtLwAUXVe50mAOchQB7T7e2ju2LEIVED_OXFLZNi36FgkFt6WsQV-gvdQry-rQ-pA3cfzhGeYAti45d69V09pJlAgmv5OW1G8dZEmyoADhQBsCmpsARwU/s3088/IMG_2957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3CviFZBIS0XHa67YbSdI58YzE7lFwdEnrOpKxqY_kdpHRJ0Y-cRozlkUT43pBRkrIRy-CCPtLwAUXVe50mAOchQB7T7e2ju2LEIVED_OXFLZNi36FgkFt6WsQV-gvdQry-rQ-pA3cfzhGeYAti45d69V09pJlAgmv5OW1G8dZEmyoADhQBsCmpsARwU/s320/IMG_2957.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-26853309389409207662023-02-13T21:22:00.001+00:002023-02-13T21:22:01.574+00:00Stargazing<img id="id_2a8b_47c9_4dec_52d2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tS5b9FL2h0bi2ru3OQZktM4WJjIA5mWzhZokv1yJklf1DwkS5cHnvS2TSoSQoxfIPlk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br> <div>1957</div><div><br></div><div>Looking up, I saw five bright stars, and traced them between the Wright’s (No 20) chimney pot, the lamp post I was standing under, our chimney pot, the next lamp post down Capel Rd. and the Salisbury’s (No 16) Chimney pot. It was my first foray into astronomy. Decades later I knew my stars to be the constellation Cassiopeia, which, it being a clear night I can now peer at through my bedroom window, tracing its signature W across my back garden. </div><div><br></div><div>I can’t recall how old I was then, but I do remember singing Perry Combo’s hit, “Catch A Falling Star And Put It In Your Pocket” as I gazed upwards. This classic was number one in the Hit Parade in 1957, so, that makes me seven. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6N1z0OZiXotykNxAXsn3aQ?si=8nQhg5M0S0u0E_kOaru0kQ">https://open.spotify.com/track/6N1z0OZiXotykNxAXsn3aQ?si=8nQhg5M0S0u0E_kOaru0kQ</a></div><div><br></div><div>2001</div><div><br></div><div>“Day Three: Meet The Camels.”</div><img id="id_aa7c_74a9_aa63_fba9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BrB-0z9NJUcOOf-sR6pQgq1V5kyNJJdRdsDUFhMY-wQsvoKZzAJ7w55SHqdxfB_l4Rw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><div>The Bedouin made camp for us, so after a long day trekking across the Sinai, I’d change into flowing skirt, and bolero top, tie a coin belt across my hips and join Hazel Kayes Arabian dance troup for a shimmy round the camp fire before bedding down. </div><div><br></div><div>The desert nights were as cold as the days were hot, but the stars! No light pollution. Amazing. </div><div><br></div><div>One night, Colena and I dragged our weapons-grade sleeping bags outside and sheltering in a circle of rocks within earshot of safety, we lay down and looked up. </div><div><br></div><div>I’m taken back there by Eagles. “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” You’ll spot the line. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/40h65HAR8COEoqkMwUUQHu?si=73IVDMEgRb2T9zNSTNCuTA">https://open.spotify.com/track/40h65HAR8COEoqkMwUUQHu?si=73IVDMEgRb2T9zNSTNCuTA</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>2002</div><div><br></div><div>Third Beach Port St John’s RSA</div><div><br></div><div>There were fifteen of us, men and women, designated “Global Teachers” by the Millenium Commission. We were working in village schools in the Eastern Cape, and this weekend was R&R. </div><div><br></div><div>I forget the name of the resort, and the names of all my travelling companions, for which I am ashamed, but I remember the evening we arrived. Tired after a day’s teaching, we fell out the bus and headed straight for the ocean which rolled in, and out, feet from our lodges.</div><div><br></div><div>Lying on our backs looking up (again) a townie asked what the long bright smudge across the sky was. “The western arm of our galaxy, bro, “came a reply out of the dark.” It’s the Milky Way!” Indeed it was: </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_cc65_44f7_71cf_b153" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Om7UPs4z3KBNwtWDTDmRaQT3tI8hD21v4NdyNEKrtv5bDz8XanUwvsiB4EoBvD35gUQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div>This sky belongs to the Xhosa:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3RuIEvdBUhsl4U0sBNRXiS?si=RbyLnfmrTCaoQ5TvfOZocw">https://open.spotify.com/track/3RuIEvdBUhsl4U0sBNRXiS?si=RbyLnfmrTCaoQ5TvfOZocw</a></div><div><br></div><div></div><div><br></div><div>2006</div><div><br></div><div>Port St John’s </div><div><br></div><div>Jen brought her star guide and assured us if we rose early in the morning we would see Orion just above the horizon, but to our eyes, “upside down” as we’re in the Southern Hemisphere … She was right! </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7cca_62c4_c027_c878" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HvA8H-fCkRp1ALTZu2log-ZzHGFf7E9fodcl9SH8wmmQPTHKSVtTJmVZC1aDz6Q-qso" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 358px; height: auto;"><br><br>2018</div><div><br></div><div>Ray and I spent a few days on vacation in the Olympic National Park in Washington State. A handout at the Ranger Station advertised a stargazing event, with telescope, on Hurricane Ridge. For reasons that astronomers know, but which I assume is because they’re closer (!) mountain tops are the places to be with telescopes. </div><div><br></div><div>This monster was focussed on Saturn, and there it was, about as big as a marble but with its rings clearly visible. It was the height of summer, and some of the “stars” were falling out of the sky with tails of gold. Magical. