This is the New Look blog. Hope you like it. I am indebted to a friendly Geek. It was certainly time for the overly pink theme to be consigned to history. It appears that I am entering a more minimalist phase – much more suitable for a writer.
One of my Christmas presents was a copy of Untold Stories by Alan Bennett. I haven't been able to put it down. Somehow I recognise all the characters in his autobiographical memoir lasting 127 pages, at the start of the book. But then I reckon that is the genius of a real writer. He brings both humour and pathos to the most depressing of life-stories. That is all part of his compelling style.
One day……….. one day……..
I was going to put a photo of my red amaryllis in full bloom. Then realised it would clash with the rest of the page……… perhaps the time is coming when I shall move on from such in-your-face pink………
Different view today – this little dear (OK deer) was spotted from the kitchen window yesterday. I have to confess to not being very well up on identification of species. Can anyone help? I think it is probably a roe female (doe) but haven't been able to make a clear identification from searching the web. Sadly, most of the sites I found were to do with hunting with a gun rather than enjoying with a camera.
I have said it before and will say it again – life here is never dull.
Yesterday was a beautiful Christmas Day in all sorts of ways. It was very moving to lead worship in two of the little churches near here. Numbers were swollen by holiday visitors and in one church it was standing room only. Just as well they stopped arriving at that point. The singing was terrific and we all felt part of something very special. I don't think I pointed my finger at all during the sermon – unlike my good friend the Moderator, David Lacy – most unfortunate picture that – particularly with the way the headlines distort the content of his sermon.
After church and whilst Him Behind the Wheel was putting the finishing touches to the Christmas meal, Dana-dog and I went for a walk by the river. Now as you can see there was a good deal of ice in the parts that were not flowing swiftly. Did that stop herself from having a dip. Of course not! Oh to have the constitution of a dog.
Wishing you a peaceful and blessed Christmas. Dana-dog sends her greetings as well.
Christmas has arrived in the form of Son No 3 bearing many plastic bags. We are all pleased to see him and have duly given notice that he is in charge of livening up the pensioners in the household. The cat and dog have decided they do not need energising, but they are each quietly excited, in their own way, by the tantalising parcels under the Christmas Tree.
When I was working in the parish, Christmas became a frenetic round of services, schools work, cards and visiting. This year I am taking services at two of the local churches and have been ready for several days. But I cannot help thinking about all of the clergy who are rushing around frantically just now.
The best bit about today was having the time to be nice to the stag who came to say hello. I duly wished him Merry Christmas, but he was more interested in going back into the forest. Dalamory has its own special charm.
You have probably seen the dancing hamsters– but they really cheered me up this week.
It is better opened in Explorer, otherwise you need extra plug-ins for Firefox.
Happy dancing!
The moon has been a delight over the last week so I chuckled when I came across this poem by Ruth Pitter. (Not that I am that old of course…..)
An Old Woman Speaks of the Moon
She was urgent to speak of the moon: she offered delight
And wondering praise to be shared by the girl in the shop,
Lauding the goddess who blessed her each sleepless night
Greater and brighter till full: but the girl could not stop.
She turned and looked up in my face, and hastened to cry
How beautiful was the orb, how the constant glow
Comforted in the cold night the old waking eye:
How fortunate she, whose lodging was placed that so
She in the lonely night, in her lonely age,
She from her poor lean bed might behold the undying
Letter of loveliness written on heaven's page,
The sharp silver arrows leap down to where she was lying.
The dying spoke love to the immortal, the foul to the fair,
The withered to the still-flowering, the bound to the free:
The nipped worm to the silver swan that sails through the air:
And I took it as good, and a happy omen to me.
