The snow that seemed so unconquerable a week ago has slipped away in the mild rain that has fallen yesterday. Nothing can resist the onslaught of a determined foe and the ice yields reluctantly to water for now leaving behind a brown, flattened landscape that is uninspiring. Christmas has now come and gone and though enjoyable as ever the anti-climax is palpable. In our hearts and minds we build it much bigger than we can ever achieve. It must be a remnant of childhood memories that plays a recurring theme through the rest of our lives. A time of warmth, love and safety with all those that have now left us. It is if you will; a reflection of our innocence when Christmas was a time of magic and life was evolving at a much slower and less cynical pace.
For now the time of year is for some sad reflections and perhaps recriminations. Nothing ever quite works out the way we want and yet the heart wells ever optimistic for a new year. If I have learnt one thing it is that there is no perfect life for us as we grow older. It doesn’t get any easier and things change because they must and that change will out, no matter the resistance to it. So my resolution for the New Year then is to begin to not keep putting off till tomorrow what can be achieved by me today, to be a little healthier and fairer and to finish my book by this time next year. I’m getting going now because I finally worked out how to do it the way I want. But it only took 50 years!
I plan to have a quiet time but whatever you plan to do tonight have a wonderful new Years Eve and opening to the year ahead.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
17th Dec 2010
Snow’s back for the weekend. Very heavy snow showers Sunday although I have to say it keeps changing every time I look. In fact it snowed yesterday and when I took the dog for a walk it was good to see where I was going for a change. The moon is now 82% full with a full moon in 3 days time so it looks evening walks will be bright this weekend. I just put a moon phase on here...cool!
One more week to go till 10 days rest...can’t wait. I bought myself a first edition Elizabeth David for Christmas. It’s her first book ‘A book of Mediterranean food’ and really it is quite accurate to say it was the beginning of the food writing genre in Britain where novel and recipes merged into a wonderful storybook. Must have been something else in the 1950’s when it came out and gave the UK its first glimpse at the wonders of olive oil and other Mediterranean ingredients. If you look it up you’ll see her first editions go for some sums but this one wont...as it is a bit tatty. But hey it’s mine.
Snow’s back for the weekend. Very heavy snow showers Sunday although I have to say it keeps changing every time I look. In fact it snowed yesterday and when I took the dog for a walk it was good to see where I was going for a change. The moon is now 82% full with a full moon in 3 days time so it looks evening walks will be bright this weekend. I just put a moon phase on here...cool!
One more week to go till 10 days rest...can’t wait. I bought myself a first edition Elizabeth David for Christmas. It’s her first book ‘A book of Mediterranean food’ and really it is quite accurate to say it was the beginning of the food writing genre in Britain where novel and recipes merged into a wonderful storybook. Must have been something else in the 1950’s when it came out and gave the UK its first glimpse at the wonders of olive oil and other Mediterranean ingredients. If you look it up you’ll see her first editions go for some sums but this one wont...as it is a bit tatty. But hey it’s mine.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
I know this is a bit cheesy but it makes you think....
We never get what we want,
We never want what we get,
We never have what we like,
We never like what we have.
And still we live & love.
That's life...
The best kind of friends,
Is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with,
Never say a word,
And then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
It's true that we don't know
What we've got until it's gone,
But it's also true that we don't know
What we've been missing until it arrives.
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back!
Don't expect love in return;
Just wait for it to grow in their heart,
But if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.
It takes only a minute to develop a crush on someone,
An hour to like someone,
And a day to love someone,
But it takes a lifetime to forget someone..
Don't go for looks; they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile,
Because it takes only a smile to
Make a dark day seems bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile!
May you have
Enough happiness to make you sweet,
Enough trials to make you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human,
And enough hope to make you happy.
Always put yourself in others' shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
It probably hurts the other person, too.
The happiest of people
Don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Happiness lies for
Those who cry,
Those who hurt,
Those who have searched,
And those who have tried,
For only they can appreciate the importance of people
Who have touched their lives.