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.olympictelescope.com/">http://www.olympictelescope.com/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>2023 </div><div><br>I am full of gratitude for the amazing opportunities I have had during these seventy-two years, to look</div><div>at the infinite grandeur of the vault of heaven. I marvel that the constituents of my physical body were forged in the hearts of stars. I believe my ultimate destiny is beyond them. </div><div><br></div><div>I have thought long about what music will be played at my funeral, and am determined to send everyone home with this ringing in their ears! <br><br></div><div><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7pvQkLEV4X44h0zFEApblw?si=_Jf1JaJXRoGFDyJGwujGDQ">https://open.spotify.com/track/7pvQkLEV4X44h0zFEApblw?si=_Jf1JaJXRoGFDyJGwujGDQ</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>PS: Don’t panic, I’ve no plans to shuffle off yet. </div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-39641243047686411822023-02-02T11:52:00.001+00:002023-02-02T16:47:01.479+00:00 Nothing Left To SayI bumped into a former neighbour yesterday. She asked me, rather surprisingly I thought, if I was still writing a blog. “No,” I answered, “I’ve nothing left to say!” “Ridiculous!” She retorted. <div><br /></div><div>So here I am, metaphorically chewing the end of a pencil, deep in thought, conjuring up something to say. </div><div><br /></div><div>Alfie is musing on life and toothbrushes. There are two of them, and they are identical, you see , and there must be an explanation. “They’ve cloned,.” asserts the four year-old with conviction. “It means they’ve doubled, “ he explains, carefully, assuming I don’t know. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was Jacob’s fourth birthday. He’s the youngest of my grandchildren, and he too, takes my education very seriously. </div><div><br /></div><div>The entire family are gathered along with an apparently infinite number of very young children, making an awful lot of noise in a soft play area. It’s raucous and joyous. To be present in the midst of such exuberance is an awesome experience. I savoured it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday, I showed Sam, aged eight, how to use SkyView to identify the planets visible at sunset. I recalled his sister Rosie now fifteen, then aged five, looked at me with something like pity when I pointed out to her a, “three-quarters” moon. “It’s a waxing gibbous, grandma!” Comes of having a cosmologist as a mother. </div><div><br /></div><div>I realise now, that I always have something to write about. Joy. I feel it now, the quiet flow of an inexplicable happiness that children who are cherished live from, and that I have never lost. </div><img alt="" id="id_c377_c7d9_d576_9b52" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/iLqQEQUFRICVTz5PNpnigI1UXziB8Xqy5-jf_UA9nUkx-4RyDwDn693VjVf7r4axWRA" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-86947968776912150192023-02-02T11:19:00.001+00:002023-02-02T11:19:36.245+00:00OK, We’re Stuffed! <div><br></div><div>Do you know that projections on the economic effects of climate change are predicted on the assumption that 87% of industry won’t be effected by because it “takes place indoors”?? </div><div><br></div><div>And this includes mining. </div><div><br></div><div>Professor Steve Keen tells it likes it is: you have to engage your brain, because he explains the science, and he says, “fucking” once. As his town is now on fire, I’m inclined to forgive him that. </div><div><br></div><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/macro-n-cheese/id1453085489?i=1000462989017">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/macro-n-cheese/id1453085489?i=1000462989017</a> <div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.severe-weather.eu/global-weather/australia-on-fire-mk/amp/">https://www.severe-weather.eu/global-weather/australia-on-fire-mk/amp/</a></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-15672792897810716212022-12-06T13:55:00.001+00:002022-12-06T13:56:18.352+00:00Becoming A BirderI have a new hobby! <div><br></div><div>Disgusted with Twitter, I Twexited. I flit. I am creating a new and much softer persona on Mastodon. If you’re