Good Friday

 

'Good Friday' is not what it was.  Once upon a time this was a well received day off for unbelievers and a day to commemorate Christ's crucifixion for believers.  Today it is almost a normal day.

At eight this morning I heard lots of banging and thumping going on downstairs.  At first I thought it was a local shopkeeper working on the neighbours garden as he was doing this the day before but no it is the men fixing new PVC windows into the downstairs flat.  On Good Friday I ask?  

Not only a walk around the town shows the churches with doors open, a parade of witness soon to start, and while I expected some shops to be open to grasp every penny available I was surprised at how many are open at normal times.  The museum is open as usual also as it was last year, very strange I say but there will be events going on and folks will come in.  Two nearby building sites are working, JCB digger breaking new ground over the road to disturb us all.

People are out and about but not in massive droves,not yet anyway.  For so many it is a day off, I believe factories have closed, surely they would to save money, for many however it appears double time payments (if they are available) are more important.

 I joined the redeemed sinners for a contemplative hour this afternoon.  A few readings, a song or two, and imagined opinions from Pontius Pilate and others thrown in to try and understand their point of view.  I read the Caiaphas part.  He was the somewhat pretentious Sadducee who was High Priest that year.  The 'elite' wished to keep their position and Jesus threatened that and he was not best pleased.  I played his words like a high handed councillor defending his position, a position he did not seem to consider wrong.  Quite what he thought when the disciples continued to follow the man Jesus he thought dead I don't know but it must have worried him at some time, there again possibly not.  The Centurion, Pilate, Caiaphas all had seen Crucifixion before, though the Jews never used it just the Romans, the Jews preferred to stone people but time was short and the Passover under way so Roman death it was.  Each knew something was different about Jesus, Pilate of course did not like nor trust the leading men, indeed I think they got him transferred some time later, the Centurion was used to deaths and recognised something in the manner Jesus took his death, Caiaphas was just too busy gloating over his victory to think straight.

I was glad I did not get the last part to read, it was quite long and contained the imagined words of Judas!  This was a part I would not have been happy with.  Being typecast as a pretentious, self important, proud, smug Sadducee is OK, but not Judas.  

The group broke up quickly and quietly afterwards.  Some lost in thought, some unsure what to do now, and so we drifted of home.  A different approach to Easter, it makes me wonder what will be on offer on Sunday morning!  One thing is sure I will avoid the church tomorrow as 'Messy Church' takes pace, a time when kids play around, create things and get in a mess, I will stay well away.

Boring Again!

Nothing happened twice today.  What with the Easter break the news is quite boring,  folks are either away on holiday or finding things to occupy the kids, and I have been stuck in here ironing a pile of shirts.  This was important as there were no more in the cupboard.  While in Tesco this morning I was tempted to buy another one t save me ironing the rest, the need to spend cash put me off. 

 

While I was ironing I played a video on the laptop from youtube.  This featured a 'cab ride' in a diesel engine running at high speed from Colchester to London Liverpool Street some years ago.  As I watched I found it very relaxing and pondered on the many videos of seaside, birds, country areas, rail and I presume aircraft and boats also, a wide and varied array that are available on youtube and elsewhere that normal people would ignore.  I however find such things not only interesting but relaxing.  Maybe it's just my inherited crass stupidity or maybe there is another reason but I enjoy such videos.  Rail cab rides allow you to see the drivers view, really interesting on lines often used personally, and give an understanding of how lines operate.  It is fair to say that since privatisation they operate mostly in similar ways to the past but the profits go to a few and while the service deteriorates the prices go up!  At least those clever folks who make such videos keep their own profit while sharing their videos online today.

    

A railway compartment from the 30's.  While we travelled on them often most people would avoid us as no-one wishes to be trapped with kids on a train so often we were in quiet compartments.  I remember not only the wire like luggage rack above, the strange leather belt contraption that opened the windows but also above the seats three rather boring aged pictures  of Scottish landscapes, aways rather dull I thought.  However when travelling from London in the 80's I used to have a compartment to myself on the Aberdeen train as few realised it stopped at Waverley at three in the morning.  Always an enjoyable trip by myself I remember.   A museum visitor noticed the picture and commented that no-one ever spoke in those compartments. 

