Posted by Shirley Anne on May 19, 2013
A right MCA artery stroke
A couple of days ago I received an unexpected email. It appeared in my inbox late in the evening at a time when I have usually finished checking on my messages for the day. I often check the in-boxes (I have four email accounts) a couple of times each day, mainly my AOL account as that is the main one I use. The same message was sent to E’s account and it was she who alerted me to it. It was from my youngest brother who is ten and a half years my junior, a little older than E. He told me that he had suffered a stroke in the month of March but emphasised that he was on the mend and was all right. I was glad to hear that but I was a little annoyed that I wasn’t informed earlier so that I could lend support if needed. There are probably a couple of reasons for him deciding not to inform his siblings (there are four of us) immediately but I didn’t ask in my reply to his message. I plan to visit him and his wife in the next day or so if he is open to family visits. There is no biological heredity reason for him suffering a stroke, no-one else in our family has ever suffered a stroke but if anyone were to do it would be down to lifestyle, diet, anxiety or stress. I suppose therefore that one or more of these must have contributed to my brother’s condition. I would never judge my brother for his lifestyle, his life and the way he lives it is his affair but I would advise him against anything that is unhealthy and likely to cause a problem. In my brother’s case that would or should be unnecessary as he is an intelligent person who knows the risks. He works within the health service as a senior laboratory technician amongst other things screening and cross-matching blood that is used for transfusions. The point is this, none of us is immune to these life-threatening conditions if we live our lives without thought for our health and well-being. We none of us think it will never happen to us do we? Of course strokes can affect even the most healthy of us but there are ways to minimise the risks, good diet, exercise and regular blood-pressure checks go a long way to keep us on track to a healthy life. I do hope my brother recovers enough to continue to lead a happy and fulfilled life for the remainder of his years. I am confident he will.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Diet, Exercise, Health, Well-being | Tagged: Diet, Exercise, Health, Heredity, Lifestyle, Risk factor, Stroke | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 18, 2013
Hyde Park in a heatwave The second week of August 2003 was the hottest ever recorded in London, with temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius. Not surprisingly many people flocked to the parks to cool off.
It is past the middle of May and still it is very cold. The warmer temperatures we have come to expect at this time of year have been somewhat lacking even though there have been warm sunny days. It appears that the ‘Jet Stream’, the high altitude wind pattern is favouring places like Moscow with the United Kingdom fairing less well as a result. Until the Jet Stream shifts in our favour I guess we can say goodbye to a warm Summer again this year. I watch the weather forecasts with interest but it is all bad news lately. I heard tell that the month of June won’t be much better either. Astronomically speaking Summer starts on or about the 21st day of June so there is still time left for an improvement I suppose. It may be that the later months of the season will prove me wrong. I do hope so. It can be rather depressing when all we get is poor weather when reasonably it should be better. We must however make the most of things for we have no control over matters. For many people summer is the two-week vacation they take each year in a foreign land though not everyone can afford such things. I have been fortunate in that respect having enjoyed many holidays in foreign places in the past. These days I am less bothered about travelling across the globe for the pleasure of enjoying the warm weather which is taken for granted in many countries. Quite often I have found that the living conditions in these beautiful places where the sun shines most of the year and the temperatures never fall below 20 degrees Celsius are very poor indeed. Having a warm or hot climate doesn’t guarantee perfect happiness unless you have plenty of money and money doesn’t even buy happiness! I am not giving up on Summer, things are not that bad really, it could be a lot worse, in fact it may well be a lot better! I am not sure just what I will be doing in the months ahead. Working? Most probably. Taking a vacation? Probably not but anything is possible. Enjoying myself? I will try my best. Summer will be great if I am still here to enjoy it won’t it?
