What a Contrast

Well, what a contrast... last week was so springlike, warm and sunny. The sea was calm and blue... now look at it a couple of days later. So very rough and grey. These pictures don`t really give a full picture of the force and power as one cannot feel the strength of the wind nor hear the roar of the sea.

Fortunately the seaside place I live in is fairly safe from any flooding, but there is a great risk of it for others living in villages along this coast. What an awful thing if must be for those people tonight, as with the gales blowing in from the sea and the extra high spring tides who knows what could happen, there is such a trememdous power and strength to these elements of nature.

These pictues I took about 2 hours before the high tide, and already the sea was far higher up the beach than normal.

Blessed

I feel so blessed..... last week I had a week`s holiday from my place of work, and the sun shone every day, all day long. For the time of year too it was quite mild, and very pleasant to be outdoors, to visit several different coastal destinations and to have some good walks.

This morning, as I prepare to return to work what a change....its windy, its cold and its wet and even snow is forecast.

I thank God for the beautiful week I had last week.

Going Quackers!!

Having some bread to spare today, we decided to go for a ride and feed some ducks on a nearby pond this afternoon. As we approached the pond we could see that the ducks were all on the water gently paddling/swimming along. As we drew into the side and parked by the grassy bank the started swimming quickly towards the bank, quacking as they came jumping up the bank and waddling as quickly as their little legs would carry them towards the car. Looking up at us in great expectation! Do they expect every car that stops there to feed them I wondered, they surely can`t remember our car as feeding them before, can they?


They quickly devoured all the bread we threw out of the window for them (it was too cold to get out to feed them today!) And once it was all gone, they seemed somehow to know and waddled back to the water... apart from these two who still stood looking up at the window hoping for more!

Golden Daffodils

Having been able to do more driving this week than I normally do, I`ve been amazed by the amount of daffodils I`ve seen flowering. Not just in gardens, but in banks, roundabouts, tubs, verges, beside busy roads and even on remote country lanes, somehow everwhere you go there are daffodils nodding their head cheerily as you pass. Some in big patches, others just a single flower or two together, all delightful.

It makes me wonder how the ones in country lanes or beside the main roads got there. Has someone gone and purposely planted them to delight those that pass by, and if so what a lovely thoughtful action that was.

If anyone of you who planted daffodils reads this..THANK YOU !

Birthday Treat

A lovely spring day today, no work, so I said to my Mum this morning would you like to go for a ride? Knowing ofcourse that she would immediately say "Yes".

Unbeknown to her, whilst she was getting ready, I put her wheelchair and coat into the car. I had a destination in mind that I knew she liked, and thought it would make a nice birthday treat for her. I lightheartedly said to her as we went along the road with her thinking we were just going a short way and then back for dinner, "Where shall we go?" "Lowestoft" she replied, equally lightheartedly, not having the faintest idea that that was the destination I was heading for.

Travelling several miles along the road and about half an hour later, she realised that we were actually heading there - "I`ve not get a coat, or any money, or the wheelchair" etc.. she started to say, and was surprised when I said "Oh yes you have!" - well, I had some money, even if she didn`t.

After enjoying a fish & chip dinner at a restaurant by the pier, I pushed her right along the prom and up into the town and around the shops which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Maybe not everyone`s idea of a birthday treat, but it certainly was for her.

Modern Mailing System?

I know we must move with the times, but I didn`t realise things had got quite as advanced at this.

Whilst out this afternoon I came across this post box in a small Norfolk village. It was in the wall of a building which looked as if it had been a post office at one time. Pretty colour I thought, but a bit unusual for a post box, wonder what made them paint it that colour instead of the traditional red. About to drive off, something caught my attention about it, and I backed and looked again for the clearing time for mail from the box.

"From Owl Hoot to Cock`s Crow", it said. Intrigued I read further down the script on the plate on the box. It seemed that you could post your emails via the box for delivery. Now, that is a new I thought.

And it seems as if Bank Holidays are not a good time to post your emails in the box as they only deliver them if they remember.

I think I`ll stick to sending my emails by my computer for the time being, but it`s useful to know that this box exists isn`t it?!

Waste Paper

Why do newspapers put lots of extra suppliments in them now-a-days? Today alone I`ve discarded straight into the rubbish bin, or I should say recycling bin, at least 58 pages of unwanted unread junk from today`s paper alone. That`s on top of the Property suppliment, Motoring suppliment , sports suppliment discarded during the week... all several pages thick. What a waste of trees and resources. I wonder how many trees we could save a week without this?!

Why, oh why, don`t they, if they want to produce these extras just do a few so that those people who want them, could select the relevant ones and pick them up with their newspapers, instead of us all having to carry them home to put straight in our bins?

And, I really pity the poor paper girls and boys who have to deliver all this weight of useless printed matter.

Maybe we should do like I do with junk mail, (which I return it to sender in their prepaid envelope) and leave all the junk out of the newspaper at the newsagents and just take home the actual newspaper. Now there`s a thought!.... wonder what would happen if we all did that.... or is it only me that finds no use for all these suppliments?

Me and My Shadow

Me and my shadow.... that`s a bit how it`s felt for me today.

Normally on a Friday I have a day to myself but today was different. Today my parent couldn`t do what she normally did, so she was here with me. So, no walk by myself (this picture I took last week), no relaxation, no doing things as and when I pleased. It even felt almost that it was intrusion having someone else in the house, in "my space" on my day at home.

I hadn`t realised until then, just how much I`ve got used to having the time to myself, to enjoying this day on my own, to being content to be alone.

Old Age

Talking to a colleague today about my parent`s forthcoming birthday on Monday, she asked me how old my mother would be, and I automatically replied 88. And then it struck me... that is Old...it`s almost 90. And I found it a really startling thought. Quite a shock really. A very frightening thought.

We know we get older ourselves, but somehow we don`t expect our parents to get old, we expect them to stay the same, it`s in a way very hard to think of them as being that age.
Do others find the same, I wonder.

Water wise

I wonder how much we all take water for granted. How surprised we`d be if we turned on a tap and nothing came out of it. It set me thinking... how much water do I use in a day, and how much of that do I waste by letting a tap run when I don`t really need to. I came across this. It turns out that we use 97 litres of water per day, under the average of 150 litres. It was an interesting exercise to do.

Survival of the Fittest

Well, a wet Sunday afternoon, so no walk for me today, so I`ll share with you this photo I took on my walk round one of my favourite places on Friday afternoon.