Horses, Homes, and Hopeless Election

I was surprised to hear how many various animals were being saved by the animal sanctuary that parades in the town centre twice a year.  Beginning with donkeys they now have a variety of equine type creatures plus goats and cats and almost anything that gets dumped on them or saved by them. This was one wee pony happily stuffing himself and making friends with wee girls who found the special feed they ought not to have found, the pony liked them a lot.

    
Usually there are other animals, chickens, sheep etc, but the only other one that should have appeared, a donkey, was not in the mood and would not come to visit.  Anyone who deals with animals knows that they rule the roost, not you!  The man accompanying the animals and the table spread with things no use to me but helping to aid their funds was very helpful and chatty.  I have the link somewhere and one day will visit them on their home site if possible.  Remus

 
My landlord, now 86 years of age, has begun to forget things.  This is worrying for a man who has a sharp mind.  He has been diagnosed with early dementia of a mild type but that means little if you forget things constantly.  I begin to worry as to what this means for the home as we have no idea who would run the company if he gave up.  However today I have been tired and spent much time forgetting things also.  It is worrying the things that get forgotten, like switching of lights, oven, shutting doors and forgetting what I am doing while staring into a cupboard.  I am not sure whether this is age, dementia or just stupidity, it is hard to tell.  My typing is awful also, red lines appear constantly as the words do not spell themselves very well, I blame the laptop.  However if the landlord goes what happens to me then?  Ah well life is full of interesting developments.

So far two election leaflets for the County Council have dropped through the door, one Tory (who will win) one Labour.  I glanced at both wondering whether it was worth bothering to read them as they always say the same things and do what they wish anyway.   This area always vote for the Conservative in spite of the facts as the rich middle classes (of whom there are many) outnumber the divided poorer lot.  UKIP, the fascist/protest/numbskulllittleenglanderpeople  have taken some votes from the Tories and run them close last time, however Brexit has killed them and the Labour Party with its non-leader offer little in response.  What a state politics has got itself into.  The national UK government is abysmal with no opposition bar the SNP and local governments are abysmal with not enough people willing to come out and vote to remove the chancers while we can. I could read the leaflets but think recycling them will do the world more good.

 

Weeks Work Finished

Yes indeed my weeks work is over.  10 in the morning till one is work enogh for me I say.  In fact the girls at work made it abundantly clear that such hours were indeed sufficent for them also.   I see this as concern for my welfare.  
The second week of Half Term saw another thousand kids cram into the hall, each paying £2 a go, mums also staying paying only £3 to keep them company.  Cheap enough when considered against the prices charged at more commercial ventures.  Having stuffed the till with slippy new £5 notes and almost run out of one pound coins, both old ones and some of the shiny new ones, I sat back to drink my tepid tea and found myself confronted with the middle classes coming to see the last week of the art exhibition.

Saturday will be the last chance to see the 'Skinny Dippers' as the show ends and the girls prepare for the textile exhibition that follows.  I am not sure I wish to look at knitting, crochet, or textile stuff  yself but this is how we survive.  The present exhibition has brought in the crowds and at times so will the next one but I longfor a proper HISTORY exhibition!

       
A glance at the tree opposite the other day saw the wood pigeon settling down on an almost bare branch for the night.  Today the same tree is awash with green!   Spring takes so long in arriving and suddenly breaks out all over the place.  Marvellous!  Naturally I have been inside missing it.

Now I have time and if I find energy I must get out and take pictures of something different, I wonder what?   Anywhere interesting is stuffed full of kids, anywhere else isn't or is too far off beam and what is left?  Hopefully I will find out sometime this week.

