And this morning Mrs Captain Butterfly finally did go to Specsavers, and got her eyes tested. Which was very overdue. They have not deteriorated as much as I feared, though I do need new glasses, but I have cataracts coming in both eyes!
"Don't worry, and not too much sunlight" the young Optician said cheerfully. "You will be fine for years".
I hope he is right. but is there any bit of me still working properly?
On the plus side, we got a lovely little illustrated letter from Harry and we are going to Jacks for supper at the weekend. And, comfortingly, we have more talks from the Circuit Overseer on Sunday. I am going to blog the Tuesday talk as soon as I have finished deciphering and typing up my scrawled notes. It is all about rejoicing in the truth, never taking for granted the wonderful knowledge we have.
I am not sure how I would feel at this stage of my life if I didn't know what the Inspired Scriptures say.
And I must just say how lovely the staff at Specsavers are to oldies and crumblies like myself. No wonder it's doing so well.
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
The Jolly Roger
Tony told me, on the doorstep, as I delivered his October Watchtower and Awake yesterday, that the reason for the design of the Jolly Roger - the skull and crossbones flag - is probably a religious one - something to do with the amount of bones needed before someone can be resurrected(?). It sounds like it might have been the result of a: How-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin debate within Christendom.
I looked it up on Wiki and there seem to be different accounts of its origins, but there is a clearly a religious angle. Anyway, its a frightening symbol, not something that would draw me to it.
It also got me thinking - both brain cells at full stretch - about the resurrection. Because, as a Catholic Convent school girl, in theory, I believed in it. Yet what did I suppose it was for? If we all went off to heaven, or hell, or to eons of torment in purgatory to fit us for heaven (?!) when we died, as we were taught, then what was the resurrection for?
It never occurred to me to ask. The answer would almost certainly have been "Its a mystery". But when I was shown what the Bible says about death, it all made sense. I had realised, after I had my first anaesthetic (when I had my tonsils out) that death must be unconsciousness, but it wasn't till nearly 30 years later till two Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at my door and showed me these words from the Bible on my shelf.
"As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all." - Ecclesiastes 9:5
To live again, we need to be woken from that dreamless sleep. To be resurrected, or re-created.
People need to know the truth more urgently than ever. So I must get myself back out on the doors again. Its proving a struggle. Anyway, I did get out for an hour yesterday to forward my route calls. And I managed a couple of calls on Sunday afternoon. Apart from Tony though, I am not finding anybody at home.
The bonfire and fireworks were spectacular this year. And there were five of us to feed. I had plenty - everyone was able to have second helpings. If there is a get together next year though, I will keep it simpler, just make a big shepherds pie.
I looked it up on Wiki and there seem to be different accounts of its origins, but there is a clearly a religious angle. Anyway, its a frightening symbol, not something that would draw me to it.
It also got me thinking - both brain cells at full stretch - about the resurrection. Because, as a Catholic Convent school girl, in theory, I believed in it. Yet what did I suppose it was for? If we all went off to heaven, or hell, or to eons of torment in purgatory to fit us for heaven (?!) when we died, as we were taught, then what was the resurrection for?
It never occurred to me to ask. The answer would almost certainly have been "Its a mystery". But when I was shown what the Bible says about death, it all made sense. I had realised, after I had my first anaesthetic (when I had my tonsils out) that death must be unconsciousness, but it wasn't till nearly 30 years later till two Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at my door and showed me these words from the Bible on my shelf.
"As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all." - Ecclesiastes 9:5
To live again, we need to be woken from that dreamless sleep. To be resurrected, or re-created.
People need to know the truth more urgently than ever. So I must get myself back out on the doors again. Its proving a struggle. Anyway, I did get out for an hour yesterday to forward my route calls. And I managed a couple of calls on Sunday afternoon. Apart from Tony though, I am not finding anybody at home.
The bonfire and fireworks were spectacular this year. And there were five of us to feed. I had plenty - everyone was able to have second helpings. If there is a get together next year though, I will keep it simpler, just make a big shepherds pie.
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Currying
Yesterday was a cookery day - made the marinade for the chicken - and made the hot tomato chutney. I also shopped, posted the Butterfly stuff, and did a couple of loads of washing.
The dahl and the bhajis will have to be done today and I must start my magazine route calls this weekend. Mark rang about some star-gazing going on on Kitthurst Hill last night, but neither of us felt equal to it. A sad landmark, as Captain Butterfly is usually equal to anything.