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Enjoyment, Happiness, Weather, Well-being | Tagged: Enjoyment, Happiness, June, Temperature, Weather, weather forecast, Well-being | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 17, 2013
For quite some time I have had another blog running alongside this one but at Blogger. Last year or maybe it was late the previous year I decided to dedicate that blog to the one subject, God, Jesus Christ and salvation intending it to be an outreach for those or rather to those who are unbelievers. Outreach is something we as Christians are commanded to do, not asked but commanded and if we are faithful to our God we obey. We are called to be witnesses to The Gospel message and preach it to the world. There are many ways to do that and ‘blogging’ is one of them, however, using a blog for the purpose requires that unbelievers actually read what is written and to do that they need to visit the blog! Now it may be that some actually do that but I fear that most, although they may pay a visit will not again return. I see therefore no point in continuing with such an outreach on a dedicated blog platform as only Christians will read it if they visit and they do not need to. When I first came up with the idea of making the blog dedicated to outreach it was on my heart to do so because outreach is something close to my heart but to proceed without the approval of God, that is without His direction, is pointless and doomed to failure. I felt I had such approval but the good Lord allowed me to proceed with my plans probably to teach me. That having been said I feel that if I am to witness to the unsaved I have to be where they are. Now I do that in person of course and I do witness given every opportunity and at the appropriate moment but I can also do it on The Internet if I know people will be in a position to read it. This had led me to delete the other blog and to concentrate on this one alone. Many of the posts from the now deleted site have found their way to this one as drafts and I will publish them occasionally (as I have been doing on this subject thus far) in the months ahead. Notice I say ‘occasionally’ as I do not wish to alienate those I want to reach by overdoing things. I simply present arguments in the hope that those I wish to reach will read them. I want this site to be interesting to all who visit, not just a select few.
Thank you to all my readers and those who have added me to their list as subscribers and those who find the time to comment too. I hope you will all continue to do so.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Blogs, Writing | Tagged: Blog | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 16, 2013
Now I know this post will be met with disbelief for even I as a Christian find it hard to understand. It is only because of my faith that I can accept what is suggested. For those familiar with the Bible there are certain subjects contained therein which when first read seem not to be fully explained but when a proper study is made the truth is exposed. In the Old Testament mention is made of a race of giants which roamed the earth and little else is said of them but the information is there if one really looks for it. In the link below you will read about these giant beings and an explanation as to why they were here and if they will return. I hope you find the article of interest. Click on the link below….
http://vineoflife.net/2013/05/15/fallen-angels-hybrids-and-pure-evil/
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Bible | Tagged: Nephilim | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 16, 2013
An optical illusion. Square A is exactly the same shade of grey as square B. See demonstration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On my way back home with E after the long weekend break we had taken in Brighton on the south coast and to meet with friends I sat in the train carriage admiring the scenery. Many of my travelling companions were surfing the Internet on their mobile phones and tablet computers or playing games on them. Some were trying to catch a few minutes of sleep but very few seemed to be looking out of the window at the passing scenery. I could have followed suit but I would rather watch the scenery. I left my tablet computer in my suitcase and only touched my phone when I wanted to check the time. Everywhere we went in Brighton we saw people on their phones and I estimated at least 60% were doing so. It seems to be an absolute necessity, an obsession for many to spend hour after hour locked into this electronic technological phenomena. I get the feeling that those using the technology often do not realise just how much time they actually spend ‘twiddling’ their thumbs on such devices. Whatever happened to simply admiring life all around us, the scenery, the people and places we find ourselves in either accidentally or purposely? I digress. I was looking out of the window and every so often would see a canal, a river or a pond. Nothing remarkable in that you might say but what made it a little more fascinating for me was the fact that many of these stretches of water seemed to be sloping just like the land in which they were seen. I saw fields on hillsides sloping down to the train tracks and the water on these fields appeared to be doing exactly the same! An optical illusion of course unless somebody has invented a way for water to slope like the ground. Time passed by rather quickly as I watched the ever-changing scene through the carriage window. There is always something to see, always something to catch the imagination, old buildings, green fields and hills, animals, motorways and highways, rivers, streams, canals, bridges and tunnels and monuments of all kinds. I never get bored watching the life all around me. There is a slippery slope to oblivion for those who let life slip by because of some electronic gadgetry. Theirs is a life of virtual reality but I prefer mine real!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Enjoyment, Environment, General Chat, Life, People, Travel | Tagged: Brighton, Communications, Consumer Electronics, Leisure, Life, Mobile phone, People, Tablet computer | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 15, 2013
“Selkirk reading his Bible” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On Wednesday last week I reached a bit of a milestone. Since becoming a Christian I set my mind to reading though The Bible as many times as I could, simply to gain more understanding as to the reasons I came to believe and what it all actually means. During the previous seven months to my conversion, my deliverance, my accepting Jesus as my Saviour, call it what you will, I had read through The Bible from cover to cover in my search for God and to gain understanding. I was determined to read through its pages again for I realised there was much more to learn than just from reading it through once or by selecting abstract passages alone. The whole set of its books must be read because they are inextricably linked. I have honoured that promise I made to myself and throughout my 24 years as a Christian I have read through The Bible now 30 times having just finished reading through from cover to cover again on Wednesday. That is on average more than once a year. Of course I read many of its books and pages in isolation as well as making reference frequently to confirm what other Christians are saying or just for self-edification and reassurance but mostly to learn and to gain understanding. People who make reference to certain passages to perhaps justify their unbelief or their attitude and lifestyles and who have probably not read through The Bible even once do not realise that The Bible cannot be used in this way. The Bible and the messages it contains need to be studied in-depth and that takes time. Although I have read it more than 30 times I am still learning and I am the first to admit that I have much to learn yet. A milestone may have been reached but there are many more of them along the road yet! After a short break I will probably return again to The Book of Genesis and start over.
