Circuit Assembly March 2026

A recent rainbow, taken from the balcony by Col.  The bow in the cloud, to use the Biblical term.

It was our Circuit Assembly on Saturday.  The theme was "Worship with Spirit and Truth".  I travelled by pixel to one of the American assemblies - via video link actually - and I had the programme printed from the JW.org site.

One of the last talks was "Worship with Truth in Times of Economic Hardship", which could hardly have been more timely given the awful situation in the Middle East.  There seems no way it will not get worse.

I hope to include a couple of points I gleaned from the Assembly in my next blog.

Mornings are so difficult now that it was touch and go whether I made it, showered and dressed, to my computer for 9:40 when it began!  I did.  Just.  And I also managed to field a frantic phone call from a sister who wanted to check she had pixelled to the right convention.  She had.

Unless... crumbs... we were both at the wrong one?

Col decided not to go a'detectoring on Saturday... which is unusual, but he is not as young as he was either. Which is a thought I find very painful. I can accept that I am ageing, but not my London boy.

We heard from two old friends. Rob and Judy, from our Uni days. They are doing a tour of friends in the South this year and are coming to stay this summer.  And I found a beautiful card from an old friend from my schooldays, Krysia, in my letter box.  If Col will take a photo of it, I will use it to head my next blog, along with her website address.

She has become a successful artist, and the card is printed from one of her paintings.  She enclosed some photos she had found of old town hall extension my father, an architect, designed so long ago.  It was designed, built, used, and demolished, in his lifetime.  I wish they had waited a year or two longer before demolishing it, as he must have been upset, even though he was in his dementia years.

It was another example of the failure of human government really, in that it was planned and designed during a time when local government was expanding.  But by the time it was built, Mrs.T. had trimmed local government spending so much that it was no longer needed.

And sadly the lovely Registry Office he designed, known locally as "The Wedding Cake", was lost in the same demolishment (if that is a word).  

However, come Armageddon, what is going to be left standing of this old system?  No more tragic mess.  It will be a new, fresh, and perfectly managed start for the human family. And once again I hope we are all there to find out.

The Coming Separation

 

The flowers of Spring!  This is a local magnolia, one of many.  We once, many years ago, had a house in London with a magnolia tree.  I would love to have one again.  Maybe in the restored earthly paradise. Because we are now in the winter of our lives - past gardening.

I was talking to my siblings about the corruption - the deep corruption - being revealed in the wake of the Epstein scandals.  And I shared this little verse I found as a comment under a small video about the exPrince Andrew/Jeffrey Epstein connection.   

The Grand Old Duke of York, He paid 12 million quid, To someone he said he'd never met, For something he never did.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Yf9nfbKldsE

Sadly, ain't that the truth? And truth is hard to come by in the world system we live in - a system founded on the first lie ever told, in Eden. The depth of corruption is probably beyond our comprehension. How can we put this right? How can any human government put this right?

I am looking forward to the special Bible talk on Sunday the 29th of March: "Who Will Restore the Earth?", as it is sure to tell us about the government that CAN set this right, the heavenly one.

It will be on at your local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and you will be so welcome to attend.  Surely it is worth hearing what the Bible promises, and deciding for yourself if it is true.

We had our Bible study on Wednesday morning.  But I am finding it all very difficult now. Am I on the verge of being completely housebound, except for those necessary medical appointments?  

I don't know, but as I have always been a homebody, plus I have the sea right outside my window, plus, double plus, the Zoom provision for the meetings, it will be do-able.  More than, actually, given I am on the spectrum (of Aspergers/Autism), so that face to face interactions with people are always a strain.

Tuesday night we sat out on the balcony for the first time this year. We had a glass of wine, watched the sparkly sea, and Captain B even talked about the coming separation (given our age) as we held hands.  Just a little.  He usually ignores such things, and gets on with life as he is a fount of common sense.

But this does need thinking about, very seriously. As it should be one of the things that tells us we are not in the Darwinian world of evolution, as "the world" would have us believe. If we were, why would the shortness of our lives upset us?  All would be natural.  But it isn't. We know this is such a short time to spend with the people we love, and to be on this splendid planet as it floats through the awe-inspiring universe.

Captain B rang this morning to say that having travelled halfway round the world to The Current Field (judging by the appalling time his alarm clock went off) the Field itself is not in a fit stage to be detected. They are all sitting there, all fifty or so of them, while the frazzled organiser tries desperately to find another more suitable Field, not too far away.  I can only hope he succeeds, poor guy.

