rugby

Max went to watch Bristol v London Irish today and was sooo excited at the prospect and indeed he loved watching real players as opposed to either playing himself or watching the professionals on TV.  He did have a complaint though and that was that he had to stand up for the whole time....aaaw! poor love.
He does not believe his grandad and I when we tell him we expected to stand for every game of football or rugby when we were young; the only game you sat down to watch was cricket.   Not being able to imagine this scenario he has decided that because we are old we have forgotten what really happened.   Cheeky.

on the move

Today is my number 2 sons' last day in Ireland before he moves to the other side of the world.
When he left University he worked in London for a few years and then took a job in Cardiff and
after a few happy years there he was made redundant by his company and moved to Dublin
where he has also been very happy.   In ten days he flies out to Wellington in New Zealand to
continue his working life in another new land  -  but just a minute son haven't you missed out
Edinburgh?

Mail

Yesterday our son who lives in Dublin asked us to send him a document urgently.  First visit to local PO said it would take 5 to 10 days and there was no way to speed it up unless from a major PO,  so off into central Bristol with the usual parking sites and fees and the package went off from there with a promised delivery in 1 or 2 days but at a cost of £20....wow!..but it had to get there so the cost was paid and later we were able to watch it's progress on the PC and within hours it went Bristol/Birmingham/Stanstead/Dublin.
It did bring to mind the fact that we can get a letter to Spain in three days at less than £1 - to Australia in 5
days for less than £1 - to USA same and to South Africa 6/7 days.  What on earth has happened with the Irish Republic?   Later in the evening we worked out that we could have flown Ryanair from Bristol handed the packet over in Dublin Airport and back on the return flight for not much more than the postage.

Cold..cold..colder

I am finding this winter quite hard to take, it appears to have started many moons ago and doesn't know when to stop.  I skyped my sister in law in South Africa yesterday and she complained long and loudly about the heat and humidity they are having to suffer in their area, saying it wasn't good for your health.   I tried to tell her neither is it
good for your health to endure dark days and temps below feezing for weeks on end but as she hasn't lived
in the UK for 45 years she has completely forgotten what being VERY cold feels like. I waste my breath as wherever we live it seems to be the one thing that divides us.....the weather.

Are we in too much of a hurry?

I read very recently that it took that great Yorkshireman William Wilberforce 40 years to successfully
bring in a law for the abolishion of slavery -  he was defeated on every side very often but he never lost heart and determination and in the end... he did it.   God Bless Him.

Strange sight

I was in our den this afternoon when I heard shouting in this usually very quiet area and was shocked when I looked out of the window to see a young man walking up and down the cul de sac shouting/asking for any old metals; he did not attempt to go into anyone's space and I did see him doing to kind of deal with a lady on the corner.   What a throw back to the days when the 'rag and bone man' came around and did just that - though I have to say this young man did not have a horse and cart but a small flat-back.

short holiday

My dear one and I are intending to have a four day break - not a big deal you might think; but we have talked about it on and off for most of the day and are nowhere near deciding where we want to go.   We have visited many towns, cities and countryside in England and Wales, some we would love to see again and other which no-one could drag us to.   Sooo!  We have come down to 5 cities -  York, we know well and love dearly but haven't been for more than 10 years is a popular choice;  the others we do not know well are Canterbury,
Norwich, Cambridge, Shrewsbury.   I won't take any bets that we will end up somewhere quite different in the end.

driving

Number one son drove me to church this morning and after driving on very empty roads but nevertheless having to stop at and wait at 7 red lights for nobody - he drove straight through the next one (after looking carefully around of course) and shocked us all into total silence.   It reminded me of a journey we took whilst living in Spain -  we went along a long empty road a few miles from a small town and came upon a crossing showing a red stop light and being good Brits and used to rules we stopped and waited....and waited...meanwhile we were hooted and overtaken by quite a few Spanish locals.  Eventually, after looking
around for a hidden Guadia car we quickly sped on our way but it took us a couple of miles before we stopped looking out for flashing blue lights.  It still makes us laugh to this day when we talk about it but we are unable to say for sure whether we would do the same again.

What a long way from my house?

A few years ago after we had moved house a friend came to visit and said 'Oh! what a long way away this is'
....'A long way from where we asked?' ...Well, from my house of course, she said.'    It made everyone present laugh and her to look a little sheepish.

My number 2 son has just booked a flight to New Zealand to live and work there and sample the life in another country for a while and we, his parents are delighted for him.    But having heard the flight details it came to my mind....What a long way from my house!    Yes! of course it's a long way but it wouldn't be interesting if it were just round the corner would it?  

Guiding

My grandaughter is not sure whether she like being a Guide after 1 year - I suspect it is because she is
not being challenged.   She is a bright and intelligent girl and looking at her 'Dates to Remember' letter
I can understand why she is bored.     In February a visit to a factory to see how doughnuts are made bring £3.00 and you can decorate your own doughnut before scoffing it.  What about sensible eating?
The following month a 'Jewellery' party - party??? ...No! it's bring all your family and friends to buy!
In April a visit to the 'build a bear Party'   Party??  No! bring along £20 to a commercial shop, get your parents to give you a lift and collect you - it's only twelve miles away.   Baden Powell must be spinning in his grave.