Shirley Anne
- How Important Are Bible Lessons For Kids (adventurebible.wordpress.com)
- Bible Study (thetwilightyears.wordpress.com)
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Bible | Tagged: Bible, Bible Study, Christian, Christianity, God, Jesus, Learning | 15 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 14, 2013
Now I am back home in Southport I am wondering what is next on my ‘things to do’ list. Last Thursday morning I disconnected a cooker for a lady living in an apartment in town and at the same time fitted a lighting dimmer switch. This morning, Tuesday, I am returning to connect her new cooker and to receive payment. I never ask for payment on any job until it is completed and until the customer is satisfied that I have done all they have asked of me. That has been my policy from the first day I started in business working for myself. I sometimes talk myself into work or find things to do half the time just for the fun of it. In my former employment I worked alongside a colleague who lived for work. He would rather be working than doing anything else and during the years we worked together I never knew him to refuse overtime, not so much for the extra money but more because he loved working. I am a bit like that, I’d rather be doing something than sitting around idle but whilst that is true I do like to take time off for socialising, hobbies and interests. I make a lot of time for things other than work though you’d probably not guess that reading many of my posts. If you were to ask me which I prefer, work, rest or play I’d probably answer ‘all of them’! Whichever I am doing I am looking for something else to do. Where work is concerned that is usually wondering when I am going to finish so that I might rest! When socialising, I don’t want it to end and that is because I like being in company and simply chatting the hours away. I look forward to bedtime no matter what I have been doing during the day. It isn’t purely that I need the sleep for in actual fact I don’t usually need more than five hours, it is because I enjoy the many dreams I have whilst asleep and most of them are weird! What’s next then? Who knows? I can never tell what I am going to do during each week unless it has been planned. That is one of the reasons I enjoy my job, the variety, not knowing what to expect or even if I will be employed in some cases. So far this week I have only the one job, the one I am doing this morning but I’ll wager all that will have changed by Saturday!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Activity, Life, Lifestyle, Occupation | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 13, 2013
The Wednesday Wars (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On Wednesday last week E and I went out for lunch to the same place we went the week before. We sometimes do that but more often we visit different places each week on a sort of open rota. I just fancied returning to this particular establishment and I am very glad I did for we had a great time. We tend to eat late in the afternoon so the restaurants are less crowded and we can spend more time chatting with the staff or rather they have more time to spend chatting with us! Some of the staff at this particular pub/restaurant/carvery are ‘Scousers‘, Liverpudlians, and as we hail from there we tend to get on like a house on fire! The staff are always left in no doubt that we have visited them and I like the idea that we have brightened up their day, not that we are the only ones doing so of course. We each had a two course meal, soft drinks followed by Cappuccino coffee and all for £25.04! Can’t be bad. When we returned home after a slight diversion, I found the local free newspaper in the letterbox. this is the one in which I place my advertisement. I usually look for my advert there each week just to ensure it is there but this time I discovered that it wasn’t! It was too late in the day to contact them so I left a message and called in to see them the next day. When I first advertised with them I paid in advance for 26 weeks but in the last few years I have only paid for 13 weeks in advance. I do this so that I can make retiring completely less awkward for myself, if it ever comes! As it stood at the time of writing, Wednesday last week, I was awaiting my electronic invoice via email which is delivered every Wednesday each week but I didn’t receive it. It represented week number 13, the final invoice of my current batch as it were. When I receive each invoice I place a number in brackets at the end of the invoice number as sent before saving it on my computer so that I can keep track of which week I am in. Furthermore I place each batch of thirteen invoices I have paid for in a new folder so there can be no doubt as to how many I have paid for and received. I had telephoned the newspaper office the previous day to arrange payment for the next 13 adverts which should have started this Wednesday (15th) but now has been put back to Wednesday 22nd. I had forgotten that I had cancelled my advert for last week because I had taken an extended weekend break! I am daft sometimes, well I am past my sell-by date and my shelf-life expired ages ago…..LOL
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Advertising | Tagged: Advance payment, Advertising, Business, Invoice, Payment | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 12, 2013
All Things Bright and Beautiful the Lord God made them all