He rang again to say that another Field has been found, for later, and after they have attempted a detect on the Faulty Field, they will move across to it.

I had a busy morning - for me, these days.  Made the usual apple crumble, made a mushroom curry and rice and beans, and did a load of washing. But I had to do an alarming amount of sitting resting while getting it done.

A Small Quaker

 

Here is the Small Quaker that recently spent the night in our moth hotel, snug in its eggbox room.  How beautifully Jehovah has clothed it - that sepia Autumnal colouring - even including the lovely neck fur.  

One of the many many things we can look forward to in the restored earthly paradise is learning how to look after all these little creatures properly. And they will be able to do all they were designed to do, happily and peacefully.

Col was at home on Saturday - not out a'detecting.  NOT DETECTING.  Hold the presses.  I attended the field service in pixel form, got some Memorial invitations ready to post, and did the Watchtower study for Sunday.  It was both comforting and encouraging, and you can find it on the site JW.org, under Library, under Meetings.

He was out with the Detectorist lads on Sunday - alarm clock went at 4:15 - but even if he had been here to help me get dressed and chauffeur me, I would still have had to pixel it to the Hall as I was in so much pain.  Another bad night.

I must remember that I am very fortunate still to be here and every day is a bonus now, and also that I have the hope of enjoying life forever in the restored earthly paradise.  I must extract some points from the Circuit Overseer's talks on Sunday so that I remember them. The second talk strongly emphasised how much we need to build a strong faith, a close relationship with Jehovah, now.  And he also reminded us of the strong faith of our African brothers and sisters, some of whom are going through very difficult times indeed.

This morning I had the usual two Zoom sessions - with my congregation sisters, and then with my bro and sis - just one sis this time, as Nute is having to work.  Got some work done - a few Memorial invitations sent out, with handwritten cards - which is why I only managed a few.

Col just came across an interesting clip on Youtube which claims that research is showing that handwriting is an important exercise for our brains - may help to stave off dementia.

And we do need all the help we can get these days. So I plan to buy more cards and sent out some more handwritten invites etc.  I have always tried to send a few, as I hope that people might appreciate something handwritten.  The arthritis limits what I can do, handwriting wise, but I think I can do better than I was.

My siblings all seem well, thank Goodness. While I am the oldest, we are none of us young now.

Chiang Mai Sunset

CHIANG MAI SUNSET

by me

A peach coloured fire glowed all along the horizon
Burning the palm trees black
As we drove with the Bata people
Down the dirt road
The colours burnt brighter, smoke began to rise
As people, coming out into the hot night,
Lit their evening fires.
Peach sun, black palms, curled smoke, kissed
When you were in Jesmond, Wirach,
Were you homesick for this?

I wrote this many many years ago when we were staying with Wirach, an old Uni friend, and he sent us up to beautiful Chiang Mai for a week. His firm had just bought the old British Embassy, and we stayed there.  We had it and its staff to ourselves.  They made us cooked English breakfasts, as I remember it, and were very nice.  Chiang Mai was a quiet place then. Apparently it is a top tourist destination now - which is not surprising.

When I put "Thailand" into the Captain's photo gallery I could only find the above photo of a moth - which was taken in the Maldives, but the moth - a Leafroller - is apparently also found in Thailand.  

This poem was published in an anthology if I remember rightly - my first ever publication.

I have been trying to decipher my notes from Wednesday night, the Pioneer meeting.  The points we were considering were to think about adjustments we might find we need to make in the following three areas, so that we can not only try to reach more people with the immensely good news of the Kingdom of God, but also be a better support to our congregation family:

1.  As an example.

2.  As a support.

3.  Building our spirituality.

All these points need working on and will keep me busy and usefully occupied if I keep at it.

And it is another gift from Jehovah, to know that I can be useful even at my age.

Written in March

 

Written in March (1798)

The cock is crowing,
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun;
The oldest and youngest
Are at work with the strongest;
The cattle are grazing,
Their heads never raising;
There are forty feeding like one!

Like an army defeated
The snow hath retreated,
And now doth fare ill
On the top of the bare hill;
The Ploughboy is whooping–anon–anon:
There’s joy in the mountains;
There’s life in the fountains;
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone! 

by William Wordsworth

https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/written-in-march

This is a poem I remember from my childhood. Still love it.  Although I am not quite sure the rain IS over and gone this March.  And I am not bothered either, as I love weather.

