Band in the Park

The weather brought the band into the ark today.  The people crowded around, the regulars in their folding chairs, some on blankets, all with picnics and drinks around.  The crowd was smaller than usual as the long weekend and half term coincide and many are off at this time of year, some for the weekend some for the week.  Mostly the gathering is of those of an elderly persuasion, they noting the band playing 'When I'm 64' and muttering "When was I 64?" at many parts of the ground.  

The church had decided to picnic there and quite a few had congregated by the time I arrived.  They went straight from church to sit in the sunshine while I staggered home after serving teas and coffees, washing up afterwards and then having to eat and sleep it off!  I was not down to work this morning but as the woman was sick I foolishly went into the kitchen and was pounced on to help.  It is difficult to refuse some people.  The quiet pleading voice that indirectly mentions a situation while leaving open the chance for you to 'volunteer' in spite of everything else.

 
There is a serious anomaly in this world, children can run around a park, in bright hot sunshine, for hours.  You and I try this and within minutes we are under the nearest tree for shade or under the doctor for a new heart.  Surely a better idea would be to give kids sloth, and allow them slowly to develop energy while keeping the high levels up well into the senile years?  I see nothing wrong with that.  Young folks full of energy and bright ideas with no understanding of the world ought to be banned, while folks with such understanding ought to be given energy to put their plans into action.
Life isn't fair!

The music gently rolled along, though why they sat in the direct sunlight I do not understand, and the population rolled along with it.  The kids rushing around, the old crones mature lolling in their chairs or on one of the benches, few actually speaking to strangers I noted.  I did try this with a man shoving his kid back and forth on the swings but he took fright and ran off.  Maybe it was me?

Sun shining through leaves, a kind of hundred foot Fern here.  Lovely to see the bright colours when the sun shines.

Whatever they are were nesting happily in the sunshine.  One or two similar found elsewhere.  I think I prefer Blue flowers more than others these days.

As I sauntered home I noted a pilot taking advantage of the clear skies to add a few hours to his log book.  This was more than those flying from Stansted Airport last night could do, the lightning which flashed around here hit the fuel delivery service.  Planes were trapped on the ground as they could not refuel, others were delayed by the hold up and all flights have problems.  The passengers were unhappy but as many travel 'Ryanair'  that is to be expected.  

Tomorrow folks will be walking around the colour of beetroot! 

Palm Sunday with Jesus

An interesting Palm Sunday.  Once these were 'religious services' soon forgotten.  Today we had one that the kids will remember for a while, one they enjoyed.  Resetting the seats to form a central area allowed room for Jesus to parade.  On arrival Jesus was not expecting to parade but the eight year old entered to be volunteered to play Jesus.  Dressing in white surplice, large beard and vast wig Jesus spent the entire morning parading (over the curates cloak) into Jerusalem while other kids, one or two quite old ones, waved palms and other suitable accoutrements and sang and cheered along.
The congregation was also forced into readings, songs, and short discourse all of which told the story of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem, an triumph that did not fool him, and brought about his death a week later.  How quickly people turn.  Those that love you today do not do so tomorrow.  Football managers and politicians note that daily.  Never rely on peoples opinion of you because tomorrow it will change when they decide you are not what they want you to be.
Jesus was not on for show, he did not come to gloat among his followers, he was however forcing the issue with the religious leaders and making them decide whether they would accept his claim to be the Son of God come to claim his people or not.  The leaders reject him knowing he was indeed God preferring to keep control themselves and in so doing lost their souls.
Many cheering him that day would do so also.
This week many will look forward to chocolate eggs, holidays but few will look to the reason for the season.

Too Hot

Too hot to write....