Palms

 

Being Palm Sunday the kids were in and appropriate music was played.  The day was delightful and most were happy for the most part, at least the looked happy scoffing the cakes afterwards.  However I awoke early this morning and forced myself back to sleep a couple of times until a BBC radio programme called 'Sunday' was heard.  This is supposedly the 'religious' programme, once Christian and now a mixed bag of anything but bible based news.  Their favourite subject is sex, pushing gay sex being the BBC, women, and any trouble anywhere that is as far from bible truth as possible.  Now I am happy to see, or is that hear, other religions mentioned, today however I was a wee bit miffed that questioning whether the Resurrection occurred or not the individuals asked about this tended to be unbelievers!  Having two sides of the story, one for and one against is not wrong but the impression was that those who chose not to believe (no question was asked as to how they got their evidence that there was no eternal life) were given more credence than those who did believe.  A discussion on the survey that was behind the question began with a somewhat woolly Anglican and a woman from the survey.  I quickly gave up and wondered why a more open debate, with someone offering help to understand the resurrection as well as the opinions of those who disbelieve it (most in my view have not investigated this) did not occur.  Like so many other aspects of life Jesus and belief in him is not allowed in public debate, yet millions believe in him in one form or another, why is the BBC unwilling to tolerate him?

I cycled to church today, against the wind going and against the wind coming back home again.  Now tell me how this can be?  The east wind was quite strong going there, turning south the wind grew stringer and my debilitated body was not enjoying the puffing as I finished the ten minute ride.  On the way back I expected to be blown along at a fair old rate, not a chance, the wind now came from the west!  How does this work I ask?  I do not mind cycling against the wind as long as it blows me back home but this is just unfair!  

However that said two days short bike rides and already I feel better for it.  I breathe deeper, my muscles are reappearing (not that this says much) and the ache in the knees is considerably worse, except of course when I stand up after sitting for a while!  Now I must pump up the tyres, add some oil in several places and possibly even clean the thing, though that can wait, all cleaning waits in this house.     

Gloom to Bloom

After two days of sunshine the weather improved enough to begin the day with thick mist.   It was not just the mist that was thick, this thicko decided to get on the bike and look for a place where the sun was cutting through said mist, I didn't find it.

My knees were aching anyway so I did not think this would make them worse, it may improve things in the long term, so of I trundled discovering how low the tyres could get yet still carry my bulk.  Again I enjoyed the quietness of the streets before the town came alive, again I listened  to the birds serenading me, again I could not see them for the mist.  I did see the occasional not very happy individual dressed for Saturday overtime, how I miss those days?  One or two cycled past not too keen to get in on time, Saturdays are often less urgent than week days in some warehouses, the bright Hi-Vis vests seen long before the wearers were.

 
Watching the park opposite I often see a Blackbird defending his patch.  Other Blackbirds, Thrush's or whatever that arrive are swiftly confronted as he protects his land.  This morning as I crossed the road this one was sitting surveying the quiet morning, it was clear this was the owner of the land.  He sat not six feet away from me, not moving, not fussed, quite confident in his self as I took a few shots of him.  He is certainly not a young one and as I made my way across the park I could see him still sitting there quite at peace.  I suppose breakfast was over, the intruders dispatched, the traffic still quiet, few people around so now was the time to sit and watch.  

   
By the time I got home and recovered from my exercise I noticed the mist tinning and soon the sky was blue, the sun shining and I was trapped here filling out forms!  Much of the rest of the time was trying to work out if I had a virus on the laptop or not.  Three devices claim I did not, yet I am sure something has arrived.  I did break away from the laptop and the football long enough to cross the park and deliver one form to the Council offices.  Everywhere people were acting as if it were summer!  Are they mad?  

My knees ache...

Garden Wander

To escape from the laptop I strode manfully through the public gardens today to see what life was like outside in the sunshine.  Being Half Term the place was choked with adolescents shouting at each other with half the gardens given over to toddlers and their neurotic mum's.  This was not going to be the time to catch a Robin sitting on a bench nor really the ideal opportunity to picture Blossom. 

As I wandered around I wondered about the Dear Leader and her entourage.  Theresa May was in Saudi Arabia, a nation we built up under Abdullah, saw it taken during a nasty civil war in the twenties by the Saudi's, and now the home of billions of money Theresa wishes to get her hands on. She kept up the PR stunts of her predecessor, remember taking lots of women to visit Trump in the US?  Well she was at it here refusing to wear a headscarf though she avoided driving just to ensure she made some money.  While not mentioning the cutting off criminals hands, nor the heads lopped off every so often, nor the place of women under the Wahabee  strict rule she did manage to get out a message mentioning the dropping of the word 'Easter' from 'Easter Eggs.'    
Now she is of course right in this, the food manufacturers do not wish to put anything regarding Jesus on their packaging and she ought to embarrass them by asking why?  However her Christian concern would be better appreciated if  the Tories had not chosen this week in which to cut benefits from children who have lost parents, nor to begin cutting money for the disabled and a great many other cruel and vindictive policies which hit the poorest and show no concern for 'Loving thy neighbour!'

