Brian Snellgrove's personal diary

I recently had a disagreement with a customer, the first in 50 years gardening, but they took me to the small claims court for and over payment which of course I disputed. I received the summons 3 days after I had completed the job to the apparent satisfaction of the customer but during that time she turned on me with the assistance of someone else in her family. On Tuesday we had a mediation session and although the other side were lying through their back teeth and insisted on taking me to court I negotiated the sum of the claim by 50% and reached agreement.

So they settled for £150 which I felt I did not owe but I decided not prolong the agony and wait a few months for the case to come up. Having something hanging in the air is detrimental for peace of mind; it is just not worth it. There was no question that the relation of my customer was a nasty piece of work and I felt dehumanized by the whole thing but there comes a time when you have to just wash your hands of things and move on. Insofar as they abused me they will have to pay the price as there is always a bounce back. As it says in the Bible, you reap what you sow, so I will leave it to the universe to sort out. As some would say ‘karma is a bitch’.

It may be worth a mention about mediation. This is part of the small claims court, a free service to avoid escalation of costs. If you appear in court in front of a judge you have to bear your own costs and who wants that? The mediator, a very nice Indian lady was very patient and supportive. She called the the plaintive and then she called me and acted as a negotiator.

This happened over a 1-hour period by phone. It was such a relief not to have direct confrontation with the other party. After agreement has been reached both parties have to agree that it was a full and final settlement so that was a great closure for me.

Lesson – people can be perfectly nice but turn on a sixpence and become another character entirely. Maybe I am too trusting. Anyway my integrity was not compromised but my pride hurt. This will pass.

Pre-Birth Experience, Life Before Incarnation & Why We Come to Earth with Christian Sundberg | NLS. Some people have such friendly voices. This chap is talking about the value of love.  Just enjoy it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RMTk6-QpSc&t=1480s

This morning I went to my Vineyard group in Radstock. There were about 20 adults and six children. It is held in a Methodist church. Today was the first Sunday of the month and instead of a service we do ‘good works’ in the area.  Some went off to Wells to do some gardening and painting. We stayed and cleaned the hall. Washing, brushing, vacuum cleaning (Thank you Henry vacuum machines).  I did the vacuuming. It was very satisfying and I found myself feeling more like ‘owning’ the premises.

I realize I take a clean building for granted and of course they do not clean themselves. I had a good talk with a fellow worker from South Africa who left there 30 years ago. She was not so worried about the fare but the cost of staying. As a guest you are supposed to buy shopping and take them out for meals.  Such are the effects of inflation in South Africa.  The Rand is still 20 to the pound but a rand buys far less than when I was there 8 years ago. Hotels cost from £60 per night but typically £100 plus

Imbolc or Imbolg, also called Saint Brigid’s Day, is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians, it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland’s patroness saint. It is held on 1 February, which is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

Just in case you did not know

So, off to Glastonbury (where else) for the celebration. We went early and spent an hour going round the Somerset Museum of Rural Life. It is very well done and worth an hour of anyone’s time.  I object to paying £3.30 for a latte coffee, as I objected to paying £1.45 for a Wetherspoons coffee. Once it was £0.99, then it went to up £1.15, then to £1.25 then to £1.45.  I ask myself – why?   I know thatg energy charges are through the roof. A well known pub was paying £40k for gas and electricity. From April it will b e £120.000. How is anyone going to find that sort of money? £10 per pint? I don’t think so.

We arrived at Chalice Well at 11.30. I had a delicious vegan pizza and a large mug of coffee. The celebrations started at midday. There were three performers and this time they used a loud speaker so the assembled crowd round the well of maybe 150 people could hear without straining their ears.

The talk was about the importance of love as the carrier vibration and being ‘co-creative’ when you engage with another human being. That was my takeaway message.   I had three great conversations, one of which was with a person who was doing a grounding dance in bare feet. Lovely. We engaged. She had been waiting at the age of 38 for a partner who had not turned up yet.  I suggested she stops trying to run the universe and just enjoy herself.

Another long talk with an American New Yorker called Raven. She had a felt pixie hat which was perfect for her.  I did a psychic reading on her ex partner and her current partner.  She turned out to be a Reiki Master so knew a thing or two about energies.  She divides her time between NY and Glastonbury.