I do remember an evening in Dhahran though when we were watching for - was it Halle's comet? or that other one? - through a large telescope in the desert. What I remember is seeing the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. They were like jewels sparkling in space - joyful and awe-inspiring. If I hadn't already known there was a Creator, surely I would have known it then.
Was hoping to be out on the field service this morning, but it looks like I will have to go tomorrow. To my amazement the parking spaces in our flats are already filling up! And if I go off in the car there may not be a space for me when I get back. This is the only day of the year we have ever had a problem parking - but its not usually a problem till late afternoon. Amazing. A few years ago, I could have walked to Sue's, but while I probably could just about do that now, it would leave me fit for nothing else. And I have to be on my feet cooking.
Still uncertain about numbers tonight. One guest has been rushed into hospital - very worryingly... and two more will be here, but we are not sure when - for supper, or after, just for the fireworks.
Talking of comets has reminded me of a Thomas Hardy poem. He certainly realised how short our lives are now.
The Comet at Valbury or Yellham
Thomas Hardy
I
It bends far over Yell'ham Plain,
And we, from Yell'ham Height,
Stand and regard its fiery train,
So soon to swim from sight.
II
It will return long years hence, when
As now its strange swift shine
Will fall on Yell'ham; but not then
On that sweet form of thine.
The dahl and the bhajis will have to be done today and I must start my magazine route calls this weekend. Mark rang about some star-gazing going on on Kitthurst Hill last night, but neither of us felt equal to it. A sad landmark, as Captain Butterfly is usually equal to anything.
I do remember an evening in Dhahran though when we were watching for - was it Halle's comet? or that other one? - through a large telescope in the desert. What I remember is seeing the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. They were like jewels sparkling in space - joyful and awe-inspiring. If I hadn't already known there was a Creator, surely I would have known it then.
Was hoping to be out on the field service this morning, but it looks like I will have to go tomorrow. To my amazement the parking spaces in our flats are already filling up! And if I go off in the car there may not be a space for me when I get back. This is the only day of the year we have ever had a problem parking - but its not usually a problem till late afternoon. Amazing. A few years ago, I could have walked to Sue's, but while I probably could just about do that now, it would leave me fit for nothing else. And I have to be on my feet cooking.
Still uncertain about numbers tonight. One guest has been rushed into hospital - very worryingly... and two more will be here, but we are not sure when - for supper, or after, just for the fireworks.
Talking of comets has reminded me of a Thomas Hardy poem. He certainly realised how short our lives are now.
The Comet at Valbury or Yellham
Thomas Hardy
I
It bends far over Yell'ham Plain,
And we, from Yell'ham Height,
Stand and regard its fiery train,
So soon to swim from sight.
II
It will return long years hence, when
As now its strange swift shine
Will fall on Yell'ham; but not then
On that sweet form of thine.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
The Dabbling Ducks and the Congregating Cormorants
 |
| Cormorants, Phalacrocorax carbo |
DUCKS DITTY
All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a- quiver.
Yellow bills all out of sight
Busy in the river!
Slushy green undergrowth
Where the roach swim -
There we keep our larder,
Cool and full and dim.
Everyone for what he likes!
We like to be
Heads down, tails up
Dabbling free!
High in the blue above
Swifts whirl and call -
We are down a-dabbling
Up tails all!
 |
| dabbling duck - Gadwall, Anas strepera |
"The mind boggles" said the Captain glumly as he waited in vain for the Kingfisher to turn up. We saw a flock of Cormorants at Widewater Lagoon today though. We got there via a trip to see my arthritis specialist, or rather, as it turns out, his nurse (a very nice lady), and a shop at the big Marks and Sparks.
I made onion bhajis this afternoon. They have turned out quite well, so I might cook another batch for Saturday.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Born to be Mild
It seems I was born to be middle-aged (though the words: "Don't you mean elderly?" just appeared in a thought bubble above the Captain's head). We are not long back from an evening at the Wetland Centre - a talk with slides about RSPB Reserves, with an interval for a nice cup of tea and a biscuit - and it seemed an almost perfect night out to me. And always would have, I think. I have never been a disco/nightclub sort of girl.
We saw the beauty and the complexity of the creation through a lovely talk with excellent photographs. The Speaker said how amazed he was by the cuckoo brain, by the programming that enables it to travel so far and so accurately - that enables it to recognise another cuckoo (it was not brought up by cuckoos), the way that its egg will mimic that of the host bird. But, sadly, this was without any acknowledgment of the Creator, Jehovah.