 
A mixture of little Spring plants adorn the front of a house round the corner.  I regard this as the best garden at this time of year.  Little plants of blue and yellow with purple heather and green bits enhancing a very natural Spring garden.  I like it.

I was musing the other day about those poor Arsenal fans who wish their long serving manager to go!  He took over the club about 20 years ago and has given them the Championship, several cups and finished in the Champions League places almost every year, and they want him to go because he has not won the Championship for a long time, nor have they succeeded in Europe.  
Poor things!
I reckon half of those who grumble were not born when he arrived and almost as many were too young to know what was going on, yet they grumble!  Real football fans, that is almost every team in every division of every league at every level have to face the fact that sometimes they have good times and sometimes they do not.  The fans who become used to success, such as those at the Heart of Midlothian, quickly become despairing when success that dangles tantalisingly close is suddenly taken away from them are just as bad as Arsenal fans who are used to success but not regarding the two trophies that now mean so much to them, indeed they believe they now have a right to! 
Silly Arsenal fans.  You only get what you deserve.
No matter how much money you spend you cannot guarantee success.  Clearly Celtic, spending about £700,000 on each player a year will have more chance of success than Inverness Caledonian Thistle who spend £42,000 a year, yet success is not guaranteed even then.  A poor manager, disputes within the dressing room and a variety of bad results can lead to despair and failure no matter how much is spent.  The leading English clubs, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal have all spent at least a billion and they too go through hard times.  The fans, especially those who were not there during the hard times, are often the first to utter complaints when success is not seen, fans of lesser clubs with little money may never see much success but an occasional cup win but these fans are often more loyal, better behaved, always there even if in small numbers and will still be there when failure comes once again. 
Poor Arsenal fans, come into the real world, there is a place for you.

too...

 

This Thing...

This thing has taken all my attention today.  Adding things, swapping from one to another, working out what went wrong and why, then attempting to put it all back together again.  I am just glad I did not buy one of those expensive laptops, some approaching £1900!  This was vastly cheaper and I obtained a discount to make it almost bearable, almost.  

Because of the busy day, I also had to eat and sleep, I dd not venture out into the blazing hot sun.  Instead I remained trapped indoors.  Occasionally I looked at the park and there, at great distance, I managed to capture a reasonable shot of this Thrush looking and listening for worms and beasties rummaging through the undergrowth, or is that underground?  The birds are fattening up and soon eggs will appear.  Already my feeders are emptying quicker than usual and soon it will be filling them daily I expect.  Of course as I have been in when the sun shone it will rain tomorrow when I am in the museum with hundreds of kids/mums and others.  Half term brings them out and rain brings them in!

 

The other day our boy Trump walked out of a  meeting forgetting to sign the Bill he went there to sign.  The next day we read he might resign because of testimony regarding Russia that a man is willing to offer, today we read he is instead going to nuke North Korea or share a hamburger with the Dear Leader, or is it Young Leader?  Every day is something new, never safe but certainly new.
Theresa May, the imitation Thatcher but without the intellect, has once again been cunning with the
EU people.  She first threatened to use EU nationals as bargaining chips then run from that one, next she threatened to withhold security information, and that was put down, yesterday Lord Howard ('Something of the night about him') one time failed leader of the Conservative Party blustered about Theresa 'Going to war with Spain over Gibraltar like Maggie did with the Falklands.'  Good grief!  Clearly this has come from No 10 yet it is so daft as to make you wonder what is happening to world leaders.
Putin the gangster is dangerous and mad, Trump is innocently madder, Theresa knows we need the EU yet rushes into leaving it with no plan, the French have a liar and a fascist as potential leaders, the only sane one in Germany has overstepped the mark and suffers for it, and who really knows what is going on elsewhere?  I really am beginning to see the end in sight.  Judgement is falling by allowing such as this to lead us.  Return to morals stability before it is too late and elect proper politicians who rule for the sake of the people and not the lunatics I say!

