Christ behind me

Meditation for the day from David Adam in The Edge of Glory:

There He walks in your past. He walks in all the dark rooms you pretend are closed, that He may bring light. Invite Him into your past. Experience His forgiveness, His acceptance of you. Offer especially all that you are ashamed of...all that you wish to forget...all that still pains and hurts... all the hurt you have caused others. Walk there in the places you are afraid of, knowing that He walks with you and will lead you on!

Snowy day

Don't have much snow usually in this bit of Edinburgh but Monday was quite unusual. Snow and sun sometimes both together!

According to the forecast we were to be deluged with rain since then but no-it has been frosty but sunny. Blackford Pond was mostly frozen over although a pair of swans had a little open area as did the ducks under the trees.

I've determined I should have a regular walk to the Pond if nowhere else (notice I didn't say daily) and I met up with various canines walking their humans (not allowed at the pond though).

I am not limping now (I had a fall on Christmas Day) but still a bit sore, and now my ankle is playing up again but the more I do the exercises the worse it seems.

I was given a thingy with lots of clever maxims about aging. One I like says 'Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.' I'm trying to remember that!

Do You suffer from AADDA?

Probably not if you are under 65 or maybe 60 years but watch out!
The symptoms go something like this. You're about to drink your coffee when you hear the post arrive. As you pick it up you see that there is a credit card statement and decide to deal with it straightaway. As you open the envelope you notice that the plants on the windowsill need water so go to fill the jug at the sink. As you drink your cold coffee you notice the empty shopping bags which need to be in the car ready for when needed. Carefully putting up the latch on the front door (mustn't get locked out!) you go to the car-but where are the car-keys? Upstairs probably in a pocket. Upstairs you open a window, tidy the bed and come down to finish the coffee-
At the end of the day the shopping bags are still outside by the car, the plants thirsty, bill unpaid, keys still missing and you are too tired to bother! (and did you lock that door?)

That's Acute Activity Displacement Disorder of Ageing!

This morning I found myself cleaning my teeth with Savlon cream-now I wonder what that means???

Blackhouses and Harris Tweed

Well we enjoyed our Lewis adventure! I'm glad we took the car. The original idea was to use our free bus pass which would indeed meet the Ferry but we would arrive at 8pm on Saturday-not a good idea without a car! Our destination was 20 miles or so south-no bus at that time of night (and no buses at all on the Sabbath).
Our cottage was part of a scattered hamlet with a view over the sea-loch and very comfortable and well equipped. I had been told that there were two churches about 4 miles away -one Free Kirk with a Gaelic service at midday and English at 6pm and a Church of Scotland- same times but English at midday. Well we found them almost within hailing distance of each other and if we hadn't been told we would have thought we were in the Free Kirk! No music, 2 psalms sung rather waveringly (by me anyway) a lengthy prayer and more lengthy solemn sermon about the serious preparation needed to prepare ourselves for the Holy Communion service next week. Most of the 50 odd congregation wore black and black hats for the ladies.and no-one even the Minister, actually spoke to us as they disappeared in their cars.
We had seen a sign to the Inn at South Loch- good coffee and welcome lunch too!

Another day we went West to see the famous ancient stones of Callernish and visited the Blackhouse village

The ancient monument is very different from Stonehenge; smaller stones of
different composition, and many more
of them in an interesting formation. It was a cloudy sort of day as you can see.

We went on to find the Blackhouse village only one of which seemed to be partly original. We had hoped to visit the 'real' one on view at Arnol but did not find the time. However the village had a museum where we watched an interesting video of the cutting, drying and storing of the peats. We also watched one of the few traditional weavers at work.

We went south to Tarbert and also explored one of the famous Harris beaches on the Atlantic side. It was long and empty of other people though there were the remains of a sand-castle! The sun shone for us and only when we had regained the car did the rain come in.
We enjoyed Stornoway and found people friendly and helpful especially at the garage which replaced brake-shoes on the rear wheel the evening before we were due to leave!
And we also saw a play -'Lord Arthur's Crime'- apparently based on a story by Oscar Wilde and performed by the 'world famous' Stornoway Theatre company.'Just back from a world tour' my neighbour told me- adding that the hero was played by his dentist (or was he an optician?). It was a pleasant evening nonetheless.

New Europe, New Atheism

The International Festival is mainly performing arts but it has a series of talks this year called Borderlines about modern Europe. The first was a debate about 'whether the new Europe would be better off jettisoning its religious past and welcoming the new atheism? A discussion between a scientist (Dr John Lennox)who thinks God is great and a cultural commentator (Christopher Hitchens) who doesn't.'
JL I remember as a Lecturer in Mathematics in Cardiff and leader in the Brethren there, who gave a superb exposition about the Ark of the Covenant in his home. I think this is the same person, now a Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy and Chaplain in Green College, Oxford. Christopher Hitchens sounded vaguely familiar; now I am better informed! He is journalist, author, TV commentator, one of the 'New Atheists' -and subject of a 10 page article in the May issue of Prospect magazine!
The Usher Hall is not geared acoustically to the spoken word especially if one is hearing impaired, and a lot depends on the speaker's ability to project voice and speak clearly. Hitchens was the more difficult to follow, while Lennox was clearly used to speaking and debating with an audience. It was a super debate with good humour and without the kind of angry argument some expect. It was well reasoned with Lennox able to agree with much of the criticism of the historical institutional church while demonstrating the core of Christian belief. Ably chaired by James Naughtie, the motion proposed by Hitchen was declared lost.
All very serious!
In lighter mood I was at a Concert on Sunday evening of work by Messian played by the Scottish BBC Symphony Orchestra. I knew this composer had 'a life-long fascination with birdsong' and knowing nothing much about music, had experienced one of his compositions as great swathes of colour, so I was pleased to see the reference to his 'colourful musical language'. There were120 in the orchestra including a large percussion section of 15! It was splendid in many ways-and fortunately lively enough to keep me awake for I was so tired and shame to say I spent a lot of effort suppressing yawns.