To the town for our usual fix of health food.  We drove back via Shepton Mallet and visited Aldi for a bit of impulse shopping.

A great day. The weather held off. It was about 10 degrees C without much wind.    Ideal and not bad for February.

As a Christian I have strong views on the Second Coming of Jesus. For any  person who is also interested I am making this one of my posts and will add to it from time to time as I come across sources of information, mainly in the form of videos. See the Book of Revelation, especially Chapter 13. Tho Timothy chapter 2.

What Happens Before The Mark is Enforced (Antichrist vs. The Two Witnesses)  17:28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2RsMrEg65s

I recently joined a branch of the vine Yard Church in Bath. Meetings take place in a disused Methodist Church in Paulton but recently I went along to a home meeting being a small village about 5 miles from Midsomer Norton. We met on Tuesday. There were eight of us and we met the house of Drew and Tally. The meetings open with prayer and meditation and then someone reads from the Bible and we discuss it but there is also time for exchange of information on personal matters.

I also attend All Saints Church in Paulton but I admit I don’t like the style of the services and go to Tuesday morning coffee as often as I can and I enjoy the simple and sincere fellowship from the other people. I have also joined St John’s in Midsomer Norton. It is a bit on the high church side but there is something comforting to me about early morning Communion at 8am when I can set the tone of the day in peace and quiet.

In accordance with our quest to visit places we have never been to,  we took the 9.10am  379 bus to Bristol and then a local bus to Nailsea.  The morning was very foggy, so much so that from the buses we could see very little.

Nailsea is a small residential town with a population of about 20,000. It is unremarkable save for the town centre – surely built in the 1960’s where the usual variety of shops, banks, a post office, coffee bars.

What stood out was a very fine vegetable shop – less a shop more an inside stall – full of difficult to get hold of vegetables even in Bath. The prices were good.   We bought 3 avocados for £1 and various exotic vegetables. The young man in charge was so proud of his stock and we enjoyed being served by him.

We followed this by a visit to Wetherspoons, where we feasted on fish and chips. My goodness the fish was fresh. A bit of a lengthy wait, about 15 minutes, but that shows how spoiled I am with the service here in Midsomer Norton.  The price was £16.59 including a tea for Francoise and a glass of white wine (175 cl) for me.  Satisfaction all round.

Understand that Saturday and young children go together.  They make a noise. That is part of a family outing. Put up with it and smile.

Back to Bristol and then home. The fog had come down again so again, in the fading light, nothing much to see.

An unsophisticated day but a pleasure nevertheless.

Today was pleasant, for a change, and the sky was blue. Many roads round here are flooded mainly due to rainwater running off the fields. Originally we planned to take advantage of the weather and visit Ebbor Gorge National Nature Reserve.

Due to very poor sign posting we missed the turning and continued on to Easton, then to Wedmore, and then for some reason to Burnham on Sea. This is not one of the most attractive locations on the south west coast however we thought ‘ why not’

We turned up at a windswept and cloudy esplanade. After some difficulty finding a car space we walked along behind the very high concrete barriers – obviously to deter the more violent waves which they are the recipients of. The tide was out. Mud prevailed and you would not want to attempt to walk out on the sands which are more like quicksand in parts.  In the distance we saw Hinkley Point, the nuclear generating station. We visited the amusement arcade, mainly because we needed to use the facilities. The magnetic fields were high and we did not feel well.

We walked down the high street and met a delightful couple who ran a charity shop to support their Wildlife Rescue venture. It was called Secret World Wildlife Rescue.  As we showed genuine interest they warmed to us and we engaged in a long conversation including why pheasants stand in the road and look at you rather than escape. We make it a rule to talk to shop workers as if they were human beings not functionaries. Our openness was richly rewarded.

We then went to a ‘cash only’ cafe, well done. Francoise has a  very generous shrimp sandwich with salad. I had an apple pie with custard.  With tea and a latte it came to £12.50.  The conditions outside were about as bad as they could be but the atmosphere inside was welcoming.

No way could we say that the visit was spectacular but there is something homely about such places. We returned home in the dusk. The drive was 55 mins 28.1 miles with very little traffic.   A nice little jolly. Back for tea with vegeburgers and fish pie.