There are many things in this world that I like, there are many things that I love. The things around me are necessary for my existence and I cannot live without them. The air that I breathe, the water that I drink and the food that I eat are my basic requirements in continuing to live. Anything else has no effect on this basic fact but to live a life that has meaning much more is needed. I need companionship, friendship, family and a purpose for living. All these things provide for a happy existence given that my environment is a nice place in which to dwell. Nice as all these things are and as life itself is, they all pass away as if they had never been. We live out our lives ever searching for things that please us, ever reaching for something new and exciting in our lives. We crave happiness and love. Our desire is to be accepted and loved and we do all we can to achieve such things but even these things will pass away. There has to be something more to life than this. There has to be a purpose. I often wondered why it is that we, human beings, are all so very different. We are all made of the same stuff and yet we remain different. The reason for this is that we are spirit beings inside a physical body. The spirit lives on when the flesh dies away, so the next question is where does the spirit go when we die? In simple terms it returns to the one who created it, God. Above all things that I possess, above all things that I am is the One who created me. I place my trust in Him alone and put Him above everything else.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in God | Tagged: God | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 11, 2013
Wildhorse Lake (Photo credit: qousqous)
Winter dragged on and on, well into the months of Spring but last weekend and especially on Tuesday the weather improved enormously. Hot, dry and sunny was the order of the day but even so I remained home throughout as it was the May bank holiday. On Tuesday I worked at home installing some new floodlights. Now I am in Brighton for this weekend and the weather has turned cooler and wetter. I don’t mind that so much but it would have been nicer had it been as nice as it was last week. I like the idea of a short break as I don’t get the chance to be bored, anything too long and I am biting at the bit eager to get back home. I suppose it depends very much on where I go. When I visited America and Canada four years ago I found I had moments of boredom even though there was plenty to see and do. I have been to many places in the world, all of them interesting in their own way but I feel being there for any length of time leads to boredom with me. Cities and towns are pretty much the same wherever one goes, they just have characters of their own. I remember staying over the weekend in Jillian’s house situated alongside one the very numerous lakes they have over in Quebec. The scenery was beautiful I have to admit but once I’d seen it, it became familiar, nothing special at all, just the same as any other house sitting by a lake. I was asked why I didn’t take a dip in the water so that I could claim to have swum in a Canadian lake. Apart from the fact that I hadn’t packed a swimsuit the inclination wasn’t there and I iterated that one lake is just the same as any other anywhere in the world, once you’ve swum in one you’ve swum in them all. I don’t think my remark was taken in the spirit in which it was given. That’s the way it is with me, I visit places to meet people, the scenery is of no real importance as it might be for others. I have come to Brighton specifically to meet with people, with a friend, not to admire the sights of the area, nice as they may be. In any case my mobility is rather restricted when I go places with E these days. It isn’t her fault but she cannot get about as quickly as she used to because of her disability. That aside, I wouldn’t wish to leave her just to go gallivanting by myself. Sunshine makes any place feel nice but to me it makes no difference. At least I am not here during the winter for I believe it gets rather cold and covered in snow and is probably not as inviting but that’s the same anywhere one goes! I wonder if I’ll feel the same about San Fransisco if I ever get there as I plan to do?
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Holiday | Tagged: Brighton, Canada, England, Jillian, Lake, Quebec, Travel, Tuesday | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 10, 2013
After the last weekend, on Tuesday, I was about ready to do some work and I have had it in mind for quite some time to replace the five floodlights that were on the rear and side walls of the house, those which overlook the garden and side passageways. I have eight flood lights in all, the other three are situated on the front wall and garages overlooking the front garden and driveways. Those at the front are in reasonable condition having only been installed for a couple of years. However, the one in the middle which is situated near the front door and steps has been there for more than twenty years with absolutely no maintenance, not even a replacement lamp! I am loathed to change that one but I suspect I will change all three in the near future to bring all eight lights to the same standard and type. So I arose early and having no contract work scheduled I decided to purchase five new floodlights for the back of the house and fit them. The existing ones were not all in working order so were in need of replacing anyway. Two of those and two of the original ones at the front were fitted with cameras that enabled monitoring activity around the house but that system was disconnected years ago so the cameras were surplus to requirements. The floodlights themselves were the standard tungsten-halogen 300 watt units but their replacements are now 15 watt LED units. They will cut back the electricity usage considerably when the lights are in use. The only drawback was their cost. With a connection box for each light unit, five in all, the cost was £243 but they are guaranteed for three years. So I set about removing the old ones one by one fitting the new ones as I went. It wasn’t simply a case of using the same fixing holes unfortunately, I had to drill two extra holes for each unit to accommodate the connection box. When I had finished installing the last unit I discovered it was faulty in that it wouldn’t switch to nighttime mode after initial setting-up. I took it back to the supplier and they changed it for me. I didn’t finally finish work until 4.30 in the afternoon after buying the lights at 8.30 in the morning. obviously I had a lunch break and other things to do but it still took most of the day. Working with ladders at height does extend the job. I haven’t presented E with the bill yet…….LOL 
