tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228483282024-03-06T22:18:54.216-08:00Still Stumbling and Bumbling Along Rambles from an old dear who has lived with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) for longer than I care to remember but who lives well with it . Counting blessings each step of the way Eionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908329754223214569noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-68335600608447532072021-03-21T12:27:00.010-07:002022-10-15T13:30:14.476-07:00St. Zoom- land<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A parody loosely based on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pam Ayres’ ‘Nowadays we worship at St. Tescos’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwV7bxIHrFZP_sWxFfn0wrOTq9K82oBx28LZa-svijAWbPUlOXP23LKldSAoQiT36Z9qBrUrr2O1LX9-cQKjUtn5Dp6j7dd_UYw2o66f9WY_jE9wcxZgDn2UKfs8yXzOY23wOtA/s1267/IMG_3704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1267" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwV7bxIHrFZP_sWxFfn0wrOTq9K82oBx28LZa-svijAWbPUlOXP23LKldSAoQiT36Z9qBrUrr2O1LX9-cQKjUtn5Dp6j7dd_UYw2o66f9WY_jE9wcxZgDn2UKfs8yXzOY23wOtA/w400-h223/IMG_3704.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nowadays we worship at St Zoom – land,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At first the members felt quite shocked.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But then St. Zoom’s doors are always open,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Whereas Penuel’s are very sadly locked. 😕<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We already know the congregation,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And the Pastor we feel
is very brave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It hasn’t got a Sêt Fawr nor a pulpit,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But it has got several windows….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">AND we can wave …………..! 👋👋👋👋<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I’m so glad to be at St. Zoom – land,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I’m so happy to be sitting in my chair.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Whilst the Pastor was always stood up so straightly,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">He now sits upright in his desk chair.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">His uniform is far from dreary,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">He often sits there in his shorts, 😱 😳<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Harmonious tunes come down through You Tube.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Although the ads can make things fraught.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I often dream that I’m sat in Penuel,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In that lovely wooden polished pew,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I can still smell the hand sanitiser,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As I’m sure you can …… well
can you ? 🧐<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today, no lights twinkle in Penuel’s window,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yet business is booming at St. Zoom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It’s getting such a throng on Sunday mornings<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That we wonder if we’ve got enough room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yet the day will surely come at Penuel,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you believe in the Almighty’s plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That one day we shall return to Penuel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For now, it’s Thank God for St. Zoom. Amen 🙏 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: helvetica;">“Anyone who thinks sitting in Church can make you a
Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car –
Garrison Keillor”<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></o:p></p>EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-90920173920590831612019-10-27T10:14:00.003-07:002022-10-15T13:28:15.729-07:00Duw. Cariad yw.<br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="color: red;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 16.5pt;">Three simple words trs. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A7-21&version=RSV" target="_blank">God is Love</a> .</span></span><span style="font-size: 16.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I spotted this in the vestry of Penuel
Chapel, made by the children there in Clwb y Plant.</span></span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 16.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">It reminded me of the mini -</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #454545;"> </span></span><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">me , aged only three
being pushed up by mam into the Sêt Fawr with the bigger children, (bigger in
size I mean, unlike the little dwt that I always was) ......to say my Verse
out </span></span><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">loud . </span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">But the thing was, I knew no
verse so heard mam whisper, and watched intently as she mimed it out to me from the congregation. ......
along with many other miming mams . In fact the cacophony </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #454545;"> </span></span><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">of whispering and miming mams made
for a terrifying sight and sound to mini-me, aged only three .....</span></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #454545;">Anyhow, I said it. Job
done.... by mini-me, aged only three </span></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #454545;">Job done? Oh no, it was the
beginning of a great love affair, although the term ‘love affair’ could in this
day and age be </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #454545;">misconstrued. Like most
lovers we had many tiffs and quarrels all along the way, but one
thing I was always certain of is that I’d be forgiven because don’t Love and
Forgiveness go hand in hand? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><span class="s1">Although I’d better add that it’s not a Carte
Blanche to go and Sin for the Sake of it ! ....</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-67814439657002948522019-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:002019-10-25T11:34:10.350-07:00A bird's eye view<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sat watching this buzzard, albeit a captive one,
soaring on the thermals the other day at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.britishbirdofpreycentre.co.uk/" target="_blank">The British Birds of Prey Centre <o:p></o:p></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and was reminded of the following lines from the book <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jonathan-Livingston-Seagull-Richard-Bach/dp/0006490344/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/262-7684473-8335002?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0006490344&pd_rd_r=dfae4739-eca6-4c01-85fc-1d263e7d49a3&pd_rd_w=Z6sLz&pd_rd_wg=pAk0z&pf_rd_p=cc188cba-1892-42b3-956f-6c67d0ab7a00&pf_rd_r=7VS0CQ97ZDZE8Y2AHJ1V&psc=1&refRID=7VS0CQ97ZDZE8Y2AHJ1V" target="_blank">Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The trick was for Jonathan to stop seeing himself inside a
limited body that had a 42” wingspan and performance which can be plotted on a
chart….</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The trick was to know that his true nature lived as perfect
as an unwritten number, everywhere at once, across space and time.”</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">….” Your whole body from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more
than your thought itself in a form you see…..break the chains of your thought
and you will break the chains of your body too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got to thinking, if
there was just the one person with MS ( Multiple Sclerosis) that I could help
change the mindset of into one like this ( which is how I see things myself )
then I’d be one happy bunny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The only disability in life is a bad attitude ~ Anon <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-67870839511279814682019-10-24T13:59:00.000-07:002019-10-25T01:44:03.048-07:00The Polyglot<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(an excerpt from my book, Stumbling Along - a Journey with the Master of Surprises (c) 2006)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wasn’t ‘dropsy’ a name for TB or consumption in the last
century?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One particular week in the
autumn of 2004 saw me declaring it a new name for an all too common MS symptom,
so I entered it into the “E.R. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Domestic
Dictionary for PwMS” (People with MS)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’m not quite decided as to just how much of my cognition
problems are down to age, my MS or just purely being dumb.🙄 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, Steffan had a girlfriend once
who became almost a permanent fixture in our house but d’you think I could ever
remember her name?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is more, to make
matters even more embarrassing, I’m talking of a long-term relationship here,
not a casual two-minute fling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended
up calling her “wotsherface” every time I mentioned her - in her absence I
hasten to add.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good way of
alienating your son, I can assure you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have my own vocabulary these days which only Huw
understands; it consists not just of verbal utterances but also of much
gesticulating, muttering and pacing up and down, waving my arms in Manuel of
Fawlty Towers mode.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most catholic of entries in the "ER Domestic
Dictionary for PwMS’"is ‘thingy’.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I find
myself losing a word in mid-sentence and ‘thingy’ is one which is used quite
extensively and is usually accompanied by a finger or nodding head even,
pointing in the direction of wherever the object is.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s also one which slithers off the tongue quite
comfortably, unlike words containing the letter “R”. I worked in the Land Registry for seven years
where we dealt with work in Shropshire.
It’s a standing joke that I can’t roll my rrrrrr’s in true Welsh
Tradition, but stick an ess-aitch (sh) in front of an “arrr” and my soft palate
becomes Loctited™ to my hard palate. Phoning Local Authorities proved to be ‘interesting’…. 🤦♀️<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This reminds me of the following joke…</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“Doctor, Doctor, I can’t pronounce my F’s, T’s and H’s.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">“Well you can’t say, Fairer Than That, Then.”</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So this is what caused me to enter ‘dropsy’ into the “ER,
Domestic Dictionary for PwMS”………………<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The whole of family life revolves around the kitchen in many
homes, but ours is too small in which to sit around the table, so it’s not
exactly the hub of the universe
here. Despite this, it’s a source of
many a tale of despair and laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve always loved cooking and eating (just call me Nigella,
but never call me Delia) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, culinary activities are getting more and more
tricky as the journey continues due to hands which are as rebellious as a
testosterone-riddled teenager; they simply refuse to listen when I tell them to
do something. I’m sure that many a mum
and MSer reading this are now nodding their heads in agreement like the nodding
dog in a certain car insurance advert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Picture an all too familiar scene; you’ve grabbed hold of a
pan full of hot food straight off the cooker and when you try to put it down you find
your hand still wrapped around it and you can’t let go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So you’re screeching for your ever-patient husband, who is
usually out of hearing distance, or in our case, he’s totally engrossed in the
footie on telly, to come and slide the handle gently out of your hand - heaven forbid that he may try to straighten your hand because it jolly well
HURTS! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The opposite to that scenario is when you just drop
everything you try to grasp and even worse again are moments when you could
swear that something has jumped off the surface without you ever getting as far
as touching it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can remember one particular revolt on the part of my hands
quite clearly; I can close my eyes and see the picture unfold as if in slow
motion. There it was, a shallow glass dish
which has a plastic lid which you can put in the freezer,
microwave, dishwasher etc. In fact, you
can put it anywhere except in your rebellious and revolting hands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One minute I was looking at it, the next minute there it was
– smashed into smithereens on the floor!