 

Busy

Life in the pre Brexit world has been busy.  
On Saturday I spent the full day at the museum and much enjoyed being on my feet all day. 
My knees are now informing me of their opinion on this.
It was busy and I had spent the days before this running around.
One deed was to buy a new laptop, the old one giving too much trouble, slowing down, bits beginning to fall off, and other glitches that annoy.  It is a few years old now and I suspect unable to get the best out of updated software.
So on Friday morning I spent much time installing things.
The wi-fi would not connect, the plug fell out, the wrong connection appeared, I mistook another for the right connection and spent several long minutes fighting with it before I realised my mistake.  Eventually I got connected and had to follow the Microsoft blue pages asking if I wished to be kept private or be connected direct to the FBI/CIA?/Special Branch/Scotland Yard etc.  After a short lifetime I got things going and now slowly I am converting it for my use.  Sadly some things, such as 'Live.com' are no longer available and I used their gallery for my pictures.  Now I need another way to connect the camera to the laptop without using their phot thingy.  No doubt other problems will arise.
So I have one suitable picture on here, taken in 1844 from Edinburgh Castle looking east.  The new Walter Scott Memorial can be seen sticking up into the sky, gleaming white stone, now somewhat blacker ebven though cleaned in the 70's.  On the hill in the distance Nelson's Monument, an upside down telescope you notice, standing high above on Calton Hill.  In the foreground the early Waverley Station takes shape, the buildings under the camera soon to be destroyed, I wonder how rotten they were by then.
Today I made it to St P's, had a good time, wandered back to watch the Heart of Midlothian lose to Celtic and fell asleep.  The Spring sunshine tempts me outside, well the evening aor now does that, but sleep will be a better idea.  You may be surprised to know that I need my beauty sleep.
Day off tomorrow, I may just sleep on...

 

 I was sent this....

Morning Has Broke

Stupidly rising long before I ought I thought to myself that riding the bike in the quiet of the dawn might be good for my knees.  So at 6:30 I trundled somewhat shakily down the road heading straight into a fabulous sunrise.  One thing that cannot be missed is the number of aircraft coming, going or passing over up above at this early time.  I fail to comprehend what time people have to leave to board a flight in far off places if it brings them into one of London's overcrowded airports at six or seven in the morning.  Fine if you have come from China but not so good if the departure point is say Vienna.  

 
There again the standard of public transport in this land is such that to leave from Stansted Airport at six in the morning and having to be there long before boarding means arriving the night before to await your flight, possibly delayed, or get some family/friend who owes you one to drive you there in the middle of the night. This of course is not helped by the dozen or so protesters who made it through the fence (again) to block a flight to attempt to stop a deportation.  Several flights delayed, this would affect other airports and a wee bit annoying for those catching connecting flights elsewhere.  I suspect these passengers will hope the courts decapitate the protesters rather than merely fine them.

It was difficult to tell, when slowly heading up the wee slopes, who was creaking most, the bike or me.  I suppose I must put some oil on it, maybe rub some on myself, and judging by the mushrooms growing on there this morning I think I may need to clean it also.  Still much to my surprise it worked and there was sufficient air in the tyres, just.

Half an hour on the bike and still stiff but now stiff all over.  Riding a bike in the quiet of the morn is a delight, unless you are wrapped in a Hi-Vis jacket and heading for work.  I always cheerfully greet such men. (Note no women passed dressed this way - again!)  Back to bacon rolls and seeking what I have failed to do on this laptop for the museum.

Down the Pan!

So the Prime Minister who opposed Brexit because it was foolhardy and would destroy the nation has handed in the notice and is racing to enforce Brexit before anyone can stop her.  She does not believe in it but is doing it just to keep her job and spite Boris and the other public schoolboys.
Of such attitudes are nations destroyed.
Scotland will have a proper referendum soon, Northern Ireland will demand one soon and seek union with Dublin, Wales will so as it's told as it has nothing to fight back with and the little englander racists in this area will rejoice - until they lose their jobs and then blame everyone else!
I have written off to my friend Nicola asking when the Scots passports will be issued.  Then when mine arrives I will boast to the locals trapped in UKIPland that I am off to Torremelinos or Majorca while they will be visiting Skegness or Scarborough.  (Actually I will go somewhere interesting but tell them that to let them stew.)