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in House and Home, Work | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 9, 2013
I ate these – ants in the Amazon 2003
I have never been really fussy about what I eat although there are and have been certain things I would never eat and some things that are just not to my taste. I like most things that are edible, that is as long as I consider it to be bona-fide food! What is to someone else’s liking may not be to mine. What tastes nice to them may taste horrible to me. Even things that are considered to be ‘normal’ food to some may seem ridiculous to me. E is very fussy about her food, what she will and will not eat and even the way it is cooked. Some things she likes raw she doesn’t necessarily like cooked and vice-versa. As an example she likes and will eat tomatoes providing they are cooked but she will not eat their skin. Again, she loves pickled onions but hates them raw or cooked. Many things I like she dislikes of course but there are many things we both enjoy eating. In many places in the world people eat strange things, strange to us that is. In some countries it is quite normal to eat meats we would as a nation consider improper, things like dog, camel and rat just to name three. Most people in this country stick to eating beef, lamb, mutton, pork, veal, chicken, turkey and other such animal meats, drawing the line at anything outside of these. I am not saying that other countries populations are wrong but for many in this country they would be considered as such. In fact about 80% of the nations of the world have insects on the menu, it just hasn’t become part of our menu, yet. I heard recently that there are plans afoot to introduce the eating of insects in this country as a means of providing another source of food in a world that may be heading toward difficult times in supplying the population’s needs. No doubt there will be many proponents of this but I’m certain that I won’t be one of them! Again, I am not saying the habit of eating insects is wrong, it just isn’t right for me and I know with some certainty that will be the case for E too! In the far east eating insects is quite normal and simply part of the lifestyle but I am thinking it will be a long time before it will be considered normal in the UK, though I may be wrong in that assumption. The question is, would you eat insects as part of your diet? Have you ever eaten insects or have you been eating them for a long time? I can safely say that I have never knowingly eaten insects except perhaps by mistake! They are filled with protein I am led to believe and I don’t know about you but I think I prefer to get my protein from other sources thank you very much!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Food, Insects | Tagged: Cooking, Eating, Food, Insect, Meat, Wild Foods | 6 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 8, 2013
Boats resting on Bank Holiday Monday The fishing boats that supply all the fancy restaurants
The last weekend was one of the UK’s national holiday weekends incorporating what we call a ‘bank holiday Monday’. There are two such Mondays in the month of May, one at the beginning and one at the end. One is called the ‘Spring Bank Holiday Monday’. I get mixed up as to which is which but that makes no difference, it is a national holiday. Many people will have travelled, whether near or far, in this country or elsewhere to make the most of the long weekend, sometimes including the preceding Friday. That is something I’ve never done, gone anywhere on a bank holiday because I know most roads will be packed with traffic and many places will be packed with too many people doing the same thing. As it happened this time, the weekend passed unnoticed. That is due to my present status in being semi-retired. I forget sometimes which day it is, not because I am forgetful of such things, though I am forgetful at times, no, it is because all the days seem alike. I may have many days free from work each week and it feels as though Fridays are Saturdays or that Mondays without work are Sundays. Does that makes sense? Before I became self-employed 16 years ago I worked for other companies and the weekend breaks and holidays off work were something to look forward to but now that I am self-employed that is no longer true because I can take a break at any time I wish. So for me a special weekend such as a bank holiday passes without much notice. Indeed, I have often worked over a bank holiday, treating them as any other. This is true for the other ‘special’ days off we as a nation take. To me they are just another day. Quite often these bank holidays have poor weather which puts the dampener on enjoying them as many wish to do but this past weekend the weather has been reasonably good, much to the relief of those undertaking outdoor activities! This coming weekend though E and I will be transporting ourselves to the south-east coast to pay a visit to Brighton and to see a friend and anyone else who might like to meet with us. Without realising it we elected to go this weekend when the FA Cup Final is being held in London but hopefully we will not be affected by possible traffic chaos as fans travel to the big city as we are travelling on Friday and returning on Monday. We are not treating this as a holiday as such but only as a short break from routine. E finds it difficult to get about so we would need a much longer break to get anywhere and enjoy more of any place we visit. That means we may not be visiting most of the places no doubt Brighton has to offer on such a short stay as we are taking there. Much of the enjoyment will be in the travelling to and from Brighton itself but I am sure we will enjoy more than that. I hope the weather is fine!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Enjoyment, Holiday, Leisure, Travel | Tagged: Brighton, Enjoyment, Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 6 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 7, 2013