At times like these I’ve never been too sure whether to ring
Poltergeists Anonymous or Ghostbusters because I swear this must be a
paranormal experience of the MS kind, though I doubt whether incidents like
this have ever been documented. After all these years I no longer shout
“Hu-uw!” I shout “Broken glass alert!!!!!
Shut the dog in the lounge!! Kick
the cats out!! Glass - broken!! Smashed Glass!!! Glass everywhere!!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Would you think that anyone who does not have MS would
suspect I have a histrionic personality ?
Because when I realised I couldn’t be heard, the profanities started to
emanate from my ever-so-tender, gentle and delicate female lips. 👼<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was swearing so much that I wasn’t concerned about the
whole of the street hearing but I was living in fear of the late Mary
Whitehouse appearing and declaring me to be unfit to be a minister’s wife let
alone teacher of Sunday School children as was one of my many pleasurable duties at that
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">H: (finally) “I heard.
Stop shouting. Right – you get
out of the way and I’ll clean it up. I
can see better than you can and when you cut yourself you always almost bleed to
death.” It’s true - I could write a tale
or twenty about ‘bleeding’ experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two evenings later Huw was in a rush to get out to a meeting
so he dished up his food whilst I was doing something else. I told him not to worry about mine because I
could dish it up myself. Could I? Pffff!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I put my rice on my plate and how this happened I really
don’t know, but the serving spoon jumped clean out of the saucepan along with
half its contents. There was Prawnthingumywotsit everywhere; on the floor, all over myself, all
over the kitchen, in fact the whole kitchen looked redder than my face. It was fortunate that Dog was in the other
room or he would have ended up looking like a bloodied bandage!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I don’t have a stock phrase for such an event so it a was
zillion decibel-ed, “Aaarrgghhhhh!” (Not bad, I thought, considering I’d lost
my voice because of a cold.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">H: Came running,
“Do you have to screech?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">E: Croaking ….. “I’m only doing a bit of self-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> expression.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">H: “Well you
should have given up self-expression<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> at your
age. You should have got it all out of<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> your system
years ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">E: ???????????????????? (speechless for once)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Needless to say, Huw cleaned up after me once again and was
late for his meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Eionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908329754223214569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-36909504525718810542019-10-18T09:15:00.001-07:002021-03-22T08:11:07.989-07:00The Gift of Friendship<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A little ditty that I came up with a few years ago ...</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Precious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gift of friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delicate
and fragile;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
porcelain figure<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Precariously held in my hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Timeless!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gift
of friendship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gracious
and God-given;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cloud’s
silver lining<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
twinkle in my eye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAETcBSBHp8EfzfhXygF6hxRE1eFhl1TKwnNIEIJY8oI9uPPpsEiIy84nMamAjj0UDFs-9SDWptv53yxhr4C-g7IfQR-cJw9SBhBJC02vawD-dpehcMu2qXzXcgj7l1eJlLR1Pfg/s1600/For+Blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAETcBSBHp8EfzfhXygF6hxRE1eFhl1TKwnNIEIJY8oI9uPPpsEiIy84nMamAjj0UDFs-9SDWptv53yxhr4C-g7IfQR-cJw9SBhBJC02vawD-dpehcMu2qXzXcgj7l1eJlLR1Pfg/s320/For+Blog+2.jpg" width="199" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Treasured!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gift
of friendship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Diamond-studded,
glittering;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
brooch on my lapel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> And the
heart on my sleeve.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires
the flowers in your garden</i>😎 <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span>EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-46145269454885329742019-10-15T04:12:00.001-07:002021-07-31T01:58:29.621-07:00Home Comforts<br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When you’re practically living out of a suitcase or
overnight bag, the simple things such as having your own cuppa sat by your own
desk have a certain appeal......<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEnAEE0VZ27UEJkixhwqwq7wS16aB6kFVGMILAo3Krm5FJQswZ39XM3Tf102kBZU6Qa76VCsFOeTyiOu8VVpdS8SnY4E2kBFmNJkLXIUQIx3_FDFqlRWs2P6HR3aaSbSyGS14DQ/s1600/48890407546_6717376b07_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEnAEE0VZ27UEJkixhwqwq7wS16aB6kFVGMILAo3Krm5FJQswZ39XM3Tf102kBZU6Qa76VCsFOeTyiOu8VVpdS8SnY4E2kBFmNJkLXIUQIx3_FDFqlRWs2P6HR3aaSbSyGS14DQ/s320/48890407546_6717376b07_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Even better is the joy of sleeping in your own
bed but before that, relaxing in it and drifting off listening to <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.classicfm.com/radio/" target="_blank">Classic FM Radio </a>.</span></span></o:p></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I usually listen to it via my Roberts Radio next to my desk
but seen here on a casual table shortly after I opened it – a welcome birthday
present from Huw a few years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">However our home has recently been infiltrated by a virtual Amazonian goddess known as </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Alexa" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ALEXA</span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">‘It’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>( for I refuse to sex it being an inanimate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>object ) is only as good as your Wi Fi
coverage.</span></div></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So to bed ........and breathe...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">accompanied by the soothing sounds of “it” playing Taverner's
Lamb..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">“</span><span style="background: white;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="color: #990000;">Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. ...”</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<b><span style="color: red;"></span></b>EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-84389053033472759992019-10-06T10:30:00.001-07:002022-04-03T16:00:51.005-07:00For as ye sow, shall ye reap<br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000;">Subtitled: the Worm that Turned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">The worm in question is this boi bach.....</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m5aFZB76HFXPUDm9g2gbDbr8uAIxKepERTugWSoMEx0BB0Hhum9v3KXe9jv_fgtEGRpWHfQaiZm9S3tJt5gguMWF_he3XZHRsy3VOb_wy_k5s0nTQniciJTM8GAUc4b1d2W5Sw/s1600/48848951096_a25c860d37_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m5aFZB76HFXPUDm9g2gbDbr8uAIxKepERTugWSoMEx0BB0Hhum9v3KXe9jv_fgtEGRpWHfQaiZm9S3tJt5gguMWF_he3XZHRsy3VOb_wy_k5s0nTQniciJTM8GAUc4b1d2W5Sw/s400/48848951096_a25c860d37_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He was nicknamed that by Huw, not only because he was
constantly on the move as a toddler and still is, I might add, but he wriggled
and wriggled and jiggled inside me for 6 ½ months...... plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">None of this “Oohh, ouch I felt my baby kick” that I’d hear friends
groan and grumble about, but relentlessly, wiggling and jiggling inside my ever
increasing tummy. A joyful feeling albeit slightly worrying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Worm will turn 35
tomorrow, or you could say today seeing as it’s Harvest Sunday ( well not quite
because this year the elders changed the
date of Cwrdd Diolchgarwch in Penuel)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All said and done, the first Sunday in October will always
be the day I say Thank You to the Almighty for the gift of life He bestowed on
us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">‘Course there has been the odd occasion when I haven’t
attended a Harvest Service due to illness, often named Sabbath-itis by my very
lovely dad in law (R.G. as he was known in ministerial circles, but Dick 😳 by my mum in law .) I never knew whether or not it was a tease by him or
what. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Today, was no exception and off I went to Penuel with rose tinted
spectacled memories of being in the Labour Ward at Morriston Hospital, huffing
and puffing and doing my breathing, or trying to at least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All of a sudden there came a familiar noise from the
corridor. It was The Salvation Army Band booming out “We plough the fields and
scatter the good seed on the land …..” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Fast forward to many long laborious hours later, I found
myself surrounded by medics of all sorts, and as I was being wheeled off for an
emergency C – Section, a nurse shouted over the heads of everyone else, “Mr.
