Saint Swithun

Is it just me , or are there others 'out there' who sometimes wonder why those created Saints for apparently good reasons at the time, are only remembered for rather unpleasant reasons. In my beleagured thinking this list includes the late (and by me at least, unlamented) Saint Swithin.

This August would I think cause almost anyone other than a duck, to wish the aforementioned Saint to pack his bags and leave his place in Heaven and take up residence somewhere more appropriate - the Lake District or a Rain-forest perhaps.

Are we never to see the sun again or am I just a tad overwrought?

Seriously though. Does anyone know anything good about the above-named ? If so, please enclose answers in a water-proof envelope.

English and Media-Speak

Having just returned from a very good but extremely long church service this morning (I sing in the choir), exhausted and in need of a long, feet-up sit down I switched on the "box". Nothing much of interest so started flicking round the channels.

Shopping channel on jewellery had not one, but two experts talking about their subject which was described as "joollery" by both of them.

Fed up with this after the fifteenth or so time switched to Eastenders in time to hear the offer of their favourite panacea for all ills "a nice cup o tea", quickly followed by "I'm tellin yer de troof". If they would just stop and fink abaht it fer a mo, they might realise that a good percentage of the population is now from other parts of the world and they don't all speak such good English as wot we does.

Having said that I realise that in fact many non-native English speakers speak much better English than most of us.

Having lived in Wales, Birmingham, Wiltshire, Kent, London and Buckinghamshire and spent
a lot of time in the Netherlands I now realise that almost the only people who speak good standard English these days are the Dutch, closely followed by the Germans.

Accents are interesting, dialect words even more so, but horrible dropped-aitch ungrammatical English is not.

Here endeth today's diatribe. Any takers?

Elixir of Youth (Life)

Have just returned from a pleasant couple of "volunteer" hours in the local church and ran into a casual acquaintance who I haven't seen for a month or so. "You really do look well, how do you manage to look so young?" was the greeting.

Since it is at least a third of a century since I was even remotely young this took me by surprise. "I'm glad you think so" I said, "but since I am on the inside looking out I have no idea whether it is true".

After the usual catch-up chat we parted and the conversation set me thinking. Assuming the remark was actually meant and not just a passing pleasantry, it seems to me that the answer is just one word - curiosity!

When we cease to be interested in people, ideas, what goes on around us every day we shrivel, failing to respond to outside stimuli leads to atrophy and losing that most valuable of all asset, a sense of humour is tantamount to throwing in the towel.

Laugh and live, grumble and crumble.

Is this really the answer, who knows? but at least have fun finding out.

And there was light!

At last the longed-for help with my would-be blogger life has been generously rendered.

A good friend (on whose head be blessings), has just spent two hours of his valuable time acquainting me with the basic rules which will I hope, finally get my literary outpourings (effluent) in the public domain. Look out world you won't know what's hit you.

This patient and good-tempered individual has finally drilled the rudiments of the world of blog into my thick skull where hopefully they have taken up residence for all time.

Now all that remains is to find something of interest to say. Where to start?

All my previous ramblings/rantings have made no impact whatsoever on the rest of the world possibly because no-one could access them. We'll see whether this reaches "breathers" or whether like the rest it winds up in cyberspace.

This is a Test

This is a test, so hold on to your hats!

Thanks; nice hat!

The Triumph of hope over experience

In a period of self-inflicted aloneness (not to be confused with loneliness), it occurred to me that one of the reasons we as humans continue to hope against all apparent reason is that there is always, for most of us anyway, the possibility that we are not entirely in control of our own destinies.

Whether it be God, some kind of social circle, family or even just a friendly passing stranger, there is always the possibility of the involvement of others in our lives.

If we tend towards the morbid or introspective a sudden shake-up from 'outside' can have quite startling results. Even the most determined misanthrope can be kick-started into a new attitude, activity, interest or friendship by a seemingly accidental brush with an outsider.

From personal experience I know just how valuable this can be and how it can cause us to re-evaluate our most deeply held opinions. Long live the ability to keep an open mind .

Get it in perspective

After a disturbed night feeling less than sparkling went to a very good church service. Several baptisms and generally happy morning. However, spirits descended sharply on return home. Inspiration suddenly strikes. This is a good chance to get on with some weeding.

Stuck my ungloved (idiot) hand into large tub of lavender and was stung by a wasp. Gasping from the pain tried to knock the little b..... off my left index finger and the vicious evil little beast stung me again.

I know we are all God's creatures, but I can't help wondering what He/She was thinking when the wasp was created.

There is little doubt that we all have our place in the scheme of things, and at last I'm beginning to discover mine.

The babies in church this morning are just starting on their voyage of discovery, while I am
getting daily nearer to the end of mine yet I am living proof that contrary to popular belief age does not bring wisdom, only more questions.

What a load of piffle!

Time for this baggy-eyed crone to get some much-needed rest.

I'm afraid I'll almost certainly be back!

Night!