connecting, I’m here: @maryeffrancis.masto.ai . </div><div><br></div><div>It’s a whole new virtual world. Politer, saner, not driven by the imperative to try to sell me stuff I’m never going to buy, there are no algorithms feeding me like-minded folk, so my horizons are expanding. Quite literally. </div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to Mastodon, I have spent a whole morning bird-watching from a live camera in a suburb of Pretoria, and it’s amazing! </div><div><br></div><div>Here are s few of the birds I’ve bagged:</div><div><img id="id_c297_de4d_54f4_f64" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/h4K0nm1GBdAUfO6ZsPZiYAvJKpAhIYfAZhgw9HzyiyzrCE3qSk2EWWS445nWY9MqKIs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a21d_a441_58e6_8eaf" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KD_TNr33Qdvl_mOVatBEK3alO9ULymtjErG1D5sy27IJV7Q6_xQJv6T0UbXN5HQ7HqU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e0b1_edf4_297e_8956" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FD3Bt3GsQDv4m0Og8qDzuO78tagfOZEUalUK5ZogpqWA6tyFoUURkpp6npSZAoBViqI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><img id="id_8a49_e2e3_a015_32e1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VBKzzK0kRd7855iYOStTfj43Z2wynE-AfC61dzdZFLIot9SwAMZto2gkZgy1fb-ww4s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br>There may be more. Photos and descriotions @C ourtesy of the Cornell Labs astounding “Merlin” bird ID App … <br><br><br></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-3092762029139477212022-12-04T07:29:00.001+00:002022-12-04T07:29:47.781+00:00Against All The Odds<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i>From The Gloucester Citizen July 1986</i></p><p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i><br></i></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><i>I was rummaging through decades of papers and I found this newspaper article my parents had clipped and saved. It was amazing to hear my father speak after so my years.</i> </p><p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">AGAINST ALL THE ODDS </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">DEGREE FOR GIRL DOCTORS SAID WOULD DIE </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">A young woman whose parents were told she would dic ol a brain haemorrhage at the age of five, receves a univcrsity degree on Saturday. (5th July 1986) Proud parents, Trudy and Frank Cook, the caretaker (and Cleaners) at Crypt School. Gloucester will be at the ceremony as their daughter Mary Ellen, now aged 36 years, he’s given her open University bachelor of arts degree. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">For them, it is nothing short of a miracle. When Mary Anning was a toddler, the doctors said she was unlikely to survive</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">But since then she has achieved O and A levels (7 and 2); trained as a teacher, married, had two children of her own; and now, after five years study, while working, and looking after her family, has obtained a BA. Mr Cook said: “we are overjoyed and as proud as can be. At one time we thought we were going to lose her, it was our blackest moment ever“.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The family were living in Mattson at the time. Maryellen had hooping cough. It is not clear whether the coughing or a bang on the head in a fall from a chair caused the brain haemorrhage.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Mary Ellen was taken into over hospital. She was paralysed down one side, suffered convulsions and could not see. The parents were told there was 1000 to one chance she would survive.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Suddenly, when things were at the blackest, both Mr and Mrs Cook had a vision, they could never explain. A voice came to both of them saying that their daughter would be alright.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Mary Ellen not only recovered, but instead of her brain power, receding, it seemed to improve. She began to read, fairytale books and newspapers in a way she never could before she was ill. New paragraph</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Mr Cook said: “the doctors were amazed and said she would make medical history.“</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Mary Ellen went to Finlay Road junior school and then passed her 11+ to Ribston Hall High School for Girls, where she took O-levels and two A-levels.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">She trained as a teacher at Bingley College in Yorkshire, where she met her husband Ray, who also now a teacher.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The couple now both teach in Rainham in Essex where they live.* They have two daughters Jenny six and Katie two. .