A day with Chen

Chen Wang is one of my Chinese daughters.(I'm a kind of God-mother). Anyway she left Edinburgh to go to the Royal Academy of Music in London for voice training. When she graduated she was accepted at Bible College in North London to study music in worship. She has, she tells me, performed in a number of concerts for charity specifically raising money for earthquake victims in China. So when I was visiting my family in North Dorset I was delighted that Chen could visit us for a day in July.
I met her in Salisbury on a hot blue-sky market day and took her straight home to the farm and a very different life than her busy city she is used to. She loved every one including Harry the dog and enjoyed the whole day's experience, including learning how to make a salad dressing!

It was when we took her high on the open
down-land that she suddenly ran
out into the freedom of space and shouted for joy. And sang aloud!
And we all enjoyed the moment especially Harry!

Later we visited Salisbury Cathedral at its loveliest in the evening sun. We were able to wander around inside and before we left Chen sang aloud the Alleluia standing in the nave- as she wrote later 'it was a wonderful day!'

If you are in London watch out for Chen Wang in concert!

Riding sidesaddle

Until recently I had thought that riding a horse using a side saddle was very ladylike for the more fortunate and active of our great-grandmothers but rather limiting in terms of action. I assumed one didn't gallop or jump fences riding side-saddle. Now I know different; those ladies were just as skilled and adventurous as their male counterparts. I learned this from my great-niece who at 16 years is already an experienced horsewoman. Now she is winning prizes not just locally but nationally.
Part of the secret it seems is the special saddle which has a pommel you can hook your right leg round and thus stay in the saddle. (This is not the proper way to describe this of course but I've not actually tried it, not ever having been a horse-rider)

Anyway Samantha has just been winning prizes at the National Side-saddle Championships competing with 2000 side-saddle riding ladies and with her horse Buster won 'lots of rosettes and a nice rose bowl trophy'.
She then qualified for the Championship and became National Reserve Champion while her boss and trainer Babette Cole was the overall Champion.
Congrats, Sam- we are proud of you! In my search of the family tree I've not found any champions or celebrities but the new generation are going to change all that! more

Lapsed blogger

Shall I keep this up or give up? So few of my friends and relatives are into the internet -let alone blogging. One who was persuaded to have a look said some months later that he found it quite interesting. However he didn't know there was more so hadn't looked again. To those of you under let's say 50 years old the idea that some of us don't even email ( or text) must seem impossible to imagine. Anyway I am rethinking this.
Much of my time, thinking and listening and discussing is about 'heavier' topics than have appeared in this page; I think now I'll share what's going on. I'll tag these meditations or blasts 'churchy' so you can avoid them if you will.

So what else to say after more than 3 months absence?
Garden is overgrown but looks good. Squirrel drives ME nuts as he searches for nuts- which now include strawberries and tomatoes as well as crocus bulbs and beans. All my runner beans disappeared before they could germinate. Foxes visit regularly and many birds, including a close sighting of a sparrow-hawk-standing on the beak of Henry the Heron!
Weather as variable as ever. We've had weeks of summer with occasional showers and. Two days ago we were still enjoying sitting ourside chatting over coffee and I routed out my old rusty barbecue and set it. And it rained and yesterday it poured and friends arrived soaked to the skin. Central Heating came on this morning-first time in weeks,so it is definitely cooler. We are embarking on the main Festivals season so I do hope the weather improves. Int Film and the Jazz Festivals are over. It was a lovely day for picnicing on the first weekend of the Jazz- Jazz on a Summer's day in Princes St Gardens is always popular and sunny too it seems!


In the picture, crocuses (croci?) are caged to protect from squirrels

Frosty Beauty

A cold white view this morning turning into a bright sunny day. Our days still seem very short but the sun makes such a difference! The other day when it was gloomy, wet and dreich we seemed to need the lights on all the time.
The pavilion and my glass pyramid are quite white and the temperature just got above freezing for a short while in the sun. We seem to have missed the worst of the weather ; a very windy night, a scattering of snow last week. The chaos round Scotland sounds awful and several times people had quite miraculous escapes from death--
I was pleased I walked without difficulty to the shop today for about the third time this year. The pavements were frosty and with old Christmas trees dumped at intervals awaiting collection. I'm cautiously optimistic that the ankle is healing but I really must keep up the exercises this time! I'm looking forward to venturing into Princes Street perhaps next week; not been there since about November!
This week has been good with several visitors for coffee or lunch and a surprise invitation to visit a friend locally. One outcome is that I have agreed to go to see The Kite Runner next week; it sounds like one of those films where I might need to take extra hankies!
I'm revelling in my new flat screen PC monitor. H is moving and rooted out this hardly used screen which replaced the very heavy and bulky old one; Yin carried it out to the car and it is now dumped at the recycling place.
This screen is great, not only for its slimness but also bcause I can actually read it when the sun is shining. I can't think why I struggled with the old one without realising I could change it!!