I know it`s nature, but I don`t like to see what the stork has fished out of the water, and he ate it in a flash. I did wonder though how it came to be in the water in the first place.

(If you click on the picture to make it larger, you can see clearly what he`s eating. I just wonder if its one of his own, or of another birds. Either way, to me its not nice)

Sky

Sitting in my car eating a bag of chips, (well, I say a bag of chips they were actually on a polystyerene tray. I wonder why chips taste so much different and nicer out of doors and eaten with the fingers?), by the quayside this evening, I looked up at the sky and saw what beautiful unusual colouring it had.... so.... out came the camera, and this is the result.

Single Shopper

Looking around supermarket shelves, the pack sizes of everything seem to be getting bigger and bigger. What happened to the small packs of items, like cornflakes and cereals? or small size washing powder? and many other commodities?
On the few exceptions like where one can buy a tiny jar of jam, why is the cost not in proportion to the cost of the larger size? Again it seems to be exploitation.

Do manufactures all assume that everyone lives in large families? Do they not realise or stop to think that lots of people, particularly elderly people live on their own, and besides not wanting a huge quantity of something which they can`t eat all of before it goes stale or out of date, or they get fed up with the same thing day after day, they probably cannot afford to lay out the cost of a huge pack.

I`ve often day-dreamed about setting up a "Singles Store", where one could buy items in sizes just big enough for one person. Like individually selling the packs from Variety packs of cereals, individual catering style packs of butter, sauces, jams and even enabling customers to buy a single egg, instead of 6 or 12 or 18. All items ofcourse without being penalised in price for only wanting a small item.
Would it take off, I wonder?

Duck weather

"It`s been weather for ducks today"... or so people have been saying. I wonder where that originates from, and why do we associate rain with ducks like it? Do they like it?




Anyway, here`s a picture of a pretty duck... wonder if he likes the rain, or if he`d prefer an umbrella to keep him dry!

Animal Roundabout

Driving along a road and you approach a roundabout - what do you expect to see?

Maybe, well almost certainly directional signs, perhaps also flower beds or trees or shrubs or even a work of art. One roundabout a few years ago had hens living on it, but I`ve just heard of another very unusual one, it`s been colonised by a group of rabbits. (What do you call a lot of rabbits together?) I wonder how they got there in the first place? Did they cross all the traffic, or burrow up somehow?

This may take you to a picture of them.
Have they come early for Easter?!

And, I say well done to the lady who braved it to take the photo`s!

The Other Side of the Hill

Walking along the cliffs this afternoon, the sun was out. A nice afternoon for a walk I thought, so I`ll go a bit futher and climb the hill. Reaching the top and looking ahead this was the view. No, it`s not a bad photo - it was very misty the other side of the hill. What a contrast between the two sides. It`s a bit like life too isn`t it?... everything can seem to be going fine then suddenly things are not so clear.



(No, I`m not over the hill yet!)

Writing History

I`ve never been one to like a lot of history. It was my least favourite subject at school because I couldn`t see the point of learning about what happened hundreds of years ago. But, I`ve had an interesting day today with history. A much better day than I`d thought.

Looking through old documents and meeting minutes from the late 1800`s and early 1900`s it was fascinating reading. Getting a insight into the people and situations then, a lot of which haven`t really changed over all those years. I had to smile on reading one particular entry in which it said. "If Mr. X hasn`t done the job by Monday we`ll get someone else to do it". Which had a tone of saying we`ve waited long enough for him and we`re fed up with waiting. And also in another section they were trying to remedy the problem of the draught the organist was complaining about, also a problem I`ve know of here in recent years.

One thing that had changed is the length and detail which we write now-a-days compared to then. The earliest reports I was reading, of whole meetings, were no longer than half the page of an exercise book size, today we type at least 2 or even 3 large A4 pages per meeting, which when hand-written into a ledger cover 4 or 5 pages of A4, and that`s with writing it small.

It started me wondering, what will people in 100 or more years time think about Minutes from meetings that I write in ledgers in this era? What will they make of the things we write about. Makes me think, I should be careful in the way I phrase my writing. Until today, I`d never thought about them being read that far into the future, that what I write could be the Hitory of the future, it`s a scary thought!!

Hands

Idly following some links on here, I came across this light-hearted test, so have tried it to see what it says my hands say about me.

What Your Hands Say About You

You are logical, analytical, and rational. You have good verbal skills. Flexible and broad minded, you can fit in to any situation. There's no telling where your life will take you. Consistent and reliable, you like to count on structure and routine in your life. Your emotions tend to be well though out. You're willing to wait out a bad situation, and you're never too quick to act.

What Do Your Hands Say About You?

Well, some of what its analysed my hands as being is true, but some is far from it! I certainly don`t have good verbal skills (wish I did!). And, I wouldn`t really say that the last paragraph is me either. As for the rest....I`m not telling!!

A Different Sunday

What shall I tell you about my day today?... I`ve done differently today to what I normally do on a Sunday in some ways.

For once, I didn`t go to the morning service. It wasn`t that any of us weren`t feeling well, or weren`t here, but just the plain fact that we didn`t want to hear the preacher. He`s a very well educated chap, no doubt, but being that he`s been into science in his working life all his services seem to be based on the stars, space and the universe, and he goes on....and on...and on, and it all goes totally beyond my understanding. It seems more fit for a lecture hall than a service of worship. To me a service of worship should be teaching on the bible, helping us to understand it and to think of the meaning on what we read there.

It was a strange experience though, staying at home this morning, I couldn`t settle to anything, it felt as if I was "playing truant". I did feel that something was missing about Sunday. Not just in the way of routine, but of a deeper need within me.

So, after lunch I set off out on my own for a walk to my favourite place, the cliff tops. It was a nice afternoon the sun was out when I left and for the time of year it wasn`t cold. All around me as I walked I could hear the sound of bird song. There were only a handful of people about, so it was very peaceful and a pleasure to be out enjoying part of this beautiful part of the country that we live in.

In the evening I went to the evening service, which was just the type of service I like the best and get the most from. It was reflective, quiet and with a very good sermon.
So the day rounded off well.

Yippee!!!

I had a lovely surprise last week. The owners of the establishment where I work asked me if I could change my days of work, and work all day on a day I normally only work half a day and work half a day on a day I normally work all day. When they told me what the days were, I jumped at the opportunity and readily agreed.

So, after over 30 years of working all day on a Saturday (except for holidays), I now have Saturday afternoons off. What a treat!

And, today has been the first of them.