</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">She has also been helping with a pioneer scheme, looking after unmarried, pregnant women and having them and their newly born babies in her own home.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Mr Cook said: “She is a very strong member of the church. She says that God gave her life again, a second chance, and so she is out to help anyone in. Anyway she possibly can. She wants to make sure she’s making full use of her life.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; min-height: 13.1px;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">*Mum Newtons Junior</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Dad Mitchell Junior </p> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-14775575323082278212022-10-27T14:47:00.001+01:002022-10-28T07:43:49.953+01:00Re-imaginingToday is my seventy-second birthday. <div><br></div><div>Born in 1950, from my first awakening to the concept of age, I have known:” In 2,000 I will be fifty!”How distant, impossible to summons, in those far-off days as a ten-year old, how such an advanced age, in a new millennium would be! And here I am, twenty-two years beyond, waving to the child inside, smiling. </div><div><br></div><div>“It’s OK. Yes, hold the dream, it’s coming. “</div><div><br></div><div>My Aunty Mary was matriarch of my then-family. I am pictured here, a babe on her knee. The years took their toll, and I guess I am she, now. The depository of wisdom. The teller of stories, the bearer of the sacred flame of family, that will be acknowledged and passed on, or buried, like treasure. </div><div><br></div><div>The anscestors that I re-imagine for my grandchildren: the Pitts were gypsies originating in Italy, refugees perhaps from a long ago pogrom. The Cooks, Somerset men: immigrants from Ireland via Wales. . Swansea, I believe. </div><div><br></div><div>Great-great -grandma cursed a rose, Aunty was a witch … story after story, growing in the telling. A distant uncle emigrated to America and vanished. Leonard Cook died of TB in ‘46 after fighting in the war, and reappeared as a ghost long after. </div><div><br></div><div>Update. Yesterday I took the ferry from St Maws to Falmouth with daughter Kate, Darren, and their sons Frank, 6, and Alfie, 4. It was a wild ride, but now, just hours later the October sea is calm and blue, the rain gone. </div><div><br></div><div>That, I think, is just how it is. </div><img id="id_933c_de90_20a5_3606" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YQEU1_GR9SnPMEVowShpAN7YqT5nyOznbIEzxcp8FDohRYEpSfFkiL_ZvG9-Ds0FgHQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-23876306193406789952022-10-17T22:06:00.001+01:002022-10-17T22:06:37.229+01:00October Flowers<img id="id_33b2_5e_d6eb_237d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/C5ailF5XI_DP1ss3eDWRFMcDl8-7nbdlXseNlPeg52Kw5V2uPPBvBDHzirzgZ_1FlkE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-91558799025133734222022-10-17T22:02:00.001+01:002022-10-17T22:05:51.268+01:00Politically NaiveI used to believe that politics was fundamentally values-driven. <div><br></div><div>Pick a bunch that mirror your values most closely, I thought. Then I became politically active. The local group of my (Labour) Party, did indeed reflect my values. They were thoughtful, compassionate, willing to work to save our community, our nation, our planet, from the greedy, unethical, unjust and uncaring forces of rampant consumerism. </div><div><br></div><div>Our values were judged unelectable, and I quit. </div><div><br></div><div>Older and wiser now, I see political parties for what they really are. Power-hungry and in league with big business. The cause of the kind is lost, and my country has become a lost cause. </div><div><br></div><div>We are literally on the brink of social, environmental and economic collapse, and I am helpless. </div><div><br></div><div>I realise I am now perpetually on the losing side. I bow to that. </div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-30110082376970347302022-08-23T13:37:00.019+01:002023-02-01T22:09:48.460+00:00February In DevonSo here I am, holed up in a centuries old Fishermans cottage in Brixham South Devon.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It has been an amazing week. Right up until today the Sun shone brightly from clear blue skies and the sea has matched the sky in colour and stillness.Just look:</div>
<div>
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzlR8GONNv5fozDpQ4H_Mnoqdlo8TgjoSQdaMM8whvpChxZP9wmN7ZQALR-PAJ42dy3bZRYfT3MScZYB4WcsMzxS0QvCgf3rd_Z_zuknssLwa51lXmnYxyQrcG2oZcyGJQF7crOorx6YfjoLP-HtPA_kBabYXMyQhhTuKevzUYApcxnaAv9dEyxIC/s4032/1DB18726-5D45-4489-BAD0-51960E5C2B3E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzlR8GONNv5fozDpQ4H_Mnoqdlo8TgjoSQdaMM8whvpChxZP9wmN7ZQALR-PAJ42dy3bZRYfT3MScZYB4WcsMzxS0QvCgf3rd_Z_zuknssLwa51lXmnYxyQrcG2oZcyGJQF7crOorx6YfjoLP-HtPA_kBabYXMyQhhTuKevzUYApcxnaAv9dEyxIC/s320/1DB18726-5D45-4489-BAD0-51960E5C2B3E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>