We often discuss the creation at the Kingdom Hall, but we always acknowledge and thank its Grand Creator.
I do wonder too about the cuckoo in the nest - it doesn't sound like a Paradise arrangement... so what will the cuckoo do in Paradise? Make its own nest? Rear its own young?
I hope we are all there to find out.
Talked to Linda today - her life is rather complicated at the moment. And we may see her Saturday night, or we may not. At any rate I have to provide enough curry for 2 extra, as she will not be on her own if she comes.
We saw the beauty and the complexity of the creation through a lovely talk with excellent photographs. The Speaker said how amazed he was by the cuckoo brain, by the programming that enables it to travel so far and so accurately - that enables it to recognise another cuckoo (it was not brought up by cuckoos), the way that its egg will mimic that of the host bird. But, sadly, this was without any acknowledgment of the Creator, Jehovah.
We often discuss the creation at the Kingdom Hall, but we always acknowledge and thank its Grand Creator.
I do wonder too about the cuckoo in the nest - it doesn't sound like a Paradise arrangement... so what will the cuckoo do in Paradise? Make its own nest? Rear its own young?
I hope we are all there to find out.
Talked to Linda today - her life is rather complicated at the moment. And we may see her Saturday night, or we may not. At any rate I have to provide enough curry for 2 extra, as she will not be on her own if she comes.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
The Team of Jean and Sue at the Forbidden House
The team had quite an experience on Saturday. One of those experiences that makes you so glad you did get out there. We were working the Not At Homes that the team of Jane and Sue collected last week. We had walked past a couple of doors as they had "No Calling at this Door without an Appointment" notices, and had reached the next door.
Then we heard a voice - looked round - and a lady in a dressing gown was calling us from one of the Forbidden Houses. She knew we were Jehovah's Witnesses and wanted some literature from us. We gave her the current magazines, but what she really wanted was the book "What Does the Bible Really Teach?". And neither of us had a copy on us! Anyway, we promised to collect one, and put it through her letterbox,
Which I did after the meeting this morning. Along with a sympathy card from the two of us, one of Captain Butterfly's cards - as it is a family tragedy that prompted her request. And I also enclosed the little leaflet that gives details of our website: JW.Org.
She doesn't agree with us, she says, but...
She also decided that we could knock at her door again if we want, so Jean and I have agreed to go along next month, take the November magazines, which will really help to address her tragedy. And see if the family has found some comfort.
Jehovah is the God of all comfort, so, IF only they will listen and take it in...
The meeting was lovely. What can I say - except how do people manage without this perfect teaching?
It has been sunny today, though the wind is getting up again. Maybe this promised storm will arrive?
We are having supper at Jackie's tonight, so I am looking forward to that. We both are. I don't know if Tom is joining us or not, but they are both coming to us next weekend - hopefully along with Linda - for a curry night.
Then we heard a voice - looked round - and a lady in a dressing gown was calling us from one of the Forbidden Houses. She knew we were Jehovah's Witnesses and wanted some literature from us. We gave her the current magazines, but what she really wanted was the book "What Does the Bible Really Teach?". And neither of us had a copy on us! Anyway, we promised to collect one, and put it through her letterbox,
Which I did after the meeting this morning. Along with a sympathy card from the two of us, one of Captain Butterfly's cards - as it is a family tragedy that prompted her request. And I also enclosed the little leaflet that gives details of our website: JW.Org.
She doesn't agree with us, she says, but...
She also decided that we could knock at her door again if we want, so Jean and I have agreed to go along next month, take the November magazines, which will really help to address her tragedy. And see if the family has found some comfort.
Jehovah is the God of all comfort, so, IF only they will listen and take it in...
The meeting was lovely. What can I say - except how do people manage without this perfect teaching?
It has been sunny today, though the wind is getting up again. Maybe this promised storm will arrive?
We are having supper at Jackie's tonight, so I am looking forward to that. We both are. I don't know if Tom is joining us or not, but they are both coming to us next weekend - hopefully along with Linda - for a curry night.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Another Landmark
A small landmark, but for the first time since my ops, I took myself - no Captain in attendance - on my favourite walk, down the pier and back. It was a lovely morning, sun coming through ominous looking clouds. Tiring and my back hurt - though it was only 30 minutes with 2 sit downs enroute!
