The Lunch Bench (and No Mudlarking)

The Captain and I went up to London today to see the Van Gogh Exhibition at the Tate Britain.   The Thames was really high, so there were no mudlarking prospects to distract the Captain.  The trains were all on time - Clapham Junction - to Vauxhall -  then a walk across Vauxhall Bridge- and on to the Gallery.

We found a riverside bench en route (above) and had our sandwiches - marmite on wholemeal for me, cheese and chutney on wholemeal for him.

Great Exhibition. We came away with even more admiration for Van Gogh than we had before.  They had one of the Sunflower paintings, and had displayed it in a room full of flower paintings by other artists - some inspired by him.  Some lovely paintings, but the Van Gogh sunflowers stood head and shoulders.

He realised the sadness of our lives as they are now.  And clearly found it unbearable at times.And I hope he sleeps safe in "the everlasting arms"and has a wonderful awakening ahead of him.

What will he paint then?     The sadness will go out of his painting for sure.

Some sadness for me, in that I was thinking on the train that here we are, two elderly people, yet only yesterday (sort of) we were young marrieds commuting to work on the London Tube every day...

Where does the time go?

However, I have to say I am much happier now - much more capable of happiness - and realise more and more what a wonderful gift life is.

And to bring the blog back down to earth, we got back safely to our seaside town, shared a packet of fish and chips, and I am just about to fall asleep in front of the telly.

Medical stuff tomorrow.

Wrestling with my IPad

I took the Thing to the meeting at the Kingdom Hall today, hoping to try it out in public.  Fail.  At home, I could go straight to the Bible at least and look up Scriptures, but at the Hall, all that had disappeared, along with video links that were on the Thing a day or two ago.  So I retreated to the old low tech horse drawn version. Which does work very well.

Two emails last night.  One was to say how much Jacqueline from Canada had enjoyed reading "Waiting for Gordo"   Which was much appreciated.  I may be as far from a best seller as you can get, but I have got a lot of positive feedback from readers, which is so encouraging.

The second email was a sad one though. A good friend from Planet Expat, who like us is now retired in the UK,  has just lost both her father and brother in the space of a few weeks. 

We have emailed our sympathy and I called in to Waitrose on the way back and got one of their beautiful cards, which I hope to get in the post tomorrow.  I also have to ring up to re-schedule my Biopsy appointment as, of course, now it has come, it clashes with a short trip we are making...

Jackie came for supper on Saturday.  We had a Greek evening - as Lidl's were having a Greek food week.  We had a sort of paella, some kebabs, a lovely filo pastry stuffed with cheese and spinach - and I made a pan of mediterranian style veggies to go with it.

A nice evening.  And we had so much food - generous Greek portions - that we suppered off it tonight, and gave a parcel to Jacks for her Sunday lunch.   The cheese and spinach pastry tastes even better cold.

153 Species of Moth... and a FLARE UP

Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

153 moth species have turned up on our balcony, since Captain Butterfly metamorphosised into Captain Moth.

Angle Shades, Phlogophora meticulosa

Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius

Waved Umber, Menophra abruptaria

153 Species!  Not bad.  We must get good reviews on Tripadvisor@mothholiday.com.

They are all exquisite works of art - a tribute to their Creator, Jehovah.

Monday has sort of disappeared.  I guess I must have done something.  Probably shopped for us and Jacks - and did some studying - then Tuesday I was out on the work with Jean. One and a half hours - not bad for us.  And that included a couple of good calls.  Yesterday on my visit to Maggie I  was joined by another sibling.  We sang a Kingdom Song from the old Songbook. Well I say "sang".  I did my best, but in my case its hardly singing.  Maggie enjoyed it though.   Then it was out on the Field Service with one of the young pioneers.

The traffic gets more distressing by the day.

As for the News... I hardly know where to start...   but the Biblical phrase "anguish of nations, not knowing the way out", seems to describe it exactly.    I note that politicians seem to be seeking advice from a 16 year old girl who is (I assume) some kind of leader in the ongoing climate change protests.

Everybody should be worried about what we are doing to the earth - and I am sure the young lady in question is very sincere.   But suppose all our leaders would look to the Creator instead of teenagers, and be taught by his Inspired Word?

