Blow the Wind Southerly

They did an item about Kathleen Ferrier on a recent Flog It and we heard her singing Blow the Wind Southerly.  It brought back my 1950s childhood and my mother so piercingly that tears came into my eyes.  

It is a vanished world.  

We spent Wednesday morning with the Lady of the Flowers, who made us very welcome.  Col chauffered me as my field service partner can't drive at the moment, and she lives close enough to walk. She said she would prefer to, or we would have given her a lift. And, yes, I too would have loved to walk as it was a lovely Autumn day despite being cold and damp.

I keep saying to people : Walk while you can.  My ability to walk more than a few steps has gone - not to return this side of Armgeddon I don't think.

Had a friend over for coffee Thursday. She was thrilled to see the little pigeons. They were moving about and making tiny trills, so I think they will soon be leaving home, safely and successfully I hope.  The world of pigeon seems to be full of loving and caring parents, who take their job seriously.  The News is full of very different stories.

Some from the corrupt world of showbiz seem to have suddenly lost the free pass they have had, and are now being called to account for their past conduct.  I wonder what they did - and to who - to lose their immunity so suddenly. In Russell Brand's case is it that his politics seem to have changed?  

Who knows?

Anyway, all corruption will be a thing of the past once God's Kingdom is ruling - and it will be one loving law for all.  In the meantime, we need to remember that every one of us is in need of so much forgiveness, so much undeserved kindness from our Creator, if we are to have back the life and perfection our first parents so tragically threw away. 

The Circuit Assembly

The Circuit Assembly was Saturday. I had to attend by Pixel, via computer. And I even found that tiring! But well worth it. I hope to digest some things when I type up my scrawly notes.

The theme was FIND EXQUISITE DELIGHT IN JEHOVAH

Find exquisite delight in Jehovah, and he will grant you the desires of your heart.

 - Psalm 37:4

The speakers talked about how if we make Jehovah and his word the main focus of our lives we can be happy even now, in these difficult times, hard to deal with.

And I can only say that I have found that to be true, over the last... stops and counts, and runs out of fingers... the last 38 years.  And how would I be able cope with the difficulties of old age, of constantly being in pain if I did not know the truth, did not know of the rescue, so close now, and have such an important work to do in telling others about it?  I don't like to think about it.

In fact, if I were to accept the currently fashionable and widely promoted view of our evolutionary origins, why should I be here at all?  What is the use of me?  

But if Genesis gives us the true account of our origins, as I believe, then I know that I - like every one of us - have amazing potential - and that I - like every one of us - is precious in Jehovah's eyes.

He does not want any one of us to be lost.  But he truly respects the free will he gave us, and will never force anyone to listen to him.

But, if you want to be happy, please do listen.

Today was a quiet day - which is exactly what I want these days.  I had the family Zoom in the morning, Col is having his family Zoom now, just before supper. I made a big bean and veggie stew out of the remaining vegs, and am just about to go and put the pies, from the Turner pie shop in Rustington, into the oven, and get some peas out of the freezer.  A nice easy supper.

The reason for the rather grim photo of me in my convent schooldays is that I have just got Ffyona Campbell's book "In Black and White" about her days as a boarder at the Sisters of Mercy Convent Boarding School. Midhurst, Sussex.

IF I can bear to read it - I haven't yet been able to get far - then I will likely be saying some more about it.   But some children had to live it.

It is making me feel so sad - and brings back unhappy school memories - not that I ever went through anything like that - I was never a boarder for starters, thank God - but there was a frightening atmosphere there.

It will, I hope, make me appreciate the loving atmosphere of the Christian congregation more and more every day.  I feel cared for within it - and appreciated.  I never felt either of those things in my convent school days.  And don't we all need to feel cared for and appreciated?

  

Day-Close

 

At Day-Close In November

The ten hours' light is abating,
      And a late bird flies across,
Where the pines, like waltzers waiting,
      Give their black heads a toss.

Beech leaves, that yellow the noon-time,
      Float past like specks in the eye;
I set every tree in my June time,
      And now they obscure the sky.