Hover boring the place there are always nice people to be found.

There are times when we just have to get out of the house, much as we like it. It had been raining on and off for the past 12 hours and we decided to have a wild walk and so we togged up in our water proofs and off we went. Wellow is a fairly snooty little village about 7 miles way. Off we went and our first stop was the ford, where we found that the road was 5 feet under water, and was the water moving. Yes sir! as they say.

Next to the horse stables. We had a cup of tea and coffee and some sausage rolls, then off down the old rail track to Bath (now a walking route)

There was the odd cyclist and dog walker but for the most part we were on our own.  It was lovely to hear only the sound of the wind in the trees and at times the rain on our faces.   It’s a great incentive to be part of nature and turn off the brain. You could call it a free therapy session. Nature has been around before human kind appeared on the earth and will no doubt be around after we blow ourselves up or all die of a mysterious virus. We returned home to a very good pizza which Francoise cooked.

We watched more of the Harry saga. He seems a lost person. How could anyone self destruct so effortlessly.  His worst mistake was saying that he killed 25 Taliban. It is just ‘not done’ and goes against all protocol. Should he attend the coronation of Charles III?  A lot can happen in four months.

I am a great enthusiast for Near Death Experiences.  The one below is particularly good. I love it when people tell it as it is and no matter how untidy the authenticity shines through. Have a watch.

It must have been something I ate.  Yes, I bought a pie from the local butchers. I assumed it was fresh but results showed otherwise.  Within hours I started getting pain in my lower stomach.  It was a new type of sharp pain. From time to time I got electric shocks between my legs.

It was a few more hours before I realized I had good old fashioned diarrhea. Frequent visit to the loo without much to show for it. Pain and bloating.  This is the body’s way of complaining.

This was Saturday.  Most of the night was spent watching GBNews, back to bed for a bit, pacing around, more TV. I could not focus enough to read a book. All the energy seemed to drain away. I found I was stumbling around and falling in to things. I did not switch on my computer Sunday. Unheard of.

Francoise gave me some homeopathy. | realised I had to sweat it out. I sat in my armchair, ‘doing’ nothing and letting the body get on with it. Our immune system has been working for us since time immemorial. I avoided eating and stuck to water, a few sips on a regular basis.

Now as I sit here typing , normality and energy has returned and I feel more ‘me’. I must give thanks for health and strength. Must go easy on the coffee and the alcohol.

If you believe in quantum entanglement then we are all one or as St Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians. The full verse is “Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each to his neighbour, for we are members one of another” (Eph 4:25).   Pope Francis had quite a lot to say on this.

I do not necessarily think about this every day but I act on it every day. When I am out and about I look forward to making an observation, cracking a joke, passing the time of day with as many people as present the slightest interest.

Today the skies were blue so off we went about 11 am. We like walking along the old railway track (thank you Dr. Beeching) between Midsomer Norton and Frome.  There are always people walking their dogs, taking brisk exercise, standing in groups and chatting.

We parked up by one of the bridges near Mells. There was a small group talking. I went up to them and told them they looked conspiratorial. They liked that and said they had finished their walk and were just de-briefing . One of the men commented about my Volvo. He had been a fan of them and his own had done over 250,000 miles. We had a mutual admiration session about how wise we were to buy one. We discussed the size of the boot (trunk to my American readers)  and also complained about the drinking of petrol.

We met two Irish people who lived in Bath. They were doing a brisk circular walk. We discussed the quality of the local pub in Mells.  I teased them that their walking was just an athletic pub crawl.

I noted that the stream which runs along the rail line had received the attention of badgers as there was a dam. If there is one thing I like and that is unblocking such dams especially in rural and country places.  I duly set to work.  I have never really transcended my love of the elements particularly fire and water. I have played with water all my life.

I wish cyclists would all have  bells. Francoise nearly got run over by a cyclist who was going at a fair speed. She was just one step away from a visit to the hospital and who wants this at such a time of strikes .

The sun’s rays were brilliant- curiously for a day so near mid winter – and the sharpness of their rays threw the tree branches into sharp relief.

And so to home and a late lunch.  Mostly warmed up food from Christmas and another bottle of champagne. Will I ever get used to wine again?