Cinema

I don't often go to the cinema even though as a retired person I can go for a very small amount of money - in fact today my husband and I with our 'Orange Wednesday' tickets paid just £5 for the two of us.   Great value.
We saw a new film called 'The King's Speech' which shocked us both to realise how little we remember of when we had a King on the throne.   I can bearly remember not having Elizabeth as our Queen but the film today gave us a glimpse  (Hollywood permitting) of what a struggle her father had to overcome a speech impediment in the days when sufferers were judged to be less than perfect overall:  thankfully nowadays many people in the very front line of entertainment or politics care not a jot for the fact that they are unable to pronounce their words correctly and neither do we.  We both found the film to be fascinating and Colin Firth as the King will surely get many awards, contrary to public opinion we thought his co-star as his Queen was really poor and that must have helped him to be so superb.  

Homework

I used to hate homework when I was at school but now I love it.   I have just helped my grandson
with a piece about Martin Luther and was constantly being told... 'too much information'...this was followed by finding the facts about Michael Morpurgo my grandaughter's favourite author....and the same comments from her
'we're not writing his biography'....I'm sure I will reach degree standard before they finish their education.

A Letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury

'Continue to keep a warm love for me........
 I cannot be with you physically but my heart is always with you.
 Make efforts to win friends everywhere....
 do not think you will ever have enough.
 Be bound to all, whether rich or poor in loving sympathy.
 This letter is a document of my heart.

     St Anselm writing from Canterbury in 1093

Friends

A friend came in to supper this evening; she's a vegetarian so we had a lovely piece of fish with cauliflower cheese and new potatoes - it was good.   She is a friend of about 25 years but has lived on the south coast for a long time so we have only been able to meet up when she visited her elderly mother who lives quite close to our house.
However, she has now moved into town to be closer to her mum and help her in her late years and has managed to get a flat not too far away.  We had our usual reminisce about all the people we know or have known before we managed to sort out all the difficulties of moving too many accumulated possessions into a much smaller
place and I have to say it was very easy to do this sorting out whilst sitting cosily before the fire with a gin and tonic.  Today though she is back in the real world with this very real problem which we have all faced at times in our life.  So many of my friends are facing this situation at the moment so I am in the position of giving out unasked for advice in every direction which sounds really good -  for example......'if you haven't used something for a year you don't want or need it' ...Oh how I wish I had heeded my own words because if I had I would n't be in such an overcrowded house now.   Next time I'll do it!

Los tres Reyos

I spent a long time last evening looking at pictures from Spain of the many celebrations of this special day.  The Christian Church in general calls this day Epiphany - the coming of the Kings and in many countries it is the biggest day of the year.  When I lived in Spain you could feel the excitment growing as the day drew near with
excitment and anticipation you never knew at any other time - the 'Mooros y Christianos' fiesta was a really huge fiesta which every town celebrated on a different day in the summer - mostly for the visitors I suspect.
But 'Los Tres Reyos' meant everything to the Spaniards for whom Christmas and New Year meant nothing by comparison.   The children get their presents from the Kings and the anticipation is tantamount to 'something in the air' as the time comes nearer for their arrival.  The Kings arrive by different modes of transport depending where you live, we lived in a coastal town and our Kings arrived by fishing boat clad in their ancient and sumptuously decorated costumes then transfered themselves to high stepping Spanish horses and danced through the streets to the ayuntamiento (Town Hall) followed by the whole population of the town;  the chidren would received their families' presents from the Kings then after coffee and brandy for the adults and sweets for the children we would all ...FOLLOW THE KINGS... to the parish church
for the first and most important mass of the year.  Women and children (and dogs!) all packed inside and all men outside smoking huge cigars.   I will never forget our 'Epiphanys' in Spain and went through all my memories last night watching the celebrations that the Spaniards love with all their hearts.   Wonderful! 

The Marx Brothers

 I love this story about the Marx Brothers and it does help to understand their zany behaviour on stage.

  'For years the Marx brothers toured America with a vaudeville act.   Although they were well into their
   twenties,  their mother, Minnie, continued to buy half fare tickets for them with instructions to tell the
   conductor that they were 13.  One suspicious train official approached Minnie and complained that one
   of her 'young' boys was smoking a cigar in the dining-car,  while the other was shaving.
   Apparently she sighed, saying, 'Don't they grow up fast?'

Back to normal

When you have never been ill before it is difficult to realise that all is not well until it is too late.  This happened to me over the Festive period of Christmas and New Year and as I refused to recognise the symptoms which were presenting themselves for too long when they registered on my body it felled me.  I hardly remember when I took to my bed but thankfully our number 2 son arrived from Dublin unsuspectingly thinking he was starting a Christmas holiday with plans to see many old friends - sadly the old friends turned out to be his old parents as he ran full pelt into a chef/nurse break.  He was wonderful and managed to escape back into his own life after a week's hard work only to feel ill himself by then but by the time he negotiated Bristol Airport then Dublin Airport and a journey back to his flat he realised that he might live on and thankfully his germs did not grow into anything more than a sniffle.  Meanwhile, number 1 son found himself alone with his children and having to play with all their gifts with them, this was not easy as his young wife died some years ago on Christmas Day so it is not a good time for them.   However!  all is well with my family now and we are all thankful for the Blessings.
Number 1 son has a book full of orders for work into the Spring, number 2 son is planning a new life at the other side of the world for a while and I know he'll be happy.  Our grandchildren have lots of plans for next year and we will learn at the beginning of March whether Georgina has been given a place at the High School of her choice.   Thanks to gifts from both our sons my dear one and I are planning a long w/e in a luxurious
hotel not too far from home.  Come on family let's go for it....