Robertssssss! Your mother is on the phone asking how long you’ll be. Your
dinner is in the oven!” To which my usually patient and polite Huw irreverently
snapped back, “Tell her that we’ve got an over cooked bun in our oven!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> *cringe..🙈....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Today’s Morning Service was conducted in a more civil and reverend manner
by Y Bugail, HG Roberts but I daren’t ever catch his eye during Holy Communion
because we remember that day..... fondly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Busy counting blessings -----umm, not enough fingers though 😉</i></span></div>
EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-18094952299930313562019-10-03T11:51:00.001-07:002022-04-12T10:25:09.426-07:00In the middle of the maelstrom<br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Today’s Photo a Day for Flickr was this Passion Flower given
a twirl effect on in Photoshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The reason for this is because whilst I was busy doing what
I do online, my thoughts were solely on this old Blog Entry…<span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://stillstumblingalong.blogspot.com/2014/10/after-ball-was-over.html" target="_blank">AFTER THE BALL WAS OVER</a>...</span></span></div>
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Well, it’s not quite over because this fat lady is yet to
sing, but as always we live in hope – the hope that Huw’s 6<sup>th</sup> and
final CT scan would result in an all clear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And so we wait…..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Another month or so ….</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And so.............</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-18063639524039141842019-10-01T08:54:00.001-07:002019-10-01T08:54:21.152-07:00Notes for an Organist<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The background to this is that when Huw was minister of <a href="https://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/skewen5.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Calfaria Chapel Skewen</span></a> one of the Organists there happened to celebrate a significant birthday. We as members were invited to go along to a party in the vestry and asked if we could give a song, present a short piece about her etc. The little ditty that follows was my contribution.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note: I'd add that the reader should imagine this being performed at an accelerando pace; accompanied by steel drums and ending with an abrupt stop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Crotchets, quavers,
semibreves and minims.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Put them all
together in a melting pot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Altos, tenors, basses
and sopranos;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lump them all
together and see what you’ve got.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Choirs of angels,
singing “Glory Hallelujah”,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Congregations giving
all they’ve got.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add some swell and
really hit the big notes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And pray that the
bellows don’t get too hot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And there’s our
Eurfron dancing on the pedals,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Side-step,
quick-step, and then a foxtrot;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Calf muscles bulging,
temples a-throbbing,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is all part of
an organist’s lot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, Eurfron , carry
on playing hymns and arias,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keep them fingers
nimble as can be.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keep them toes
a-tapping on the pedals,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, Eurfron, don’t
ever throw away the key!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-26782007625493237792019-09-27T12:22:00.002-07:002019-10-06T14:10:37.983-07:00Back where we belong<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqKHkyLas3UzRZf0znTjgZ3ftSvKv6f4Znw_HobmBl8LcK-jyD7DbctKadbD6c2GH9IeWQEYX2CqY8kHds3hKKYxcS9AV9RRnpl87pUuiir96MPsVeFid76XvwJwfZDjDj6I4hg/s1600/48776269303_8a1590da9d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqKHkyLas3UzRZf0znTjgZ3ftSvKv6f4Znw_HobmBl8LcK-jyD7DbctKadbD6c2GH9IeWQEYX2CqY8kHds3hKKYxcS9AV9RRnpl87pUuiir96MPsVeFid76XvwJwfZDjDj6I4hg/s320/48776269303_8a1590da9d_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I posted this photo on Flickr the other day <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with the same title with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no other meaning than here we both were
together in the great outdoors, in the fresh air, listening to the curlews<span style="background: white; color: #545454;"> courlee-ing, </span>the staccato’d
tuck-tuck-tuck of the turnstones in flight, notwithstanding the grating
squawk-squawk- squawking of the black headed gulls…… after a short break in
London, the City that never sleeps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then I started pondering where we really belong and a vision
of Huw on the day he was inducted into the ministry at Penuel, Capel y
Bedyddwyr, Casllwchwr sprang to mind....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Following on from that, last evening I attended the two-weekly
meet of the Penuel Ladies Sisterhood and was captivated for a full hour by the
actress and storyteller<u> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyy0_7t25R4" target="_blank">Debra John</a></span></u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyy0_7t25R4" target="_blank"> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then to cap it all a programme on TV with the ornithologist
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolo_Williams" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Iolo Williams</span><o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolo_Williams" target="_blank">
</a></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and a chance encounter with him....😍</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back where we belong.....</span></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-17363032227748384992019-09-22T08:17:00.001-07:002019-09-22T11:31:55.497-07:00A LESSON LEARNED FROM A SPIDER<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(An adaptation by me of something I once read in an email subscription )</span></h4>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I can't pretend to be too fond of spiders, especially those large ones that creep into our homes at this time of year, especially given that I inadvertently trod on one in bare feet on my way to bed last night and squished it . Eeeeeew! 🤢 but I do believe in the sanctity of life which posed a bit of a dilemma..... and a matter of double standards being </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">a <span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">pescatarian with the odd bit of meat thrown in</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "roboto" , "helveticaneue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"> 🤔</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I digress.........</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we bought a new car a few summers ago, we found that a
tiny spider had made a home somewhere inside the ‘doings’ of the driver’s wing
mirror. Each day,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Huw would meticulously clean the cobwebs off but the next morning and each
morning after that, they would be back there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That year we toured the winding uppy/ downy lanes of Dorset in the car for a whole week and
the spider travelled with us, with Huw having to clean away a newly crafted web
each morning. In one way, it was a shame to destroy such a work of art or a
work of nature, but it made driving unsafe without the full clarity of the
mirror. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He......assuming the spider was an ‘Arthur’’ not a ‘Martha’
remained inside it. That is, until one very windy day, we were travelling full
pelt along the M4 when Huw, noticed the spider being flung
off into oblivion - or so it seemed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We suspected that the wind had taken him. Ah! but not so, for
the following day we discovered that he’d managed to hang on by the most
delicate of threads, and had created another new silvery web overnight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With hindsight, I suppose that puff of wind, which had
seemingly blown him away, was a trial or challenge for the spider- and yet some
kind of unseen windshield, as well as that delicate, almost unseen thread must
have protected him.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We all get our emotional storms, winds, trials in our lives
but likewise we also have our windshields. That may be our friends and loved
ones, but most of all, as long as we wear the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-20&version=KJV" target="_blank"><b>cloak or armour of God </b></a></span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we hold on to this thought, we are
secure. Should a puff of wind in the form of some kind of crisis come along and
catch us unawares, whisking us off course for a while, we could be left
floundering in hitherto uncharted waters. Yet if we hold on to, or allow
ourselves to be held in the palms of God’s tender hands, we can face any trial
hurtling our way no matter how big or small it may be.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*sings, "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed...".... ac yn y blaen..</span></o:p></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-78693609050772873682019-09-18T08:22:00.001-07:002019-09-21T16:08:16.587-07:00Lle i enaid gael llonydd ?<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Roughly trans: a place for the soul to find peace</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Picture this: it’s a scene from Cardiff Bay. With Cardiff
being the Capital City of Wales, you’d imagine it’s a hustle-bustle/skittle-scuttle-scramble
kind of place, and it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It had also been that kind of a day, a very full day
arriving lunchtime to meet with a friend, who allowed me to stroll at a
leisurely pace in the warmth of the early autumn sunshine. A blissful and
peaceful encounter. Happy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the day progressed however, I found myself amidst the
throngs of people at an hotel where I’d booked in for the night. Chitter- chatter, chitter – chatter. Idle
chatter……. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After making my (polite, never rude) excuses, I scooted off
to be alone with my thoughts. Just as I do. Often. Too often? I think not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Much as I love life and fully embrace it despite its
<a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/what-is-ms" target="_blank">many limitations</a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify;">, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I like my ‘quiet place’.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I found myself sat here on old Doris’s Bike, my blue ability
