What’s the Story in Dalamory

We live in an area surrounded by all sorts of fir trees.
So what am I doing today?

Looking for artificial trees o­n the web.
Desperate isn't it.

I confess that I have not felt even slightly tempted to try flying the aeroplane.
Anyway, it has given Him Behind the Wheel a headache.

Pleas for help to Him Behind the Wheel these days are likely to be met with a comment such as “Hold o­n while I land at Barra……”

Yes – Christmas has come early. A flight simulator and joystick.

It just goes to show……it all depends o­n how you look at things….especially trees

I did not manage to see all of the harrowing documentary o­n the Tsunami o­n BBC television last night. In o­ne respect I was relieved as the content was so sad, but o­ne thing overall came over very clearly, and that is that no matter our religion, culture or degree of intellectualism – all human beings share the need for a myth to make sense of our part in the world. I use the word, myth advisedly for it seemed to me that the story of the world as a tree shaken or tilted by bad spirits made for a coherent statement of cause and effect which actually saved a whole tribe o­n a remote Indian Ocean island. They had no religious writings, o­nly an oral tradition passed o­n from generation to generation; they did not question, they simply accepted their story. We may feel superior in our “knowledge” and Yes, in the so-called civilised west, we need our scientific rules and logic and explanation, yet we are the o­nes who are responsible for global warming and environmental pollution o­n a massive scale.

I am led to ask whether we would dare to claim superiority after all?

When I was a working minister I used to tackle the Christmas Card list o­n the first Day Off of the month of December – ie today. However, now that I am retired I seem to continue with the practice of a Monday off. So the list can wait for another day.  The unretireds will probably not understand the sentiment at all, but the retirees will no doubt sympathise.

As for the wrapping of the presents……. well…… that can wait too.
At least they are bought and are sitting around the spare room. No wonder people used to tell me that they didn't know how they ever had time to work. Back to the book then…….

I came across a little book I had forgotten about o­n my bookshelf. It is called Stations – places for pilgrims to pray, by Simon Bailey, an Anglican Priest. It shows how to bring prayer into the everyday places that we inhabit. For today, because I have been inhabiting the local health centre a bit this week, this o­ne struck me as very pertinent.

Pause
at the local place for health services

Notice
the people -carers and cared for,the variety of ailments,the mothers, the dependents, the old….

Think
of all the physically and ill peoplein your community;those frightened of the health system -the waiting, the drugs, the pain.

Question
Where are your own wounds?

Prayer
Living God,living and strong,loving and gentle,pour mercy upon us.

Think about these words:
“But to our wounds God's wounds alone can speak,And not a God has wounds, but Thou alone.”  (Edward Shillito)Give thanksfor the measure of health you have.

Pray
for the sick and the dying.

Watched a film last night – My House in Umbria.  It starred Maggie Smith and Ronnie Barker, both of them fabulous in their roles. The plot consisted of layers of stories and suggestions of themes mainly based round the Maggie Smith character who was a romantic novelist. It has inspired me to get to writing today.

See you later…….

The powers-that-be must have paid attention to my blog last year. I complained about the naff Christmas Tree in Oban. This year's has single colour mauve lights, which look a lot better, even though the top of the tree is a bit squint. Makes me wonder how we are going to fit a tree into our new abode this year. Maybe we will have to make do with a star.

Collecting stamps became a new hobby about a year ago and since then I have had to get used to jibes of Bor—riiing!  But I remain unrepentant. There is always something knew to learn about the world through the medium of these miniature works of art. The latest fascination today is about the Cocos (or Keeling) islands – now an part of the Australian Federation. I am always fascinated with islands, hence my love of my last parish. Islands exert a particular influence over the culture and nature of their inhabitants.

Check out http://www.cocos-tourism.cc/index.htm for some stunning pictures. The population in 2001 was 618 so how do they do all the things they advertise? Presumably it is like Colonsay where people have several jobs at different time of the year.

Now to look out for Cocos stamps……..