A satisfying afternoons work

Having lost my interest in baking for many years, (I used to do a lot when my Dad was alive, and I`ve not had the inclination to do it since), I now find that I`m drawn back to it, and enjoy having a good afternoon session in the kitchen. Which is what I`ve been doing this afternoon, and here are the results. Cake anyone?

A Little Ditty

"Fish make brains,
Brains make money.
Children do the work,
and teachers earn the money!"

Don`t know where this came from originally, but something I was doing today reminded me of this ditty which I heard years ago. Strange isn` t it how something from years ago will suddenly spring to mind like that.

Give away sign?

Walking the same six streets of our town on my way to and from work each day, so am quite familiar with them, and mostly notice if there is anything different about them, like a house newly painted etc..

On Monday of this week, as I was striding out to work in the morning I spotted that each house had a large yellow item on its door step. Obviously they had been delivered early before anyone was up, (I do go to work early). At lunch time some of them had disappeared but many still remained, so I assumed that the residents hadn`t been outside their front door and seen them sitting there. When I wandered home at tea-time there were still a lot of these big vivid yellow items leaning against front doors of the houses as I passed.

Next morning, they were still there, and so they continued to sit there all week and were still there when I came home today. Some places I know are holiday homes and maybe others have their owners away on holiday, BUT...what a give away sign to any villians wanting to break in to rob homes they must be to the fact that the house is empty.

How irresponsible of BT to deliver and leave their Yellow Pages phone books on doorsteps so obviously visible to all who pass by

All Change

After resisting changing to the new Blogger, and keeping signing in under the old one, yesterday the screen gave me no option, but to change it to the new one. I can`t at the moment see any differences between this and the old one - so why the need to change? And instead of being able to sign in with a short word I now find I`ve got to use a whole email address to sign in - I don`t call that progress.

Still, like everything, I suppose I shall get used to it!

Mmmmm....

I`ve been having a cooking session this afternoon, so there`s now tantalising aromas circling round the house.

Now-a-days, and perhaps its partly being lazy(?), but when I decide to do some cooking or baking I like to do a batch, rather than just make one item, saves on the washing up!....so... there`s a steak and kidney pudding steaming away on top of the stove, 3 large meat pattys sitting on the work top all cooked and ready to go in the freezer, and a sausagemeat plait baking away in the oven.

Hope there`s room in the freezer for them!

Mind Reading

Can anyone read your mind? Have a go at this, which I came across the other day and see if they can.

Aborted Journey

Well, what a lot of pictures I`ve given you to look at this week. But, sorry, none today.

I set out for a ride this afternoon, taking ofcourse my camera with me, the sun was shining brightly in a clear sky. I got a couple of miles along the road, and what did I find?
It was foggy! and the futher I went into the countryside the foggier it got. So after half an hour, I headed for home again my purpose for the ride unfulfilled.

Isn`t it strange how different the weather can be in such a short distance.

"Follow my leader"

I stood watching these geese yesterday afternoon, as they trotted - do geese trot?, I know ducks waddle, but what is the gait of geese called?... still I digress - they were coming along the path towards me with a very purposeful look about them, so I got my camera out and waited to see what they did.













They seemed to be almost playing "follow the leader", as the whole while they stayed in formation, one behind the other, right across to the other side of the wide lake. Not one of them made any attempt to change position, nor to break the straight line.
Was it that only the one in front knew where they were going?!, or was there some deeper purpose behind their behaviour I wondered. Either way, it was amusing and entertaining to watch.

Peace, Beauty & Tranquility

It was too nice to be indoors this afternoon, the sun was shining and it felt more like a spring day than a day at the start of February, and I felt the need for some "space" and time by myself, so I went to a nearby nature reserve

It was so beautiful walking the paths between the different lakes, stopping to look at the many ducks and wildfowl (more on them tomorrow). It was quiet, the only sound was that of the quacking of the ducks and the song of birds.

I walked, or rather I should say I ambled for almost 2 hours, stopping at times to stand and look up into the bare branches of the trees to find out where the bird that was calling was, or to watch the antics of the swans and geese. And all during that time I didn`t see another person! I seemed to have the whole place to myself. It was a real treat.

It was so great to feel at one with nature, and to have time to think, and I came home feeling so much better for my "stolen" afternoon away from home.


[And, if you want to know where I was look here]

A Thoughtful Gift

I share with you a picture of a surprise gift that I received today, which I very much appreciated.

It`s very rarely that I get given flowers, but the person who came to see me to do some work with me this afternoon knew that it was a poignant day in the year for me. It is 15 years since my Dad died. I found her gift so very cheering and thoughful, and especially so as it`s also a sad time of year for her. It was strange, but for the first time I found myself able to talk easily about some of the things that I`d kept to myself all those year. Not big things, but just silly sentimental things - like the fact that the hymn book I use was his, but that I`ve never moved the ribbon marker from the page that he last put it in.

It was so good to have someone who wasn`t afraid to talk about him. Why is it I wonder that people are (or seem to be) afraid to talk about a person who has died? It makes it seem as if they`d never existed. I am always so pleased when an odd (and I don`t mean odd in the peculiar sense of that word) person occasionally will say something like, "I remember your Dad" or "I remember when your Dad......." It`s comforting to know that others do recall him.

The beautiful chrysanthemums stand now in a vase on my desk beside me really appreciated.

Primrose

Driving round the countryside this afternoon, the last day of January I was suprised to see on one of the hedgerow banks primroses out in flower already, along with lots of clumps of snowdrops.
I think that snowdrops have to be one of my favourite flowers, they are so dainty and pretty, yet their fragility is deceptive in the way that they are strong enough to stand up to the wind and weather at this time of year.
Another beauty of God`s creation.

Blowing the Cobwebs away

Take a walk with me this afternoon, along by the sea, and this is what you`ll find...... it looks a beautiful scene..... it is a beautiful scene.
The sun is shining, but a bitterly cold wind is blowing strongly, giving life to the sea. The waves are breaking and pounding up the beach, sending spray up into the air where they hit the boulders and the promenade. Churning the water up until it looked completely white.


But, what these pictures aren`t able to share with you is the wonderful sound of the sea. There`s no other sound like it. On a calm day it has a very soothing sound as it gently laps on the shore, but on a wild windy day, although it roars, crashes and splashes as it races up and down the stones on the beach, there is still (to me anyway) a beautiful rhythm to the sound of it.

What strength and power is has, it`s awesome. How vast is it. How constant yet ever changing it is.

