A Good Year

Posted on June 13, 2012 by freda

Sometimes – the only thing to do is to declare a romcom night with a good DVD and a nice cup of something soothing. It has been a hectic time over the last few weeks and having waved goodbye to my Canadian cousins, the only way to deal with the loss was to pull out A Good Year – a film we had been chatting about over lunch.

Russel Crowe and Albert Finney are well supported by a talented cast and this film cannot fail to please…….. unless you don’t like the genre of course. Indeed, no sooner had the film come to an end than I wanted to see it all over again. Like the days of continuous programmes at the cinema. Do you remember when it was possible to go in at one point in the film and see it through a couple of times if one was so inclined?  Happy days, and how on earth did we have the time to sit through the talking pictures for so long?

Back to the plot, Russell Crowe’s character – Maximilian – inherits a French Chateau and vineyard in Provence.  His plans to sell up and make a quick profit are thwarted and undermined by all sorts of things. Of course, along the way there are many twists and turns and much entertaining footage of the characters who inhabit this rural idyll.

Pause – as I sigh, yet again. No matter, I can put the DVD on at any time and pretend to be in a continuous programme in an olde worlde cinema. You’ve probably guessed that I would give this film a ten.

Have you seen it? Or if not, how do you relax and wind down?

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Diamond Jubilee

Posted on June 6, 2012 by freda

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee has kept me very busy over the last few days……. and that is not to do with the two lots of visitors. I have found myself going down memory lane, fascinated by the celebrations and images and stories of other people.

She became Queen in 1952 but the Coronation took place in June 1953 so I guess we are in the throes of a whole year of Jubilee celebrations. However, the main events took place over the past weekend amid typical summer weather….. rain, winds, cold….. and engendered a kind of “let’s do it” attitude that we Brits are quite good at.

In 1953 I was nine years old. I remember the excitement of getting a television for the first time – it was a nine inch screen. Friends and neighbours were treated to a day-long Coronation Party with sandwiches and sherry being handed round. When I got fed up staring at the screen, I rushed outside with my friends into the street and played at coronation-service and knights and dragons. A night or two before the big day, my parents took me up to London to see the decorations and rows of seats lining the Mall. In one respect I wondered what all the fuss was about, and yet at the same time I was thrilled to be a part of the hustle and bustle. It felt as if London was the centre of the world. Therein lies the secret to my ongoing fascination with royalty.

Although I am half Scottish, my Father was English and I grew up in South-East London, where I went to a rather posh Guild Grammar School. I point that out because it has seemed to me that the Jubilee-Excitement of this weekend has been centred mainly in England, the Scots have been much more low-key. It’s difficult to fathom out what it means, though worth noting that the First Minister, Alex Salmond, called the Queen, Elizabeth Queen of Scots.

These past few years of austerity have been troubling, to say the least, and like many others, I have ongoing worries for those who have little, or are unemployed or disabled. I’ve ranted enough about the “two posh boys who don’t even know the price of a pint of milk….…”  So it has been nice to feel part of a nation who can come through hard times and flourish again.

Let’s hope so anyway.

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Summer

Posted on May 24, 2012 by freda

Last week I was shivering in fleecy top, anorak and warm trousers; this week it has been a chance to dig out light trousers and tops. The temperature in the front garden today has been 30C  As you can see, Misty knows how to enjoy herself after her dip in the river.

Life has been busy with forays away in the campervan and visitors to stay. I love the opportunity to show off the beauties of the Highlands;  even our own bluebell walk is very special. I managed to get a shot low down, ie without falling over backwards.

Here I am with my little sister – her small stature emphasises my need to lose weight. Don’t worry it is in hand – slowly…….always slowly.

I have been enjoying a bit of a rest from the news. It’s impossible to ignore everything, but in such glorious weather it is easier to forget about recession, violence and cuts. However, there comes a time when we have to get back to real life. I keep telling myself that ageing goes hand in hand with wisdom. Unfortunately, I end up with a tendency to worry needlessly, especially about the economic position in Europe and the consequent hard times for the poor, the unemployed and those who are sick or disabled..

So what’s the wise thing to do right now?  Chill out and enjoy the summer while it lasts methinks. The rain will come back soon enough.

 

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Kindle Update

Posted on May 12, 2012 by freda

 The Kindle is proving to be a great friend. In only a few short weeks I have got to the stage where I actually prefer it to reading a heavy book. The only exception is when the book is one with lots of illustrations, or pictures in colour – that just doesn’t work. The Kindle’s advantages are made all the better by having a battery that seems to last for weeks. (Of course that depends how much time one has available for reading.)

This week, HBTW bought me a psychedelic cushioned cover/pocket. It is to make me feel more comfortable with Kindle-on-the-go, the last thing I want to do is to crack the screen now that I am a convert. Talking of converts, I have even downloaded the Good News Bible. Instead of trailing a bag of books away on holiday, it is going to mean a fully charged Kindle. Amazing what modern technology offers.

 

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The Saga of the Dentist

Posted on May 8, 2012 by freda

Perhaps this should be the Tale of the recalcitrant molar. Around 7 years ago, whilst on holiday in Ireland one of my large molars cracked ominously and started to throb. It meant a quick search for an emergency dentist, and navigating the back streets of whatever town it was – trying to find the dentist’s surgery. It seems to be an unwritten law that the dentist works out of an office or surgery in as inaccessible a place as possible.