The gymnasticon, a late-18th-century exercise machine invented by Francis Lowndes
A short while ago Lucy, a fellow blogger, wrote about the time she had spent with a dear friend, wining and dining and generally having a great time together. Lucy had prepared a three-course dinner to please the appetite of any discerning diner and they dined until they could not eat another thing by all account. Afterwards they went for a walk and found some exercise machines in a park, put there courtesy of the local council for public use. I thought that was a very novel idea and one no doubt that would be appreciated by anyone who enjoys keeping fit. Lucy and her friend naturally made use of the new-found equipment. On Thursday afternoon whilst E went out shopping for the weekly groceries with her mom, I decided to go cycling for an hour or so. I took the coastal road and proceeded along the sea wall. I noticed something in the distance ahead on the pedestrian/cycle walkway. When I got closer I realised that our local council had arranged several different pieces of new gym equipment to be installed for public use. I am not sure exactly when they were installed but it must have been within the last week or so because my last visit to the area was less than two weeks ago. It could be that many other councils around the country have followed suit and had their own equipment installed. I don’t know who suggested placing gym equipment in recreational locations but it is certainly a great idea and one I hope that will encourage people to get fit. I just hope that nobody takes to vandalising it.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Community, Exercise | Tagged: Community, Exercise, Recreation and Sports | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 6, 2013
North Street Traffic flow is controlled by traffic lights through this narrow but important road. I sometimes wish all roads were like this one!
On Thursday last week I had a couple of jobs to do away from home, both reasonably close to home, about ten to fifteen minutes drive depending upon the traffic. I set off to the first and I got as far as the top of the road in which I live when a driver whizzed past the T junction at some speed. I turned right and the road, though wide, was reduced in width by the few cars that park there every day outside of a building locally known as ‘Smedley’, it is actually now a Government Home Office building which deals with the UK’s population census and registry and is also responsible for the issuing of passports. Whilst I was driving along toward the next junction a couple of cars being driven in the opposite direction and taking too much of the carriageway, forced me to brake sharply as I approached the narrow part of the road. I am often faced with people ‘cutting the corner’ when turning right into a road I am exiting never thinking that anyone would be coming out of the road but this day there wasn’t such an incident at the next junction. At the first set of traffic lights sat a driver waiting to turn right but they had stopped at the lights themselves thereby preventing anyone following from driving on through. I gave a polite ‘honk’ to let them know I was wanting to drive straight ahead and gestured with my hands that they should move forward to the centre of the road, which they did. I was then able to continue on my journey without having to wait for them turning right. I don’t know why people who are turning right don’t get to the centre of the road, to me it shows a total lack of consideration on their part. Now Thursday happens to be the day the waste (garbage) is collected on the route I was driving along. You would think making a collection later in the morning rather than at the morning rush-hour when the traffic flow both ways is at its peak would be sensible but no, that is common sense. Consequently I got held up as I didn’t get the opportunity to overtake the garbage vehicle until we had driven some distance. The rest of the journey was pretty much uneventful except when trying to park outside of my destination. No-one would give-way and allow me to park so I had to wait a while. I did the job and returned homeward. Now part-way along the same route I’d taken earlier there is a major crossroad intersection controlled by traffic lights and there are often vehicles wanting to turn right. Most drivers wait patiently to do so but as I was driving straight through one decided to cut across my path and realising his mistake braked violently as he saw me approaching. I had anticipated his actions and had already applied my brakes to avert a catastrophe. I looked at him and shook my head in disbelief. Continuing on there was a small van ahead which was in dire need of servicing judging by all the black and blue smoke emanating from the exhaust pipe! I kept my distance from it not wanting to breathe the obnoxious fumes. There is a law against such pollution but I suppose it didn’t apply to this driver! I was almost back home when my phone rang and it was a request for work, the second of the two jobs I undertook that morning. It was quite close to where I had just been working. Why don’t people call me in the evening so that I can organise my schedule? Oh well. I turned the van around and went back along the same route. There was a female driver in a little car ahead of me but I don’t think she had the confidence or even the competence to be behind the wheel. For about two miles she drove ahead of me, accelerating and decelerating erratically as she went and hitting the curb on the left a few times along the way. Finally she turned right and I carried on to where I was going. The job was straight forward and I was soon finished. I thought I would return home via another route which took me through the town centre and I am glad I did, it was wonderfully uneventful! It was one of those days I felt I should have stayed safely at home but at least I avoided any potential accidents that might have arisen by the appalling driving habits of some of the drivers out there.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Driving | Tagged: Driving, Driving and Safety, Intersection (road), Roads and Highways, Traffic light | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 5, 2013
