Grand-daughter Katie (aged 6) phoned to speak to Grandpa yesterday.
“Guess where I am?”
Granpa hears the background noise and says, “At a party?”
That wasn't right, so he suggested the Sports Centre. Eventually inspiration dawned and he guessed correctly – MacDonalds!
But how was he expected to know it was MacDonalds in Athens?
For half of my working life I worked as an insurance broker, usually enjoying the cut and thrust of competition and also getting the best for my clients. Professional standards and fair play were important to me. The work was often rewarding, though it had its bad moments like anything else.
As to dealing with personal insurance claims. Words fail me.
My mother-in-law used to play scrabble a lot. When asked if she enjoyed it, her reply was “Well, it passes the time.” I used to think it a strange thing to say. She was in her eighties after all, and what was she waiting for? on weeks like this, when all sorts of problems arise, I am pleased to remember the old adage that Everything passes in time.
I suppose it is better than We'll all be dead in a hundred years.
Website has not been working properly for the past few days. A bit like me.
Incidentally, I don't know how anybody runs at all in the heat and humidity of Athens.
Dana's return to home seems to have coincided with the arrival of a new postman. She is extremely friendly. He is extremely nervous. She tends to greet postpersons as bearers of dog-treats – thanks to one postman who actually used his official allowance for dog biscuits. I find it strange that anyone can find a dog who is wagging its tail and smiling in anticipation a threat. But I am prepared to accept it is possible that this particular postman may have had a fright in the past. However, he doesn't take readily to smiles from me either. And it does not help that he tends to shout Get Away, get away! as if she is a large yellow wasp. I have explained that a simple and firm command of Down… will give the required results. So instead he has started throwing the mail at her.
Mind you – half the time it is somebody else's mail, but that is another story.
A fly decided to commit suicide in my meal. It drowned in my green Thai sauce.
Not a nice experience for either of us.
Reading 2nd Chronicles has made me realise that people were always suckers for descriptions of decor and interior design. The Sunday Supplements are full of how other people live. And TV programmes about choosing property, moving location or doing up the house are everywhere. The only difference is that nowadays it can seem as if people are worshipping the property instead of God. The purpose of the writer in 2nd Chronicles is to show how great God is, rather than to glorify the building of the Temple.
I.m not sure where that gets me – except a reminder not to watch so many makeover programmes, even if it is raining.
The heather is blooming in abundance. Surely it is early this year? And at the same time some of the spring flowers seem to be having a second flowering.
From John Donne
At the round earth's imaginerd corners blow
Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise
From death, you numberless infinities
Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go:
All whom the flood did, and fire shall o'erthrow,
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
Despair, law, chance hath slain, and you whose eyes
Shall behold God, and never taste death's woe.
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
For if above all these my sins abound,
'Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace
When we are there. Here on this lowly ground
Teach me how to repent: for that's as good
As if thou hadst sealed my pardon with thy blood.
