Activate - Open Your Eyes

26th Mar  2018

I'm going to try this picture prompt and the six story challenge together.
Today's word - "Activate"








Open Your Eyes

You might want to close your eyes,
not look back.
Or hide under  rose bush
forget the rack.

See, there is no darkness which
can erase
those images which caused  your
mind to craze.

But activate those neurons now
open your eyes
turn, be brave, face the windows
of their lies.

Ten Things of Thankful

25th Mar 2018

My ten things of thankful for this week:

1. I had a  spiritual uplift on a morning of recollection . A quiet time to put things in order with myself and my God and to learn how to live more in the moment .

2. I am thankful for the priest who is always inspired to share a beautiful wisdom about living as a Christian in the world today.

3. And for the friends there who share the same Faith and are walking the same path. We have an incredible bond
4. On the same day on the way home, I enjoyed a walk by the Thames, taking in the reflected images on the glittering water, so pretty in the afternoon sun.

5. On the train journey home I met a lady who was full of life and gave  me some great entertainment  with her chatter and friendliness

6. A few days later I was asked by a friend to help her when she went into hospital for a minor op. She only wanted me to collect her but I felt honoured that she felt able to ask me .

7. When we got to her place she was a bit unsteady so I stayed with her and enjoyed a few hours of tea , biscuits and chatter.  It was a pleasure to be able to be of some service to her., especially as I know how difficult she found it to ask me. And it made me think that in general in society we need to help each other more and not expect that someone else will step up . We are the ones

8.I was so thankful this week that my son and his fiance , who have been living with us for a year, are finally going to be able to move out. We had the walk around of their new house on wednesday and next week they get the keys. There is a lot to do so they won't be out for another few weeks, but the end is in sight for them and for us!

9. And I am so thankful that i made it to the writing workshop this week. I have missed so many friday afternoons. But I have been so grumpy about not getting to my writing that I decided that it was going to be a priority. I always have a struggle to get to it and did have to miss an extra choir practice ( It's Easter soon!). And that is the reason I'm here writing this now. Because I've been energised. I needed it.

10.And the biggest thankful is that it was a dear friend's 50th birthday and her and I and three other dear friend's celebrated by going away for the night. I could have spent the whole ten thankfuls on just this one thing. So much joy - walking by the sea together, having a meal together ( by the way the food was excellent - I had sea food chowder which is a huge dose of thankful in itself), talking together, drinking together - All so good...

There you are folks ...

Ten Things of Thankful

2nd March 2018 


Ten Things of Thankful

Let's see, what can I be thankful for?

1. Where I live we are having bad weather and there have been many accidents on the roads because people are not driving slowly enough in the icy conditions.
So I'm really thankful that I haven't had to go out at all today. I do hate the cold!!!
2. Following on from that I am enormously thankful that our heating is working, although I don't have the thermostat too high and use blankets and extra clothes to keep warm too.
3.And again, I am thankful that there is still a little food in the freezer so we don't have to worry. And my husband is currently getting our supper - fish , chips and peas- yummm.
When I go into London I sometimes bring food with me to give to the homeless/rough sleepers that I meet on the way. I hope they are all warm and well fed today. How they manage in the cold weather is beyond my understanding. And the homeless population continues to grow in the UK !!!!
4. I am thankful for the gift of seeing . Because of it I can write , enjoy colour, melt at my husbands smile, marvel at the sheet of ice that has now covered the snow and is so pretty with it's unusual meringue like form.
5. I am thankful for the hot water with lemon that I have just drunk and delighted in the deliciousness of such a simple beverage. I have been trying to drink less coffee and have discovered that I actually like hot water with a hint of lemon. I even ordered it ( much to the amusement of the waitress) when we went out for our anniversary last week. And we weren't charged for it!!! I think it must be better for my health too, which is a bonus.

And there I need to have a break to ponder  because I can't think of anything else yet..

6. OK, well , I'm thankful that my son and his fiance have made it home safely and I don't have to worry about them any more today.. I do still have two others I'm worrying about though. My daughters shift finishes at eight this evening . But all safe so far...☺☺
7. I am so  thankful that I can walk on my own two legs without any problem and
8. That I can use my hands to write this - albeit a bit of a ramble of nonsense, but at least I can...
9. Also I am thankful that my children care about each other and try to help each other. It's such a blessing and just what I think success is as a mother.
10. It has been hard to think of ten things today. I haven't been feeling good . So number ten is : I am thankful that I got to write my ten things of thankful because it has helped me to appreciate that I do have a huge amount to be thankful for . Has it helped my mood? Yes, a bit ...

Frozen sea today:



 

Yellow Rose

1st March 2018

Today is St David's day, the patron saint of Wales. How is it that we are already in March? Oh well, time is forever unfolding our lives for us .







