Big Bertha

Odd and very beautiful sky early morning - I hope the Captain has managed to capture it on his camera. And the most wonderful glowing light.   Now it is suddenly overcast and the sea is getting up - though nothing like it was yesterday.  I don't know whether Bertha has passed or if this is still her,

Now, quarter to seven, the Channel is turning a lovely shade of bluey-turquoise, and there are white horses to the front.    The balcony mint is starting to blow in the wind. The Captain moved all the plants to the back and brought the balcony furniture in.

In the light of the horrors in the News I do want to say a bit more about the entity that Revelation calls Babylon the Great.  I might devote a blogpost to it.     But I also have to think about removing myself from Facebook.  I have just had to "unfriend" two people - which I hate to do - but I don't want to open up my fb in the morning and see such cruel and obscene posts.   One post this morning made me wonder what is in peoples hearts that they would want to so cruelly embarrass someone, and someone who is so young too.

We had a monsoon during my morning shop - courtesy of Bertha, I assume.  I had to take refuge in a shop until the blue sky came back. Odd weather, but no complaints.  We really need the rain.   It suddenly feels very Autumnal.  As do the two of us.

The Wild Waves

The tail end of Hurricane Whoever- Bertha, apparently - that has come over from the States began to hit us this morning, causing a wild sea, and a numinous light.   It was a lovely drive back from the Hall.   I followed Captain Butterfly who came to give me a lift to my car as it was raining so hard!

I am finding it very hard for us both to be getting so old and heading into the death zone.   How wrong it all is - that our lives are so short now.  We have this immense brain - with more capacity for learning and storage than any machine we have invented.  It was made to last forever, to go on learning forever.

And that is what I thought many years ago - how short a time we have to spend with the people we love.   Thank goodness a rescue is close at hand.  The rescue we pray for when we say the Lord's Prayer.

Linda has rung up to suggest a curry evening, with her cooking a biriani.

The Barbara Woodhouse of the Computer World

Linda bought her computer round to Dr.Butterfly to have it fixed.  He turned it on, looked at it sternly, and it began to work.   Very sensible of it really.   She stopped for some lunch (a ham sandwich - she decided not to risk the beetroot soup - looks very red, tastes very bland).  And we watched her current TV passion "The Speakmans" .   They are a pair of Yorkshire therapists who cure people on TV.  It usually takes about 5 minutes of blunt no-nonsense Yorkshire chat, and the patient is cured. Rather like the computer - but, sadly, Captain B doesn't make millions out of that.

I have scrubbed out the kitchen, made us all lunch, done a little internet witnessing, watched TV with Linda and am now hoping to do my studying for the day.

Jackie is round tonight, which should cheer us both up.  The chicken (with mushrooms and ginger) is made. Its just a question of doing the rice, and stir frying the veggies.   Mr.Waitrose has supplied the cheese and the dessert.

Jane and the Cactus Flower

Stapelia lepida

Jane gave me an amazing cactus flower - the carrion flower, or Stapelia lepida.   Captain Butterfly has photographed it, as if I tried to describe it, you wouldn't believe me.  We had done nearly two hours on the doors - not walking all the time - we did some of my magazine route calls - and Jane kindly did the driving!   And she made us a coffee afterwards in her lovely garden - a courtyard oasis.

I come in two lovely colourways:
1. Corpse just fished from the river White
or
2. Boiled lobster Red.

and as it was a hot hot morning, I favoured the Boiled lobster.   Everyone else is going a lovely shade of brown in the sunshine.   But we had some much needed rain in the night.  The Green looks slightly less brown.


As we remember the dead of 1914, "the war to end wars", and as war rages in the Crimea, and the horrors in the Middle East continue, I read of yet another murder the streets of the UK.

Mark Roberts was walking home when he was set upon by  a 17 year old who knocked him down and kicked and stamped him to death.  The girl with him filmed her friend doing this on her iphone - rather than calling for help or an ambulance.

The murderer was "high on drink and drugs" at the time.   He has been sentenced to serve at least 12 years and 3 months.

So our lives are held very cheap by the law.  And the young lad should be in fit stomping form when he comes out to terrorise us all again.

What did those who died in 1914 die fighting for?    It is a good thing that the dead are "conscious of nothing at all" or they might well be wondering right now.
.