How many thousands of interviews have I listened to and watched over the last …. years. Some are riveting, others turn me off at a rate of knots.

Folks PLEASE do some research beforehand so your interviewee can have confidence in you.  Bad manners – most interviewers cannot resist interposing their own views, interrupting the speaker and not listening. The most irritating are those who try to show that they know a lot about the subject, maybe even more than the unfortunate interviewee. You cannot be the interviewer and the interviewee at the same time.

The job of the interviewer is to put themselves in the shoes of the listener. If there are implications then its up to him to say ‘are you saying that….  etc.’ This enables an important point to the hammered home to the audience without an obvious repetition.

Someone familiar with their material will tend to say something ambiguous, or use technical terms which the audience are unfamiliar with. This should be picked up and the interviewer should say something like …for those not familiar with the subject…… what does so and so mean.

The interviewer should LISTEN and espouse the speaker, watching out and assisting in times of difficulty. Many brilliant people are not trained speakers and sometimes, their work needs to be ‘unpacked’ and laid out in a simple way.   It could be seen as a game of tennis. The interviewer returns the ball with a spin on it.   The interviewee sees things in a slightly new light and explains it – perhaps for the first time – in a new way.

The interviewer should not bully or ridicule the guest otherwise the audience will take the sides of the guest. Better to let someone crucify themselves. Let the audience be the judge.

If the interviewer is on TV or ZOOM and has visual material then do a practice run beforehand. Questions like ‘can you see this’ or ‘just hold on while I sort out this glitch’ are not professional.

Is it really so important that the interviewer covers all the questions on his list.  Try to go with the flow and imagine the whole like composing a piece of music.  Introduction – main theme – variation – finale – maybe a coda.
Its all music at its core

A phrase I like is ‘you don’t know what you know until you tell someone’. A talk can be equally beneficial for the interviewer, the interviewee and the audience.

NB A few deep breaths before, a glass of water during.

Happy New Year everyone.  The period between Christmas and New year has traditionally been the time when I can take refuge and no one expects me to be in or responsive. I can choose my contact methods, whom I respond to and how long a lie in bed I have in the morning.   I could have gone abroad for a week but in my view you need the best part of a week to acclimatize to being somewhere else. The idea of queues at airports appalls me but thank you Army for stepping in and filling the gap after the Border Farce strike.

The ideal holiday would be three weeks (Holy Day > holiday – get it?). The first week is for adjustment and casting off the everyday habits, the second week to deep dive into the vacation and the third week to slowly adjust to returning. I am a great believer in not being too ambitious on vacation as you can end up arriving home more exhausted than when you started. This applies particularly to package holidays where you spend one or two nights in one place and move on.  This inevitably involve early starts.

I had my pheasant for Christmas lunch. I slightly under-cooked it but made up for it by making a stew the following day.  Yummy with onions and carrots.  I bought a wonderful Christmas cake locally, It was £10. That with warm mince pies,  custard and single cream! What a glutton I am.

We watched a small amount of TV. I mainly watch GBNews these days. We spent our time snoozing or reading or watching videos.  We have no family near so we had no obligations in this direction.  I do love the peace and quiet.  Thank goodness we are both independent souls; we can sit in our rooms and work the computers to our hearts content.

Tonight we shall stay up till midnight and watch the first London firework displays for two years. There will probably be the odd glass of champagne consumed.

So today is the winter solstice whereby tradition we go to chalice well in Wells. This time there were many people there, about 200 I would say, and at midday we all gathered round the well itself which had been dressed first thing in the morning with the most beautiful flowers and with the greatest amount of love.

I wish all the world was like chalice gardens. You can speak to anyone else without introduction. That is the way things are. You can share whatever be as you like but hopefully you will err on the peaceful side as people are rather sick of things like covid, 5G and Putin. I admit not to like it if there are too many people. I prefer to visit when the population is sparse.

We went with two friends from Bath on our traditional walk down the High Street not forgetting to go to Burns the Bread for sausage roll, various cakes and the most lovely coffee. We went to the goddess centre but found that to be in the same room as an icon would cost £25 plus a donation so we passed on that one. Whose idea that was? Not very wise and two greedy.

