Birthday & Power Grab

Her Dug

A child running around the church this morning was sweet, happy and even smiled at me as we discussed her small teacup.  She is not yet two, grannie brought her to church because I suspect mum is worn out!  How can a child that small have so much energy?  I thought of my 3 years old great nephew who might appear here in a couple of weeks, how will I cope with that?  

Anyway, this lingers in my mind as a similar child once ran rings around me like this in times past.  Today she became 27 years old!  27!  I was that only the other day, how can she be 27?  

This girl earns more in a year than I did in a lifetime, has now got 2 cars, a boyfriend who can repair them, and still lives of her parents at home while grumbling she canny buy a house!  

She is of course correct.  her dad is a 0builder and they would give help if required but finding one she can afford and indeed get a mortgage for is rare.  A man in church told me his son pays £800 a month in rent, yet the mortgage people would not give a mortgage at £500 a month because 'He could not afford it.'  How does that work?  Corrupt government practices again. 

Ian Murray, the Colonial Governor of Scotland, is pulling another fast one on the Scottish people.  He intends to control Scotland from St Andrews House, the civil service office, and overrule the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.  This would be a major mistake by Keir, though it is no surprise to hear this.  

England's control over Scotland will increase because of the failure of the SNP under Nicola to seek independence and instead fill the land with deviants and the mentally ill.  With no powerful politicians in office, only Alec Salmond has the strength but they think they have seen him off thanks to Nicola there is little brainpower left to oppose such a move.  

We may have to get out on the streets for a real purpose soon.

'The Daily Telegraph,' Great Niece, MEMHAS and the Moon

I must say, beginning the day by reading the Letters in the 'Telegraph' are a good way to start.  The gift of a free digital edition from afar has been excellent.  OK, the news slant is just as daft as the 'Daily Mail,' however, the writing is writing and not exaggerated fear, or pages of celebrities and their divorces.  I even managed to spend 18 minutes failing to finish the wee crossword!  'The Telegraph' has always been the Conservative Party paper, since Boris rose to influence however, it has gone very much downmarket, losing masses of readers and failing to find new ones.  The paper does not satisfy old Conservatives, many of whom it must be said are dying off, and the new breed of Tory prefers the slanted half truths and downright lies of the 'Daily Mail' and the 'Sun,' which is all some can handle.   

The owners, the Barclay Brothers, have lost control, with Lloyds Bank taking over and seeking someone to buy the paper.  One Barclay brother has died, the other is in a many years long dispute with a former wife, the family all seeking the money taking sides, and he is one step from jail, though his age has so far kept him out.  One line of the family has made an offer to buy back the paper, another offer comes from a rich American, one who backed Boris and may wish him as editor!  Imagine!  A third offer from another unworthy neo-Nazi has also been made.  Good luck with your selection Lloyds Bank.  I wonder if they will delay this until after the election, the government always has an input here.

Another interesting sideline here is 'Private Eye.'  They usually have a story or two about the office infighting to record, something the paper itself appears not to print.  Always interesting how the media never publish their own faults, crimes and criminals.  I wonder why?

Anyway, after a couple of the usual anti-ULEZ scribbles, a man from Tunbridge Wells among those attacking the charge, two others mentioned the ease of getting on a train at Croydon and reaching central London, avoiding mileage, waiting, queues, and costs.  Maybe some in Tunbridge Wells did not realise trains run there?

Yesterdays post, one of my many great nieces spouting about 'Linear A,' and 'Linear B,' with all the knowledge of someone who cannot pronounce the big words, was meant to actually appear here, on this post.  My tech knowledge is great, I can make a mess of anything technical, from a pencil up!  While her video all appears Greek to me it does reflect her interest, qualifications, and desire to promote archaeology to the world.   I prefer when she offers local Scots stories mind, she is good at that.

Needing a passport picture for a new 'Railcard,' the other one died out with almost no use thanks to Covid, I sauntered around the town looking for a machine.  Naturally, these no longer take cash, naturally the seat is too high and will not adjust, naturally the instructions are shouted at 'Tannoy' decibel level, and naturally I got it wrong, twice.  Eventually, after much pushing of buttons, much scanning a poor screen to see if anything was working, and paying £9 by card, I got my pictures.  Two it gave are classed as 'Not Conform' to passport standards.  The four others are, but who is that in the picture?  The last time I saw that face it was on the Essex Police Twitter feed!  I bet he has 'Love' and 'Hate' tattooed across his knuckles.  He could at least have had a shave!  Scruff!

I returned via the various cafe's.  One was busy, another closed, Thursday is a quiet day here, and 'MemHas' the Turkish café was then my eating place today.  And jolly good it was too!