The photo that heads the blog is of Spring Buds, from Col's photo gallery. It does show a blue sky prevailing, though the weather here continues pretty grey - full of a sea mist on Monday, and calm and grey on Tuesday.  It was springlike and sunny on Wednesday though, and we drove through daffodils to see our student.

Us Fantastic Book authors had our weekly Zoom session on Monday night.  Will it inspire me to finally finish The Canals of Mars?  I will likely publish it in my blog if I do.  I have got so far with it, it seems a shame not to do so.

Wednesday morning we were with our Bible student - and I think we may have had a breakthrough, after many years of calling.  But we will see. 

The afternoon was a harrowing session at the dentist - root canal business - nearly and hour and a half - too much really - I felt completely exhausted after it.  Hopefully it has gone well and is all done now.  I couldn't get through to Col on his phone after though.  A few years ago I would either have driven myself there, or been able to walk back anyway. Not now, alas.  However I had an idea, and sent a cry for help over the family watsapp. And one of my nephews responded, contacted Col, and so the cavalry came over the hill just in time, in the shape of my little red car with Col in the driver's seat.

And the dentist was followed by the perfect antidote, in that I was able, courtesy of a lift from my siblings, to attend the Pioneers Meeting with the Circuit Overseer in the evening.

We were divided into three groups and each given a task to think about - all concerned with what being a pioneer means.  Not just a question of trying to do some more hours in the preaching work, but how we can be of extra support to the whole congregation.  It has given me a lot to think about, especially as the state I am in now means that I feel less useful all the time.

But somehow, Jehovah makes every one of us feel appreciated.  And that is so lovely.

Anyway, with three outings yesterday, I was up in the early hours, taking painkillers. But hopefully I can have a quiet restful day - no meeting tonight, as we had it on Tuesday. And I have a double Zoom session with a sister this afternoon, so that will provide my witnessing for the day.  I got a supply of Memorial invites from the Kingdom Hall and hope to write a short letter to post them with.  Or, more grammatically, with which to post them.

Oh, and talking of being useful, the Sandwich Fairy, who also had three outings yesterday, did manage to ensure that Col's sandwich lunch was ready for him in the fridge when he left very early this morning for The Field.

Yesterday, when I was Young

 

And it does seem just like yesterday sometimes.  Other times my youth seems eons ago, a different world altogether.  What is that quote?  "The past is another country, they do things differently there"?

I would love to write a small poem about it... but... 

So I hope to keep looking ahead to the times when the lost paradise is regained.  Still in a lot of pain from my feet and ankles, but I am trying to really give them some rest this time.   Col left very early on Saturday morning for The Field with The Lads. I had a bad night, up in the early hours, painkillers, so slept in a bit.  Bea phoned. She had just had another medical upset which she needed to talk about.  We both have plenty of such upsets these days, alas.

Col also left very early Sunday, so I attended the meeting in pixel form.

A strange day in a way.  I did manage to get some witnessing done.  I am aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes a day - but hopefully more - and I also got a load of washing done, and Col's supper sorted. Oh, and my studying.  But I felt somewhat down and tired and depressed.  I think that my body is scared of what is happening to it. Which does make sense in that Genesis tells us that we were originally made to live forever. What is happening to us now is not natural.

Why else have poets lamented the shortness of our life down the ages?

The English Channel was not in evidence this morning as a sea fret was hiding all but some of The Green.  It looks lovely.  I guess we will soon be re-filling our balcony with flowers and I will be able to do my studying out there in the mornings.

I want to say something profound about youth and age, but so many poets have already said it, much better than I can.  And the inspired definition of old age in Ecclesiastes is hauntingly accurate.  I am old enough to know that now.

It's raining again!   Not that I mind, I love weather, its just that I am surprised there is any water left up there.

Guests

 

Moth season began on Monday night when Col put out his moth trap for the first time this year.  Three moths spent the night with us in their cosy eggbox rooms - one was a Hebrew Character, the other two were Common Quakers.  COMMON Quakers.  Hyacinth Bucket - sorry, Bouquet - would not have been pleased if they had turned up in Richard's moth trap!

But I shall try and get over the loss of social status.

Still in a lot of pain Tuesday morning, but managing without my Zimmer - which is almost like being Usain Bolt these days.