 

Sunday Again

Sunday without politics was in my mind today.  However I did manage one or two comments on the papers early this morning.  The 'Daily Mail' and it's readers really are not interested in facts are they?
However I put all this aside for better things and hobbled to St P's to find the stand in preacher talk about social justice.  This no doubt inspired by his many years experience of social inequality and the sloth amongst previous churches when it came to taking action.  It may also be inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury's round robin letter reminding people to vote as this was a duty not to be avoided.  This may stop short of telling you who to vote for but a reading of the 'Book of Amos'  shows how important social justice is to God.  He created all people and cannot see why we do not 'Love our neighbour.'
There are many Church of England churches where he would be asked to leave for offering his thoughts.  Most Evangelical would agree, but whether any actually appreciate what is required is hard to tell.  Some do great works while others sit on their hands a wee bit.  However the book does say 'Faith without works is dead.'
I of course listened intently, and now sit on my hands...

Nothing else has happened.
Life is boring.
The sky spends its time being covered in gray cloud and has done for weeks.
It's cold.
The footballs rotten.
My dinner was worse.
I accidentally got involved in an argument re Independence on a railway site on facebook.
My tea is awful.
Heart of Midlothian fell to another defeat.
This was not on TV so I could not see it!
Radio is awful.
It was awful when I woke at four this morning, it was awful when I woke at six.
It was still awful at 7:15 when I rose.
My knees hurt again.
I am not getting out and about and I am therefore bored!

I was happy when I rose this morning... 

Sunday Snooze

I have been in snooze mode all day.  While in St P's this morning I listened attentively to Colin but could not stop my mind drifting onto lesser things.  He spoke well but my mind kept wandering all over the place.  It has not yet returned.
I keep finding days like this partly because I try to lose weight by eating less and when I eat less my head dies.  My beer belly does not however.  I really need a better breakfast to see me through the day until evening.  Today I woke about 5:15 and desired urgently a pizza!  This has not happened before so unless I am pregnant I must not be eating properly.  Chips are required to make my mind work by that appears too easy an option early in the morning.
Keeping this hulk going while losing weight may be beyond me.  

The 'Strong and Stable' Kim Jong May has made an appearance in Scotland.  The Tory media inform us Scotland is turning to the Tories so the Dear Leader ventures to meet her people in a village hall in Crathie.  
"Where?"
Crathie!  It is the village where the Royal Family of benefit scroungers go to visit church when staying for three months at Balmoral Castle.  What they do there is a mystery but there it is.  The Dear Leader went unannounced to the village hall, the notice said a 'Children's Party' had booked the hall, and no press were allowed and no questions from the invited guests (all party members).  Instead of being interviewed by the media Ruth the leader of the Scottish Tories asked Kim Jong May the questions she was told to ask.  The great one then fled back to Englandshire.  She avoided Edinburgh, the capital city, Glasgow, the largest population, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth, Dunfermline, Kilmarnock etc but managed to visit an obscure village where the locals were not told she was arriving.  
Indeed the country is turning to the Conservatives.   

Tomorrow is a bank holiday, the May Day Holiday Mrs Thatcher banned because it was too Communist.  The Labour Party reintroduced it when they returned, at least that is how I remember it.  Thatcher did not like people enjoying themselves when they could be working for low wages in poor conditions.  Not that much socialism will appear around here tomorrow.  Those who can have gone away already, those who can't will do little bar sit around eating or visiting the shops, I suspect they will be open.  Socialists working therein might get extra for it but I doubt it.

