What's the Story in Dalamory » Uncategorized http://www.freda.org.uk Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:37:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Christmas is coming http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/19/christmas-is-coming/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/19/christmas-is-coming/#comments Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:07:52 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5141 An imaginative Hallelujah Chorus

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/19/christmas-is-coming/feed/ 4 Giggling penguin http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/04/25/giggling-penguin/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/04/25/giggling-penguin/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:23:50 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4607 And here’s one that did link properly. Only 23 seconds.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/04/25/giggling-penguin/feed/ 6 A rainy day http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/20/a-rainy-day/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/20/a-rainy-day/#comments Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:41:57 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4478 Continue reading →]]> The Birthday Month is passing very quickly, so I need to remember to take advantage of it. The trouble is that with HBTW still poorly, we can’t manage to get out for treats. However, something good has come out of it all. I was unable to drive for a while due to health problems. I’ve had the all-clear on the driving front for a while, but it is amazing how easily one gets out of the habit. I’m fortunate enough to have a willing driver – anyway, he is like a lot of men and prefers to be in the driving seat himself.

Needs must, and we needed a some heavy shopping from the village shop, also, you-know-who was desperate for some exercise……… thus, twice this week I’ve taken the car out. I couldn’t manage church myself today, but I did take the car down to the carpark and gave Misty some exercise on the Glebe. Yes, in the rain. A happy dog and a happy Birthday Month Treater.

A blessed Sunday to you and yours.

 

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/20/a-rainy-day/feed/ 7 Lent promises http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/12/lent-promises/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/12/lent-promises/#comments Sat, 12 Mar 2011 07:18:21 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4448 Continue reading →]]> This year I have been a bit behind with thinking what to do in Lent, in terms of spiritual discipline. In years gone by I’ve tried many of the usual things – giving up chocolate or coffee, for instance – and very hard they were too. One year I announced to my congregation that I was giving up guilt, but in a way that turned out to be a bit of a cop-out. I am far too guilty a Presbyterian for that to have much chance of succeeding.

This year I am trying something new. As I’ve got older it’s true to say that anxiety has become an ever-increasing problem. No amount of soothing inner dialogue makes this easy to deal with. So here’s the plan: whenever I am anxious I am going to visualise Psalm 139 where God says that he knows and loves us from when we were in our mother’s womb. Then, as that starts to calm me down, I am going to try and hear, with the inner ear, the voice of Jesus saying Don’t be afraid. I am with you.

I’ll try to keep you posted.

By the way, yesterday’s BMT was tea out in a tea shop and included a very large meringue. The tea was Earl Grey with bergamot and blue cornflowers.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/03/12/lent-promises/feed/ 6 Being mumpty http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/07/being-mumpty/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/07/being-mumpty/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:08:05 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3533 Continue reading →]]> How do you have a Day Off when you are retired? Most people who are still working think that retirees have it easy; after all, every day is time off to do what you want. That is true in one sense but not another, because there are always chores to do. For one reason and another (too complex to go into) – I ended up with a kind of mumpty-numpety week, and the only thing to do was to declare some time off.

I stayed away from the computer, stuck my head in a saga about the First World War, hid indoors from the rain, watched a movie and generally kept my head down. Result? Well, today the world looks a better place. The plumber has come to fix a WC cistern that took forever to fill and the washing machine is doing today’s workload for me. As a bonus the plumber had tales to tell of pine martens, woodpeckers, blue jays and kingfishers

Son #1 and his entourage are coming for a camp out tomorrow and things are looking much brighter. What do you like to do with your Day Off?

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/07/being-mumpty/feed/ 6 Normal service http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/07/28/normal-service/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/07/28/normal-service/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:39:19 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3492 Normal service should be resumed in a day or two. Am having trouble with internet connections.

Back soon.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/07/28/normal-service/feed/ 0 Taking a breather http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/19/taking-a-breather/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/19/taking-a-breather/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 08:44:50 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3117 Continue reading →]]> In contrast to the last few days there is a chance to take a breather. No rushing around – unless by accident – and space to breathe and relax. These times of quiet are needed by everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult. Sometimes I think that the very oldest are the ones who have developed the knack the most. Of course there are those who have quietness and silence thrust upon them by illness and fragility, but for the rest of us it is an escape from the pressures of life.

Yesterday I was talking about the procedures of our democracy, and very grateful I am for it too. One thing I didn’t mention, was that when the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Leader of the Opposition, Harriet Harman, each gave their traditional opening speeches, I felt a patriotic sense of belonging and a fondness for the whole system. (Maybe yesterday I was too cynical or tired – that’s my excuse anyway.) The quality of speeches should also be commented upon. Occasionally, when I see extracts of the proceedings in the Commons, I cringe at what is going on. But the over-riding thing that is important is that democracy is seen to be at work.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/19/taking-a-breather/feed/ 0 House of Commons http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/18/house-of-commons/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/18/house-of-commons/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 19:34:57 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3114 Continue reading →]]> Lunch today was to be a healthy option snack (Hard boiled egg – forgot the twist of salt -  oatcakes, Babybel cheese, Grapes and coffee.) In the event we had it at Son #3′s flat whilst watching the BBC News Channel. It happened to be the Commissioning of the Commons to appoint the Speaker (kind of like a referee) and see to the taking of the oath, required of all MPs by law. Son #3 is as irreverent as HBTW so the accompaniement to my meal was a background of snorts and derision.

OK – so the proceedings on this precursor to the official opening of Parliament by the Queen is a matter of history, law and precedent going back hundreds of years. However, it must have seemed incomprehensible to people from foreign climes. I had thought the Church of Scotland long-winded in their insistence upon procedure and custom, but this was the first time that I realised it is in our combined nations’ psyche. The Speaker, by tradition is supposed to be dragged to his seat; in this instance he was so keen to take up his Office that he appeared to drag the two designated MPs. As I understand it, the taking of the oath takes place over the next few days and technically an MP is not fully elected and paid until he or she takes the oath.

Fascinating stuff but hard times ahead.
Oh and by the way, the picnic was lovely thank you.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/18/house-of-commons/feed/ 0 Signs of my times http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/14/signs-of-my-times/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/14/signs-of-my-times/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 10:25:49 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3082 Continue reading →]]> Here is a flavour of the last 24hrs

  • 38 emails in the inbox
  • Called my motor insurers – 19mins 10secs till I got to speak to a real person
  • Discovered I am not yet an “older person.” That is a term for someone of 85 or older.
  • The cat got beaten up (only slightly) again and has the scars to prove it.
  • My consultant doesn’t need to see me again. (Hurrah! Progress.)
  • Lost 0.3kgs in weight
  • #3 Son has reached chapter 10 of his novel
  • Haven’t felt sick
  • Watched a bit of Question Time on BBC – delighted to hear that a young, photogenic, non-white male would like to “run the country.” This was in response to a panelist who scoffed “Who wants to run the country except the public schoolboys?”
  • Had a haircut

So I am clearly not a numpty – am almost an Interesting Person.
What about your last 24hrs?

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/14/signs-of-my-times/feed/ 6 Wordle http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/05/wordle/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/05/05/wordle/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 14:13:25 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3023 Continue reading →]]> This is not a new idea, but this website gives a snapshot of what I’m blogging about. It will be interesting to do another one in a few months’ time and see whether there will be any change.


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