In the Womb
Beautifully made
God has made all things well. He knew us while we were in the womb. Before we were conceived He knew us, He knows every hair on our heads and everything about us. Scripture tells us this, Psalm 139 (New International Version – UK)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in— behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting
Every hair on your head…………..you are intimately known!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Gods love, Knowledge, Wisdom | Tagged: God, Psalm 139 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 4, 2013
Photo of underside of electric lawn mover
On Tuesday I had a very small job to do and then went shopping for electrical stuff, yes it would have been better shopping for clothes I know but needs must. I got back home quite early and E asked me if I would fit two small clips to a brick wall in the garden so she could tie back a certain unruly flowering shrub. I got my battery-powered drill and had the job done in minutes. It was such a warm and sunny morning I suggested we set about mowing the lawn as it was beginning to get a little overgrown already. The grass seemed dry enough on the surface but down toward the soil it turned out quite damp. I keep promising to buy a hover mower to use when the grass is damp and although the mower we use is quite good for its size it does get clogged when the grass is damp and that makes mowing the lawn a bit of a chore. It is almost exactly like the one pictured on the left. I have discovered that the mower cuts better and without getting clogged if it is pulled backward over the grass when it is the slightest bit damp but pulling the mower backwards is in itself a chore too! We have a larger petrol-driven mower which is very powerful but we haven’t used it for years. It used leaded fuel and it needs an overhaul but like many things we have neglected to have it done but maybe this year we will do something about it. Dragging or pushing a mower on our lawn gets quite tiring. In the height of summer when it is dry it isn’t too bad mowing the lawn but at other times it can be a little harder. Of course mowing is just the first step, we then had to rake up all the cuttings. There is a box attachment for collecting the cuttings of course but it needs emptying too often on a large lawn so isn’t worth using. Now that the lawn has been mowed it will need doing again every couple of weeks, weather permitting. That means making the time whenever the opportunity arises, no excuses putting off doing it otherwise it gets harder if left too long. Oh the dubious joys of gardening! E is finding some tasks difficult for her now which means I will probably be called upon to do more. I don’t much like gardening but I can’t refuse if she needs help and I don’t complain if she asks, as long as I’m not doing anything else which I suppose will be the norm as time passes.
Shirley Anne
- Fighting with Lawn Mowers (margaretmoseley.wordpress.com)
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Garden, Gardening | Tagged: Garden, Grass, Lawn, Lawn & Garden, lawnmower, Mower | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 3, 2013
Liverpool fans desperately try to climb the fence onto the safety of the pitch.
E and I decided we would dine out on Monday afternoon and as usual we had no specific plans as to where that might be. We left home a little late, that is around 1.30 and E started to drive north. When we go in that direction we turn to the coast road to continue out-of-town but if we do so we have to pass by my local pub, I say my local because E only goes there if I am with her. I asked if that is where she had in mind but added that I’d rather go somewhere else instead so we sailed on past but took the southerly route down the coast road. I immediately knew we were going to dine at a carvery in nearby Formby and sure enough that is where we went. We seem to be popular there and the staff are always pleased to see us so it is a nice place to dine. When we arrived there were many people dressed in black and E asked one of the staff about that. It appears that they had just attended the funeral service for a local woman, Anne Williams, who had died recently. She had been instrumental in getting an inquest under way regarding The Hillsborough Disaster which occurred many years ago in 1989. For those living outside the UK this disaster happened at a football ground where Liverpool football club were playing Nottingham Forest. 96 people lost their lives in the crush of supporters gathered in one of the stands, (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster). The inquest was called for because the police had been accused of covering up their involvement which led to the unfortunate demise of innocent supporters, one of whom was Anne’s own son. It is sad to learn of anyone’s death and it was nice to see so many people honouring this woman who had battled for 24 years to overturn the previous inquest’s findings and in the last few months her own battle with the cancer which took her life.