I am joining in with the six sentence story this week, having been out of action for a while. Lost my mojo a bit ... The prompt is the word, "Transfer"
Anyway, all of my visitors from across the globe, let me know how you are and what's happening in your place.. 


 Yellow Rose

It had been a long , cold winter with weeks of snow that had stayed around for over a month and this March morning was showing the first signs of a promise of change for the better, with a few crocuses dotted about.
Lucy sat at the kitchen table, cup of tea cradled in her hands , her body gently being warmed by the easterly sun, while she gazed out at her small garden and itched  to get out there and start tidying up.
So, putting on  her wellies , she threw open the door and marched down to the shed where she rooted around for her gardening gloves, a spade, secateurs and, most importantly, her kneeling cushion.
Now, all  ready,  she began to dig a hole under the kitchen window where she intended  to transfer her yellow rose bush, which she had been desperate to move since the end of last summer and which in her mind should have been there all along.
Lucy worked on the hard ground, standing upright  every now and again to take a breather until she had reached a foot down,  when all of a sudden the spade stuck something, which, at first Lucy thought was a large stone, but when she bent down to investigate she was taken by surprise and fell to her knees, mouth open.
What could it mean,  she pondered as slowly she removed dark earth from what she now could see was a bone, a human bone, probably an arm and were there any others buried with it?

Pitch

8th Feb 2018

Since last posting on my blog I have had a new great grandaughter, which is such a great blessing. Unfortunatley they live rather a long way from us, so it'll be a while before we meet her. I'm mega proud, though, of my grandson and his wife who are such a loving couple and can't wait until we see them . 
Also, yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my dear mum's death. I miss her more as time goes on. Will that continue?

Anyway on with the six sentence story.
Today the prompt is "pitch" ...
Let me know what you think...

Pitch

"I've been driving for hours now and my eyes are closing, so we'll just have to stop and pitch the tent here," Tony said, pulling off the road and into what appeared to be a small open space nestled in woods and situated below a mountain. He turned off the engine and the silence was immediately filled with the  rushing sound of a nearby waterfall, which oddly, made the place seem less lonely.
"OK, but it'll be hard to find a suitable spot in the dark. We'll need to keep the car lights on while we  work and I'm scared Tony and will we be safe here?" Linda gave  him a worried glance that went straight through him, but he tried to hide the fact that he too hoped they'd stay hidden until they could set off again in the morning. 
Together they fumbled about in the boot of the car, dragging out a small two man tent, which they managed to erect quite easily, only taking  fifteen minutes for them to be sorted and ready for bed .
They didn't bother to blow up the beds  or get changed and just wriggled into their sleeping bags, switched off the small torch and lay there, neither of them expecting to get any sleep after all that had happened to them in the last forty eight hours.

TToT

6th Jan 2018

Today folks I'm joining in with the Ten Things of Thankful brigade. If you want to do this too just put it into google and away you go. Then link up to share with the others.
The idea is to look back over the last week and find ten things that you can be thankful for .

So, let's make a start:

1 Firstly I feel so blessed to have a wonderful family - yes, there's a lot of us but I love each and every one enormously and am so very proud of them. 
2 In particular I am thankful for my darling husband of forty five years who is such a treasure . Always there for me or any of our loved ones. 
3 I am thankful that I live by the sea. I went out twice this week for walks with my gorgeous daughter.
4 I am thankful that I got three new writing journals for Christmas - that'll keep me going. 
5 I'm thankful that I got to a writing for wellbeing workshop yesterday - it always inspires me, hence...
6 I am thankful for having some time to myself today - not much, but it was needed and valuable.
7 I'm thankful for that radio programme that I got to enjoy - it was totally unexpected.
8 I am thankful that, although I've put on a few pounds over the Christmas time, I couldstill get into that dress i wanted to wear today - I did wonder if I would. 
9 I'm thankful for the comments that some lovely people have posted on my blog these last few days - it's always so uplifting to know that somebody is reading the rubbish I write.
10 I'm thankful for my friends  - whom I love and must try to see more often 

Well, that just dribbled out .
Now it's your turn.
It does make you think .
It also makes you realise that there are so many things that are good in your life.

The twelfth Night

5th Jan 2018

Happy Christmas all . Nice to be able to still say it...

The Epiphany

Not everyone will agree with me but I take today as the twelfth day of Christmas and therefore as tonight the twelfth night and the Eve of the Epiphany.
Some people think that tomorrow is the twelfth day.
It all depends from which day you start the counting. If Christmas day is day one or if day one is the first day after 25th.
Anyway, I , along with some others begin on the day itself , which makes today, 5th Jan, the twelfth day .
And tomorrow will be the celebration of the coming of the Wise Men to visit Jesus , Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and end the Christmas season , although I keep the crib up until 2nd 0f Feb which is the Feast of the Presentation - the last time the babe is mentioned in the Gospels.