And we have the assurance, the promise from Jehovah, that he will not let his lovely earth be ruined by the greed and violence of some.

Col has got me one of these terrifying iPad devices  - at my request - we really do need them for the witnessing work now - we have an array of lovely and short videos.  But I am having a lot of difficulty in getting to grips with it and finding things. I think I can manage to work it for the meeting tonight - or last night if I don't get this blog published till Friday.  (I am hanging on for some moth  photos.)

And now I will have to listen in tonight - flare-up, right leg, upper.   Can't drive. Can barely walk.

Its now Friday - the day of Ken's funeral  - which I can get to as Captain Butterfly-Moth has agreed to drive me. So this is not the usual flare-up, or I would be incapacitated for 2 days, and spend the next 48 hours sleeping, trying to catch up on the exhaustion of pain and 2 missed nights.

Is this a hopeful sign, or does the pain have another more sinister cause?  Hard to tell as you get older and older because everything hurts.

The Return of Captain Butterfly!

Three a.m. this morning and I woke up to find Captain Butterfly grinning down at me. He had arrived back safely from his trip to Corfu with the Butterfly Conservers - then there was a bit of a blank - then the coffee machine was whirring away, and breakfast appeared.  Nobody makes coffee like Captain B,

But the elusive creature has already disappeared!   Its 8.30 and he has left for a hard day's Detectorising.   (He found, when he looked, that the sandwich fairy has visited the fridge - so he has his  lunch with him.)  And I have a full chicken dinner crammed into the fridge in its various components, as Jacks had to cancel yesterday - not at all well.

I am now back from the meeting and reading the newspapers on line.   It seems that churches have been bombed in Sri Lanka - an Easter bombing - many casualties. So yet more devastated families.  And the environmental protests are still bringing parts of London to a standstill.

I am reminded of something Jesus said about the time of his presence - the time just before the present wicked system of things on the earth is destroyed.  And please note, this lovely earth will not be destroyed.  Just the current system of things.

Jesus warned that these days - the days we are living in - would be like the days of Noah - which too was a time when the whole earth became filled with violence.

And he also spoke of the "anguish of nations, not knowing the way out".    What can we do about the problems we have?   Our own government in this one small country can't even work out how to leave the EU, or how not to leave it.

And its not that I would be doing any better.  They have an impossible job really.

The only answer for us, the only hope, the real hope,  is to turn back to our Creator, Jehovah, the God of Abraham.  And please God many many more will do so before the end.

You will find such a warm welcome among his congregated people - and guidance from the very Source of wisdom.

Elizabeth and the Art Cafe

I met the long lost Elizabeth for a coffee Wednesday afternoon. We talked and talked and hope we can get together again soon.  We want to take Bea to this lovely Art Coffee Shop - it is very her.   But that will be when health permits , as it is with all our generation now.

Captain Moth is busy mothing it at the moment as the Butterfly/Moth season is well under way, so I am hoping some splendid moths will soon be appearing on my blog.

And I am very busy with the congregation as this is the week of the Memorial.  Our Scripture for yesterday was:
"We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin."​—Heb. 4:15.

Yes.  We could not have a better head of the Christian congregation than Jesus Christ. He wants to get us all back safely to our Creator,  Jehovah.   He has God's holy spirit, and he understands our problems and our weaknesses, and sympathizes with us and cares for us.

This morning I posted the lovely stained-glass window card I got from the Cafe to Bea.  The colours are very much from her artist's palette; and my field service partner and I managed an hour and a quarter on the field service, and then adjourned to Waitrose for coffee, where we were joined at various times by a brother and a Bible student.

And later this afternoon its Hall cleaning - a big push for tomorrow night - all hands on deck.   And tomorrow I plan to go out on the work with Jean, and shop in the afternoon.    

The Apostrophiser - Grammar Vigilante!

I was up in the small hours, unable to get to sleep and found myself watching a bit of Gogglebox - which  I haven't seen before, and came across a Superhero for our day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXNODX7t600

Can he do anything about the way TV chefs keep telling us they are going to "reduce the sauce down" (as opposed to reducing it UP!!!)?