scooter which with the Brexit palaver may get renamed …. at
peace in the City. How odd you may think, especially when you could start wondering
why that yacht is sailing around in circles ………………</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsYXosbzNIxlZaKwykjfFLrEm2OvsJcvxttEcReSlCfXrN0i-j7JXpQYsbXaZov3hCC55bxjXpBljzT4p_oqSHjwZog3AwZcLd0v9XxBMT_DieIBCBY1kICdW1XIBuazoFfewbw/s1600/Sailing+into+the+sunset+F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsYXosbzNIxlZaKwykjfFLrEm2OvsJcvxttEcReSlCfXrN0i-j7JXpQYsbXaZov3hCC55bxjXpBljzT4p_oqSHjwZog3AwZcLd0v9XxBMT_DieIBCBY1kICdW1XIBuazoFfewbw/s400/Sailing+into+the+sunset+F.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh no, not odd at all when that <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A11-13&version=NKJV" target="_blank"> still small voice</a> speaks to
you in the midst of it</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> all</span>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You listen. You <i>ALWAYS</i> get your answer. Simples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Peace in the City…Lle i enaid gael llonydd.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-82161137242970870882019-09-14T10:51:00.000-07:002019-09-15T15:31:49.760-07:00Who is Derek ?<br />
An excerpt from my book ‘Stumbling Along - Journey with the Master of Surprises ‘<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;">"Ah,
the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the MSer”</span></span></i></h2>
<div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/signs-and-symptoms/fatigue/about-fatigue" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></span></i></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/signs-and-symptoms/fatigue/about-fatigue" target="_blank">MS Fatigue</a> is something I don’t think I’ll ever get a grip on and it seems to get
worse as I get older. You can take your Amantadine,
your Modafinil [EDIT: no longer on the prescribing list, I believe ? ] your amphetamine
sulphate even, but in my case, these make me twitchy and edgy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">‘Twitchy
and edgy’ is what this old dear does very well without the added power of drugs. These days I take power-naps frequently
during the day when I’m home. I read something about power-napping in the press
recently and it seems it’s beneficial to
many people . </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">However, there was a time
when our Steff was younger, I used to take myself off to my sanctuary, my haven
of peace and tranquillity which is my bedroom in the afternoons in order to
gather some strength for the coming evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One
day, a ten-year-old Steffan came home from school at <st1:time hour="15" minute="30" w:st="on">3.30pm</st1:time> and I was dead to the world on the bed,
not in it. I have to rely on him for the
rest of the story… apparently, he knocked on the bedroom door and walked in (I
have no recollection whatsoever of this) and I sat bolt upright and demanded
"Where's Derek?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It
seems that I frightened the living daylights out of him because my eyes were on
stalks but then I flopped back on the bed and he slunk out quietly and waited
until I woke up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
I eventually came to, he asked me if I had been dreaming. I really didn’t know because it was such a
deep slumber and I have no recollection of this whatsoever. Oh, for total recall, eh? He may have been winding me up but the look
on his face later told me the reality of the situation. I can’t begin to perceive how he must have
felt to see his mum like that. It’s
something which I can hardly bear think about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I'm
still getting teased about it and we still don't know anyone named Derek. Thank goodness Huw knows that I don't have the
energy or the inclination to fool around; I could have lost myself a good
husband there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
also decided right there and then on that day that going to bed for a few hours
was just not on - for me at least as I actually feel worse for it. Daytime power naps - yes. Taking myself off to
bed – no way José!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Eleven
years [Edit : 24 years] after the event I still ask myself.....</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>“Just WHO is
Derek?”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-52679244128387057072019-09-07T12:16:00.001-07:002019-09-14T13:10:35.564-07:00I love the Moon, the Moon loves me....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Speak roughly to your little boy</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and beat him when he sneezes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">he only does it to annoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">because he knows it teases!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s nothing I can emphasise more than to urge caution with
your words to children. Take for example my very lovely and caring mam….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was always a poor sleeper as a child and if there was a
big bright moon shining into my bedroom window, it would keep me awake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why? You might ask. Was it too bright? Sadly no. As I’ve said,
I was a poor sleeper- that’s all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However she’d scare me witless with desperate threats of, “If you don’t
go to sleep, then Mr. Moon will come and get you!” meaning well of course as mams did.... back in the 1950s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I grew old enough to read, I read countless books about The
Moon and Planets , immersing myself in reading about Space. I was especially </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> engrossed when I was allowed to stay up late to watch on TV </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20th 1969. </span></a><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 27pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cathartic? You betcha!
And the reason why I’m so besotted with taking photos of it. Simples ! as long
as you understand the principles of<span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis" target="_blank">Catharsis</a>. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 27pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-49237618849849192092019-07-30T04:26:00.003-07:002021-07-30T07:06:39.441-07:00In Sickness and in health<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">( an excerpt from my book Stumbling Along – A Journey with
the Master of Surprises © 2006)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></u>
<u style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">THE JOURNEY BEGINS</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">The Road
goes ever on and on<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">Down from
the door where it began.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">Now far
ahead the Road has gone,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I must follow,
if I can,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">Pursuing
it with eager feet,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until it joins some larger way<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">Where
many paths and errands meet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">And
whither then? I cannot say. </span></span></i><i style="text-align: right;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;">~ JRR
Tolkien</span></span></i><br />
<i style="text-align: right;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The journey with the Master of Surprises begins on <st1:date day="30" month="7" w:st="on" year="1977">July 30th 1977</st1:date>, though I
suspect that he’d been my travelling companion for many years prior to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The year 1977 can be remembered for many things:
the Silver Jubilee of the Queen (Her Majesty); the sudden and untimely passing
of the King (Elvis); but most of all for the joining together in Holy
Matrimony, or Marital Kombat, to use my favourite description, of a very thin,
shy, Eiona ******* <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Huw Roberts, both
of Morriston, Swansea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">My father was a quiet and unassuming man but he had
the most mischievous sense of humour, which on reflection, I believe I must
have inherited from him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His laughter
and the wicked twinkle in his blue eyes were so infectious you’d almost be
creased over if you just happened to catch his eye in particular situations
where silence was required.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We spent many rib-tickling hours together watching
simple things on TV such as Bob Monkhouse’s Mad Movies and all the other black
and white movies which were shown way back in the Sixties. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stan Sennet was a particular favourite of
ours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">On my Wedding Day, I should have expected him to
tease me about something; I innocently presumed it would be during the Wedding
Reception. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was wrong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started before the Wedding Service even
began. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He proudly walked me, his only
daughter, three quarters of the way down that aisle then stopped, turned
around, looked me straight in the eyes and with a twinkly look, said in a voice
loud enough for everyone else to hear, “Chi mo’yn mynd nôl?” which roughly
translates into English, “D’you want to turn back?”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I could hear the “Oohs” and “Aahs” and bating of
big breaths bouncing around the walls and pews of the large non-conformist
chapel; you could have cut the atmosphere with a blunt butter-knife. Out of the
corner of my right eye I caught my mother’s worried eyes which telepathically
queried of me, “What on earth is he up to now?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I just turned him to stone with my left
eye, like you do with your parents when you’re that age, and we proceeded….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc4BmGA7SDkqeaYyatyfRp5ety2q8DJp6gsar3VMuKf9sUXWJrzKlNxOmuamCmrIRaZjWFObsw9fil85UUGJpbdu2TLlK_Ju0TwFhb7Oi0Ttg6JmIE4-VDzZD8We1NjjMK1aHJQ/s1600/9403954186_fce038782d_k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc4BmGA7SDkqeaYyatyfRp5ety2q8DJp6gsar3VMuKf9sUXWJrzKlNxOmuamCmrIRaZjWFObsw9fil85UUGJpbdu2TLlK_Ju0TwFhb7Oi0Ttg6JmIE4-VDzZD8We1NjjMK1aHJQ/s640/9403954186_fce038782d_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Worse
was to come and by that I don’t mean married life or manifestations by the
Master of Surprises; what I’m talking about is that Huw’s Dad was the
officiating minister. Nothing wrong with
that, you may think; he’d been doing this all his life; he would know the
ceremony off by heart - or would he? What
we didn’t realise was that Dad would be more nervous for this particular
wedding. He was so nervous in fact, that