I'm fed up with all that so here is a relaxing video well worth watching.

   

Enjoy this, it has kept me sane for hours.

Monday Prattle

How nice to get out in the sunshine again.  Much of the time I have been holed up in this aroma filled dwelling so walking in the park has been a delight.  I realise we have had enough Daffodils but in truth there are billions of them lying around at the moment, one of the councils better ideas, and each park and green space has a variety of them livening up the day.  These ones poking through the park bench are good I thought. 

The introduction of the new Pound coin that begins tomorrow caused me to examine the fancy designs on the coins in my possession.  It was then that I noticed this on the back of the Fifty Pence piece.  Here we have a coin of the realm, on one side as always the head of the monarch and on the reverse either a tribute to 'Beatrix Potter' or Jemima Puddle-Duck one of her characters!  These are the coins of the realm with fictional characters on them!
A quick squint online shows some folks might wish to purchase these in time to come so they will rest on my shelf for a while to see if price rises.  As nobody is clear as to how many are out there I may be in for a fat profit, possibly a new pound perhaps?  But really, children's characters on the coins, what next, Jane Austen's people?  

Jemima and her mate did not appear too fussy about being on the back of a coin.  Happily settled into the pond in the gardens these two would prefer people not to throw 50p coins to them as they find them hard to digest.  

I note Theresa May attended Scotland today to ensure Nicola Sturgeon does as she is told.  The few comments noted afterwards indicate intransigent Theresa did not realise that Nicola comes from Ayrshire, I think she knows now.  Clearly a second referendum, IndyRef2, is on the way, Theresa by her continual high handed attitudes will ensure a YES vote far more sure than anything the snooty David Cameron could have produced.  People fell for the lies last time, they surely can tell the lies this time around.  BBC & SKY I note have placed this story reluctantly on their agenda trying to put the Westminster madman as more important even now.  Hmmm that tells you much.

Today I had to march against the biting east wind in an almost hot sun to St Paul's for the last of our Monday meets for a while.  The knees do not like exercise these days, how come it has come to this?  Tomorrow I have a full day at the museum, which means missing my siesta, something that means much to me these days, and assisting with the many 'art lovers' drawn in to hear the talk in the afternoon.  Too many folks on holiday at once in my view.  I suppose we ought to be glad so many showed up for the 'Oscar Ceremony.'

Oh look, more Council Daffs!

Bored!

 

A Saturday without football is boring!

Nothing to do but shop and mope around the house.

My knees don't need exercise they ache well by themselves so I only wandered round the corner.

Nothing to see bar kids filling the park and spoiling the view.

TV dead.

News still on about the bad guy though some jeering Trump failing to remove Obamacare as promised.  Tsk!  This man is so used to bullying folks in his business he has not yet got round to the ways of the real world.  Politics is not like his world, these folks have power also.

L.B.J. was the greatest US president since the war.  He knew Congress and how to make use of the people he knew in it.  Urging them with near threatening late night call, three in the morning was a good time, enforcing his ideas and getting them to do his will by almost any means he forced through radical legislation.  JFK gets the plaudits but in a remarkably short time LBJ done the work.

He failed in Vietnam simply because of a Nixon dirty trick.  LBJ had arranged an armistice but at the last minute Nixon convinced the South Vietnamese to withdraw claiming he could get a better deal.  He failed, or just lied, and the war went on costing 20,000 more US lives.  LBJ gets the blame.

Trump does not have that sort of ability.  He can bully his own but not Congress.

 Our friend Mo recently took off for a trip to India and returned with a second blog this time about the school there where she taught them photography, and some excellent photographs came out of this.  The blog is Children of the Illam and worth a look.  Some of the pictures are better than any I ever took and many of the kids are indeed young!  It's no fair!  I blame them having sunlight all day, that's not always the deal here as you know.

Naturally there is a need for cash to keep the project going.  The photography does not just give them pleasure it can open a real opportunity in life for them.  Many have problems that require care and this can develop their minds and give a chance not always available. Have a read and see what you think, it is a genuine need without money being wasted on 'administration' rather than need.