We were in Glastonbury from 11 in the morning until about 3:30. Blue sky throughout. At the start of the tour we went to see the museum of Rural Life where the current theme was working horses. I recommend this museum for high quality presentation. The annual cost of admission is £6.25 which means that once you’ve gone in you get a pass for going in for the whole year which must be one of the best bargains around. My only objection is the overpriced coffee at £3.30 for a latte.

Glastonbury is never the same no matter how many times you go. I met a chap in the High Street who was talking about Mark Passio. a lecturer in esoteric things. We visited the church of St John; there were about 24 Christmas trees inside, each one paid for by a different organisation. This is an open church where paganism and Christianity are equally accepted.

I found this article under a message from an Arcturian Council source via https://goldenageofgaia.com/2022/11/29/the-9d-arcturian-council-through-daniel-scranton-why-most-romantic-relationships-dont-last/

I am reproducing it in full as it is so novel and so good.

https://tinyurl.com/bdd8uwsb

“Greetings. We are the Arcturian Council. We are pleased to connect with all of you.

We are giving ourselves everything that we need in order to be the best versions of ourselves for all of you and all of the other beings that we are helping in this universe of ours. We do not hold back when it comes to giving ourselves the love and compassion that we enjoy receiving so much from others.

One of the greatest secrets that you are not taught in schools or in religions is that if you want others to treat you a certain way, then you must first treat yourselves the way that you want to be treated.

This is the golden rule, part two that we are talking about. Yes, you want to treat others the way you would love to be treated, but you also have to treat yourself the way you want others to treat you.

The universe is a gigantic mirror, and it always reveals to you what’s going on inside of you, rather than what you want the world to think or see. Whatever you want others to think and say about you, please think those thoughts and say those things to yourselves. Tell the universe, and show the universe, what you want to see reflected back to you from your fellow humans.

You have so much more to give others when you first feel whole and complete in yourselves. This is the key reason why most relationships that are romantic in nature do not work out or do not last until death do you part.

It is because at least one of the individuals in the relationship is looking to the other to give them something that they’ve never been able to give themselves. And at first, it is easy for the other person to do that, but eventually, they will get caught up in other aspects of life and forget to give their partner what the partner needs and wants. And that is usually when the relationship fizzles out.

But if you make the way you relate to yourself a priority, then there is no end to the amount of love, praise, and adoration you can receive from your fellow humans.

This is something we would love to see being taught in your public school systems, but sadly, it is not even spoken about in the curriculum. And most of you have to wait until you are adults to realize what has been missing from your lives for decades.

We are here to give you permission to give yourselves everything that you want and need from your fellow humans, and let everyone else off the hook, for now. Just trust that they will start to reflect to you that self-love that you will dedicate yourselves to from this point forward in your lives.

We are the Arcturian Council, and we have enjoyed connecting with you.”

end

It remind me that being viewed from a higher perspective enables clearer and more nuanced thought. – Brian

Just occasionally things conspire together to make a day as near perfect as I could hope for.  We were supposed to pick up our hire car yesterday Monday in order to have our beloved older Volvo repaired. The previous user of the courtesy car had not appeared at the garage until late last night, so we had to go today.

As it happened the weather was warm(ish) for the time of year and the skies were clear.  We avoided driving to Chippenham via Bath and went by the highways and byways, stopping off at Frome. We did our shopping at Lidl, then went to order some paint from B and Q.   The paint is made to our specification, one out of 2.4 million colours.  The server, Nigel, was one of the old fashioned types who gave service. We ordered a trial tin of paint for £4 so we could see that the colour was exactly right. He painted an area on card and blow dried it for us to approve. The 2.5 litre product was around £30 but it seemed worth every penny due to its resilience to abuse (children and animals).

I popped in to Frome station wanting to use the loo. For some reason you have to ask for a key from the booking office. That’s impossible when the office is unmanned which is most of the time. I noticed trains to Worcester and to Weymouth. We could try that one day.

We then went to ASDA, filled up with cheap petrol, then went round the store. Always something to tempt the eye. I had a chicken breast for 99p. It was a great filler up for lunch.

Off we went to the Volvo store. I arrived at 12.04 having said I would arrive by 12.00. Chris Fortt the service manager teased me. We have built up a great relationship during the last months and I look forward to going.

