One of the effects of covid has been fewer outings and get togethers. There is an upside. It means that within the quiet beige landscape of our lives any celebratistands out like a faceted jewel gleaming in a precious setting.
A green family who likes foraging, hiking and history (My Moon-Shot)
Friday 22 October 2021
A Bit of a Bash
One of the effects of covid has been fewer outings and get togethers. There is an upside. It means that within the quiet beige landscape of our lives any celebratistands out like a faceted jewel gleaming in a precious setting.
Friday 15 October 2021
The Time of Year For Action
I remember my Latin teacher at school explaining that Autumn was her favourite time of year – it marked the start of the academic year and for her it was a time of new beginnings.
I agree. In addition, Autumn russets
are the colours which suit me. Not only
that, but I have an Autumn birthday.
As the leaves turn gold and the clocks shift back, there is usually an
anticipation of cosiness and hibernation.
This year, however, the UN’s climate conference, COP26, is about to take
place in Glasgow, and it means we must not settle into the inertia of winter just
yet.
If we want to see more golden Autumns, it is vital that we try to
influence the world leaders in any way we can to curb Climate Catastrophe.
So get involved in signing petitions, campaigning and marching. Politicians only act when they can see how
important an issue is to their electorate.
Please help convince them.
Take part in the Global Day of Action, November 6th.
https://cop26coalition.org/gda/
For readers in St
Albans, Friends of the Earth is organising a peaceful rally, meeting St Albans
Arena, midday Nov 6th and marching to the Clock Tower for speeches.
Elsewhere, google
or consult the Facebook pages of your local Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and
Extinction Rebellion.
Wednesday 6 October 2021
The Best Medicine
We have felt blue and weary during the weeks surrounding Nigel’s sister’s death.
Fortunately for us, our old friends David and Carolyn did what they
could to help.
Months before all this happened, Carolyn
had booked a house in the Peak District where we were to meet them for a long
weekend. As the date approached, it
seemed unlikely we would make it.
When the date for Sandy’s funeral was set for that Friday, it looked as
if our trip was off.
Except that other family members were supporting Nigel’s mother following the funeral,
so our presence wasn’t needed after all.
David and Carolyn gave up their Friday to attend the funeral and then went ahead of us to Derbyshire where they had dinner waiting for us when we arrived. They took us on a long rainy, muddy walk on Saturday. Then Carolyn and I found a creche in which to leave the menfolk (The Queen’s Head) and raided the charity shops of Bakewell – a form of retail therapy which is both green and socially responsible.
And we talked. How we talked!
By the end of the weekend we were making silly jokes and laughing again.
That doesn’t mean we are now fine.
But it was a welcome oasis along the path of bereavement.
Thank you to David and Carolyn for the gift of your friendship.
Friday 1 October 2021
Some gladness in the goodbye
As I mentioned last week, Nigel’s sister Sandy died.
She had suffered for many years from anorexia and died well short of the
years she might have expected. Undeniably
this has been very sad,
However, this week we have found so much in her life to be grateful for.
The reason has been the funeral.
People get excited about weddings, but to me a funeral is the superior
rite of passage:
Paul organised the ceremony around the grave.
Afterwards at the church, Pascoe and Benjy read lessons, Jo and Nigel
remembered the amazing things Sandy had achieved in spite of her difficulties. Perran read praising emails from colleagues
in the NHS where Sandra did very effective voluntary work.
Carenza read a letter from a new friend whom Sandra had made in hospital
the very day before she died. Abbi sang
a beautiful song anticipating Sandy’s future life in Heaven.
Women from Sandy’s church served the tea afterwards.
Friends and relatives got together and reminisced about Sandy and caught
up on family news.
God Himself contributed rainbows throughout the day and especially at
the interment.
As a churchgoer, I find myself at funerals fairly regularly, especially
those of elderly members of the congregation.
It is always a chance to appreciate the life lived, to give thanks and
to start the process of healing.
But the best thing is the intense spirit of goodwill which, for a few
hours, glues together a temporary community made of the disparate band of
friends and relatives who loved the person who died.