Sunday Cycle

Sunday is my first day of the week yet the diary and all calendars today all begin on Monday!  This is annoying and puts me off.  Last week I missed my sisters birthday (she has had plenty of them) because it was on the Monday and I did not turn the page soon enough to realise.  This annoyed me because it saved me money and you know how much I hate that!  I love to give money away to others and i failed to do so this time.  
Not that she has money worries, for some time both she and her husband were both buying failing Lottery tickets and winning nothing, she stopped buying and placed the money that would have gone on tickets on the mantelpiece.   One year later he had won around £10 and she had a hundred sitting there gloating, as indeed was she.  This is however somewhat annoying again as I was relying on her winning several million pounds and then passing some on to me, this is now unlikely to happen as he will waste his millions on his daughters alone, selfish man!
Folks who gamble are funny.  One man I knew spent each day in the bookies placing small bets (he said) and every so often winning a few pounds.  In his mind he was breaking even over the year but you and I know he was losing hand over fist.  Betting companies work online giving them reach to people worldwide who throw their money at them happily.  This enables several such companies to spend their millions on more adverts for the mug, more advertising from sponsoring sports events, two alone do this in Scotland, and from such advertising bring in more cash than they can shake a stick at, if that's their idea of a good time.  
The temptation to win big is very strong especially if you are in financial trouble.  I went in for it a while back when unemployed and try as I might I got nowhere with the Lottery, no million pound cheque found its way to me.  However I knew this was daft and trusting Jesus has never left me down so I returned to that and on the day, much later, when later I found I was paying out more than I was taking in Jesus provided.  The taxman gave me a refund that arrived that day and both Gas & Electric told me to pay less than I was paying monthly!  I could survive again.  The thought that I could use vast amounts is always a temptation but I would probably make a mess of this, now having moved from Pauperism to Poverty I am quite happy.  

The sun tempted me to cycle to church today.  By the time i got there, five minutes later, I was puggled and looking for an ambulance.  I got little sympathy from the congregation however and remarkably when I came home afterwards I raced up the road with little stress, bar the Audi I met when going round the roundabout, he was not slowing down, and as I climbed the stairs with no trouble I realised cycling short distances was indeed making me fitter.  I will be back tomorrow and will follow the same route, without the Audi, and hopefully this will be beneficial also.
of course I canny stand up now I have been sitting watching football all day, I have siezed up!

Spring Sunday

I cheered myself up considerably this morning by not reading any of the lying online papers.  This was a good idea, though one or two things that appeared on facebook did niggle.  The woman at the Kirk who follows slavishly the UKIP line was close to getting my thoughts this morning but I managed to control myself and twice avoided expressing my opinion.  Coffee time would not have been so enjoyable for some if I had  mentioned my opposition to the hate filled messages she thinks acceptable.  I must write something biblical about this, it shouldn't be too difficult. 
The morning was good otherwise, these people are becoming family to me now, whether they see things that way I would not like to say but "You know how awful family can be," is a phrase I have heard in my presence...   

Plodding home from Kirk I noticed the Spring weather at its best.  Sun bright over there, black clouds over here scudding along at speed.  The football in Manchester I watched today began in teeming rain and soon afterwards the sun was shining, typical Spring weather.  Tomorrow I go out in sunshine but if the weather report is fulfilled I will drown on the way back. 

 
Is there nothing but Daffodils in this country?
These I believe are nearer the colour of the wild daffs that Wordsworth saw when wandering 'lonely as a cloud' though I have yet to see a lonely cloud in this country myself, usually they come with many friends.  
Small flowers, blossom on trees, milder temperatures in spite of high winds and occasional blue in the sky indicate better prospects.  Life is getting better.

  
It is noticeable how scared Westminster is of the IndyRef 2.  The media campaign is well under way already while the problems with the failure of Brexit negotiations and the Northern Ireland danger are pushed aside while Scotland is attacked on all sides.  The referendum has not yet got a date you notice!  England needs Scotland to keep it afloat yet will not accept this.  Instead the usual lies are offered and the usual suspects brought before the biased TV and radio programmes.  Today, in the week the SNP had their Spring Gathering the Andrew Marr show offered the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, not someone from the SNP!  Possibly they were at the Conference "cough."
There is however a great deal of hope for Scots, the greatest weapon we have still exists, Theresa May!  Her patronising attitude, her intransigence and contempt for Scotland will offer Scots an insight into England's understanding of Scotland.  I see that here all the time, and this from well meaning folks, they have a total ignorance of Scotland and its people, a total misunderstanding of why Scots require to be a nation again.   With their media being what it is this can be no surprise.

