Queen Emma

We were watching a programme about the conquests of King Canute, when his Viking army/navy sailed to the UK and ended up making him king.  The previous Roman occupation made an appearance as London was able to hold out against King Canute because of the immense walls the Romans had built hundreds of years previously.  Some of those walls stand to this day.

There is a joke currently doing the rounds on facebook, saying that, if England is to be invaded again, can it be by the Romans, as we badly need all the potholes in our roads fixing.

Canute and the rightful heir to the throne, Edmund, fought each other to a standstill in the end, with  slaughter and cruelty on both sides.  And they agreed to sort of rule together.  However, Edmund was very quickly killed - but not it seems by Canute, but by an act of treachery from someone on the English side, someone well known for previous treacheries.

It all reminded me depressingly of some aspects of expat life - well, all life as it is now really.  The backstabbing, metaphorical as well as literal - even over the smallest of prizes.

Canute himself made a good King apparently. He made a very sensible dynastic marriage with the British Queen Emma - and I had no idea till I saw this that we ever had a Queen Emma! - and England had a welcome period of peace under his rulership.

But what a tragedy it has all been. Human history I mean.

I couldn't find a "Queen Emma" in Col's photo gallery, so I hope one Himself took of a Queen of Spain Fritillary will do.  I feel sure Queen Emma was lovely too.

There was a great confusion about my Audiology appointment in Worthing on Wednesday morning.  It turned out they had cancelled it, I assume because I had an emergency appointment when my hearing aids failed. Though they assured me at the time that the second appointment was still going ahead. Luckily we checked ahead before we set off. The Captain's idea, and a very good one.

At any rate they have re-scheduled it.

I have taken some invitations round the block - just one in each front hallway - and hope and pray that someone will come.  I must remind myself to go round again on the Monday after the Memorial and remove any that haven't been taken, which I hope won't be all! and put them in the recycle.

The Memorial will be after sunset on Sunday the 24th March at your local Kingdom Hall. You will be so welcome. And there is a special talk about the Resurrection, which will be given here this Sunday at 10:00. If you want to go to that, you will need to check the time with your local congregation.

The title is: The Resurrection, Victory Over Death".  And it will be a lovely reassurance that the dead will not be forgotten during the Thousand Year Reign of the Kingdom of God.They have such a joyful awakening ahead of them. I hope I will be there to see it. I hope we will all be there.