Carbs and Fruit, Fruit and Carbs

This new way of eating is proving difficult.  What I like to eat is carbs and fruit, fruit and carbs.  What I should and could be eating (under DESMOND rules) is, for example, a large steak with veggies, a chicken salad,  or oily fish. And oily fish 3 times a week!

I haven't yet managed oily fish ONCE a week...   And I would be happy with the veggies and salad, but don't want the steak and chicken.  So I guess it will be a veggie soup day today - with a couple of slices of bread (can't quite go carb free yet), and a little more fruit than I should he having. But less than I would usually have.

And I think I will go and make a sugar free jelly, which I can have with yoghurt. 

Berries are a standby too, as they said at the DESMOND Course that berries are good. 

Tuesday started out well - Jean and I spent the morning on the doors, getting our 2019 witnessing started.  Then it all went downhill in the afternoon when, after making a large carrot cake for the freezer, I fell asleep in front of the telly.  On Wednesday I managed a walk in the morning, and walked round to Jackie's in the afternoon with some home-made veggie soup.   No visit to Maggie as the Nursing Home is still closed.

Thursday was the meeting - and I caught up with my studies - but that was it.  I didn't even do my walk.   As for the oily fish... I still can't face it.

Anyway thank goodness for our wonderful SoupMaker.   We never seem to get tired of veggie soup. Though its even nicer with potatoes in it.

And I should be ashamed of myself for all this complaining.  These are nothing if not First World Problems.   And, alas for Desmond, we will be sharing a packet of fish and chips tomorrow night.

BE STRONG!

The theme text for our "BE STRONG!" assembly at Haysbridge on Saturday was Joshua 1:9:

"Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and strong. Do not be struck with terror or fear, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.”

Very timely.

And here are a few thoughts from it, IF I can read my notes.

In quoting James 1:2-4,  the speaker reminded us that James knew what he was talking about. He had been through a lot.
"James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes that are scattered about: Greetings!  Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance.  But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything."

And we were reminded about three ways in which Jehovah srengthens us.

He is the Hearer of prayer.
He has given us his Inspired word.
and
He has given us a loving congregation family.

I might try and decipher a few more notes in following blogposts, if I can read DrunkenSpiderwhofellintoanInksttandandstaggeredacrosstheNotebook font.

Yesterday... what did I do yesterday?   I did shamefully little on Sunday for sure beyond starting to catch up with my studies.  And I did get 3 letters/cards done:  one to Lilian enclosing the programme from the Haysbridge Assembly; one to Pete thanking him for the new address and giving him some info re publishers; and a thank you to Jen for that lovely veggie lunch she gave us all.

And yesterday I posted them, along with getting in Jack's shopping and ours, and got the basic tax form info sorted out and all on one page, along with getting us lunch and supper.  (veggie soup, cheese omelette).

Oh yes, and on both days I did the brisk walk I must now aim for every day...   I plan to be out with Jean this morning doing return visits, but we will certainly not be walking briskly - it will be more a sort of training for the Zimmer Olympics - without much hope of a medal.  And my own brisk walks aren't that much better.   We both used to be great walkers too.

As Jackie says: "What is happening to us all?!"

And, as I always reply:  "Please accept a home Bible study from us, your local Jehovah's Witness congregation, and you will not only find out what and why, but will also find a real and wonderful hope for the future."

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/free-bible-study/video-bible-study/#?insight[search_id]=7de14674-be45-46df-9947-c8d0b4e96007&insight[search_result_index]=0

Tony Harrison - Social Mobility

Many many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a student in Newcastle,  the Poetry Fellow in the English Department was Tony Harrison.    He was very good-looking and glamorous and I (fresh from my all girl Catholic convent) was never brave enough to speak to him, but I used to go to his readings, and have followed his (very successful) career with interest.

I was recommending his poetry to the Polish-American poet John Guzlowski ("Echoes of Tattered Tongues") yesterday.  They both write with such power about their parents - and language.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Guzlowski

I just came across this small Harrison poem I had not read before:

Social Mobility

Ah, the proved advantages of scholarship!
Whereas his dad took cold tea for his snap. 
he slaves at nuances, knows at just one sip
Chateau Lafite from Chateau Neuf du Pape

Its from his "Selected Poems"- a book well worth reading.