Mermaids

Linda and Deirdre came over for a swim yesterday, and drinks (soft) and nibbles.   We had a wonderful talk at the Kingdom Hall in the morning - all about where we are in the stream of time and what is going to happen next.  Look for the UN being given teeth - it has a job to do.

A question:  "What is "Babylon the Great" of Revelation, and why do we urgently need to get out of it and stand clear?

What the UN will not do though is bring about peace on earth - whatever it may be going to claim.   Only the incoming Kingdom of God, which is a heavenly government, a rulership from the heavens, will bring about real peace on earth.

The warning in the Hebrew Scriptures that "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step" still stands.  And the last 6,000 years of human history go to prove the truth of the warning.  We are busy commemorating the outbreak of the first World War, while a new war goes in the Crimea, the Middle East is in flames, etc.


Jackie cooked us and Tom a roast lamb supper, followed by cheese and a lemon cheesecake. A lovely evening, as ever.  We have booked her up for next Friday.  I might do a curry.

Today looks like being a housework day - two lots of washing already done and dusted.

The Team of Jean and Sue ride out

Clouded Yellow, Colias croceus

The Captain took me to Brookfield Park yesterday, a lovely area with lots of little wildflower meadows, and a lake with reed beds.   And we saw a Clouded Yellow!  Impossible to pick a favourite butterfly, but, if I was forced to, at gunpoint, the Clouded is probably the one. Exquisite design.

My longest walk - well, I say "walk" - so far.  And I got a good dose of sunlight for my poor old bones too.

Made soup again - and managed a quiche and salad for our lunch.

I went to the Kingdom Hall this morning - we are delivering the new leaflet about our website along with invitations to the coming Convention, which has the theme:  "Keep Seeking First God's Kingdom".  Jean asked if we could work together and I was only too happy to do so.  David gave us a small territory, though to get there I had to drive across the Big Boy roundabout and the train crossing.   I prayed to Jehovah and it all went very smoothly. We found most people at home!  And all but one gladly accepted the invites and info.   I then drove Jean on 3 of her return visits, and we both ended up having a coffee at Waitrose.  A lovely morning, and we go to Jacks for supper tonight, so hopefully a lovely day.

Jean was beautifully turned out, as usual, everything colour co-ordinated. She is as slim as a reed which helps of course.

There are some spots of rain at the moment - which we badly need.

Lacking a Dr.Watson

Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui

A busy day yesterday - well busy for me at any rate.  Linda rang up early - she had an unexpected day off, could she join the Captain in his butterfly survey.   Yes, indeed another pair of eyes - younger eyes - always welcome.   I used to be a good spotter - but now, even if I could get out, the eyes aren't what they used to be ("What oak tree?"  "What meadow?" "What planet earth?")

Apparently she did well, including spotting a pair of courting bumble bees - court in the act... and  a pristine Painted Lady.

So I made them up a couple of packed lunches and went off to do my last few magazine route calls.  I have never been so late with them.  I caught Dave at home - he was packing and leaves for Wales tomorrow.

I got another warm welcome at my next door- and remembered to draw his attention to: http://www.jw.org/en/ our website, packed to the gills with Bible information and some wonderful little videos. As I headed off for the next call I saw David and Carol coming towards me - it turned out that they had just called on the Mystery House, where I have been posting the magazines to for over a year.

If only I had a Dr.Watson type side-kick he could now put it all into a short story:  The Case of the Mysterious Route Call.   But I haven't.  And that is a relief as I have a haunting worry that the answer to the mystery may be that I have been posting the magazines to the wrong door for nearly a year...  Anyway, I got a warm welcome, although my bro and sis had only just left, and I hope to pick it up maybe next week.

My last call had all the curtains drawn so I just popped the magazines through the letterbox.  I then shopped (at Waitrose), picked up my prescription, and also a library book.  Its a strange and compelling memoir and I might review it later.

Then back home, collapse, collapse, made tea for the weary Butterfly Counters on their return - veggie soup, peach crumble and ice-cream - then on to the meeting, giving Captain Butterfly a lift en route.  Got myself into a horrible and embarrassing tangle when I tried to overtake a bus that I thought had stopped at a bus stop, but it was temporary traffic lights, and I nearly caused a gridlock.

Why am I such an idiot?   And oh for that wonderfully perfect brain that I hope Jehovah will give me when the earth is being restored to Paradise.   I am sure we will not have cars then though. Why would we?

Its nice to have Linda - a fellow inhabit of Planet Expat - living close by.