I could stand and look at the sea for hours. It puts my life into perspective.
I feel close to God there. It makes me think of his strength and power, yet also his gentleness, but even more than that, it makes me aware of how constant he is throughout whatever happens. The sea is always there, no one can move it, or change it. So it is with God`s love.
I need to remind myself of that at times. And a walk by the sea`s the perfect place to do it.

Drunk Dogs?

I think you can be charged for being drunk in charge of a dog, but what happens if it`s a drunk dog and you`re sober! This caught me eye today. Drinks for dogs.

Manners

I`m going to have a little (or perhaps a big!) grumble today!

Where have peoples manners gone to? And I don`t just mean from young people.

I was always taught that if you want to speak or talk to someone and you see that they are already talking to someone else, you wait (and if possible at a reasonable distance, so that you don`t stand to purposely hear what they`re talking about) until they`ve finished talking to that person.
Am I the only one that`s been taught that?

I constantly find at work and in other places, in the street, anywhere, that people have no such thought, they just barge in and start their own conversation with the other person, regardless of the conversation already going on between two people. AGGGHHH........ it makes me so mad!

A Red Sky at Night

Red sky at night, shepherds delight.
Well, I`m not a shepherd, but I couldn`t resist taking a picture of the beautiful sky at sunset tonight, and here it is.

Weather folklore

"Days lengthen, cold strengthen".
I think these old folk who relied on the signs and aspects of nature to tell the weather, certainly knew a thing or two. So often these old sayings turn out to be so true. Days lengthen, cold strengthen is certainly true again this year. It`s lovely to have the mornings beginning to be lighter and the other evening when I left off work, walking down the road, I had to look twice at my watch to make sure I hadn`t left off an hour too early, as it was so much lighter than the same day the previous week! But, with the snow and hail showers it`s got much colder, proving the saying true.

There`s lots of these various sayings around. I`d love to know the origin of this one, (don`t know if its peculiar to Norfolk, of if its a general one), but on a cloudy or rainy day when the sky begins to clear, if there`s a small patch of blue sky appear, I`m told that if there`s enough to make a sailor a suit, it will get out and stay dry! How big the sailor`s got to be I`ve no idea!!

Blue Monday

"It`s a blue Monday"....the words of Sarah Kennedy on Radiio 2 greeted me, as my alarm radio woke me this morning.

I looked around me.

She`s right, I thought as I looked around me and took in the blue sheets, pillowcase, curtains, carpet and chair. Getting dressed into my blue skirt, blouse and uniform, I combed my hair with my blue comb, before going into the blue papered bathroom, washing with a blue soap and drying myself on the blue towel hanging on the rail.
And then went to work in my blue car, hoping it would behave itself after yesterday! (see yesterday`s post)

Yes, she`s right, I thought,..... but it will also be a blue Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... too!

Shut or Open?

A nice sunny afternoon, so off we went for a drive along the coast. My parents walking aid standing in the boot compartment as normal. Having gone about 10 miles, I heard a click and then a rattle from the back of the car, which sounded as if the boot door had opened. Or, as least I should say unlatched itself, it hadn`t flown up and open. So, stopping as soon as I could a bit further down the road, I got out to have a look.

Yes, it was uncaught, so I shut it down, got back in and drove off again. A few yards down the road, what did I hear? Yes, the same thing again. I pulled over to the side as soon as I got a stretch of road wide enough to do so. Got out, went and looked and yes again it was unlatched. I opened it wide, checked that there was nothing in the way to prevent it closing tightly and got in. Turning on the engine to start off again, as soon as I released the hand brake, I heard it uncatch again. Out I got, banged it shut again, got in. What happened?...exactly the same again. This I repeated about half a dozen or more times. I just couldn`t find out what was causing it. I tried turning the walking aid to a different way round, although it had been in there hundreds of times, so it couldn`t be the cause of the problem. Not being able to solve why this was happening, I daren`t go any further on our outing incase it fly completely up and open while I was driving along, so finding a lane to turn round in, we set off home again, at a sedately 20-25 miles per hour, just incase.

On getting home, I got the walking aid, and my passengers out, shut the boot - No, I don`t mean my passengers were in the boot too!! And took the car round the block to see what happened. The boot door behaved perfectly and made no attempt to click open!

After tea, I again went to the car to put the walking device in to go to the evening service, and what happened?... no not the door wouldn`t keep shut, this time I couldn`t get the boot door to open! I tried locking and unlocking the whole car a couple of times, but still the door refused to budge.

On coming out of the church, I thought I`ll just try the door and see what happens...it opened perfectly! and stayed closed for the journey home!

What an odd day I`ve had with it.

So, what do I do - take it to the garage and look stupid if they say they can`t see anything wrong with it, or wait and see what happens and risk a problem maybe on a longer trip or busier road than today?
(And, it was only serviced last week)

Formation Swimming?

Rain & Wind

After all the rain and wind we had yesterday, I just had to share this cartoon with you.

Black & White beauty

Wonder why so many birds chose to stand on one leg when I take a photo of them!

"Alright?"

After hearing "Alright?" or "Are you alright?" said dozens of times during the course of the day, mostly as a form of greeting, it began to grate on me, and I began wondering why has it suddenly become the thing to say? Why not a "Hello, how are you?" or some such greeting.

Would we ever really answer, "No, I`m not alright" ! and, more to the point, does the person asking the question really want anything other than an affirmative answer that we are ok. Is that why people greet each other in that way, so that they make it difficult for the other person to answer truthfully?

Maybe because of "Alright" being such a positive sounding word it seems hard to contradict it and give a negative reply, or an opening for a person to give a reply other than a one word "yes".

Ok, I know I`m guilty of doing it too sometimes. But, having made myself think about it, I hope I won`t be doing it as much.

Nature sightings

I`ve seen the first snow-drops of the year!
I went out for a drive this afternoon and coming back, I was passing an old church which has a grave-yard all around it, and something small and white amongst the grass and memorial stones caught my eye. Yes, they really were snowdrops. I don`t think I`ve ever seen them as early as the second week of January before.

Then, another treat was in store for me, stopping at a junction my attention was drawn to a bird flying over the field opposite, something about its movement made me quickly realise it wasn`t a seagull. It was infact an owl. What a beautiful sight. It`s so seldom that I see one. It somehow always thrills me to see an owl flying in the wild like that.

Sorry I can`t show you any pictures of them though. I did have my camera with me, but the road wasn`t one that it was advisable to stop on to get out and take a picture.

What happened?