The sun is out, and no sign yet of what the old rhyme warns us: "The March wind doth blow, and we shall have snow..."

Still in pain, right ankle very swollen, on Wednesday morning, but zimmer free, if slow.  Which is a good thing and we had a Bible study to conduct.  Our student, who cancelled it, has asked if we will re-start.

So we re-started the Bible study with the flower lady - and came back with two chocolates, one for me and one for him.  He gave me the one for him, so I had two chocolates.  I should not even have had one.

Had to Zoom to the meeting last night. I was hoping to get there, but Col said I would not be able to make it. He was quite right, it was even very difficult to sit through the Zoom session.

The world situation continues to be tragic, this war - if war it is - continues.  I have brothers and sisters on both sides of this lethal divide and my prayer is that they will continue to be united in their love for the Creator and for each other, and not let "the world" divide them.

And here is a thought from our midweek meeting:  True loyalty is love translated into action -  with reference to the loyal love that Jehovah showed to Abraham and his descendants.

If I can't do all that much action-wise in the physical sense now, I hope I can continue to try to tell all who will listen about the Kingdom of God, via letters, email, etc.  And I did make Col a roast chicken dinner yesterday, followed by an apple crumble. 

The Man He Killed

Yet again war has broken out, and brother is killing brother.  So I am thinking of this poem by Thomas Hardy today:

The Man He Killed

by

Thomas Hardy
1840 –1928

"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."

And still all around us is the tender and splendid beauty of the creation. The photo above is of an Early Purple Orchid, and is our calendar picture for March - taken by the gallant Captain of course.

A bad night on Saturday - paying for that 20 minutes standing I had to do by our wounded car on Friday.  If I had thought ahead I would have taken it very easy on Saturday, just rested, and it might not have had such a bad effect.  An even worse night on Sunday - a lot of pain.  Right ankle this time.  And I am still in pain this morning, though I can now hobble about without my zimmer, which is always a good sign.

It reminds me why I can no longer go door to door though - not only can I not do the walking but standing at the doorstep talking to people would cripple me.  

However, I have decided to pioneer this month and the next - just the 15 hours witnessing a month, which I would hope to achieve anyway. But it is good to make the commitment and hopefully - obviously - to exceed it.  I have some new territory to write to, another request for Not Home letters and a Bible study to re-start this week, so as long as my hands continue to work - alongside my brain (oh dear) - it should not be a problem.

Surely, in the face of all the horrors going on in the world, people are looking for a government that does care for us, that can really help us - the heavenly one, the Kingdom of God.

Col took over on Monday as I zimmered painfully and slowly about.  He made the soup for lunch and made supper. An omelette for him, just some toast for me (I am not feeling very hungry). He always does the breakfasts.  I was at least able to empty the dishwasher at the end of the day.  And I had my usual two Zoom sessions in the morning, which did take my mind off the pain a bit.

I am just waiting to be able to take my painkillers  - another ten minutes and I should be there.

The plumber comes today to fit the new tap in my bathroom.  Life goes on, for some, tragically not for others caught up in the current horrors in the Middle East. 

I am grateful still to be here, even though in pain, seeing the quiet and beautiful sunrise over the English Channel - a gull just flew across, a perfect note in the symphony of morning.  Yet another masterpiece from our Grand Creator, Jehovah.  It fills me full of hope, in spite of everything.

Wives and Daughters

I have just re-read Mrs Gaskell's Wives and Daughters - and really enjoyed it.  But it is such a long time since I read it that I had forgotten she died before she could finish it!  And while it is clear who the heroine is going to marry, we are left not knowing how Mrs.G would have arranged it.

Frustrating. But maybe, one day, in the restored earthly paradise, IF the author and I are both there, I can ask her how it would have turned out.

I had also forgotten that Angus Easson wrote the intro to this edition.  He was one of my lecturers in my Uni years - way way back when.  A nice guy - and he had a long academic career I believe.

Anyway, the difference between the world Mrs.Gaskell wrote about and the world that is being written about nowadays is startling.  

Thursday morning, I managed to get myself up and dressed, Col having left very early for The Field, heard and let in the man delivering Col's latest parcels (another achievement, given the situation with my ears), unpacked the Abel & Cole delivery, made the usual apple crumble, and a big veggie/lentil/curry/casserole thing, and did my study for the Thursday night meeting.  We - the congregations worldwide - are considering Isaiah chapter 40 this week - which contains some beautiful poetry - and which also tells us that the world is a sphere, a globe, a round earth (verse 22). That is something we are now privileged to see for ourselves in those photographs from space, where the round earth floats like a blue and white jewel in the stupendous universe.