A wide menu, friendly, helpful staff, and very busy even for a Thursday.  The staff never stopped, many customers were obviously regulars and welcomed back, and the prices equal to similar places.  For me I had what they called an 'American.'  This featured two hash browns, two bacon, Two eggs, and three large slim pancakes with a couple of bits of fruit and maple syrup.  I did enjoy this!  In America the same thing would no doubt be several times larger, but this was enough for me and well worth the £9:45 it cost.  Again, if I cooked for myself the cost would turn out about the same, this way is better.

MEMHAS, a family run shop, originate in Istanbul according to the picture on the wall.  They have established themselves here over six years and I expect them to continue for a long time yet.  This is one place I would recommend, and excellent café.    

Another 'Blue Moon.'  This one, like the last 'Blue Moon,' was not Blue, just a kind of yellowish here, possibly caused by street lights flickering in that direction.  By that I do not mean there were street lights on the moon, what I meant was... anyway, it looked normal colour to me.  They say two full moons in a month means it becomes a 'Blue Moon,' but surely two full moons in a month means the moon is running around faster or the earth has stopped moving?  Could it be aliens responsible for this?  You may not think so, but somewhere in the USA somebody is claiming that to be the case, then shooting everyone in sight.  It's what they do...

Louise Raynor
 

Happy Baby.

 

The latest Great Niece.

I have so many!

The other day, my nephew, he of startling intellect, his spelling is less than that of a 'Sun' writer, informed me he was coming on Sunday.  Now, Sunday I was taking off as I intended to go to Muswell Hill for a funeral.  However, as I have not seen him for five years, and he was bringing his baby I had to say yes!

So for two days I swept, scrubbed, dusted, moved things, and improved the look of the place.  I then attempted to buy things that may suit them.  Money flowed, and I was tired!  

Anyway, he came on Saturday night to the hotel round the corner, but I was not sure if he was there or elsewhere.  Anyway, I was knackered so ignored him.  Come Sunday I realise where he is and go get him.

There followed a day of delight with a cheerful 7 month old baby, a less cheerful mum, whom I have not met, and who looked bored all day.  There was little to connect us, and I did not meet her expectations I think.  Oh well, most people find this.  

However, I was tired, and walking towards the park, down the slope, I found carrying the babe, which I was determined to do, just too much for my old age.  My wizened fat body cannot deal with things like it used to.   Eventually they left, I scrubbed the pawmarks off the phone, the laptop, the everything else, returned the place to the usual mess, and sat eating all the fancy cakes I bought and they rejected.  

While it was not the happy time I hoped for it got one family visit for mum out of the way.  It enabled me to get my hands on a baby that looked cheerful and full of life and indeed was such.  She was determined to stand, refused to crawl, and is into everything.  In a few months time she will be uncontrollable!  Good job they live in Burnley.  He only came this way as he was dropping her brother off, in Kings Lynn!  Driving is no problem for him, he is used to it, and he thought this would be the only time I might see Nina as a babe, he is right, I could not get to Burnley at the moment.  Good on him!  

I loved having her around, took some poor pictures, fed her, bounced her around, stopped her flinging everything of the desk, and had a great time.  Next time I see her she will be at least a toddler of not more.  

So, that's four Nieces, all good looking and highly intelligent.  Two grown up Great Nieces, beautiful and intelligent, and one new highly active Great Niece.   One Nephew, one grown up Great Nephew, and one Toddler Great Nephew.  I think, there may be one or two more somewhere I missed.  Now I have met the youngest I am happy.  I have dandled them all, spent money on them, and now can die happy - but not yet, not yet!

I ought to have been in Muswell Hill today for the funeral of a long time friend.  This was to be an awkward journey.  I eventually worked out how to do this, Liverpool St to Kings Cross, Northern Line to East Finchley, or train to Alexander Palace, then a bus 134?, onwards.  Already you see I have made it more complicated.  All this to be there by 2:30 pm.

As I searched this out, spending a lot of cash on an 'Oyster Card,' not yet working out if my 'Pay as you go card' will allow me to cover as far as Zone 3, something at the back of my mind grew all the time that I would not be there.  It was a constant thought as I prepared, especially as this was one of my three closest friends.  

Then on the Friday my nephew's call made me realise why this was bouncing around my head.  The Good Lord knew this was going to happen, and after the exertions of the weekend I am glad to sit around at home, rather than struggle there and back for a 30 minute service.  However, I feel so guilty at letting her down.  This was a close friend, a real one.  I am not there, just sitting here acknowledging how I failed her, and I did that often.  I am glad however that her God has been looking after her, is at this moment listening to her only musical outlet, Bob Dylan, and seeking how to meet her demands for chocolate!  Her going might save me around a hundred pounds a year on that alone I say!  But my guilt remains, though if I had forced myself there I may as well have gone on to the crematorium, family only or not, and waited there anyway.  

There are less rude emails about now...