If anyone wonders why there isn`t a post for Friday, nor I discover for Saturday either ... I don`t know why or how I missed doing it!
Must have been asleep!

Things People Say

It`s amusing at times the things one overhears people saying. Today, on a windy wet day I overheard one lady say to another today "Did you get caught in the rain coming down?"

I thought all rain came down - or have I missed seeing some go in other directions - like up??

And, another good one I`ve heard is "I`ll help you when you`ve finished"!
This was said in all innocence about the washing up by an Aunt (who has died years ago), but it always stuck in my mind when someone offers to help wash-up.

Historical badge

I`ve really got into turning my cupboards and drawers out since the start of the new year, and oh what a lot of junk I`ve been hoarding! So, whilst I`m in the ruthless mood I tackled another cupboard yesterday, and in doing so came across something which I`d not seen before (or if so it was so long ago that I don`t remember seeing it) and my parent couldn`t remember it either.

I`ve very intreguied to know whether it`s rare, or unusual or even of any value. I took a photo of one of them, and it`s pasted here - can anyone shed any light on the history of them, or suggest where I look to find out?



There are two of them, both the same, they are obviously embroidery packs to do badges. One still has the embroidery silks with it and they both have the pattern transfer sheets. There`s a price of them of 7d. including Purchase Tax.
On the transfer sheet it has: "Designed by the Royal School of Needlework and approved by H.M.War Office"

I`d love to know more about these items. I assume they belonged to my Dad, but don`t know any more than that.

A Warm Welcome

Following my new year resolution to have more exercise, I decided to start going to an activity yesterday evening that I haven`t been to for at least four or five years. I wondered what reaction I would get after all that time -

- I was overwhelmed!

As I entered the door another couple of ladies were just arriving and one greeted me with, "its nice to see you again are you coming back to join us?", when I affirmed that I was and she said how pleased she was, she went ahead of me into the hall and started saying to the others already there, "look who`s here", and during the course of the evening I got a lot of welcomes and the feeling that they were genuinely glad to see me again. Infact I think that every single one of them greeted me and made me feel that I belonged.

These weren`t a church group of people, although they were meeting on church premises, but I could really feel a warmth of genuine welcome and friendship coming from them the whole evening. It was great to be back!

The Trifle

Especially for Cherry Pie (and anyone else with a sweet tooth) here`s the recipe for my orange chocolate trifle.

You`ll need:

• a tin of manderin oranges (I prefer a large tin!)
• 4 trifle sponges
• a tangerine jelly (or an orange jelly if you can`t get a tangerine one)
• a packet of chocolate blancmange powder
• milk
• a packet of dream topping
• cadbury`s flake (or some grated chocolate)

Drain the juice off the oranges. Cut 3 or 4 trifle sponges into about inch cubes and put in the bottom of a large dish, with the drained oranged. Make up the 1 pint jelly as directed on the packet. Pour enough over the oranges and sponge. Leave to set.

When this is set, make up the blancmange as directed on the packet, then put it in a basin and put the basin in a bowl of cold water, or iced water, keep stirring the blancmange all the time until it gets cold. Then pour this onto the set jelly mixture. (If you put it on hot, it melts the jelly!). Leave this in the fridge to set.

Make up the dream topping and spread over the top. Then sprinkle with a crumbled chocolate flake or grated chocolate.

And.... enjoy!

(Sorry, I`ve not taken a picture of one of them yet to put on here.)

A few favourite photo`s

Having a browse through some of the many photos I`ve taken since having digital cameras, here are a selection of some of my favourites.

I wonder if others are like me and get carried away with taking lots and lots and lots of shots of the same or similiar scenes, at different angles, different times, or on diferent days, now that with digital cameras unlike the reel of film ones, one doesn`t waste money by printing what`s no good. I know I do. But, the trouble is - I then find it difficult to decide to discard any once I`ve got them on the screen, but I really must be ruthless, after all, who wants dozens of photos of the same boats on the same bit of water!

I`ll have to make it part of my New Year spring clean of everything.

My A-Z Alphabet

Having seen this idea of an alphabet on someone elses`s blog I though I`d have a go at it too.

A is for AGE: I`m 17 short of the three score years and ten.

B is for BEER of choice: None. I don`t drink alcohol (well, apart from one glass of wine at Christmas, and I`m not really keen on having that)

C is for CAREER: Don`t think working in retail counts as a career, does it?

D is for favourite DRINK: A cup of tea

E is for ESSENTIAL item you use every day: Difficult to pick just one, think I`ll have to choose: my bed

F is for FAVOURITE song at the moment: I`m not really into music, and particularly not pop music. I like listening though to Aled Jones or Daniel O Donnell CD`s.

G is for favourite GAME: I enjoy an occasional game of Scrabble. But I`m not really a games person.

H is for best HOLIDAY taken: This would be a week spent with friends on the West coast of England.

I is for INSTRUMENTS played: I was taught to play the piano, with I kept it up. I can still just read music to play the right hand music.

J is for favourite JUICE: Orange, I`m not adventurous!

K is for KIDS: How I hate to hear children referred to as kids. (No, I`ve none)

L is for LAST KISS: Last kiss? – I`ve not had a first kiss!

M is for MARRIAGE: Never been asked!

N is for full NAME: Just call me Ivy Leaf

O is for OVERNIGHT hospital stays: I`ve had two of then when a teenager, and each time I came out with less than I went in with! (tonsils and teeth)

P is for PHOBIAS: Spiders and creepy crawlies

Q is for QUOTE: “Don`t spoil the ship for a `hapworth `o tar”

R is for biggest REGRET: this has to be that I didn`t leave home to live on my own years ago.

S is for SPORT: I`m not a sport person, but I enjoy a game to table-tennis.

T is for TIME you wake up: If it`s a work day 6 a.m., if it`s my day off 7.30 a.m.

U is for colour of UNDERWEAR: All colours of the rainbow!

V is for VEGETABLE you love: Potatoes – (cooked as chips especially!)

W is for WORST habit: Putting off till tomorrow what I should do today

X is for X-RAYS you’ve had: Elbow, when I cracked a bone, Ankle, Chest when I had bronchitis several years ago, and stomach. So quite an assortment over the years.

Y is for YUMMY food you make: Chocolate orange trifle

Z is for ZODIAC sign: Sagittarius. Not that I follow the star signs at all.

January turn out

I don`t know what`s wrong with me this week! No, don`t get alarmed I`m not feeling unwell, I feel fine. But having taken down all the Christmas trimmings, cards, tree etc., and for the first time (as far as I can remember), actually wanting to take them down now that Christmas was gone instead of trying to keep them up as long as possible, I find myself wanting to have a good turn out and start somehow a fresh year.