But I have chosen these particular words from Isaiah 40 for this blog. And they have inspired the choice of Col's photo above, of a grass called Yorkshire Fog.

Listen! Someone is saying: “Call out!”

Another asks: “What should I call out?”

“All flesh is green grass.

All their loyal love is like the blossom of the field.

  The green grass dries up,

The blossom withers,

Because the breath of Jehovah blows upon it.

Surely the people are but green grass.

  The green grass dries up,

The blossom withers,

But the word of our God endures forever.”

- Isaiah 40:6-8

Our lives are so short, as things are now, but Jehovah's word will endure forever.  

Talked to Bea on Friday - and as usual these days there was much to be said about our various medical issues.  We are both in the mature grass stage now... very mature...

We also visited Jacks in her lovely care home. She seemed happy to see us and we had quite a good chat about old times and old friends. We took her some chocs in as well, which she appreciated (as did we).

And then there was yet another appointment with the audiologist. Followed by a drama when the car - my little red KAA - just stopped. Col stalled it and it would not re-start.  We had to stop it, lights flashing, bonnet up, and the traffic had to steer round it, until a man from Cuff Miller (our garage), appeared like an angel of mercy and jump started us. It turns out we need a new battery. Which does make sense in a way as I am driving so little nowadays, though we do use my car now and again.

While we were waiting there, me probably looking somewhat in pain, holding on to a bike stand thingummy - Col not wanting me sitting in the car in case someone rear-ended us - a very kind lady walking a dog offered to give me a lift home if necessary.  I thanked her for her kindness, but at that point the Cuff Miller Superhero arrived and got us going again.

The car is having a new battery fitted on Monday... and one day I hope that both me and Captain B will have our new batteries fitted so to speak, as per the promises in Jehovah's everlasting word, and be able to enjoy life forever on the lovely globe of the earth.

I hope we all will.

The Young Mrs Captain Butterfly

Sweet-and-Twenty  

by William Shakespeare

 O MISTRESS mine, where are you roaming? 
O, stay and hear! your true love 's coming, 
 That can sing both high and low: 
Trip no further, pretty sweeting; 
Journeys end in lovers meeting, 
 Every wise man's son doth know. 

What is love? 'tis not hereafter; 
Present mirth hath present laughter; 
 What 's to come is still unsure: 
In delay there lies no plenty; 
Then come kiss me, sweet-and-twenty! 
 Youth 's a stuff will not endure.

https://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poems/short/youth#google_vignette

Col has been going through some old photographs - see above, from one of our early holidays at the Merritt's caravan on the Cornwall/Devon border.  It makes me feel rather melancholy, but given my last blog was about old age, I thought maybe this one could be about youth.  And once again, I will let Shakespeare speak.

More medical stuff on Wednesday.  Blood test for Col - audiologist for me.  Following on that, I have another Audio appointment on Friday - and of course the appointment to have the crown fitted on my treated tooth is looming up.

Talking of crowns, is our royal family, which has survived so much, going to survive the Epstein scandals  - the depth of corruption that is being revealed?  Time will tell.

Col brought me a new tap for my bathroom. The tap that came with my new bathroom doesn't seem to lend itself to something so simple as a new washer. And so it goes. If the present system of things on the earth lasts long enough, will one dripping tap require a whole new bathroom?

As these blogs have been a bit of a meditation on youth and old age, I can say this for sure.  If someone said to me that they had a pill that could make me twenty years old again.  Would I take it?  No, No, and No again.  Not unless I could go back then knowing exactly what I know now.

What I am hoping for is to live forever in the restored earthly paradise - in perfect health. And when I think of all I have learnt in the nearly 40 years I have been taught by the Jehovah's Witness congregation I wonder what it will be like to have been learning such wonderful things for 400 years - 4,000 years - etc?

The Ashes of Youth

Sonnet 73

William Shakespeare

That time of year thou mayst in me behold,
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang;
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self that seals up all in rest;
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by;
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_73


What a short time we have to spend with the people we love.  The sunset picture was taken on an island, during our travelling years, so a long time ago.  My own sunset years are nothing like as beautiful and dramatic, but more of a slow undignified slide, on a slope that is getting steeper and steeper.