Worrying how feeble I am. I haven't exactly achieved a lot this week. On Wednesday - STOP THE PRESSES - the sausages I had thawed out to go with the mashed potato in the fridge turned out to be two chicken breasts! So I spent Wed morning making a chicken vegetable casserole. And that made my back ache. What doesn't these days? Then I spent the afternoon making lemon cake for the packed lunches. In between I slept on the sofa in front of the telly.
Yesterday I shopped in the morning - Waitrose again. Worn out by shopping, I dozed most of the afternoon.
Its worrying that I am so disasterously tired, and must ask about it at my Hospital appointment next week. I finally get to see my arthritis Specialist. Is it just a combination of old age and arthritis and trying to heal, or what?
Lovely meeting last night. Of course. We were looking at Jehovah's loving provision of the ransom sacrifice. And I thought back to my early days of talking to the JWs when I began to realise that it didn't make sense to say you were a Christian and a believer in evolution.
Why the need for the ransom sacrifice if we evolved? Why did Jesus need to come to earth as a perfect human, the exact equivalent of Adam before he sinned if we evolved and were evolving and Genesis was simply a creation myth? Why do the Christian Greek Scriptures tell us that "death ruled as king from Adam down", if there was no such person?
"That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned—. For sin was in the world before the Law, but sin is not charged against anyone when there is no law. Nevertheless, death ruled as king from Adam down to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the same way that Adam transgressed, who bears a resemblance to the one who was to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by one man’s trespass many died, how much more did the undeserved kindness of God and his free gift by the undeserved kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many! Also, it is not the same with the free gift as with the way things worked through the one man who sinned. For the judgment after one trespass was condemnation, but the gift after many trespasses was a declaration of righteousness. For if by the trespass of the one man death ruled as king through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of the undeserved kindness and of the free gift of righteousness rule as kings in life through the one person, Jesus Christ!"
So, then, as through one trespass the result to men of all sorts was condemnation, so too through one act of justification the result to men of all sorts is their being declared righteous for life. For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person many will be made righteous."
Romans 5:12-19
Through the obedience of one person - Jesus Christ, the faithful witness - many will be made righteous.
Righteous by the way - not self-righteous. That is a very different thing.
Worrying how feeble I am. I haven't exactly achieved a lot this week. On Wednesday - STOP THE PRESSES - the sausages I had thawed out to go with the mashed potato in the fridge turned out to be two chicken breasts! So I spent Wed morning making a chicken vegetable casserole. And that made my back ache. What doesn't these days? Then I spent the afternoon making lemon cake for the packed lunches. In between I slept on the sofa in front of the telly.
Yesterday I shopped in the morning - Waitrose again. Worn out by shopping, I dozed most of the afternoon.
Its worrying that I am so disasterously tired, and must ask about it at my Hospital appointment next week. I finally get to see my arthritis Specialist. Is it just a combination of old age and arthritis and trying to heal, or what?
Lovely meeting last night. Of course. We were looking at Jehovah's loving provision of the ransom sacrifice. And I thought back to my early days of talking to the JWs when I began to realise that it didn't make sense to say you were a Christian and a believer in evolution.
Why the need for the ransom sacrifice if we evolved? Why did Jesus need to come to earth as a perfect human, the exact equivalent of Adam before he sinned if we evolved and were evolving and Genesis was simply a creation myth? Why do the Christian Greek Scriptures tell us that "death ruled as king from Adam down", if there was no such person?
"That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned—. For sin was in the world before the Law, but sin is not charged against anyone when there is no law. Nevertheless, death ruled as king from Adam down to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the same way that Adam transgressed, who bears a resemblance to the one who was to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by one man’s trespass many died, how much more did the undeserved kindness of God and his free gift by the undeserved kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many! Also, it is not the same with the free gift as with the way things worked through the one man who sinned. For the judgment after one trespass was condemnation, but the gift after many trespasses was a declaration of righteousness. For if by the trespass of the one man death ruled as king through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of the undeserved kindness and of the free gift of righteousness rule as kings in life through the one person, Jesus Christ!"
So, then, as through one trespass the result to men of all sorts was condemnation, so too through one act of justification the result to men of all sorts is their being declared righteous for life. For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person many will be made righteous."
Through the obedience of one person - Jesus Christ, the faithful witness - many will be made righteous.
Righteous by the way - not self-righteous. That is a very different thing.
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