I`ve started by having a good tidy up of my office room, and it needed it! Then I turned out my craft cupboard this afternoon and discarded some bits that I really don`t know why I kept, they were just odd scraps of coloured paper, card and the like, and I`ve now got, besides a tidy cupboard a whole free empty shelf. Wonder how long it will stay empty!!

Even my car has had it`s service and MOT and been cleaned.

Small Print

Looking at an old bible and an old hymn book the other day, set me wondering - did people have much better eye sight years ago than they do today?
The print in both these books and in an old dictionary too, is mimiscule compared to the same books today, yet we have better lighting in our homes than did the people of the 19th. and early 20th. century, so how did they manage to read that tiny print.
It certainly made the books lighter and less bulky to carry too. Was it done to save on costly paper and ink I wondered, or was it just that that was the natural size and people didn`t expect anything different.

One last look

The decorations are all off the Christmas Tree now, so here`s one last look at them for this year before they all get packed away. Some of them, as you may be able to tell are quite old, over 40 years. I wonder if others have similiar decorations? Or maybe some of these are collectors pieces and, dare I even say valuable for that reason?

Thinking about it made mw wonder if there`s any collectors of such items, in the way that people make all sorts of collections of items? It would be interesting to know wouldn`t it.

Resolutions 2007

I spent quite a while yesterday thinking of what my resolutions for 2007 should be. I decided that I wouldn`t make as many as last year. Maybe it would be easier to try and keep fewer rather than as many or more, so I came up with these half dozen:-

1. To have more patience, (especially with my parent)

2. To get more exercise – not to drive when I could walk!

3. To do more to be environmentally friendly

4. To beat the nerves/stress that affect me in various situations

5. To make time to pray and read my bible daily

6. To be more contented with my life as it is.

Ok, I know some are the same as last years, but as I failed with them then, they`re things I still need to do, and to try harder this year.

New Year

Wishing you all

A Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year

End of the Year

The last day of 2006, so time to look back and reflect on the year gone by…...

I`ve managed to write some sort of twaddle on here most days of the year, even if it hasn`t been the most scintillating and exciting thing you`ve ever read.

The year has ended better for me that it began. During the first few months I could cheerfully have walked out from the place I worked and not gone back, then during the middle of the year there were big, and I mean Big changes and they turned out to be for the better, and I end the year feeling very happy there and no wish at all to retire or walk out. I suppose that teaches the lesson that one has to work through the bad times to get to the good, and not give up.

As to other sides of my life this year, they`ve been very mixed. Thankfully my parent regained some, albeit it slow mobility, after the fall at the start of the year, but a lot of the time I`ve found it very difficult to have to be so slow when going out or doing anything, when by nature I`m a quick walker and quick person. And I`ve not lost the feeling of being very tied.

As to the new year resolutions I made here at the start of this year - can see that I`ve failed miserable on at least 6 of them. I have half succeeded on the other 5, managing to make a bit more time for myself, to be a bit more tidier and organised. I have at least done some of the needlework picture although not to completed it, and some days have even written my Blog earlier in the day, and I have been out and about a little bit more – even went to the Pantomime this year! But, as to the rest, oh dear!

Perhaps ones I make for 2007 will turn out better.

Ready for the Cold

Well, the "tinsel" that I was knitting over the last few days, wasn`t actually tinsel, it was one of my Christmas presents - three balls of this tinsel like yarn, a pair of needles and a pattern for a scarf. - The finished article modelled here.

It`s certainly warm, and came in very handy for keeping me warm at the recent virtual cricket match in Finland, but as for the colour.... don`t know if it`s really me!

Knitting Tinsel?

What am I doing here? 

Settee anyone?

Watching the adverts between programmes on television over the Christmas period, it puzzled me.... why were 99% of them (or at least it seemed like that amount) all advertising sofa`s and settees in sales?

It made me wonder what the sales people and advertisers were aiming at. Did they imagine that people sitting watching the adverts are sitting on something so uncomfortable that they would be enticed to want to dash straight out and buy a new one? And where do they think people, straight after Christmas would get the money to splash out on a new settee? Maybe they think they`ll fool people into thinking with all their price slashes, that it`s cheap.

But, as someone I used to know used to say "If you don`t need it, it`s not cheap whatever the price".
How true that is.

Reflections

Now that Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both now almost over for this year, and it feels quite an anticlimax in a way, after all the work and hustle and bustle of weeks of preparation for it. It didn`t somehow seem or `feel` like Christmas this year. Well, I should say that at home it didn`t feel like it, it seemed more like an ordinary day. Maybe it`s because we didn`t spend it how we`ve normally spent it, doing the traditional things that we do, because we had a third person with us, unstead of just being the two of us. Or, perhaps its just signs of getting old?

The real feeling of Christmas I did find was at the very good services that I attended on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the atmosphere of being there with others.

It`s two years today since I wrote my first post which was reflecting on Christmas. And, having just re-read it I think it`s a far better post than the one I`ve written today, so follow the link and read that instead today!

Nativity Scene

I share with you today, a view of part of our Christmas decorations. My nativity scene. It`s not valuable in a monetary sense but to me it`s priceless. The stable was made over 20 years ago by my Dad, just out of cardboard which he schemed, cut, glued together, then painted. It`s one of the few items left that he made.

Petrol and Wine

With the campaigns now-a-days that are needed to remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving, what do you think I found on visiting our local petrol station yesterday to fill my car with petrol incase I needed it over the Christmas break?

There, as soon as you entered the shop part to pay for your petrol, was a table with a young man offering everyone small glasses of wine! They were doing a wine tasting, I assume to try and promote sales of it, but as I guess 99% of people going in there to pay for petrol would be the driver and not the passengers, what a very stupid idea. Ok, that small amount in the glass may not do any harm, I felt it was very irresponsible of them, to even offer a small amount. And, thinking further along those lines, why are petrol stations allowed to sell alcohol which could encourage people could buy it to drink straight away whilst driving?

(And, if you`re wondering....no, I didn`t partake of the wine!)

Hurray!

I feel like shouting "HURRAY".
After days and weeks of thinking I`d never get everything done for Christmas, I can thankfully say it`s all done, the cards are sent or delivered, the parcels wrapped and posted or ready to be given out, the tree is decorated, cards are strung and hung to decorate the walls; the shopping is all done; the cake made, iced and decorated, mince pies made; holly wreaths put on the graves; and the house tidied, and there`s still one day to go! The only thing left to do is cook the goose!