With the lighter mornings I am awakening at six these days.  This means I must begin to get to bed earlier for my much needed beauty sleep.  As it is past eight at night I suppose this would be the right time to head off for that is around the amount of 'beauty sleep' I require!

More Boring Sunday

Sorry Sunday

Sorry Sunday.
I woke early but very tired.  This all day working is not good for my wizened bones.  I intended to go out but went back to bed until ten!  I spent the rest of the day ignoring the sunshine and stuffing my face or sleeping.  What a way to spend a Sunday.  On top of that there was no football to distract me, it's a disgrace!  I tried five minutes of Formula One but that was boring, the car that gets away first always wins, and I had the 'Tour de France' on for most of the day even though there was nothing to it being already won by the yellow jersey.  At least the views of the countryside were better than anything on other channels.
All this eating less to lose weight is making me ill.  All very well for wee girls not doing much but when you have to work in a museum all day (and listen to a woman talking all day also) it can be hard work.  She tired my mind, that has not recovered.  
Now clouds cover the earth again in what is a normal summer at last.  The temperature is still high but in Kuwait it appears they have hit 54C, that's about 130F in temperature.  Not even they like that!  The end is near!

Nothing to say so here is a 'selfie!'

Sunday Night Sounds

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Pondering

I awoke this morning to the blethering voices on the radio mixing with the remains of my dreams.  This was not a good combination.  It was just after six, my bleary eyes looked at the brightness outside and wished to climb on the bike in the early stillness.  My muscles were however making clear their protests. I rose, went back, pondered, rose again and sat staring out through the open window.  The dream remained in parts, just how was a friend, not seen for 20 years on that bus/van/train thing last night? What was he saying, why were we wherever we were?  Radio 3 soothed my mind as I pondered.  In spite of the sun my thoughts became dismal.  After all I was still me!  As the crows nodded while patrolling what they consider their park I mused on the wasted years, the ineptness and failure that is my life.  It was then a memory of how God had chosen to love me in spite of all this came to mind.  Long ago he made clear his love to me, useless, inept, cretinous sinner that I am, and had proved it so many times.  

It was a good thought.  

Foolishly cheered I then sauntered around on the bike for some minutes as my body screamed "NO!"  To stop my muscles (I use that word loosely) seizing up I then strolled across the park and around the almost empty town.  How the sun brightens everything, especially when the town is empty.  I made it home and fell asleep soon enough in a vain effort to please the body.  The hulk was not pleased and required yet more sleep after what laughingly I called 'lunch.'  

My head continued to carry the thought that Jesus loved me.  How incredible! Only I can tell how bad I am, yet he knows there is much worse inside, I canny do anything that will surprise him, yet Jesus gave his life for me.  

It is only when I allow myself to forget this, by fussing about less important things, that I find myself swamped by the world.  What a clown.  

The amazing truth is that it is not that we loved God but that he loved us, and gave himself for us!  The death of Jesus washes away sins, all our wrongs.  No wonder Christians should be happy.

Just imagine what I would be like if he had not intervened in my life?  Put your trust in Jesus, nothing and no-one else brings abundant life!

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Today's Highlight

Today's highlight has been the cheery chirping of the starlings as they gather together on the rooftops.  How these birds like to chatter!  You may have come across a tree, or indeed trees full of these boys talking loudly at or to each other, very nice when passing but dreadful if they choose a tree outside your window!  A thousand starlings do not a restful night make.  These birds often flock together high up on the Police radio mast.  They cover it with around a thousand at times, all chattering, and no doubt leaving a message for those below while they are at it!  It appears to me that there are fewer these days, maybe it's the climate or the food supply, the bad weather of the last couple of years caused by the moving jet stream, or possibly they have moved town.  I read somewhere that Dickens, once a famous writer, wrote about the millions of starlings that roosted in the centre of London.  It appears they gathered from miles around, flying in from places like Kingston to gather in Leicester Square.  Certainly years ago I saw them filling the trees there but the mess was such that Ken Livingstone the then London Mayor was forced to take action and the place may well have been renovated by now.  The spread of London may well keep many further out as they sought to roost in the warm centre, plenty heat elsewhere nowadays.  