At Prayer (no details)

Lauriston Castle

 

This is one of my highly intelligent, beautiful, and clever great nieces.  This one obtained her parchments in Archaeology, and has begun to make short video's of Edinburgh and Scotland's history.  

I am so proud of this lassie.  Good looking, wise, clever, with bouncy personality, knowledgeable, and well able to put over her knowledge to inform and entertain us.

She is a bit like me...

 

What?...oh!

A short video and hopefully you will like it.

 

Saturday Sloth

 

 

I started the new month in the normal way, seeking for what day this is, working out what the time was, seeking coffee, and then hobbling up to Sainsburys before either I was awake or the crowds had gathered.  At Sainsburys the crowds had gathered.  I filled my basket as quickly as possible, joined the shortest queue at the checkout, friendly crowd here, good young lady on till, and struggled home, huffing and puffing all the way.  

Another month has begun!

This is the fourth, and I still working through the second!  Now Spring clean time has arrived, but thankfully I canny be bothered.  So that is that!  

The constant bug over the past few months has been hanging around making life difficult again.  However, by remaining indoors for the past three weeks, only shopping took me out, has helped greatly. Indeed, this week I returned to exercise and housekeeping!  Both have been missing, and my mind is clearer than for a while.  However, I have been here before.  A virus is not a good thing, they come and go, wave after wave, but hopefully this one will clear off soon, I may even stop coughing for a while.

So, Saturday is football day, and to nobodys surprise the Heart of Midlothian threw it!  A good reason for depression.  It is strange how a simple game like football can mean so much.  We all know its only a game but winning and losing have an effect on the fan.  I cheered my self up by watching Motherwell roundly beat Hibernian in Leith.  That brought a smile.

Now I prepare for tomorrow, Palm Sunday, mostly by staring into space...

 

      My latest great niece. That cheers me up.

Books! & Family.

So, in spite of my better judgement I wandered off up the road to the wee shop, entering just after they had opened.  I am always wary of this shop, on the few occasions I have used it I have been confronted by what we refer to
as 'wide boys.'  However, after a quick prayer, and a quicker breakfast of stale hot cross bun and coffee, I made it anyway.  They were still sorting themselves out for the Saturday traffic and quickly I explained my desire and quickly the packet was forthcoming.  Soon I was heading home via Tesco.  This surprised me as I was aiming for Sainsburys but fell into a dream and found myself at the wrong shop.  This may not surprise anyone.  A quick wander round for the needful, and a fight to stop the girl at the checkpoint stealing my packet, and home I stumbled.  Another exciting Saturday in flow.

I have always liked the H. V. Morton style.  Especially as the books date mostly from the 1920s and 30s and as such offer a differing view on life.  Already I have mentioned his book on Scotland which I have somewhere on the shelf.  The link also offers the other Morton books I have read, and one on the man himself.  While his books offer an insight into the world of his day they also offer an insight into the man himself, this is not always pleasant.  

With the book on medieval churches I failed to realise that is contains over 400 pages of small font!  It looks historically interesting, probably is, and will be very interesting to read.  However, with several other 'heavy' reads on the go it may not appear here for a while, possibly this year!  

There are quite a few books I am slowly working my way through at the moment, and one of my sensible nieces has given me an 'Amazon' voucher, this means I will have to make use of the second hand books available there and save money and increase the book pile.  I am not sure this is a good idea...

I will start looking on Monday!

Yes its a baby.  Yet another great niece for me to spend money on.  However, on this occasion, the mother has brothers and family without nieces or nephews to spend money on, so I will not venture much more than I already have.  As far as I can count, that is four nieces, one nephew, three great nieces and two great nephews.  Though I may have missed one.  They are all at a distance, only the latest two require anything, the rest all successfully grew up and found work, bar the archaeologist who still has to decide whether to find work or study for a PHD.  

Her dad says 'Work!' 

Money, Wales and Clever Great Niece

Another day of rushing about to spend money.

At least I have found a way to spend an unusual gift card I received some time ago.  It has taken several months to find someone who will take it online.  Tomorrow I spend it!  

I had to purchase Amazon cards for some folks Christmas and birthdays.  When I got a note from my niece to say her daughter was getting her 'Masters' online, which meant I had to put aside watching Wales lose to Iran and go online to Edinburgh University to watch her!  This formal extravaganza, full of pomp and more pomp, meant watcher a line of clever people walk up, be doffed on the head by the man in robes, and pass on.  Luckili Rhiaan came on quite quickly, so I could return to watching the poor football.

However this does mean I have to send her a congrats card, which means put an Amazon card in with it, which means more expense.  It also means her dad and mum will now loudly reiterate the phrase used quite often in recent years, "Get a job!  A 'Masters' in Archaeology will not make that easy.  Looks like McDonalds again...

Wales disaster means they must beat England, and this does not look likely.  Tonight England imperialists take on the former colony of USA.  Which side am I on...?

 

Stanhope Forbes