I watched the Michael Buerk rant about the feminisation of society last night. After dismissing apoplexy as an appropriate response I started to laugh at the whinge and bias of the programme. Poor men! They've only had it all to themselves for thousands of years.
God in your grace, transform the world…. is the theme of next year's Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Norman Shanks, a previous leader of the Iona Community is chairing the planning group. I am not surprised that he apologises for the innocuous nature of the theme……. in any case, I thought he was right-on enough to believe that God transforms the world through all of us.
Or am I just being picky?
Link to their homepage is http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/english.html
Scotland on Sunday carried a story of how service personnel in the West of Scotland are buying up huge quantities of an Avon spray on moisturising cream because it has been discovered to keep the midgies away. Now either this is a clever piece of publicity or it really works. It could be both of course in that Avon claim that current insecticide regulations prevent them from marketing their product as a midge repellant.
Anyway, like many another this morning I have gone online and ordered some!
Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me,
Be thou a smooth path below me,
And be a kindly shepherd behind me,
Today, tonight and for ever.
Carmina Gadelica
Staying with friends tonight to celebrate. Forty years ago two young 21yr olds got married.
Sounds like a song!
The worst thing about yesterday's weather is that the Australia versus Scotland cricket match was rained off.
New phones to play with today. The first job is to try and dreep down the back of the filing cabinets to plug the main phone into the incoming socket.
Suppleness is not a great feature of the elder years.
Dana, the golden retriever and Fox, the ginger tom are colour co-ordinated. It was very obvious yesterday when trying to brush the dog. The cat kept pushing his way underneath her until I ended up not knowing which animal I was brushing. It's all about needing attention. Just like people.
We need to feel noticed, affirmed and loved.
I came across a little book of aphorisms (well it is neater than saying a short pithy saying representing a general truth….) Anyway, Morrie was the subject of the film Tuesdays with Morrie which is one of my favourite films for illustrating what is important in life. He died in 1995 from motor neurone disease, but used his last months as a lesson in how to live and die well. The sayings are in his own words and show something of the depth of a social psychologist who delighted in people and living.
Makes me very humble.
So I had better get on and live well today.
Walking into B&Q this morning I was struck by the friendliness of the sales staff, with many a Good Morning and Can I help you? And in Debenham's, though they couldn't supply the duvet covers I wanted they did suggest I go home and try online. This I have done and am surprised at how quick and easy that was too. Of course they have still to arrive safely – so time will tell.
It led me to think about staff training nowadays. I don't tend to shop in big stores all that much preferring to do catalogue or online shopping, but it is so refreshing to actually get good service that I might chance shopping expeditions more often.
Incidentally, excuse the lack of daily entries recently, I was using a remote computer and for some reason everything dropped out!