And the children who ramble through here
      Conceive that there never has been
A time when no tall trees grew here,
      A time when none will be seen.

Thomas Hardy

https://allpoetry.com/At--Day-Close-In-November

Thomas Hardy is sometimes considered to be a pessimist, but surely he just tells it like it is.  He sees, and writes about what Janet Frame calls "the sadness that belongs to the world".  But he also sees how beautiful it is, and praises it in poem after poem.

We have been living in a tragedy ever since our first parents were persuaded to cut themselves off from their Creator and go it alone.  But we are not abandoned to this, and what lies ahead of us, if we want it, is life forever in the restored earthly paradise.

Who could get tired of Autumn, of sunrises, of sunsets, of being able to care properly for the whole earthly creation.  Maybe, if God's Kingdom was already ruling, I would be able to help our two balcony babies to take safely to the air.  As things are now, I would simply terrify the poor little souls.

Their parents are so touchingly clever though.  My computer is beside the balcony and I noted that Mr Petula landed carefully at the opposite end of the balcony on a baby feeding mission, and then carefully worked himself along behind the flower tubs to their geranium nest. He was sure I couldn't see him, and so I tried to look as if I couldn't.

There were minimal fireworks last night to terrify them, but I guess there will some tonight and over the weekend.

It is the Circuit Assembly at Haysbridge tomorrow, but I will be attending on my computer, via pixel.  I am looking forward to it.

The Violet Helleborine

This lovely orchid - a Violet Helleborine - was the photo we chose for our November calendar.  Appropriately the first of November dawned misty.  One of the Petulas was busy tending the babies out on the balcony - two fine fat little pigeons, just starting out on their journey in this amazing and wonderful world.  But unfortunately still a dangerous one for all little creatures - for all of us.

Should I busy myself knitting a couple of little parachutes to help them make their first excursion from our balcony?

Though I am still so tired I hardly know what to do with myself - beyond sleep - which I seem unable to do at the moment.  Aaaarrrrggghhhh.  Old age is not easy.  

Had a couple of Zoom sessions on Monday morning, one with a friend, the second with my siblings - bar Nute, who was off having her winter flu shot.  And I have a double Zoom session this afternoon during which I hope to get some field service in.

It occurs to me that Violet Helleborine would be a great name for a fictional character in a book I have yet to write.  Should she be a down to earth Vi, or a rather upmarket Ms.Helleborine?  But where is the energy to write it?  I have a very interesting email correspondence going with a gentleman who found one of my letters in his holiday home when he arrived for a brief break, and that must be continued. I am hoping to do that this afternoon.  

We had an encouraging visit from a brother from Bethel at the weekend.  He gave us the public talk CAN TRUTH  BE FOUND?

Here are two of the Scriptures he referenced.

Proverbs 14:15:  The naive person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.

John 17:17: Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.

We need to use our reason.  Our faith must be based on reason, or what is to stop us from believing that the moon is made of green cheese?   And, as Jesus said, God's word is the truth.  But we can only be sure of that if we study it. Which is why we offer a free Home Bible Course to all who will accept one.  

You can also find it on JW.org.  It is an interactive course, with some great little videos.

My Mini Saga

 

THE FORESIGHT SAGA

by me

My darling baby

When you grow up

Your life will be wrecked

When your wife runs off

With an architect

But you'll marry again

That’s for sure

And have a daughter

You'll just adore.

This was published, but I can't now remember where. I think I wrote it for a sort of competition with a theme, presumably a min-saga. It was the sort of competition where all the entries do get published though.

The reason for the photograph of my father that heads this blog is that once he had stopped being a para in the Polish Army, he became an architect and was involved in designing and building the brave new world they hoped for in the wake of the horrors of the second World War.

It was a brave and sincere attempt by so many. But they were up against the warning in the Hebrew Scriptures that "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step".

We cannot put right what has gone wrong on the earth since the loss of Eden. But our Creator, Jehovah, can and will. He has not abandoned us to this.