he’d had to write our names down on a piece of paper in case he forgot them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the ceremony, we went out into the vestry to sign the register and to breathe a
few sighs of relief that the worst was over. As I sat and was about to have my photo taken
signing the register, I placed my small posy of flowers on the table and out of
the blue, a big black blob of indelible ink landed on my dress and on my
flowers as the registrar passed me the pen - his fault not mine. I still have my doubts as to whether we were
legally married because we found many mistakes made by the Registrar on that
green piece of paper. We sent it back
once to be rectified but it was returned with two errors still on it. They are still there because the Registrar
died soon after and we haven’t bothered to chase things up. For all I know, that son of ours may well be a
real “barsteward”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
Wedding Reception was in the </span><st1:placename style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Caswell</st1:placename><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><st1:placetype style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> hotel on the </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gower</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Peninsula</st1:placetype></st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">
and it passed in a murky haze of Asti Spumante bubbles and Players Gold Leaf
cigarette smoke. We’d parked our car
behind the hotel the previous evening as we were to drive away on our honeymoon
from there straight after the Reception.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5nGRuudusNQvBMm0_3eTO0AJZdYpt9zcChlsh_ar02_XOPOXAx0XBTWtX-RZluNv4hFfnM3dQi3TtQGmtt3LFShyphenhyphenkm1qQ0e0riI3WqQYog0sLT63D4YjYFmrmvu5s9QlLA7BoQ/s500/vauxhall+1976+magnum+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="500" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5nGRuudusNQvBMm0_3eTO0AJZdYpt9zcChlsh_ar02_XOPOXAx0XBTWtX-RZluNv4hFfnM3dQi3TtQGmtt3LFShyphenhyphenkm1qQ0e0riI3WqQYog0sLT63D4YjYFmrmvu5s9QlLA7BoQ/w400-h215/vauxhall+1976+magnum+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
I say ‘our car’ what I really mean is ‘Huw’s car’, but seeing as by then we
were already locked in Mortal Combat, I’d adopted the ‘what’s his is mine’ way
of logic. We hadn’t been married long
enough for that logic to stretch to ‘what’s mine is his’ and if I really have
to be truthful, twenty-nine years down the line it still hasn’t stretched that
far. I haven’t got past that stage of
the journey. With a bit of luck I never
shall, either.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our
car had been left in a place where it would not be seen or got at to be smeared
in lipstick or have a kipper deposited in the ventilation system. That was the intention anyway, but in the same
way as the road to heaven is paved with good intentions so did our good
intentions lead to hell because as soon as we walked into the Reception Suite,
there it was for all to behold, in full view of the guests and behind the
bride’s table; the shimmering shiny silver metalwork of ‘our’ Vauxhall Viva. Indeed
it was shiny because to keep my mind off things I’d been given the task of
washing and polishing it the previous afternoon. That itself was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience because I haven’t been so neuronless as to accept the offer again.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
left for our honeymoon in a car which was fully decorated with ribbons,
posters, balloons, but luckily no smelly kipper in the ventilation system. We got as far as the </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Mumbles</st1:placename></st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">,
a mile away, to find ourselves stuck in the middle of the annual Mumbles
Carnival procession.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
knew just what it’s like after that situation to be a celeb because dotty old
women and drunken young men kept tapping the car windows asking us if we were
part of the carnival and wishing us good luck for the future. It became quite frightening because the car
was being rocked in the crowd and we were stuck and unable to move for an
hour. When we eventually made it out to
the other side of the village Huw pulled into the nearest petrol station to get
the lipstick cleaned up because it can damage the bodywork - of the car, not
me. With hindsight, I’m lead to suspect
that my bodywork was already being damaged insidiously inside me, so off we
innocently set on our journey together.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhfuhf_-tyUWIVXKVdtKhDI9Yr4fwGcQ7RB30dT_HTw-XnUyf7yd-z1V1vfOnOzXHu_6Wy8Io0L99FIJUu9vMFs7PLZaV05bK_HV9tWI4K4Jknkam6SJOO2rMQUO7MzUGd50Hkw/s281/cartoon-married-couple-in-car-newly-weds-couple-going-in-car-cartoon-vector-illustration-clipart-vector_csp21332357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="281" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhfuhf_-tyUWIVXKVdtKhDI9Yr4fwGcQ7RB30dT_HTw-XnUyf7yd-z1V1vfOnOzXHu_6Wy8Io0L99FIJUu9vMFs7PLZaV05bK_HV9tWI4K4Jknkam6SJOO2rMQUO7MzUGd50Hkw/w400-h362/cartoon-married-couple-in-car-newly-weds-couple-going-in-car-cartoon-vector-illustration-clipart-vector_csp21332357.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I
remember nothing of the first part of the journey because I’d fallen asleep and
was as dead as John Cleese’s parrot until we stopped at the Easton in Gordano
Services on the M5 heading for Cornwall.
The only thing which sticks in my mind was going to the loo in those
services and as I pulled my knickers down, I deposited about a ton of rice on
the floor around me. It was embarrassing
enough for me because the cubicle doors were a good foot above the floor so
everyone must have seen and not just heard it, but even more embarrassing for
Huw was that when he undid his zipper the same happened to him in a communal
urinal!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
here’s a bit of useless information I found on the World Wide Web about the
tradition of throwing rice:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">“The basis for the
predominant theory as to why rice and other grains, such as wheat, have played
a prominent role in marriage ceremonies for centuries, is that they are fraught
with symbolism of fertility and of prosperity. By throwing rice at the bride
and groom at a wedding, guests symbolically wish them a lifetime full of these
blessings.”</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">All
I can say is that fertility and prosperity were not things I was ever blessed
with. I may have been bestowed with all
the female requirements regarding fertility but I think that someone forgot to
chuck the Fison’s Fertiliser my way at the right time because I only managed to
produce the one sprog, and as for prosperity - just how do we measure
that? In monetary terms? If so then I
must have gone to the wrong cash dispenser; if measured in indefinable or
ethereal terms, then I admit to having riches beyond my wildest dreams. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Let
me invite you to our honeymoon…</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Question:
What is a honeymoon salad</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Answer:
Lettuce alone</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN74m3SAxmgW6RQJDIsNYVjEvm0U0OSaMBzBKomOPhAFW_Xe089eTQxArDdwAEW3DAcmdGkAPa1COseIJyU5MW6bKx3ZCEXhmYATK-q8ju3hShQFZI9SQoQDPVX6HQPSoBuj4fg/s612/lettuce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN74m3SAxmgW6RQJDIsNYVjEvm0U0OSaMBzBKomOPhAFW_Xe089eTQxArDdwAEW3DAcmdGkAPa1COseIJyU5MW6bKx3ZCEXhmYATK-q8ju3hShQFZI9SQoQDPVX6HQPSoBuj4fg/s320/lettuce.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Read
on and you’ll understand the relevance of the joke. Huw was entirely in charge of the honeymoon
arrangements. He’d consulted with one of his colleagues in school and she’d
given him an Egon Ronay guide to the worst honeymoon destinations in the
history of history itself.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
was really mind-boggling however, was that he’d booked a village Inn in North
Cornwall without mentioning it to his colleague; when he returned the guide to
her and she asked him if he’d found it useful it emerged that she too had
booked in the very same place for the very same week with her husband and ten
year old son. The obvious disadvantage
was that their room was next door to ours and we had very thin walls.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
made a pact with them: “You keep schtumm and we’ll keep schtumm!”, about the
arrangements, that is – I mean how can you keep quiet on your honeymoon, eh?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Our
little secret had its benefits however because when we arrived there at </span><st1:time hour="10" minute="0" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">10 o’clock</st1:time><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> in the evening we found
stiff celebratory drinks on the bar ready and waiting for us.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hindsight
is wonderful isn’t it? I now know I must
have had MS developing in the quiet, insidiously evil way it does, because I
felt an overwhelming need to sleep every early-evening after a day’s
sightseeing.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We’d
get back to the Inn and I would crash out on the bed to sleep the sleep of the
dead; it was indeed the sleep of the dead because I must surely have gone to
hell on the Monday evening because I was woken very suddenly from my nap by
(imagine Sandie Shaw) </span><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">“I-I-I-I wonder if one
day that you say that you care, If you say you love me madly, I’ll gladly be
there. Like a puppet on a stttrrrrrriiiinnggg!</span></i><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">” </span></i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> It was the local brass band standing right
under our bedroom window where they congregated every Monday night for band
practice.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
only have to hear the opening chord of ‘Puppet on a String’ on the radio or
telly now and we both just look at each other and laugh, myself in particular,
remembering the reverberation of that brass band in my eardrums, right through
to my semi-circular canals and into the now de-myelinated right ventricle of my
brain.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
developed a routine of spending the day sightseeing followed by me napping on
the bed whilst Huw read a book. Just how
many honeymoon couples read a book, huh?
Refreshed from our rest we would join our friends and some of the locals
in the bar for a toasted sarnie or chicken and chips ‘in the basket’. Huw had teasingly ordered soup in the basket
one evening only to be told it wasn’t on the menu that evening but that maybe
it would appear later in the week.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
were totally bemused by the rural routine of that village such as the brass
band; Postman Pat’s Cornish cousin, Postman Pastie, picking up the mail the
same time everyday; the farm tractor going in one direction first thing in the
morning then returning whence it came the same time every evening. But hah! the best was yet to come on the
Thursday evening because I was woken up from my evening nap by a very loud
clanging coming from the church campanologists practising their cadenced
carillons, directly opposite our bedroom.