When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so that when you die,
You're the one who is smiling
And everyone around you is crying.
To those people who mean something to you,
To those who have touched your life in one way or another,
To those who make you smile when you really need it,
To those that make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down,
To those who you want to know
That you appreciate their friendship.
We never get what we want,
We never want what we get,
We never have what we like,
We never like what we have.
And still we live & love.
That's life...
The best kind of friends,
Is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with,
Never say a word,
And then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
It's true that we don't know
What we've got until it's gone,
But it's also true that we don't know
What we've been missing until it arrives.
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back!
Don't expect love in return;
Just wait for it to grow in their heart,
But if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.
It takes only a minute to develop a crush on someone,
An hour to like someone,
And a day to love someone,
But it takes a lifetime to forget someone..
Don't go for looks; they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile,
Because it takes only a smile to
Make a dark day seems bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile!
May you have
Enough happiness to make you sweet,
Enough trials to make you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human,
And enough hope to make you happy.
Always put yourself in others' shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
It probably hurts the other person, too.
The happiest of people
Don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Happiness lies for
Those who cry,
Those who hurt,
Those who have searched,
And those who have tried,
For only they can appreciate the importance of people
Who have touched their lives.
When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so that when you die,
You're the one who is smiling
And everyone around you is crying.
To those people who mean something to you,
To those who have touched your life in one way or another,
To those who make you smile when you really need it,
To those that make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down,
To those who you want to know
That you appreciate their friendship.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
11th Dec 2010
It has been a much earlier winter than normal here…much colder and snowier than normal. It has made a nice change but now my feet are complaining. Good old Britain an inch of snow and chaos reigns. Luckily it is forecast to get a little warmer this weekend which it has.
Christmas is coming fast now...just a few more weeks to go. Can’t wait to have some extended time off work. I used all my holidays up too early this year so haven’t had any time off since September. Nothing special planned for the holidays but it’ll be nice to do nothing (as always!)
There was a chill in the air when the travelers set of from Glovemere. The ride to the hinterland of Rhosar would take three days through the misty vale of Sarpel. Ibbero counseled that it would be best to travel lightly and in secret. The roads were safe for now, but it could not be clear if they were being watched. Rumours of ill creatures, which roamed abroad in the night, had reached the court over the last few months and had caused unease.
Asthralain as befits a queen was at the head of the company mounted on her horse Sunswift and was robed simply in a plain grey traveller’s cloak. But this was no longer a defenceless queen. She held her face towards the east and in her left hand Hammaclas the staff of stewardship supported her will. To those that could see a faint light emanated from the tip as her will flowed through the wood and leached away into the earth. The company moved off and the bright glint of Glowersmair (sword of songs) was briefly seen under Asthralain’s robes. Ibbero had indeed taught her well
It has been a much earlier winter than normal here…much colder and snowier than normal. It has made a nice change but now my feet are complaining. Good old Britain an inch of snow and chaos reigns. Luckily it is forecast to get a little warmer this weekend which it has.
Christmas is coming fast now...just a few more weeks to go. Can’t wait to have some extended time off work. I used all my holidays up too early this year so haven’t had any time off since September. Nothing special planned for the holidays but it’ll be nice to do nothing (as always!)
There was a chill in the air when the travelers set of from Glovemere. The ride to the hinterland of Rhosar would take three days through the misty vale of Sarpel. Ibbero counseled that it would be best to travel lightly and in secret. The roads were safe for now, but it could not be clear if they were being watched. Rumours of ill creatures, which roamed abroad in the night, had reached the court over the last few months and had caused unease.
Asthralain as befits a queen was at the head of the company mounted on her horse Sunswift and was robed simply in a plain grey traveller’s cloak. But this was no longer a defenceless queen. She held her face towards the east and in her left hand Hammaclas the staff of stewardship supported her will. To those that could see a faint light emanated from the tip as her will flowed through the wood and leached away into the earth. The company moved off and the bright glint of Glowersmair (sword of songs) was briefly seen under Asthralain’s robes. Ibbero had indeed taught her well
