Sunday Thoughts

Hello from here. It’s been a while.

Sundays often result in many thoughts for me. A time of reflection, a sermon, quiet time and just pootling through the day. In an attempt to avoid filling livestreams with my ramblings, I had an epiphany! And suddenly realised that it would be a good idea to use my lovely platform here for my many thoughts, instead of boring everyone senseless! ie ‘She’s off on a tangent again’! I mean, that is what it’s here for! Right? So here are some of them:

Decluttering

Decluttering – I have been sitfting through some old memories. Finally, two years post move. The little things I have stumbled across have been beautiful, made me laugh, prompted memories and so much more. I still have a huge box of letters to go through, but at another time. The letters sent to me while we lived in Hong Kong. A time when social media and instant messaging didn’t exist. With letters, and very rare phonecalls being the means of staying in touch. Phonecalls costing GB£1 per minute at that time. The Internet had arrived, as dial up. I loved that sound. So fax via computer was possible. Email hadn’t arrived yet. Hence – the volume of letters.

Memories

Birth plan – in those memories, sat a basic birth plan for my son. I laughed out loud when I read the line ‘I don’t want to have an epidural’! Lol! Thankful to the private midwife, who refreshed my memory and who visited us mums on the outlying island of Lantau. which was minus a hospital and at that time. And only accessible by sea. But the birth was unexpectedly complicated and required an epidural at haste. Thankfully I was already at the maternity unit. Thanks especially to the medical team in Hong Kong, who saw us through to a safe delivery, and basically ensured both our lives weren’t risked. There was alot of prayers support going on that day and it was heard. Ah the best laid plans, are simply that. Plans.

Friends

Colin – a really dear colleague from decades ago, when I worked in publishing in London. A colleague who had the most incredible sense of humour. And who made a demanding job alot of fun. And who had the funniest of nicknames for me. He loved travelling to the Gambia. We once created a tropical scene, including Palm trees, on his desk whilst he was away. Made from thick brown paper recycling sacks. (Yes, even in the 80s!) When the directors wandered through, as they did, they smirked and didn’t complain. As they knew the pressure we worked under. Colin hasn’t been on this Earth for some years, and I rue the day we lost touch when careers took us all elsewhere.

Dene – the once organist at the village church where I was baptised. Abba Father her hymn suggestion, which was played at the livestream I joined this morning, hence the thought. She also played the piano for the Sunday school with great gusto. The children loved her, and sang at the top of their voices from the rather tumbledown village URC anti-room. She always reflected kindness, ebulliance, laughter and oneness. With the funniest utterances during choir practice. I loved her dearly. She baked me a beautiful Coffee and Walnut cake on the birth of my first child. A cake I thoroughly enjoyed for breakfast, until my two doggos decided to help themselves!

Life in the everyday

Politics – sorry to mention such a dirty word. But in Essex, we are reeling this week. Not much more than I can say, apart from the fact that many folk seem oblivious to the long and arduous hours of work previous Councillors had put in to repair the damage wreaked by the Right wing in previous years. We have had a renaissance of democracy and community in our locality. Now under threat. Many, many of us will continue to be a voice for balance and reason. And not extremes. But so many of us feel baffled and just a bit sad!

Jigsaw puzzles – to end of a high note, my new obsession and relaxation technique which is, the humble jigsaw puzzle. I just love them. And they are part of many, many formal and informal strategies helping me through a very difficult year healthwise. But maybe more about that at another time. For now I am celebrating this beautiful puzzle. Two more of which of a similar theme I have ~~thought about~~, ahem, purchased. The pieces are so tactile and ‘snappy’! Simply lovely.

The End