It is yet another memory which exercises the chuckle muscles.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP6eTFswhxRQRcDgjW2DbJoruD-GxvVh_TkthfSuhpWR5o5n-90mBoQOC0sezyF9LxbuS0QJKNj0FOSP565VP2uvrHznGHjXEu-7bDL9wldvDvklkzVHTyL05ZrSPk9IhF7uA/s819/7E11799E-B1F4-4406-BE9D-8CB551B29341.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="761" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP6eTFswhxRQRcDgjW2DbJoruD-GxvVh_TkthfSuhpWR5o5n-90mBoQOC0sezyF9LxbuS0QJKNj0FOSP565VP2uvrHznGHjXEu-7bDL9wldvDvklkzVHTyL05ZrSPk9IhF7uA/s320/7E11799E-B1F4-4406-BE9D-8CB551B29341.jpeg" width="297" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Within
walking distance of our </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Inn</st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> of the First Happiness
was the Lappa Valley Steam Railway, so like big kids we thought we’d give it a
go. I was only twenty two years young, so I wasn’t far off being a kid anyway.
As the steam train puffed in a forward direction, Thomas the Tank Engine-like,
so did the black smoke travel in the opposite direction depositing soot on all
us passengers in the open carriages.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
stepped off the train looking like speckled hens, so a bath was in order when
we got back to our </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Inn</st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">. Any notions of sex and romance had flown out
the window right at the start because of the circumstances of having a room
next door to a work colleague, so just a plain, straightforward bath would have
sufficed. It wasn’t to be however, as
the bathroom which served all six guestrooms had no running water. It hadn’t all week and as far as I know it
may well remain so today.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ll
say it now and I’ll repeat it over and over so much that you’ll need Remegel®
by the end of the book, that I am not a good sailor. Whether this is MS related or not, no doctor
has ever been able to tell me though one thing stands and that is the fact that
I have vestibular damage; though ‘stands’ is hardly the right word in the
following story.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m
reminded of a particular jaunt during our honeymoon week to the sleepy seaside
village of Padstow, not that you can describe it as ‘sleepy’ since Rick Stein
moved in; it’s now a positive hive or should I say, a fish-tank of activity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
decided to take a boat trip out to “</span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Seal</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">” where, as the
name indicates, you can bob up and down seal-watching. The estuary from where we set off consisted
of paradise-like, fine pale yellow sands and deep aquamarine, clear, calm
waters; in fact the word ‘aquamarine’ must surely have been named after that
place.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
sat on the top deck in the uppermost corner to get the best view but little did
I know when we embarked that it could have been the worst possible place to sit
regarding turbulence. We glided down the
estuary on a sea of serenity then aaaaarggghhh!
We suddenly hit the open </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Atlantic Ocean</st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc59wZ6IGrySedwL-daTFd5_HAx3u9QpWHIBLV1xVU48_aophbGPinh0C4E57R_CL1x73qljZXq4e_nEwGJNK9O0rONhZTmEZ0Y7CeKpsR2Kt_I2_UImNulfqQapBIAomlRmkGLQ/s600/Padstow+for+Blog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc59wZ6IGrySedwL-daTFd5_HAx3u9QpWHIBLV1xVU48_aophbGPinh0C4E57R_CL1x73qljZXq4e_nEwGJNK9O0rONhZTmEZ0Y7CeKpsR2Kt_I2_UImNulfqQapBIAomlRmkGLQ/w400-h204/Padstow+for+Blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">E: “How long is this trip exactly?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">H: “About an hour and ten minutes.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">E: “You mean I have to suffer this for
another 60 </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: 36pt;">minutes??</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">H: “Uh- huh”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;">E: “What d‘you mean by just ‘Uh huh?’ I can’t tolerate this for
that long!”</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;">I
was feeling completely disorientated by the upwards, downwards, sideways,
thisways, thatways motion as we hit the open sea but people around me were
beginning to get seriously seasick.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;">
People right next to me and all around me were violently throwing up
over the edge or onto the deck below.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">E: “I really need to go to the loo for a
wee,”</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">.......because
I wasn’t feeling nauseous but my bladder had the sudden urge (another
pre-cursor to MS?) to empty itself.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">H:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">“Well if you must.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;">E:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: -36pt;">“I must. I’m going” as I staggered amongst the throngs of
chuckers-up.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
weaved and bobbed my way to the lower deck only to find even more people puking
as they queued for the toilet, the sight and sound of which suggested to my
bladder that it didn’t really need emptying, so I made my way back unsteadily
to a calm as ever looking Huw.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
voyage was gut-churning and I was trying hard to hold on to some kind of fixed
point on the horizon, just like ballet dancers after doing a long pirouette, to
keep myself orientated.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">I started
muttering inside my head, “Our Father, which art in heaven….”...another big
wave….”hallowed be thy name...” …another wave….”Thy Kingdom come…” …another gut
churner… and so on… “Forever and ever … OKAY THEN take me Lord, I’m YOURS!”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">It
felt that dire when suddenly we seemed to round </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Seal</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place><span face="Arial, sans-serif">
and calm reigned once more. We watched seals play nonchalantly in the calm,
aquamarine waters for five minutes until we hit the open sea again and the gut
churning re-introduced itself to my body.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">
</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">However the ordeal was not over as the ship’s driver decided to stop in
mid-ocean to hook up a stray sky-blue-pink buoy.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">E:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">(green-faced) “This is purgatory.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">H:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> “I must admit it’s a bit rough.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">E:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">“A bit??”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">After
what seemed to be eternity we started gliding back up the calm waters of the
estuary and as we dis-embarked, Huw asked the ‘driver’, “Is it normally as
rough as this?”</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">“Arrr, no sir,” (imagine
Cornish accent) “If I had known it would have turned out this bad, I would’ve
cancelled the sailing.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
sat on the quayside for half an hour to steady my legs, followed by a sherry in
a hostelry to steady my nerves.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
honeymoon tale ends with note about a fig leaf.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">
</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The church opposite the pub boasted a fig tree growing out of its
walls.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Legend has it that anyone who
dared touch it would be struck down dead within a short time of doing so.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">There was a book inside the church which kept
a record of people who had died shortly after coming into contact with it.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We dared each other and we hesitated; we
double-dared each other and hesitated again, then thought at least that if we
‘go’ we’d ‘go’ together.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We’re still
here twenty-nine years later.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">I never
was superstitious.</span></span></p></div>
</div>
EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-82353661848526646052019-06-17T08:41:00.000-07:002019-06-17T08:50:16.553-07:00Time it was, and what a time it was.... I have a photograph....<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Strange really how a photograph can set off a kind of chain reaction. Take for example this. It's a page from a photo album which my father brought home from the Middle East when he served there during WW2.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_C38EdOjA6vOd78Q3x0Vr1WTE37ao8k4SO6y5_lSWpHvzFmz9oWJ9PhleHA4Vmn-_CPrTBB4-4_sPUJQpaq5YVce1EEUIvw6lpAg-SGN3Awc19-4p7-8Upxe_hRIIfdSsvTfWCw/s1600/48072388751_a64e3e5c55_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_C38EdOjA6vOd78Q3x0Vr1WTE37ao8k4SO6y5_lSWpHvzFmz9oWJ9PhleHA4Vmn-_CPrTBB4-4_sPUJQpaq5YVce1EEUIvw6lpAg-SGN3Awc19-4p7-8Upxe_hRIIfdSsvTfWCw/s400/48072388751_a64e3e5c55_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can clearly remember being outraged one Christmas Eve ( circa 2000) when a news bulletin came on TV giving the news how a terrorist had driven a car bomb right in to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The result of this by me was an overly long series of verses which I later set to music. Read on, if you have the time....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"> <i> </i></span><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Come with me now
to a land full of wonder,<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come with me now
to the land Christ was born.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come back in time;
see the child in the manger<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrapped tight in
swaddling clothes, snug and warm.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come see the shepherds,
the wise men, the angels;<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come see the King
that was born just to die.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come see young
Mary and Joseph so humble,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So innocent; no
questions; no reasoning why.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come out to the outskirts of
old <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up to the <st1:place w:st="on">Mount of Olives</st1:place> so high.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come see the
Saviour, born in a manger,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nailed to a cross; born just to
die.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come feel the
love that the Saviour has given us,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come feel His
suffering, high on the cross,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born to redeem