But then the sun was made to rise and set - and we see perfection in every sunrise and sunset - and, such is the variety of Jehovah's creation, we never see the same one twice.  In contrast, we were made to live forever - but damaged and dying as we are now, we do not. And it is not pretty.  It's painful.  And not at all like the beautiful Maldivian sunset above.

Had a short Zoom visit to my new field service group on Saturday morning.  I am finding chatting in Zoom harder and harder now - unless it's one to one, which I can still just about do.   Col was out all day a'detecting in the rain, but was at home on Sunday, so I made a big effort and got to the Hall - by chauffeur. Mornings are so difficult now - and I have always been a morning person too!

I have noticed an interesting thing, that when I can get to the meetings my blood pressure is much lower.  (I am taking some measurements for my GP at the moment.)

And the root canal scheduled for Monday should put the bp up to machine-shattering proportions.  At any rate, it seems to have been done successfully - and I now have another long appointment to go through to get the post and crown fitted. I am hoping though there will not be as much drilling.

Hopefully he has done a very good job in that I have taken basic paracetamol doses - two yesterday and will take a couple more this morning, and no pain at all from the area of the tooth. The only problem is that everything else is sore, as spending all that time clenched up in the dentist's chair has not done the rest of my decrepit body any good.

However, I don't suppose his drilling away all my nerves while I was up  there would have been at all a good idea.

I am whinging away here, yet the world news is almost unspeakable in its horror.  The level of Epstein corruption seems to be spreading - with a headlines I cannot bear to read beyond...   

Surely the failure of human government must be evident by now?  So can that lead more and more of us, the damaged children of Adam, to come to find and serve the perfect government, the Kingdom of God.

Because the gift of life is so precious, so wonderful, so interesting - the planet earth is so lovely - and the universe in which we float is immense and beautiful beyond our comprehension.  Why would we ever want to leave it?

Storm Dentist?

There was a storm raging on Wednesday - rain, cold wind, stormy seas.  If it does not already have a name but needs one, can it be Storm Dentist, given that the cap that was re-glued to my tooth a couple of weeks ago fell off, requiring yet another visit to the Dentist?  Then I had to spend Wednesday morning on the phone as I arranged for a root canal job with a specialist in one of our local towns, and a follow up appointment with my own dentist for the fitting of the crown.

So two horrible dental sessions loom up.  I would really just have left it.  It doesn't show and isn't bothering me much.  But of course you never know if the gap will weaken the teeth around it, none of which are a high level of biting fitness anyway. 

The rest of Wednesday morning was taken up with visiting the Flower lady, who rang me on Tuesday to ask if we could restart the Bible study she had stopped last year.  She said she missed us a lot.  So we went, just for a coffee, and will re-start the study in a fortnight's time. But I was trying to convey to her gently that she must help us. We can't do all the work. She has to make the truth her own.  Anyway we restart Wednesday week, and need to pray about this.

Thursday morning seemed to have calmed Storm Dentist down.  And Col left early to join the Detectorists in their faraway Field.

I spent more time on the phone trying to fix up an appointment re my new hearing aids, which I am not coping with at all...  Was not helped by all the systems at the Audiologists having gone down for some hours.

My health is not improving.  Whatever is happening to my spine seems to be affecting my insides and making life very difficult. But I am on the verge of Too Much Information here, so I think I will finish and post.

I am just about to go through The Watchtower study for tomorrow, which is: Imitate Jehovah's Humility.   So I know I am in for a very upbuilding session - which I need - which we all need.  The article is on-line. JW.org - go to library, then go to meetings, if you would like to read it.

Anti-depressants

Here are the tulips gifted to me by my lovely sister.  And they truly are anti-depressants.  Each flower is a miracle of beauty and engineering, reminding us of their Creator, of his love and his care for us, of how lovely he made his earthly creation.

It is an assurance that can sustain all us damaged children of Adam.

Oh and Col put them in a vase made by my good friend who was a great potter in her day. We have many of her pieces round the house.  Sadly she died shortly after retirement.  But I do hope that one day I will see her again. I would love to have shared my books with her.  I did once send her one of my short stories and she said she loved it.  It made her laugh.