Or, is it too good to be true.... have I forgotten anything?!

Love is.....

I came across a Christmas version of Corinthians chapter 13 on Kathryn`s blog, to whet your appetite to read it all, (by following the link), here are a few lines from it, which seem to me so apt……

If I speak in the tongues of Christmas materialism and greed but have not love, I am only a tinny Christmas song or an out of tune choir.

Love is kind and lets the couple with only a few items go in front of you and your bulging shopping cart.

Love always trusts that the hiding places for presents will remain secret for another year.

Love does not delight in the commercial bandwagon but rejoices with the truth of a baby born in the stable.

More lights

I apologise to any readers who may be getting tired of pictures of lights, but as Christmas only comes once a year, here`s another pretty scene for you to look at. Then I promise I won`t post any more lights this year.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Walking along, looking at some Christmas lights the other evening, I nearly jumped out of my skin! It was dark, there was nobody about, yet suddenly a loud deep voice behind me, started shouting "Ho, ho, ho....merry Christmas", I literally jumped forward from where I was standing, should I run, and which way, or what? I dared to look round, there was no-one there. It can`t be Father Christmas already I thought, it`s not Christmas Eve! Where was the voice coming from, it was still singing gruffly away merrily. Then I looked down, and this is what I saw!



This small snowman, about 8 inches high, jigging about and giving a Christmas greeting to anyone who came within a short distance of him.... or was he there as a deterrant to anyone thinking of damaging the lights and Christmas ornaments all over the house? It certainly made me jump.

Being Appreciated

I`m not (at least I hope I`m not) boastful, but I am so pleased, and surprised, by some lovely compliments paid to me yesterday by the new owners where I work, that I want to share the news, but it isn`t me to speak about such things, so, I`m just going to write about it on my blog.

The care and attention to detail that I take in my work had been noticed and was commented on, and my willingness to do the extra items they asked me to at times. And they said if they gave me too much to do, I was to tell them. Now, that surely is a first, for a boss to ask the staff to say if he gives them too much work! Previous ones have just wanted things done regardless of how much one already had to do.

One of the things said was that "they`d love to be able to clone me" and have lots of me!!! Can you image that, dozens of me all over the place!

It was really good to feel appreciated.

Seeing the Wizard

I`ve done soemething this evening that I`ve not done for sixteen or seventeen years!, and that is to visit a local theatre to see a Pantomime.

I was persuaded by a work colleague to go with a group of them who were going, and at first I declined, but eventually they "twisted my arm" and I went. And, I`m glad I did, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening after a nervous start. I found myself relaxing and losing myself in just being there, forgetting the things that were bothering me.

So the Wizard worked his magic on me for a while!

Flagged Down

I was driving home from the "big city" late the other afternoon. It was dark, so I had my lights on. Approaching a town on my route home, I spotted some police cars ahead, parked on both sides of the road. As I got near to them I saw a policeman indicating to me to go left. I assumed that there`d been a accident of something which had closed the road ahead.
I slowed, checked my speed (I wonder if others find they automatically look at that when they see a police car or officer, even when you know very well that your`re not speeding) anyway, I indicated to turn left although I couldn`t see that there was a road on the left to turn into. As I turned I saw another policeman waving with a long red laser like light beam (like something from a Sci-fi film) for me to stop, which I did, as by now I was wondering and anxious as to what was going on.
I wound my window down, and the policeman came over to the window. "You`ve got your fog lights" on he said. "Oh, sorry" I replied, and completely flustered by it, couldn`t remember where the switch for them was! I put my hand to what I thought was it, (at least that was where it was in my last car) "No that`s not your fog lights" he said. By now I was totally flummoxed, and he had to suggest where they were, and the said lights were then turned off.
I expected at any minute for him to ask me to prove that the car was mine, as I didn`t appear to know where things were! But, thankfully he didn`t, he just asked my name, and waved me on my way.

Christmas Lights

I always enjoy seeing the lights that people put up on the outsides of their homes and in their windows at this time of year, and the thought that they do it for the pleasure of others as they don`t see them themselves, (unless they sit outdoors), but it makes me wonder......... how long before these health and safety experts decide that they`re a danger and decide to ban them, in the way they ban so many things. After all to anyone driving along on these dark nights it could be distracting and make one look to see what it is thus taking their attention from their driving.

Anyway, from the safety of the computer, here`s some Christmas lights for you

It`s Postponed

How I wish that I could say "It`s postponed for another month" about Christmas this year.

I normally feel on top of things, but this year I`ve got a list of jobs as long as your arm (as the saying goes), still to do. There`s the cake to marzipan and ice, a present to buy for my parent and I`ve not much idea of what to get, presents to wrap, decorations to put up, presents to post, flowers to arrange, wreaths to get and put on graves, shopping to do.......and so the list goes on. I`m quite envious (and I know its wrong to be envious), of those who can say they`ve done it all. It`s not that I started late doing them, infact I made the puddings and cake earlier than normal, so I don`t know what`s gone wrong.

Well, that`s not strictly true, I do know partly why - I`m down in the dumps over an aspect of Christmas this year. Normally its just my parent and me and we have a nice day not doing much, and its about the only couple of days in a year that the two of us have together, just with each other without a third person. This year, we`ve got to have her "boyfriend" too and the thought of it is really getting me down. I had no say in the matter.

I know that the jobs will get done in time for the day, or at least I keep telling myself that they will. But, it would be such a help to postpone it for a month!

Ten days left

Ten shopping days to Christmas (well, 12 if you count Sunday`s, but I don`t as I won`t encourage shops on Sundays - but that`s another story, as they say) and I`ve got a big headache. All my presents except one are bought - but, what on earth do I buy my elderly mother?

I`ve got her clothes in previous years so don`t really want to do that again unless I can find no alternative. She`s got far too many ornaments and bric-a-brac already, so anything like that is out! Because she`s getting less and less mobile I don`t think tickets or vouchers to go anywhere like the theatre or a coach outing are any good because she probably wouldn`t be able to do it.

I toyed with the idea of a laptop computer, because she`s tried using mine once or twice under my instructions and enjoyed it - but yet it`s very expensive for the amout of use I think she`d really make of it, so I don`t think that idea would work.

I must get her something - but what?? And I`ve only got a few days left to think of it and go and get it.