<div> My list of things to do was very short, top of it was: " nothing'." A goal I largely managed to achieved. </div>
<div>
I came without a car, so on at least one day, I managed to hit my steps goal, by donning boots and walking along the coastal path to Berry Head. (See view above...) I chalked up keeping a regular time for prayer and reflection, previewing the DVD series for Lent, talking to a Salvationist about faith, eating really good fish and chips, rediscovering Philip Larkin, and watching four back-back series of "Friends". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I loved the harbour, and was fascinated by two features in particular, being a history buff. The first is a replica of a 16th century ship, "The Golden Hind" famously Captained by that rogue, Sir Francis Drake. </div>
<div>
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzzlJWjgoJTwweLM1-mFVRA83YqxFSAk0lORCf8N6M4xx2vB0ZNeDHn_jkSilzRh163aYn99hVPJtImGS8LCz_6ruRzdVWVstbE2UL9tzpyMVuF4Fs0KnRWYMj3hPNWqbfn9dnYSDp6hyCLlnWVbLLcJS9y3phjzsbFckbHOLgMJpb2ZMgAyurdMX/s4032/IMG_7414.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzzlJWjgoJTwweLM1-mFVRA83YqxFSAk0lORCf8N6M4xx2vB0ZNeDHn_jkSilzRh163aYn99hVPJtImGS8LCz_6ruRzdVWVstbE2UL9tzpyMVuF4Fs0KnRWYMj3hPNWqbfn9dnYSDp6hyCLlnWVbLLcJS9y3phjzsbFckbHOLgMJpb2ZMgAyurdMX/s320/IMG_7414.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>
<div>I was particularly taken with the balcony adjacent to Drake's cabin. I can see him now, with a mug of foaming ale, watching the dolphins play whilst he took a break from relieving unfriendly nationals of their valuable possessions. All in a good cause, I assure you. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I knew, of course, of the "Glorious Revolution" of Nov 1688, that put an end to the romantic incompetence of the Stuart Dynasty, and gave us the stolid and predictable House of Honover. I am not that taken with William, so I took impish delight in upskirting a King. (Probably the most flattering aspect of the statue, by the way ... ) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>Judge for yourself:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycykORduOab2wBC1OSg9DJIWFhtHGwGv1Jq1y4JL9ewKmJDiMKdSafPwEt_1RJKkgmyDA2m3rHpxcMIipCc8mcdbFWSNHy2QjFYdWrvroQJJdx9RS31XX9HTPxebdDw7Up1AwUOyEmtW7sCaOZ_W_alXhtMzle43Gm1V4-dhRbUQn5XY3CmKDivLF/s961/D408539D-EF50-451F-BF7E-7E7FD3F8A4B3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycykORduOab2wBC1OSg9DJIWFhtHGwGv1Jq1y4JL9ewKmJDiMKdSafPwEt_1RJKkgmyDA2m3rHpxcMIipCc8mcdbFWSNHy2QjFYdWrvroQJJdx9RS31XX9HTPxebdDw7Up1AwUOyEmtW7sCaOZ_W_alXhtMzle43Gm1V4-dhRbUQn5XY3CmKDivLF/s320/D408539D-EF50-451F-BF7E-7E7FD3F8A4B3.jpeg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-78661447272130392062022-07-22T09:37:00.001+01:002022-08-23T07:27:25.827+01:00Twittering AboutI am a fan of Twitter. As a Tweep, I indulge my passion for political inactivism and playing with words. I am, after all, a self-declared wordsmith. Formative years forced to study grammar, and an undergraduate creative writing course, have borne fruit. Twitter, I assert with conviction, is my one weakness.<div><br></div><div>But I’m now in a quandary. What is One to do, when an internationally renowned Franciscan priest and teacher suddenly ups and “Follows” One? This is serious. </div><div><br></div><div>I am not always polite. I sometimes swear. I am overtly political. What if one of my carefully crafted put-downs puts him off? Or my photo flipping the finger at a Troll gives offence? I could be putting myself in danger of losing my most prestigious follower! </div><div><br></div><div>Oh What The Hell. I Tweet like a real Human. I like to think that’s why he ( ie his media team) followed me in the first place … </div><div><br></div><div>Acquaint yourself with my “dark side” here: @maryeffrancis. </div><img id="id_ee46_a70c_a9c2_f068" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qu6QRkiroj2isxQE3oSt4j2Y7xPbvEwubiHIanUMlvEgNTH-CgikH5S8yXVpRIkTeP4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br><div><br><div><div><br></div><div> </div></div></div>quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-817199126081463109.post-62700006549487893052022-05-31T15:16:00.001+01:002022-05-31T15:16:00.892+01:00Poem <img id="id_1022_1662_688f_7657" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SFbuAIxhx5Y9al3xKCoyZUAIwdprlp_TQ4ut_tz0_FpHbd1gUtBn3bJAk02LsTp798" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"><br><br> quidnunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02830447616753583112noreply@blogger.com0