It is quiet tonight.  Rarely does a car roll past the window, although a rolling car is something I would not wish outside my window, a dog barks occasionally in between sniffing trees over in the park, footsteps hurry past rushing to get away from the icy cold.  An unidentified beastie flits between the trees lit only by the dark amber street lights, the branches wave listlessly in the slow, cold wind.  The loudest sound is the cheap clock bought from the pound shop, its only competition the occasional whining of the laptop which, like me, wishes to sleep.  Abed people contemplate the morn.  The rush to work, if there is any, the joy of school for some, the word 'joy' being used in the satirical manner here, plans rush through peoples heads while providence may be planning other happenings for them, oh the joys of a Sunday night as the new week beckons.  
Shall I plan my day, make a 'to do' list, or will I just rise, eat breakfast, and return to my pit for a few hours?  Yes that sound s best, I hope you can do so also. 

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Sunday Evening Music

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Sunday Evening Music

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Sunshine

The sun shone brightly at 6:30 this morning as I cycled around town attempting to pretend I was fit.  There was however more blue in the sky when I took this picture than there is shown here, the sun kind of blotted it out a bit.  How lovely to move around when the streets are quiet, the sun shines, the day begins to warm and the birdies sit high above letting the sun warm them after breakfast.  I did wonder why two men were chatting in the park as I passed by.  They had been there for some time and usually only left over kids and drunks are found there at that time.  Who are they, why were they chatting and exchanging phone numbers?  When in London such events were commonplace, not so out here.  Maybe I am just becoming nosey?  Before seven on a Sunday morning I noticed several cars containing men, quite large men at that, pass by.  Was there some event for fat blokes occurring?  Again I have no answer.  Not that I am shoving my nose in, I am just curious....

For the rest of Sunday I merely sat here attempting to get my legs to work again.  Oh and I watched the Heart of Midlothian defeat Hibernian by one goal to one.  We were not to bothered today I noticed.  This means I avoided being burnt by the suns rays, which were very strong this morning.  Possibly you can see them on this snap.

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Sunday Night Music

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The Early (ish) Bird....

Spotted this pigeon earlier today as the sun was attempting to push through the dank Spring cloud cover.  It shoved its way past the cumulus now and then to the delight of those walking the dogs. Actually this chap was walking the dog, the other two broke away full of high spirits from a chap who daily passes by with seven dogs.  Usually the tails are wagging and the smiles are evident as the beasts thoroughly enjoy their trail, noses twitching, through the park.  He was somewhat loud in his rebuke as these two unwillingly returned, tails between their legs, after him yelling at them to "Stay," "Come here," and "Come back here," each time louder and more gruff than before.  I have never seen them do that before, possibly just high spirits and a female dog in sight.   

Recent days have been a bovver.  The PC smoking has ruined my life.  This laptop is slow, so veeeeerrrrrry slow, and it keeps doing things it ought not do!  Using this daft 'Touch Pad' causes trouble. The curser takes on a mind of its own, it races up and down unbidden, the pages change of their own accord, pictures disappear and the browser separates into differing browsers by itself!  I slammed it shut the other night as it was taking hours to change and I was most indignant with it.  I yelled at the world, got no reply, but yelled anyway.  The yelling began all over again when I went downstairs yesterday morning and discovered ANOTHER puncture in the rear tyre.  It had appeared OK when I got home yet here it was flat as my singing voice. It's a disgrace the way I am treated by technology!  And 'tyre' is spelled 'tyre,' not 'tire.'  Will someone tell this dumb American spellchecker! Don't they have schools in the US?