My father met my mother when they were both studying at the School of Architecture at Liverpool Uni. And what are the chances they would ever have met - him from from a small country town in what was then Belarus, and her from a small Lancashire village - where our child paradise of Nabbs Cottage, her childhood home, was. They made their marriage last too, for which we, their children, will always be grateful.

I hope I will see them both again when the time comes for the resurrection - if we are all there. The Book of Daniel tells us that "many of those asleep in the dust of the ground" will wake up. Many, but not all.

We are off to visit the Lady of the Flowers this morning. She is just back from a family funeral and is longing to tell us all about it. It has awakened so many memories, as these things do.

And all three of us are ladies in our eighties - well me almost so - and so we have many layers of memory. And also we find that when once we met up with our families at weddings, these days it tends to be at funerals...

Col is off to join the lads in the Detecting Field.

The Abandoned Nest?

Hope is the thing with feathers

by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42889/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-314

Yet another stormy day and night Saturday to Sunday, though on Sunday we woke up to sunshine.  The clocks went back Saturday night, which somehow we managed to remember, and Col left at 7:00 with his metal detectors and sandwiches.  

The fireworks  - which had been postponed from Saturday due to the storm - started up suddenly just after 8:00 Sunday evening. As usual, it sounded like WW3 had started just outside our window.  I went straight out to the balcony hoping that my being there might calm the Petulas down. But the nest was abandoned...   It is very sad what the animal creation have to go through. 

However come Monday morning one of the valiant Petulas was back on the nest.  And Captain B said that she must have returned straightaway as she was back there when he was out photographing the fireworks.  I can't see them succeeding though - the nest is so much in the wrong place - but I do hope for them.

Having said all that, there was a shout from Captain B who was out on the balcony, checking guests out of his Moth Hotel this morning.  I went out to find two chicks sitting in the nest.  Two!  So they have done it, against all the odds. Well, as long as the little ones can get safely aloft that is.

Will we have to help?  Will they let us?  And if so, how?

And what can we do to deter them from choosing our balcony again?  Though I suppose if they come and go without making too much noise, or mess, or annoying the neighbours, it wouldn't matter if they did.

Storm Austen

Storm Austen rampaged all Thursday night leaving wonderful waves on The Channel.  The photo, while taken by Captain B, is of a previous storm.  The Petula pigeons are still sitting doggedly on their balcony nest in the full force of the gale.  They take turns.  What a night they have been through, valiant creatures. It is hard to imagine they will succeed, but who knows?

There is another storm on the way this weekend apparently, but this one will hit in the North.

I could have headed this blog:  A Pair of Old Crocks, though I know Captain B would have said Speak for yourself.  

The poor Captain was limping round this morning with a very sore foot and so I made him his breakfast and did my best to look after him.  I spent yesterday with such painful shoulders that I could hardly do anything.  It is a good thing that I felt a bit better this morning, or, well as I said: a pair of old crocks.

On Thursday I did manage to get some things done, by taking lots of rest in between.  I got myself up, dressed and showered (Col left very early for The Field) and believe me these days that seems like a real achievement.  I had finally emailed Bea to say a real thank you for the lovely silk tops she gave me and Nute. We had spoken on the phone about it previously.  And I replied to Krysia, thanking her for the card and powerful poems she had sent me, and wished her all the best with her current exhibition of paintings in London. 

Neither of us enjoyed our convent schooldays, and we have both written about it. 

And I managed to get a soup and a crumble made.  Which was very helpful as all Captain B had to do on Friday was to heat them up for our lunch.

Talking of creative endeavours, this is the link for our Fantastic Book videos so far:

 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbEI_U2rPe7g

Mine has not appeared yet, but it will.

Fantastic Books is a small and quirky publisher with some  - well - some fantastic books to its name.  So please do have a look.

This new storm may have hit the North with some force, as it is pelting down here now (in the afternoon), the fireworks, procession and bonfire have been cancelled, and the poor pigeons are still taking turns on their storm bound nest.

When God's Kingdom is ruling over the earth, then we will be able to arrange things so that every bird has a secure nesting spot, and we will be able to help them in any difficulties they may have.  So how much we all need it, us and all the earthly creation.