"I hope you noticed that the sandwich fairy has visited the fridge" I reminded the Captain.   He had, and assured me that the sandwiches would be safely on board as he left for his hard day's detecting. This was Wednesday, when I did a big shop (for us and for Jacks) at a rather empty post-Xmas rush Waitrose.  And I attempted to visit Maggie in the afternoon, but found a notice on the door asking that visitors stay away as they have "a winter bug" going round, and do not want cross infections.

Thursday was a hospital day, for me.   All seems  as well as it can be, and I will be started on the new med as soon as the current one is finished.   I was given a lot of time to discuss things.  I tried not to take up too much time though. They are all so busy. 

We Waitrosed it again - as we park there - and Jacks is coming for supper on Saturday and I won't have much time to shop.

I hope to get back into my routine next week.  No meetings this week because of the assembly at Haysbridge.

Today I hope to get some of the mountain of things I have to do done. So far I have done my studying for tomorrow- a great Watchtower all about how precious the good news of the Kingdom of God is - and have made the cauliflower cheese for tomorrow - won't have much time to cook. And managed  a brisk 30 minute walk - to the river and back - chatted with the valiant Jean - and made sure the sandwich fairy has re-visited the fridge.   Oh and made the veggie soup for supper.  And already its starting to get dark.

A sunny day though, and not as cold as it should be for January.

Hello Julia

Hello Julia, if you are reading, and welcome to 2019.   Sorry we missed you - but maybe next time?  We had a great drive back down - 5 hours door to door, which is about as fast as it gets.

I drew the curtains at 7.15 a.m. to find a beautiful start to the new year.  The moon was a perfect crescent, its companion the morning star was so bright - and they were echoed by the lights dotted along the dark promenade. The sun was just beginning to glow along a horizon of low clouds at the back of the Channel.

Soon Jehovah will "bring to ruin" all those who are ruining his lovely earth.

We had lunch at the Arundel Wetland Trust - and a walk around afterwards.  It was a beautiful day, as you can see from the photos.

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis

I had better make a list of What I Did in My Holidays while my few remaining brain cells can remember.

We traveled 'oop North' on the Sunday - once again a good journey - the traffic was heavy but not bad.   Monday we pottered about helping Nute - who is very organised.   I made the lunch for us and chopped veggies.  But unfortunately I am so feeble nowadays that my hands didn't stand up too well to the chopping, and I really had to pace myself.

On the Day itself - Saturnalia, the Solstice, whatever it should rightly be called - the Dronfield family, and Jo and Matthew came. We all managed to fit ourselves round the table, and we had a lovely roast turkey dinner. Followed by an immense array of puddings. I confined myself to a bowl of fresh fruit salad, a tiny taste of Helen's cheesecake (I could have eaten it all - she and Nute are great bakers), and a quarter of a home-made mince pie.

Wednesday we drove over the Snake to see Bea and family.  She gave us a lunch of veggie soup and cheese sandwiches - perfect for the day after the Day - and I had a tiny taste of the apple pie and custard that followed.

Anna is now applying for Uni - to do photography. And she has already got a couple of interviews of the strength of her portfolio.  They are a very artistic family.

The weather stayed damp and cold - no ice, no snow.  The driver over the Snake is lovely whatever the weather, but it closes when its really snowy.

After lunch on Thursday I was sitting in what used to be my parent's sitting room - a big square room - and thinking thst they would be pleased to see it filled to the brim with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  And lots of wrapping paper and tinsel and suchlike.   Sadly, my bro and his family were not there, being in Oz, but we had a Skype call with them.

Ten years since we saw them!  They all looked very well.

Anyway, it was a crowded day with the Lilac Tree Farm family and the Dronfield family, and Jo and Matthew.    And Harry, the only great grandson, coped very well in a sea of little girls.  He rose calmly above it, and go on with his computering.   They had requested a Treasure Hunt, which seems to have become a tradition. But one of the younger grandaughters had somehow managed to suss out every clue in the house (which is quite big and rambling) before it even started.   She led them all whizzing past the clues at top speed to the Treasure itself.  Harry followed the tide of bossy little girls calmly, made sure he got his Treasure, and got back to his computeriing.