It was the Special Talk at the Kingdom Hall yesterday - and many people came. It was packed.  None of those Jean and me had invited came sadly - but maybe they will come to the Memorial on Friday.

Jackie came round for supper on Saturday - a light supper of diabetes-friendly veggie soup, and berries (blue, straw and rasp) with an ice cream/yoghurt option. And there were crisps and garlic bread for those who are not on such a strict regime.

Today is another medical day - Dentist in the morning, Doctor in the afternoon - and I hope to get out and distribute some Memorial invites. Hopefully all the rest of them.  And start the Memorial Bible readings.   Plus some housework...

Chatted with Nute and Pen today - in virtual space - trying to arrange a time for our next Writers retreat.  Many years ago, when we were all young marrieds, living in the same Northern town, they used to be every Thursday night - over a carafe of wine.  El Vintage Cheapo.

We got a lot of writing done, plus a lot of giggling, plus a lot of reminiscing about our convent schooldays - which seemed funnier and funnier by the year, in a grim sort of way.

The Missing Tuesday

Tuesday seems to have vanished.  I am sure Jean and I were out on the work - did just over an hour according to my diary - but here is the thing.  I can't remember.   I know that the Captain and I took his car to the garage, simply because it is in the diary.

Oh dear.

Wednesday was quite busy. The man came to service the boiler - all OK.  Nice young chap.   And I visited Maggie in the afternoon, and found her sitting in a window seat watching the cars go by. Buses were an especial treat and there were lots of them.  Then, its coming back to me, as I was out that way, I did 3 calls on the way back. Found two of them in and delivered the invitation to the Memorial on Friday.  And I got a warm welcome from both!

Thursday?   I think I walked up to the Post Office to post the card to Lilian's sister and the new Butterfly Membership packages. And it was the meeting of course.

Friday - yesterday - its going fast - but I think I shopped for us and Jacks, and I did some calls in the afternoon. Spent an hour with one lady and got a cup of tea.  And I found one lady at home who I hadn't seen for months and months, but she recognised me and was pleased to have magazine and invite.

I had been feeling a bit down so these were some lovely positives, for which I do thank Jehovah.

Today - let me get it down before I forget - picked up Jean at 10 and went on a regular call of hers. Warm welcome - coffee - biscuits (though not for for me) - and Jean actually managed to show her a video on the IPad. She is leaving me behind in the Stone Age!   Then I drove us to the Hall, where there was another cup of tea and a cake (for them as can, medically speaking, eat them).

And then we watched the Broadcast,
https://tv.jw.org/#en/mediaitems/StudioMonthly2019/pub-jwb_201904_1_VIDEO

We both enjoyed it so much.  We all did.

Our lifts are still out - still lightning struck.

Jackie is coming for supper tonight.

Flying Cows

Lesser Yellow Underwing larva (Noctua comes)

Captain Butterfly has returned from his expedition to Hampshire with a moth larva he found somewhere in the uncharted wilderness...    It is now hatching out on our balcony. 

It is a Lesser Yellow Underwing, he says. But how can he be sure?   What will it hatch into?  Has he not watched "Alien" - many times?

Lesser Yellow Underwing

We had a muddled, but lovely, morning on the field service yesterday.  Three of us, in my car, weather against us, doing return visits.   None of my visits were remarkably successful. But at least I tried. And we went to Jean's for tea afterwards.

Though, as they warn you about old age, its hard to remember what you did yesterday, or even what you have just had for your lunch.  Though in my case its nearly always safe to say veggie soup.  In  fact I was up very early this morning making the soup for lunch as we have a visit from the plumber, and who knows how long the water will be off?

Anyway - what was I saying? - oh yes, I remember, memory.   What have I been doing?  It was a hospital and pharmacy day on Monday - still trying to find out if this eczema is induced by my fearsome arthritis medication, or by something else.

But if yesterday has vanished, things from the past do come back vividly.  And the other day I was thinking about the craze for autographs that swept through my 1950s primary convent school.We all had autograph books.

I remember only two contributions. But I remember them vividly.

This was my granny Margaret's contribution (she was a wonderful granny in her way, but not a cosy one).  I may have blogged it before, but it seems worth repeating.

Here lies the body of Andrew Jay
Who died maintaining his right of way
He was right, dead right, as he sped along
But he's just as dead now as if he'd been wrong.