OF course it is never easy to organise all of this a) in a separate country, (though thankfully we speak more or less the same language,) and b) whilst caravanning in the hinterland of an unknown place.  In the event, the said tooth was expertly repaired with a temporary filling, which lasted for 5 years. My own dentist back home in Scotland took the view that it was best to leave well alone. Since then, the filling has broken on 3 separate occasions; and now, the remaining quarter of the molar has disappeared down the plughole. (Don’t ask ….. it’s not worth it, though it did involve tweezers and swearing when I failed to catch it.)

Now – I discover that I can either phone for emergency appointments each day at half-past eight in the morning in the hope of a cancellation, or wait until the end of May. Herein lies the dilemma; although the tooth is all jagged and cannot be chewed on, it is not sore. So what constitutes an emergency? On top of all that is the fact that making a decision about an appointment early in the morning is problematic. Getting there is a trip of almost an hour, so mathematics comes into the equation. Grrrr……

Never mind the fact that I suspect this will involve decisions about crowns, root fillings, extraction and dentures.  I guess we all go through this as time goes by.

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Sheer Bliss

Posted on May 3, 2012 by freda

This is a bit of a cheat photo – because so far our cherry tree is not yet fully into bloom. We had a few days of summery weather 5/6 weeks ago, then it turned back into winter with frosts, wind and rain, so the buds were badly frosted.  Today is a balmy 21C so I stood under the tree hoping for the same sense of spring, but it is not quite happening yet. The blossom will probably not be as beautiful as last year, though I shall keep my fingers crossed.

Tabor at her blog has been asking readers to describe their favourite place or situation. Mine always includes sunshine and usually involves a clean terrace, cool drink and a sun lounger under a brolly. But I am always happy when I look up into the heavens through the branches of a tree. And that works whether it is summer or winter, wet or dry. There is a sense of peace and being at one with creation. My favourite place on any day is a tree celebrating spring with a riot of flowers. Looking up into the colours and shapes makes me feel rich beyond belief.

How about you?

 

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Contemplation

Posted on April 29, 2012 by freda

There is a contemplative
in all of us,
almost strangled
but still alive,
who craves quiet
enjoyment of the Now,
and longs to touch
the seamless
garment of silence
which
makes whole.

Alan P Tory
Celtic Daily Prayer 

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Politics

Posted on April 28, 2012 by freda

The last ten days have been full of politics and sleaze. It seems to me that the apparent surprise shown by many with regard to phone hacking, favours and access to influential politicians, is ingenuous at least. Anyone who has read a holiday blockbuster knows that money passes hands in exchange for information or favour, and that cover-up is used as an incentive to bury bad publicity.

It being only a few days until the Local Government elections, I wonder what stories will surface next. So far we have had almost a full turnout of hopeful councillors in Dalamory. They are working very hard to try and ensure votes. Mike Russell, the Education Minister at Holyrood, turned up at the door with the local cohorts. The Scottish Nationalists are throwing tremendous energy into these local elections. I never used to understand how important they are in the grand scheme of things. Politics in Scotland is an interesting mix-match between London and national affairs and Edinburgh for Scottish devolved power plus the very local councils. It has taken a long time for most of us to get to grips with how it all works. And we seem to be getting a great deal of media coverage for elections in Europe, the United States and throughout the world. It takes a lot of energy to keep up.

As a Christian, I am drawn towards fairness and good manners towards human beings and the planet. Thus, I look out for hints of that in the speeches that are going the rounds. What I find hard to stomach is the stirring up of hostile attitudes towards the less fortunate in society – especially the disabled. So I am glad to read that some senior Conservatives and LibDems are thinking of actively campaigning against the next round of cuts. People are frightened enough about how they are going to manage their finances. When a big bill comes along it can be a choice between staying out of debt or eating. Many charity workers have been reporting that more and more parents admit to skipping a meal each day, so that their children can be fed. This is horrendous in this supposedly civilised country.

Can you tell that I am starting to get mad? I suppose this all seems a bit remote for readers not in the UK, but for those of us who live here the constant warnings of yet more financial hardship are very wearing.

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Misty and Sergei

Posted on April 19, 2012 by freda

I have to confess to being a lover of the meerkat commercials. In fact I have been known to stop a run-through and scroll back to see them several times. Youtube is easier.

Can you see why I love Sergei so much?  This is Misty with her new spring hair-do.

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Confusion.com

Posted on April 17, 2012 by freda

This has been a bit of a confused time for me regarding reading blogs. A fair number of bloggers have either changed their systems, or rather their blogging programme has insisted upon a different form for signing in to leave comments. I end up totally confused, trying to leave comments and going round in circles because I’ve forgotten passwords – maybe I never had a google mail account in the first place. So I read a blog, am interested, want to comment and then fail at the post. Sorry to be so absent from the commenting blogosphere. I can only hope it resolves itself soon.

The other thing I am noticing is that some bloggers, and I count myself as one of them, are posting less frequently. Have we said all we wanted to say? Is it the fact that the days are longer and the weather has been more clement than usual? Or are we getting lazy? It could be that the advent of facebook and twitter has drawn some bloggers into a new type of  mini-blogging, so that there is less time for a reasoned and thought-out post. Twitter pops up all the time demanding a response.  This isn’t my excuse, I reckon my life as a retiree is not interesting enough for constant bulletins.

I admire those people who manage to juggle it all. And there are some blogs I log into, pleased to read the thought of the day and to be granted the privilege of entering into another’s life and feelings. Recently I seem to have had too many rants in my head, perhaps it would help to put them down in print. That, however, is for another day.

Let me know what you think.

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