the sins we were born with,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come praise the
Lord, we have gained from His loss.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But come with me
now to a land full of hatred<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where Arabs and
Jews can not live in peace.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come with me now;
see the City of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">David</st1:place></st1:city>;<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walls torn
asunder, but the fighting won’t cease.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come see the
bodies blown up by a car bomb,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come feel the
sorrow of a land torn apart.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come back in time
to the land full of wonder-<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of
feelings now stir in your heart?<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two thousand
years later and no-one is wiser,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two thousand years
on, turn your faces and hide.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Search in your
heart for the love God proclaimed us.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Search in your
heart for the Saviour that died.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So come back with
me to a land full of wonder,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come back with me
to the cold empty cave.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember this
Christmas about Mary and Joseph,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember this Christmas
the child born to save......</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzFTPg7rH8Ou2mnLyiRco6O2gHIkQNvAX4FWs0FJGiWT81L4TxQgZmKAc5OspGGXirXLsEU7IzgroqG2Fh_7B9eynyxjPDNquA-fGJdkbfpjUxFNRNI8jCOHtSZAw78tLN1ygHQ/s1600/48072472291_2a843286b3_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzFTPg7rH8Ou2mnLyiRco6O2gHIkQNvAX4FWs0FJGiWT81L4TxQgZmKAc5OspGGXirXLsEU7IzgroqG2Fh_7B9eynyxjPDNquA-fGJdkbfpjUxFNRNI8jCOHtSZAw78tLN1ygHQ/s400/48072472291_2a843286b3_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-71783442452755922892019-04-01T12:50:00.002-07:002019-04-01T12:50:43.792-07:00Do days come better than this?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well do they?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmoYH8iqj9sUiEsjiRG9GbUvtQyKWmjJ2hvk6s2M7uUQ5i_Ym47M0q-WgkReolk7Ej2LXxgUXKF7hDfnNexPSUoQtelv3bFrLepBkcD_8w-hF4Zf1xNiBh7um2LM0R-KvqOaM-A/s1600/A+balmy+spring+evening+F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1600" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmoYH8iqj9sUiEsjiRG9GbUvtQyKWmjJ2hvk6s2M7uUQ5i_Ym47M0q-WgkReolk7Ej2LXxgUXKF7hDfnNexPSUoQtelv3bFrLepBkcD_8w-hF4Zf1xNiBh7um2LM0R-KvqOaM-A/s640/A+balmy+spring+evening+F.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me and mine went for a spin in the car after we'd had our
evening meal. The sun was sinking behind a bank of cloud, which if we're to
believe the weather forecast, is the herald of another icy blast. I often feel
it's better to put the camera down to absorb the sounds, sights and smells, yes
smells - farmyard ones in this case. What a sublime moment it was just standing
at the gate here and listening/watching to lambs bleating/gambolling in the
fields whilst behind me I heard a stonechat chit-chatting, not forgetting the
little jenny wren intent on dominating the scene with her own vocal churring
and scolding. ................<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<br />EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-30929859356216315912018-03-19T07:30:00.000-07:002018-03-19T07:30:14.775-07:00Once upon a time ........<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...... the land formerly known as Cambria, was inhabited by
fierce creatures known as dragons. These vile monsters lived a lazy life in
dark, dark caves. They only ventured out when hungry, when they would eat whole
armies of Saxons by killing and roasting them with their dragon's breath i.e.
tongues of flame. As centuries progressed and the land became known as Wales,
the fierce dragon-creature became its national emblem. The Welsh Dragon
(metaphorically speaking) still roars at events such as the game known as
rugby, but this little baby dragon has run out of puff from being waved around
on banners in the stiff breeze of late due to a weather phenomenon known as The
Beast from the East</span>.<br />
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<br />EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-46547956610658797672017-03-17T17:16:00.001-07:002017-03-17T18:00:17.899-07:00A brave new world<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...or possibly, exploring new frontiers. Welcome to another dimension to the world known as Planet Paradise. The view from my upstairs back bedroom window. How surreal is that ?</span><br />
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As I keep saying, ok then, repeating due to this <a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/signs-and-symptoms/memory-and-thinking/cognitive-problems" target="_blank">vile condition</a>, I can still overcome things or as stated in previous entries, get around the stumbling blocks.</div>
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The latest is that I discovered that I can use a different browser for this . Will it work?. Who knows . Will I have achieved another 1-0 against <a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms" target="_blank">The Master of Surprises ? </a>Who cares? Well I DO! I also discovered recently that I can fulfill and extend my passion for photography with <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lilo_lil/albums/72157679792549080" target="_blank">these kind of shots .</a> Simples!</div>
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<span style="background-color: #e5e5dd;"><span style="color: red;"><i>The only disability in life is a bad attitude. ~ Scott Hamilton</i></span></span></div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-64850254693365910722016-10-10T14:06:00.004-07:002019-04-01T13:12:13.480-07:00Here I stand.....We're never too old to learn eh ?<br />
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Today I learned that filling in a <a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/applying-for-pip" target="_blank">PIP</a> form was the most demoralising thing I've done in my life.<br />
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It's like this......you spend 25 plus years of your life bumbling, stumbling and bumping into physical hurdles. During those years you develop a way of getting around those hurdles, physically and emotionally. Somehow in the process, you magic all the negatives into positives. Hey presto, the next thing you know is that you've surrounded yourself in so many rainbow layers of positivity that you feel pretty good about life in general. Right ? Agreed ? Oh yeah! You're floating. Bobbing up and down rhythmically on a wave of emotional stability just like this buoy in the water. Sunshiny.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BlG3VzYh-gzAvlhk1e_5tWqBmAYywPbYvlmSNL-gdqOpPumTqNf9BKQ-3LCALT4kdHX3O0RXGgDIlMGkTT5Cew38z6IKvK8yXN0rznvbMxGqZle81lAhN-fxBk1jg8xuojpzvQ/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BlG3VzYh-gzAvlhk1e_5tWqBmAYywPbYvlmSNL-gdqOpPumTqNf9BKQ-3LCALT4kdHX3O0RXGgDIlMGkTT5Cew38z6IKvK8yXN0rznvbMxGqZle81lAhN-fxBk1jg8xuojpzvQ/s320/IMG_1027.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Cunning as ever though, that old, very old, age old<a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms" target="_blank"> Master of Surprises </a> still has you in his grips and when the time comes to fill in that form, or should I say booklet ? (seeing as there's a whole 40 pages of it) you find yourself peeling off each comforting rainbow coloured layer, in the same way as your mam used to unpick and unravel the yarn in the rainbow coloured sweater she knitted for you - there you stand stripped down naked to the core of whichever tangible 'working bits' are still intact. </div>
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Here I stand naked in the truth of my being........</div>
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Boy or buoy indeed!</div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-55932661679173285732016-09-11T00:59:00.000-07:002016-09-11T01:12:27.844-07:00Eureka!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's a new dawn, it's a new day.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ2e5cWqUk2V0YU0nCwYGmaPHpRxtnPk2f4yy8z8aqfRfn336zx2UMjyM95gmTU5ZCEqeqWX7qzRamIglVl6wRLozaxLB0QshpXMfKOV3AHSANkxXL_ImNge7OaKwsFBe6-KkZg/s1600/IMG_0976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ2e5cWqUk2V0YU0nCwYGmaPHpRxtnPk2f4yy8z8aqfRfn336zx2UMjyM95gmTU5ZCEqeqWX7qzRamIglVl6wRLozaxLB0QshpXMfKOV3AHSANkxXL_ImNge7OaKwsFBe6-KkZg/s320/IMG_0976.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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with a lightbulb moment. Ping! ...fizzle, fizzle .....doh! 😳</div>
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It's like this then.....I've been yearning to get back to rambling in more lyrical vein, for a good few months now. However due to cyberspace technicalities way beyond this fizzle-frazzled brain's comprehension, I was on the verge of giving up. Apparently it's to do with my laptop browser and OS system ( still with me ? ) being incompatible with Blogger. Neither have I had the mental energy to figure out how to blog from my iPad. </div>
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Not until this morning, that is, when you'd think that after attending <a href="http://kathfoot6.wixsite.com/orangeandblackball" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">The Orange and Black Ball for Ms</a> with its inevitable consequences of fatigue, brain fog and a few more neurons looking for their missing axons, that I suddenly discovered that I could.</div>
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Or could I ? Well kind of yes, and kind of no, but mostly a huge dollop of WE SHALL SEE ABOUT THAT ! 🤓</div>
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I hit a stumbling block, but as a stumbler myself, I tend to gently, albeit in ungainly fashion, stagger around the block and Ping! 👌Eure......e....can not. Doh! How to format the text ?</div>
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" Vee shall pee back " 🤓</div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-28816472004241522162015-04-13T02:39:00.000-07:002015-04-13T02:40:57.995-07:00It's a quacker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAGHT3_i3ftuLMHgRLC19f8pKhEFN8hFhqyiHoxuXMjc2e0kOuNMJ93mUqGu7489M5LjUa_TqVSV3pFb7SD8vFwRalAUt49w0EW2wgI7Sex4xJHnr9SRIq1OWp31PuC7RLGVLXQ/s1600/20150411_140334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAGHT3_i3ftuLMHgRLC19f8pKhEFN8hFhqyiHoxuXMjc2e0kOuNMJ93mUqGu7489M5LjUa_TqVSV3pFb7SD8vFwRalAUt49w0EW2wgI7Sex4xJHnr9SRIq1OWp31PuC7RLGVLXQ/s1600/20150411_140334.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a>This is just a holding post whilst we at Planet Paradise figure how to Blog using an iPad.</div>
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EionaRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15409783033030894209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-61921154875412359642014-10-03T03:32:00.000-07:002014-10-13T06:05:04.595-07:00After The Ball Was Over <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here at Planet Paradise we’re kind of re-grouping after the