Splashing water

Walking along the road on my way back to my work place after lunch, I became aware of the sound of water falling onto the pavement. It wasn`t raining, and I looked around to try and see where it was. It sounded to be splashing quite heavily and droppping from quite a height. Must be someone`s overflow pipe I thought, yet I couldn`t see any pipes, maybe someones washing an upstairs window and its dropping down from there, but there were no window-cleaners about.

I looked up higher still, and... what did I see? A most unusual sight. Right at the top of a tall two storey building was the guttering at the edge of the roof tiles, and in the corner of that, where obviously two sides of the gutterings met making a bigger area, there sat a bird (from the distance I was down, I couldn`t tell if it was a blackbird or a starling), and it was having a great time bathing in the water in the corner of the guttering, and sending the water showering down on anyone who happened to walk below!

On the lookout

One leg or two??

What did your place look like years ago?

Do you ever wonder what the town, city, village, hamlet or wherever you live, looked liked in the 1800`s and 1900`s?

A friend introduced me to an interesting site the other day, where I could see historic photos of the place where I live. All you need to do is type in either the post code of where you live, or the name of the place. It was fascinating, and at least one of the photos contained a photo of my great, granddad.

I`d love to......

Having said (written) yesterday that I`d write today about the 10 things I`d love to do, here they are, in no particular order.

1. I`d love to be able to draw. I`ve always longed to be able to sketch things, not to be a great artist, but just to be able to do something that doesn`t look as if a 3 year old has done it. (no disrespect to any three year olds who read this!)

2. I`d love to have a family and children to call me, Mum, or Mother or Mummy.

3. Playing the piano is something I`d also love to do well. I was taught years ago to play but didn`t keep it up, and now can only barely pick out the notes one handed as I read the music to play a tune if I know how it should sound!

4. I`d love to find Tunis Cakes in the shops again at Christmas. They are one treat which I miss so much. There`s no other cake like them at all.

5. I`d love to retire. Although having said that, it`s not because I don`t like work, after all the changes and events this year its become a much better place again to work in. Its that I`d like the time to do what I want to do while I`m still young enough to do it.

6. To have more confidence in making conversation with people is another of the things I`d love to be able to do.

7. I`d love to find where I put things, without having to turn the house upside down looking for them at times!

8. I`d love to have a house, or flat to myself to live in.

9. I`d love to have stained glass windows in my house, as I adore the beauty of them, especially with the sun shining through them.

10. I`d love to be able to be free, to be me.

Well, thats ten of my "I`d love to...." Wonder what others would put as theirs?

Things I`ll never do

I`m cribbing my theme today from reading Dave`s blog, which set me thinking, what would I put as the 10 things I will never do. And I think they would be....

1. I`ll never go scuba diving. For a start I can`t swim, although I possess a school certificate which says I can swim!

2. Nor would I ride a bike. I can`t see what keeps them upright.

3. I`d never smoke a cigarette as I`m dead against smoking, although part of my work involves handling and dealing with them, which is a bit ironic.

4. I`ll never be a nurse. I`d faint at the first sight of a spot of blood and be flat on the floor.

5. I`ll not go down into a cave or mine, not even if someone told me it was full of gold and I could have it all if I went down into it.

6. Picking up a spider in my bare hands is also something I`ll never do

7. I`ll guess I`ll never get married. Because who would want a middle aged woman who has the encumberance of an elderly parent.

8. I`ll never eat foreign food. There`s enough good old British food to keep me going.

9. I`ll never go through the channel tunnel. I hate enclosed spaces.

10. I`ll never walk off the end of a pier. Well, not unless my parent drives me to it!

So, there`s my ten I`ll never do`s.
Maybe tomorrow I`ll put my ten "What I love to do`s"

Do it Yourself!

I guess we`ve all seen as we`re driving about the countryside and are familiar with the various "Pick Your Own", signs along the way. Usually its pick your own strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, and other fruits. I`ve also seen one for carrots and another for potatoes.

But, I think the one I saw today really has to beat the rest, it was - Dig your own Christmas Tree. Now who really wants to do that? Is it the growers just getting lazy and wanting the customers to do all the work for them?

Strange Day

I`ve had a strange kind of day at work today.

There`s been a kind of mystery in the air since just before the weekend. No-one knew what was going on, yet we all could sense that something was "in the air", that something wasn`t right, that something was going to happen.

This morning I was working in my office when the boss, who we hadn`t seen since before the weekend, yet came in. She asked me to do a couple of jobs that normally she would have done, and then started a mad clear out of her drawers and shelves etc, saying she had to tidy the office up. Leaving the office to do something a colleague said to me, has she gone yet? she doesn`t work here now I hear. So that was it, I thought. Yet, working back in the office it became an uncomfortable atmosphere, knowing what I knew from the colleague, yet the boss saying things and acting as though things were normal in lots of ways.

Eventually, we were told officially that she was leaving. I`m not going to write here why because we don`t know the actual details.

But, it was certainly a strange atmosphere to work in this morning, and with everyone very subdued the rest of the day.

Endurance

The title of todays post, comes from the theme from the sermon of the service I attended this evening. And what a test of endurance that turned out to be too.

I don`t know whether the preacher wanted to make his congregation experience endurance, but his sermon on it lasted for over 35 minutes! That`s far too long for my concentration and there was so much unnecessary repetition too (and I guess for others too, judging by the way everyone seemed to start fidgeting). The whole service instead of being the customary one hour, went on for 80 minutes. Is it any wonder that church attendances are falling? If I had been someone attending a service for the first time, I know it would have put me off and I wouldn`t go back again. Infact, I know for sure that I`ll never go again when that particular person is in the pulpit or taking the service.

Surely a preacher or minister should be able to get across what they want to say in a concise way. There are some that do, and they manage to say far more of meaning and relevance in a 10-15 minute sermon that can be remembered and thought about afterwards, than those that spend longer waffling on.

Infact, I probably `put my foot in it` because as I left at the end, I said to this one that it had been far too long a service!! But, if no one tells them, they don`t know, do they??

Advent Calendar

Do you know what kind of trees are decorated in India at Christmas time? or what they call a Christmas tree in New Zealand?

As we enter the season of Advent, here`s an interesting Advent Calendar full of interesting facts about Christmas around the world.

Autumn Colours (2)

I`ve had too much of a headache today to think what to write, so here`s another picture of some nice autumn colours.

Strange isn`t it, that somehow if I`m going to feel unwell it`s always on my day off, and not on a working day, wonder why that is. And I had so much planned that I wanted to get done today too. Oh well, maybe next week.