I watched the February Broadcast at the weekend. It was a long one, so I split it into two.  So I thought I would just put a few thoughts from it into my blog in the hopes that they will stay with me.  I am finding it hard to retain things now - my two remaining brain cells often seem to be at full stretch trying to remember my own name... which is... embarrassed pause... sound effect as of two brain cells whirling round a vast empty space, colliding, and producing a thought... look at the heading of this blog... Sue!  Hurray!

Anyway, here is what I hope to retain from the February broadcast:

Deepen my desire to please Jehovah - Hebrews 10:7   In trying to please Jehovah, to obey him, I am not only benefiting myself, but also those around me - first and foremost being Captain Butterfly, who I love very much.  Jehovah is the Source of love and wisdom, so all his laws are for our good.

Devote myself to a study of God's word - Joshua 1:8  Get back to personal Bible reading which has been neglected over the last few days. I am in 1 Samuel at the moment, and it is amazing to me how much I now understand it, can put it in context, and learn from it.  But I also realise that when I next get round to it, I will have learnt even more.  So keep on...

Never take the privilege of prayer for granted.  The speaker made the point that we have constant access to Jehovah, to the Almighty God himself. We can talk to him - come before him - at any time.  Maybe even the angels do not have such a privilege.  We must never ever take it for granted.

Every day that people do not know Jehovah hurts them.  What can I say?  I spent the first 38 years of my life not knowing Jehovah and only wish I had searched for my Creator much sooner than I did.  The creation was always there to tell me. And I had always wondered about what the New Zealand author Janet Frame called "the sadness that belongs to the world".  To understand what had happened to cause that sadness, I needed to read and understand the Bible.

By the way, I hope my recent blogs haven't been as gloomy as some of my recent emails have apparently been.   There is so much to hope for - there is more joy ahead of us, right here on the earth, than we can now imagine.  I look at those tulips and think that one day, through the undeserved kindness of the ransom sacrifice, I could be every bit as lovely and graceful as they are.

And yes, that will be a miracle.  Of course.

Another "Last"

 Safe in their Alabaster Chambers (124)

By Emily Dickinson

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers -

Untouched by Morning - 

and untouched by noon -

Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection, 

Rafter of Satin and Roof of Stone - 

Grand go the Years, 

In the Crescent above them -

Worlds scoop their Arcs - 

and Firmaments - row -

Diadems - drop -

And Doges surrender -

Soundless as Dots, 

On a Disk of Snow.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45719/safe-in-their-alabaster-chambers-124

As you see, I am having an Emily Dickinson phase at the moment. I came across her poetry in my first year at Uni - many many years ago. And have been a fan ever since.   I can't read this poem without thinking about my parents - and all the others, family and friends - who now sleep the dreamless sleep of death, knowing nothing of the years going by over their heads.

Bea and I talked on the phone on Thursday - and inevitably we mentioned some of those we had lost - so much family, so many friends. Then there is our health. Oh dear!  But we also cheered each other up and made each other laugh, which hopefully helps.  Bea had noted from my last email to her that I was rather down - which was very perceptive, as on the face of it it was an ordinary email.  

Other than that I made the now customary crumble and did the washing.  Plus some of the lights went out, so I had to find the key for the hall cupboard to get into the fusebox.  And I finished my study for the meeting tonight.  To which I went in pixel form as I was shaking with the pain by then - and very cold. I got into my big Broomhill Charity Shop woolly and  Col made me a hot water bottle.

And I did manage to sleep, which helped a lot.  On Friday we had a Zoom session with Julia, an old friend from our years on Planet Expat. She has been retired 10 years now - us even longer. We both agreed that we are loving retirement despite the health problems and are grateful to be here still.

But I think I may have had yet another"last" in that on Saturday Col and I were supposed to go to the annual Biological Recorders Conference, which is something we always enjoy. But I was in such pain that he had to go on his own.  So I guess last year's conference was my last - this side of Armageddon anyway.

And while he was away three of my congregation siblings called in with a bunch of tulips, and cheered me up. I had sent an email that alerted one of them that I was very depressed.  I didn't realise how gloomy I must have been sounding in my recent emails, but was very grateful for the company which was so positive and upbuilding and took my mind off the pain.

Anyway, I did manage to get a few hours sleep last night and, while I started today off creaking along on my zimmer, I can now manage without it.  I feel exhausted, like I have been through a long illness, but the awful pain has gone.  And we had a lovely meeting at the Kingdom Hall this morning - which hopefully comforted all of us - earthwide. I was there only in pixel form of course, but how grateful I am for the Zoom provision.