I got to thinking why is it that people feel the need to dress in black when attending a funeral. It is obviously tradition and I suppose people are afraid to ignore such tradition in case they are deemed not being respectful. What nonsense! There is no real reason for anyone to dress in black, it is only a colour. No, the real reason is the fear of what others might say. Why do we as human beings impose such ridiculous traditions upon one another because ‘it is right’? People do things because it is traditional and don’t question it and that is why these silly traditions continue. As for the lady they laid to rest, she departed long before the ceremony. I overheard one of the women say ‘she had a great send-off’. I can’t understand that. The day’s proceedings will have served as a reminder of the woman herself but the actual ceremony and the way it was conducted, the hymns that were sung and all the rest was solely for the benefit of those attending. In real terms they were paying homage to a corpse! I have said this before, the woman should have been honoured and respected whilst she was alive. We tend to ignore this sometimes but it is only when people are alive that they can appreciate what we do for them. Many will say that she was looking down on the proceedings, not knowing if indeed she was. Many do not believe in heaven or hell, Jesus Christ or God but somehow still believe her ‘spirit’ will be watching. I would like to think her spirit is resting with God but I don’t know that for sure.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Death and mortality, Dining out, Tradition | Tagged: Anne William, Formby, Funeral, Hillsborough Disaster | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 2, 2013
Cover for Strange Weather Lately Volume Two graphic novel by metaphrog. Published in 1999.
Today, Monday, as I write this, it is very sunny and very windy. At this time of year we are used to enjoying the warmer days of mid-Spring but alas it is more like late Winter. Over the last few years, indeed over the last few decades, there has been a gradual change in our weather patterns. Many scientists and meteorological experts agree that the whole world is entering a warmer phase and attribute the temperature increase, small as it is at the moment, to increases in CO2 levels in the atmosphere. According to many this rise has come about by human activity caused by the burning of fossil fuels but is this the whole picture? The Earth has seen climate changes many times and it may surprise some to know that even during the last 1000 years there have been noticeable changes, changes which cannot be attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. There are indications that the temperature was higher during the 10th to the 14th centuries. It is believed that the temperatures during the last 4000 years have reached their warmest levels on several occasions. It is a well-known fact that however that there was a dramatic drop in temperatures during the 16th and 19th centuries, a period often called the mini Ice Age. We moan so much about the weather but conditions could be worse and have been in the past. For more information I suggest a visit to this site http://www.co2science.org/subject/other/clim_hist_1thousand.php I think you will find it rather fascinating and perhaps give you a better understanding about our topsy-turvy weather here in the UK.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Weather | Tagged: Climate change, Earth, Earth Sciences, Spring (season), Temperature, Weather, Winter | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 1, 2013
Talent show contestants
I’ve watched a few talent shows over the years from Britain’s got talent, The Voice and The X Factor and many others and some of the contestants are really quite good. There are those who are not quite as talented as they think they are and there are many more who really are not talented at all. One thing they all have in common though is the desire to do something in their lives and with their lives. They have ambition. Whether they will achieve what their hearts desire or not is irrelevant, they have made the effort and for many that is often enough but for a few it will be just a stepping stone perhaps to greater things. I think it is important to have ambition no matter how small and to have that attitude of mind that says ‘I am capable of greater things’. We none of us know what capabilities we have until we test ourselves and I am not just talking about singing I am talking about anything we might want to do. It may be starting a business or becoming self-employed rather than working for someone else, it may be starting a completely new career or venture, something often dreamed about but never pursued. Being satisfied with the minimum we are capable of to me means being lazy and not living our lives to the fullest. Many of course will be put off by nerves, the fear of failing but until that first step is made you cannot say that you will fail, in fact the opposite might be true. At the very least you will gain confidence in yourself and may even surprise yourself at what you can achieve if you try. When I started going to church I was very much a spectator during the proceedings. I ventured out into working with children because I had the interest but not the experience. I had the inclination but not the drive. I was surprised in my capability to work with children, something not as easy as you might think but I gave it a go and came out on top! That experience led me to learn playing a guitar, something I’d always wanted to do but never got around to doing. I am no professional and I know I could be much better, it takes time and is probably too late now for me to make giant strides but I improve daily. I should have followed my dreams when younger and who knows? I could have been a world-class player by now! The essence of what I am saying is this, if you have a dream, a desire, an ambition, go for it, be a ‘wannabee’ but don’t just be that, actually do it and surprise yourself, you won’t regret it! Don’t let time slip by and leave things until it is too late or you might grow old regretting not having had a go.
Shirley Anne
- Wannabee… (grincomic.wordpress.com)
- To dream the impossible dream… (thegoldenheart.wordpress.com)
- Don’t Be So Quick to Knock T. V. Talent Shows. (shootthescribe.wordpress.com)
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Like Loading...
Posted in Ability, Ambition | Tagged: Ability, Ambition, Britain's Got Talent, Capability, Desire, Talent show, Voice UK, X Factor | Leave a Comment »