past year saw another uninvited guest into our lives. No, not the<a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/information-about-ms/about-ms"> Master of Surprises,</a> but the<a href="http://www.bowelscreening.wales.nhs.uk/about-screening"> Big C </a> had been insidiously attacking Huw without any suspicion of it. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Glory
be to the wonders of <a href="http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Colonandrectum/Treatingrectalcancer/Surgery/Surgery.aspx">modern surgery </a>combined with medicine, that </span>that uninvited guest has been given the boot within less than a year. Life
continues.</div>
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Inevitably, once the ball was over and was safely kicked
into touch, that old chestnut happened – a <a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/signs-and-symptoms/fatigue">visitation</a> by the Master. A fleeting
one, no doubt, but one which caused me to revisit old diary entries about
accepting these visitations, the title of which was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>initially ‘Reactive Acceptance’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A heavily edited version of what I once wrote….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">‘I
allow MS into my life on my terms, accept that it is there but put it in the
‘naughty corner’ paying it occasional lip service; keeping up the platitudes
(metaphorically speaking of course). Then when MS throws a <a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/signs-and-symptoms/fatigue">childish tantrum,</a> </span>I
react calmly instead of fighting,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because if we fight then we’re already doomed to have a label of
‘failure’ just because of the nature of the condition<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– and what does that label do to us
emotionally?'</div>
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So how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> I react ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I treat it as a hurdle, not one to climb over, but to be got
around gently- on my own terms and my terms alone because I very much like to
be in control of my life. I know me better than anyone else so I make my own guarded but
informed choices about what suits me best.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What suits me best in the
aftermath of our mutual battle with a guest so <a href="http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Bowelcancer.aspx">vile</a> </span>that it doesn’t even deserve to be named, is nothing more
than sleep.<br />
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At
the time of writing I’ve slept a whole three nights of quality and
uninterrupted sleep, eight hours at a time, and unashamedly, three whole days apart from eating,
cooking and naturally my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lilo_lil/sets/72157639267841615/">Photo a Day Project. </a></div>
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I’ve already had enough now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>though
of that malarkey and very much looking forward to next week, one where we’ll be
celebrating the entry and exit out of my body, of a very
real mortal-being nicknamed Worm, the wriggliest of babies but thirty years
down the line, a giant of a man in very many ways. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring it on.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> ........ oh and I'll sneak a pic of him at three years old simply because I adore this one - ignore the antimacassar (another story) .....and a quote in relation to it..</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> The most beautiful moments always seemed to accelerate and
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b> beyond one’s grasp just when you want to hold onto them for</b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>as long as
possible.”</b></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>― E.A. Bucchianeri</b></i></span></div>
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Eionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908329754223214569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-87440196750753229292014-09-30T11:43:00.001-07:002014-10-04T03:08:18.478-07:00It's not for the love of the money<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b>It’s not for the love of the money</b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Or those things that tear us apart,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>It’s for times we can share and the times we can care<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>To follow an act of the heart.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><b>And it’s not for the praise or the glory </b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Or those things that just fade away<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>It’s for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>living some
how in the here and the now<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>And facing it all day by day.</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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These are words by the late John Wright from the John
Wright Band’s album/CD ‘Language of the Heart' which is unavailable as a web link unfortunately.</div>
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The lyrics <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>accompany
the above pic because I had the privilege on January 15<sup>th</sup> this year
of travelling to Cardiff and taking this, one of official photographs for <a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/near-me/national-offices/ms-society-cymru">MS Society Cymru</a> at <a href="http://www.principality.co.uk/">The Principality Building Society’s</a> ‘handover’ as their
nominated Charity of the Year. In this photo, to the front left you’ll see the CEO of <a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/">The MS Society</a>, <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/ChallengeMS1407/">Michelle Mitchell</a> with her counterpart at the Principality to
her left, and to the left again a staff member who had her hair shaved to raise
funds for the charity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What happens quite often after an official photo shoot is
that I rarely get to see the end product. It was with great joy however that I
saw this poster in my local branch when I popped in for tickets for a local charity
function – a fashion show for MS Cymru at Morriston Golf Club on Thurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oct 9<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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John Wright's lyrics<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> came alive </span> in my head when I saw it because the reason I do so much photography is
definitely not for the praise or the glory, neither the money. The reason I do
it can be read here ( scroll down to Page 5 ) of<a href="http://www.ukmsregister.org/Newsletter/Read/202/4"> THE UK MS Register</a>’s
Newsletter where I explain it more clearly.<br />
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I received far more that day in intangible terms compared with anything I gave myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>“For it is in giving that we receive.” ~ St. Francis of Assissi</i></b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Eionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908329754223214569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22848328.post-84792456050858219182014-09-28T08:09:00.001-07:002014-09-28T10:59:12.743-07:00Myfanwy the Earworm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks ago I went to bed with an earworm, and by that I don’t
mean that I’ve invented a new nickname for Huw, but it’s one of those tunes you
just can’t shake out of our head. It happened again last night, same earworm,
same song. Thankfully it wasn’t unpleasant such as Joe Pasquale’s “I know a song
that’ll get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your nerves etc. etc” Familiar
with it? If so, then you’ll be sorry you’ve read this because I bet that’s ringing
in your own ears already.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The earworm is unquestionably the greatest love song of all
for those of us fortunate be born in Wales, for those of us with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>music and poetry running through our veins.</div>
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Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryn_Terfel"> Bryn Terfel </a>singing this great love song ‘live’ in Swansea’s Proms in
the Park and just couldn't shake it off for days. Then <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>last night I attended
<a href="http://www.dunvantchoir.org/">Dunvant Male Voice Choir’s</a> Annual Patron’s concert <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at The Brangwyn Hall, Swansea where they sang <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an a cappella rendition of it. You could have heard a pin drop during the performance- well
no, you couldn’t <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have because you’d have
been as mesmerised as I was. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Have a listen yourself to The Morriston Orpheus Choir sing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Myfanwy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>whilst you view photos of Planet Paradise, and
I dare you not to have non-<a href="http://www.mstrust.org.uk/atoz/lhermitte.jsp">MS tingles down your spine.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course as is invariably the case, a lot of the feeling is
lost in translation but you can read it in English <a href="http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/JosephParry.htm">here</a> and all about its
composer Joseph Parry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.swansea.gov.uk/brangwynhall">The Brangwyn Hall</a> itself has recently undergone a major
refurbishment and I must say it’s looking good, even though they’ve swapped the
ladies and gents toilets around which needless to say caused a bit of confusion
and some embarrassment to many last night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just being at The Brangwyn took me back to the days when I
performed there myself, but even further back to school Speech Days where we’d
gawp with embarrassment, stifling <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>giggles, as you do at that age, at the semi
naked figures in the famous<a href="http://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/2319/History-of-the-Brangwyn-Hall-Panels"> Brangwyn Panels.</a></div>
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Talking of ‘Welshness’, there’s a saying ‘three times for a
Welshman’ so will I once again in the coming few weeks take Myfanwy the Earworm
to bed with me, I wonder ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast" ~ William
Congreve</i></b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Eionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908329754223214569noreply@blogger.com0