Sporting Life

Life did improve during lunch time however.  The Heart of Midlothian, Edinburgh's finest and Scotia's Darling's, once more walked, at half pace, all over the wee team from Leith, Hibernian.  This time we merely scored two goals to their nil, but we don't need to do much to prove our superiority over them again do we?  I wish them well in their fight against relegation to the lower division.  Maybe Rangers liquidation will secure their place for another season?   The marvelous Craig Beattie (pictured) scored the first goal from 'Man of the Match' Ian Black's wonderful pass.  Suso Santana rubbed salt into Hibernian's wound (snigger) with an even better goal in the last minute.  What fun!


A few hours later and more good news as the other half of the evil empire called the Old Firm (That's Rangers and Celtic to you) were defeated by Kilmarnock in the League Cup Final by one goal to nil.  A deserved victory for a team supposed to crumble in such an atmosphere.  Sadly the joy felt by Killie was ruined when the father of Laim kelly, a Kilmarnock player, suffered a heart attack at the end of the game. This follows on from the incident at the Tottenham Hotspurs v Bolton Wanderers game yesterday when a Bolton player, Fabrice Muamba, suffered a Heart attack on the pitch during the game.  The shock of his collapse causing  the match to be abandoned.  Both men appear to be in a critical condition. 
 Football knows its place at such times.

The afternoon saw the clearing of the skies later in the day, an end to the rain that had washed the pigeon off the lamppost, and left behind the first decent sunset for some time.  How nice to watch the sun descend slowly and brightly, causing alarms to go off all over the antipodes shortly afterwards, and leave us one of those wonderful skies.  Good morning Australia!

I hope this week brings good things, and no cardiac arrests, to one and all.

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Tidy Desk

I was going to regale you with a post full of insight and understanding.  I could have put the world in its place, given wisdom regarding the problems and difficulties we all face, but as I mused on my subject I realsied I just couldn't be bothered!  It is Sunday evening, I am listening to 'Mellow Jazz' on http://www.jazzradio.com/ and this therefore is a time to relax and fill the mind with thoughts of good things. 'Whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely think on these things' is the way.  Anyway I am tired after a hard days football watching, freezing my socks off in the chilly air, and watching my Nan turn into a charred, blackened brick as I have yet to get a grip on the grill on the oven.  The smell ought to disperse by Tuesday.   The picture is my view whenever I sit here to contemplate or watch football.  The picture manages to hide the thick layer of dust that lies over everything (any spare women out there?) however it does show piles of unattended items, like bills!  The sheet of paper directly in front of me was put there to remind me to attend to it straight away,, it has been lying there since the 9th of the month!  I might look at it tomorrow after I have checked the money situation, I fear the overdraught has once more gone over the overdraught!  This means a letter from the bank informing me they cannot pay as I have no money but as I have no money they wish £20 more thanks a bunch!  That nice Mr Hester at the Royal bank of Scotland has just been given a bonus of just under a million pounds. He is not the best paid, and I wonder what the CEO got as a bonus at my bank?  I know where it comes from! Grrr 'Whatsoever is lovely'....think man, think!






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Sunday Mist Rising

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There are three main benefits from rising early on a Sunday morning.  One is the sight of the rising sun clearing away the mist that lies in the valley.  This allows some lovely pictures, if you have a longer lens than my little camera possesses.  The second benefit is the healthy body that is obtained by riding the bike up slopes you did not realise were around that bend you had never ventured along before.  This is enhanced when you get to the end and discover this is a dead end and the road sign has been removed by person or persons unknown when leaving the 'Six Bells' late one night.  A certain desire to knock 'Six Bells' out of them crosses the cyclists mind at this point. The third benefit arrives after lunch when watching the poor picture of the Heart of Midlothian being roundly stuffed by St Johnstone you find the drowsiness overtaking you so that you manage to miss much of the slaughter!  I suppose there is a fourth benefit not connected to the early morning, the mental exercise caused by asking who the Heart of Midlothian's next manager might be, Derek McInnes anyone...?


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Sunday Evening