The Eleventh Day

4th Jan 2018

Joining the six sentence challenge today x

celebrating Christmas.

The Eleventh Day

The eleventh day of Christmas
I look at the sad limp tree
And wonder should I take it out
now,- convenient for me
Lights off, branches droop 
Reach to the floor now
decorations  precariously hang
how do they stay there, how?

But then I start to look anew
And see the story behind
the love  that it brought us
And so I change my mind
I'll leave it for a few more days
till the kings have come to call
I'll put the lights on later too
Giving cheer to one and all.

Lost In Autumn

18th Dec 2017

Lost In Autumn

Born in springtime,

 mama tree pushed you out 

a brand new bud.

delicate baby on bare branch,

 you unfurled - sweet, sacred promise. 

Life water and nutrients absorbed

 from the blood of ancestors fed you

 roots reached down  into times unknown 

you, in turn, produced sugar sap

 nourishment for your tree.

In the rays of the sun,

you opened up,

 danced and dallied

 through the summer 

of your life, 

strong veins forming

 your  particular self  shape -

 you.

Happiness and hope you  gifted 

 to those who wandered  your wood

  fruitful, filled, days, 

some, satiated by your colour, your light 

went away refreshed, replenished

you, only being yourself,

 unaware how  your warmth 

 touched those souls.

It was  your time, your season - 

with others you wove

  a soft web of wonder,

waving from your branch ,

 bestowing  magic on all

 who wanted to  see.

So,  when the cold came

 and your green grew dim

Your sparkle diminished 

 it was hard to take.

Signs of yellowing

 took us by surprise,

 halted us in our tracks.

With  shortening days,

 orange specks appeared 

 and the  weakening began

 your edges getting brittle , 

 other leaves falling

dropping  to the ground 

all around . 

Suddenly

 it was your turn,

reluctantly

 you let go ,

 fluttered to the earth,

you died in the autumn 

as it was right that you should,

 but it was hard.

Feast of St Nicolas

6th Dec 2017

Aren't the days moving swiftly through December ??? We'll be in January before we know it and Christmas will be just another one of the many that we've celebrated over the years.

I want to share two blogs with you. I hope you take the time to look at them as I think they are wonderful. They are by two of my daughters, one of whom says that I am biased. Well, of course I am, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there is some great  content there.

They write very differently ... well, you will see:

godwheresthemanual.wordpress.com

and

adventuresfromthesofa.wordpress.com

I hope you enjoy them. Please let me know what you think. Or, better still, leave a comment on their blogs.

Now, I'd like to tell you another story about a homeless man. The weather has been bitter these last couple of weeks, the nights being particularly icy. It was on one such night , last week, when the temperature was below 6 degrees c that a homeless man died on the streets in Birmingham . So, so sad...

But that is not my story. My story starts last Saturday morning in Oxford.

We turned up early for our grandaughter's confirmation at the Oratory, and,  passing a man sat at the gate, walked through to the big doors at the entrance where we got talking to a very jolly chap who was waiting to talk to the priest. It turned out he was going to be getting married later that day. I left my husband talking to him while I went into the church.
When I came out hubby was with the man at the gate chatting away.

I felt a bit awkward as I always do with homeless people . You know, not quite knowing what to do.
Anyway I was dragged into the  conversation which was about homeless shelters. This tall man, who was standing now, his long, tangled, matted hair falling over his shoulders ( a Billy Connolly look alike),  told us that they charged for them and he didn't usually have the money to stay in one . Well, I thought, what homeless person would, living hand to mouth on the road and all that.

Then he and my husband proceeded to tell me of the good fortune which befell him while I was in the church. How the chap getting married that day had asked him what size shoes he wore - unfortunately his feet were two sizes too big -and then what size waist he was. Ahh , better luck there.  And what about corduroy, did he like brown corduroy. Of course he did . Reaching in his holdall bag,  the  "soon to be married" took out a smart pair of trousers and feeling in the pocket found a ten pound note. "It's your lucky day," he said beaming and handing him both the trousers and the money.
As the man of the road told  me this tale , he also had a huge smile on his face.
At this point I took his hand in mine to see how cold he was. He was cold...

"Give him my gloves,"  said my husband . He had let me borrow his gloves earlier . I feel the cold more than he does.
And of course your man  was delighted to get the gloves too.

He wasn't there when we came out after the service and I just hope that he is still doing OK and that he will survive through the winter.