(The picture of a little tombstone accompanied the poem - as I said she was not a cosy granny).

Its a good life lesson too.  It is not always the course of wisdom to stand upon our rights.  Which is a lesson that harmonises with the teaching in the Christian Greek Scriptures. So thank you Granny. And I hope I will see you again one day.

And I have no idea whose autograph accompanied this one, but I remember the rhyme.

Once a bird, flying high,
dropped some whitewash in my eye
I don't scream, I don't cry
I'm just glad that cows don't fly.

It could have been contributed by my best friend Janie. If so I must have kept my autograph album going into the early sixties, when she and her family moved in next door.   I hope I will see her again one day too.

The Remembrance of Things Past

I was jolted into remembering last year when we were struck by lightning - our block of flats, not us personally! - as it has happened again,  Our lifts are out - and some of the garage doors were hit.  Not ours this time - and not our computer or tv either thank goodness.

But we have no idea when the lifts will return.

And then, on Thursday I was out with my siblings on the Field Service, on a bitterly cold morning, when we were invited in by a couple from the Middle East, refugees I think. They had little English. There was a friend, an English lady, with them, The eldest son was in school and apparently learning the language fast.  Children are little sponges for soaking up language.

Anyway, they insisted we come in, get warm, and they made us each a cup of piping hot black coffee - very strong and flavoured with cardamom.   That took me right back to my expat years.  I could buy Cardamom tea at the Dhahran Shopping Centre - in my early expat days. And it was lovely.

The visiting lady was an ex-expat too who had also lived and worked in Saudi. We both agreed that the coffee took us right back there.  We hope she is going to come to the Memorial of Jesus' death on the 19th.

We do hope to call on them again.

Anyway, such a lovely warm welcome.   And I did nearly two hours overall - which for me these days, is good.

Friday I drove Jean to her doctor's appointment. The GP was great - the real old-fashioned kind - and it was a very reassuring visit.  We then did 15 minutes on the work - two of my calls, which were near to the surgery. Then back to Jean's for a tea and a chat, and I went off for my own GP appointment...

I think we are both feeling the weight of the Bible's warning that, at the moment, "death reigns as king over us". 

Jean and I had an interesting morning on the doors today, and Jacks comes for supper tonight.

The Valiant and Entertaining Saba Douglas Hamilton

April has come in like a lamb.  But will it stay that way? The Channel was calm and turquoise on Monday morning with a white frill where sea met beach.  We shopped - put our med prescriptions in (full time job these days) - got my new specs - and delivered Jackie's shopping and her Kefir milk (which we get from Abel & Coles).

And in the evening we - the Captain and myself - went to see Saba Douglas Hamilton at Worthing
https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-and-comedy/saba-douglas-hamilton-tells-of-her-life-with-elephants-worthing-date-1-8865039

We saw her two years ago, and she was brilliant.  It was even better this time. So if you get a chance to go and see her please do.

She and her father have struggled valiantly to try to help us to understand and to save the elephants - as have many other valiant people. The life of elephants and rhinos is fascinating and complex, and full of love and feeling. But the cruelty of the ivory trade - and its resurgence - is heartbreaking.

How much all the earthly creation needs the loving rule of the Kingdom of God. Because the forces that rule the world at the moment, the hands that pull all the strings, are so destructive.

So, as our Creator commands:   "Put on the complete suit of armor from God so that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil;  because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:11,12

We have a spiritual struggle on - to get the truth to people, and to be "no part" of the current world system.

Saba has some wonderful stories to tell, and some amazing slides.  Her close encounter with the elephant when she was sleeping out in a dry river bed - her filming (a first) of the night gathering of rhinos under an immense African sky packed full of stars.  They come there to socialise and mingle, in safety. And it is another of those glimpses of the world as it should be.  As it will be.

Anyway, if you get a chance to go and hear her, please do.  You may already know her from the BBC's Big Cat Diary.

A shower of hail clattered against our windows yesterday - afternoon, I think.

This morning I have to pick up Jackie's prescription, shop, and study. And this afternoon I am out with one of the young pioneers.  We may be delivering invites, or perhaps doing return visits.