What’s the Story in Dalamory

To Oban last night to meet the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. David Lacy is an old friend. He was resplendent – if a trifle hot – in his frilly garb. David likes to stick with tradition. He was at his best in an informal setting, meeting lots of local people and being interviewed by two children about his work and background. When asked how he got his present job he replied, “Hard Graft!” You had to see the look o­n his face to appreciate the joke.

I enjoyed meeting lots of old friends and was pleased that our small congregations o­n the edge of things was so well represented. (Five of us there.)

Listening to Prime Time radio is like inhabiting a familiar country.

OK ok I know…..but I can't help it if I was born in the 1940s!

I love this description of God from the Welsh Celtic tradition.

I am the wind that breathes upon the sea,
I am the wave o­ne the ocean,
I am the murmur of leaves rustling,
I am the rays of the sun,
I am the beam of the moon and stars,
I am the power of trees growing,
I am the bud breaking into blossom,
I am the movement of the salmon swimming,
I am the courage of the wild boar fighting,
I am the speed of the stag running,
I am the strength of the ox pulling the plough,
I am the speed of the stag running,
I am the strength of the ox pulling the plough,
I am the sixe of the mighty oak tree,
And I am the thoughts of all people
Who praise my beauty and grace.

Him Behind the Wheel  is doing amazingly well at keeping up his blog. (http://www.ramblrobthesecond.blog.co.uk/main/ in case you want to have a look.) The trouble is he keeps giving away my secrets. He has more or less told all and sundry that I am attempting to lose weight. Basically, this means following the Weight Watchers system of points and healthy eating. But you would think I had deprived him of all sustenance just because I am eating more salads.

The truth is that recent photographs have told their own story, as have the waistbands of my clothes. It is all very well going for expandable waists, but even they stop being so compliant eventually.

There is never much trouble thinking of topics to mention in my blog – after all, I don't actually know who reads it – if anyone. But I had grave difficulty this week in penning my contribution to the Thought for the Week page of our local paper. Perhaps it is something to do with being retired. I expect to spend my days in whatever I fancy rather than working to a deadline.

Eventually, after much fretting, the item was ready and emailed away. But I am left musing o­n whether I am the sort of person who needs deadlines to get things done. If so, what does that say about writing fiction?  Still, I comfort myself by saying who needs the pressure anyway!

My new mobile phone is supposed to be being delivered today. The whole situation with mobiles is a bit frenetic. I don't use mine much, but I like to have it. The problem is that with no longer working I have to budget a bit more sensibly. Anyway, I was thinking of changing network to get a substantial discount plus a new phone. When I contacted my provider to get the authorisation code for keeping my number, I was offered an even better deal! Thankfully, I am not someone to take the hump at how they would let me go o­n paying over the odds, so the whole process has been made simple.

Now all I shall have to do is learn how to operate it!

I shall have to be careful or this blog will turn into a wildlife blog….but I can't resist mentioning the family of great tits which are being nurtured in our garden. The baby birds are nearly twice the size of the parents, yet they pathetically flutter their wings in a cute attempt at babyhood so they get fed. The parents are as assiduous as the blue tit parents who now obviously have a brood in the nest box.

And to cap it all, what did I see out of the lounge window …….the stag. Great recompence for the rain this week.

BBC's Springwatch programme is fascinating, and as far as I am concerned the contributors themselves are real stars as well as the birds and animals. We had our own Springwatch moment today when we came across three oystercatcher chicks down by the river.

This is a picture of contentment and patience. Dana is very happy to be stylish in her hairslide and awaits the further adornment of a daisychain from her friend Katie.

I was simply privileged to be there!

Him-Behind-The-Wheel has outed me o­n his blog – for putting youngest grandchild's nappy o­n back to front. So I may as well own up to the fact that during the same nappy-episode I also managed to fall over backwards and nearly do a complete back-flip. Of course the said grandchild thought it was all part of Grandma's performance to keep him amused.

Babysitting is a health hazard!