We are considering laying a false trail next December.  But will we all be hear next December?

I feel as if I ought to say something profound about 2018 that has just gone. But what?   We lost Shaun, the eldest grandson, so shockingly and unexpectedly.  Linda had her dream wedding, with a reception in a Castle.  I have collected another set of minus health points...

I can draw no conclusion, beyond that we are another year nearer to our rescue via the Kingdom of God, the heavenly government, for whose coming Jesus taught us to pray.

We are not praying in vain.  It should be an interesting year.   And I hope everyone will think seriously about the lovely planet and the amazing universe we live in and seek for their Creator, while he is to be found.

The Great Hercule

We were disappointed in the new ABC Murders on the Beeb.  It is a wonderful Christie book - vintage Poirot.  And I know its been made many times, so its hard to find the new angle. But shouldn't it be an angle that is in harmony with the plot, not one that works against it.

And all those continually arty shots and camera angles...  I am sure they are great fun for the crew to do, but they make it boring for us, the boring old audience. We have seen it all before, a trillion times. And Agatha Christie never bores.

Rupert Grint was good. As, actually, was John Malkovich.  Though, and a possible Spoiler Alert here, isn't this exactly the wrong Christie in which to be giving us a washed-up and forgotten Poirot?

Surely a very important plot point is that he is at the height of his fame, so that it does seem feasible these murders could be a direct challenge to him?  I will have to read the book to make sure, but it looked as if they were going to throw away a wonderful bit of Christie misdirection...

And where is Hastings?   One clue to the whole thing lies in a remark he makes.

Oh well - we retreated into a series of Jonathan Creek repeats. Which are great fun - and scary too.

The thing is if you want a new Poirot, why not write your own?

I don't know what to say about the year that is going...  I am just so grateful we are still here, and hope we all will be this time next year.

And we are another year nearer to our rescue - to the time that Jehovah will remove all the unrepentant violent and wicked from the earth.

And to end my blogyear on another positive note - a minor one - I just got a compliment from a reader in Oz to say how much they enjoyed "Waiting for Gordo"!

It is lovely to hear that someone has enjoyed something I have written.  And thanks so much to Jehovah for the gift of language, and the ability to use it to create something that can interest and entertain.

Simon Rosendale or Lawrence Selden, which is best?

No I am not suggesting a fight.    But the question came up as my sister has written the Introduction to the Macmillan Collectors Library edition of Edith Wharton's "House of Mirth".

Its a book we both love and I was reading her intro today and was pleased to find that she notes how honest Sim Rosendale is, compared to most of those around him.

And we both agree that he is the one Lily Bart should have married.   His proposal is so straightforward and realistic  compared to her other suitors - two of whom are married anyway.

And - Spoiler Alert - poor Lawrence - a single guy and her true love - and unfortunaely a cross between Hamlet and the tiresome Angel Clare (of Tess of the d'Urbervilles fame) - can't bring himself to make the decision to propose to Lily until it's too late.

There has been some gossip about her... so is she good enough for him?   An interesting point given we are to understand that he has been having an affair with a married woman.

At any rate, our choice for Lily would have been Simon Rosendale.


It was not a white Christmas this year, but a cold and dampish one. The tall, old, and empty trees look wonderful under a pale gray sky.

Jehovah made everything so beautifully. If only everyone would look up today and think about the intricate splendour of the trees against the sky and feel moved to find the Maker of this beauty.

If you look for Jehovah, he will let you find him.

An Arthritis Flare-up

Right wrist -very very very painful and debilitating, making me frighteningly aware of just how crippled my left arm is now.  It started in the early hours of Wednesday morning, so no sleep at all Wed night...  the Captain had to stay in all day to help me...

Oh dear.

Anyway, I slept last night, right through which was wonderful.  The hand is not back on line but at least I can type a little.   So the main story of the week is cancellations - all my arrangements.

And I listened in to the meeting last night on the phone link.

I did manage to get the one New Butterfly Member who came winging through my letterbox a membership package parcelled up and I hope the valiant Captain can face braving the Post Office in Christmas week to get it sent.  I still can't drive.  Hand too painful.