We were introduced to our new Volvo courtesy car. It was half way between my old 2003 volvo and the space age cars that we see these days. There is no need for a car key to star the engine. You press down the clutch and press the start/stop button and there you go.  The drive was very smooth. It used 29 mpg as opposed to 23 mpg for my old Volvo but then it is only 1600 cc’s.

We drove to Bath for Francoise to pick up her French ID card.  The Francis hotel where the French consulaire has meetings is a lovely traditional establishment that does afternoon tea. The rates are quite reasonable for a snobby place like Bath (£119 p.n. excluding breakfast but rates vary).

Off to the Victoria Art Gallery where there was an exhibition of work by Peter Brown: Bath, City and Beyond. This is a prolific artist who paints works at one sitting. They were so realistic I almost felt I could walk in to the street scenes. Particularly brilliant were the wet pavements and sidewalks.  The whole was uplifting. It is clear that this artist only has one style but he is very good at it.

We then went to have a glass of mulled wine at a restaurant just by the Cathedral followed by a visit to Morrison’s where I bought a small salad buffet for £3.25.  That was quite a filler. Amazing how much you can stuff into a plastic container.

Night was falling and we took the park and ride bus to Odd Down where we had parked our car.  The evening sky was a spectacular red surrounded by dark clouds. It reminded me of the gateway to hell or what I imagine to be such a thing. But it was beautiful as well.

Back home for a glass of bubbly and a light meal. Watched the football Portugal vs Switzerland. 5:1  and a great Ronaldo support act.

We enjoyed speaking to many people. I love bringing a smile to the face of a stranger. I have become more bold as I realize that people actually like to be talked to but you have to have the right motive otherwise they will feel uneasy.  It is easier when I am with my wife but when I am alone I can still achieve a positive result (people being willing to engage with me).

I actually managed to relax and forget the serious things of the world. Of course they run in the background.

Telegram have changed their rules and my Covid material, as they are republishing and containing images have been blocked. No asking. They just do it. Money exchanges hands, or it it a threat, or what. We shall never know.

And so to bed.

So much has happened recently that when the evening comes I don’t have the energy or the ‘ooomph’ to write it down. Today Monday we have the Town Carnival, commencing at 19.30 where an assortment of lorries sponsored by various firms trundle up the High Street.

Today I drafted a letter to the Town Council about their conduct at our allotment AGM last Monday. I had written a 5 page report and found out from their lack of questions or comments that they had not even read it.  That really annoys me. I shall show it to other allotmenteers before sending it.

I am having half a day off from Covid but I read a really communicable report on the effect of mRNA proteins. It was a joy to read a simple explanation which does not talk down to people.

Dr Ryan Cole has spoken out on the issue of the dangers of the mRNA spike proteins many times before, but believes that the evidence is even stronger now, producing blood clotting, hear conditions, and even cancer. Here is the root of the problem: “[In] normal mRNA, you have cells making messages all day long … mRNA is generally broken down within minutes to maybe an hour or two. mRNA should not persist. … “But when you put this synthetic pseudouridine [in your body],” said Cole. “The body doesn’t know what to do with it, and it looks at it and says, ‘Hmm, I don’t know what to do. So I’m not going to break it down.’ And so it evades that breakdown process, and it also evades an immune response. But it also turns down our immune system, which is not a good thing because other things—cancers, viruses—get to wake up.” And, the rest is statistics as seen in VAERS.

 https://www.theepochtimes.com/mrna-vaccines-produce-persisting-spike-protein-likely-causing-clots-heart-inflammations-cancers-dr-ryan-cole_4407193.html

This afternoon I was visited by a friend whose son had been subject to depressions. It happened after they visited a haunted house. The son went to a shaman here in Bath and she discovered certain detritus which had spread from now deceased grandfather who lived there. The shaman managed to remove the detritus and – so far so good – the symptoms have eased.

I am speaking later this week to a web designer about a remote view/ healing site which I want to use as a re-launch vehicle for my work. I have had many disappointments with a site. People read it but they do not take action. I do not think I am writing from their point of view.

Gardening is starting to require too much energy from me so I need something more sedentary.

Last Saturday we did two gardening jobs.  Due to the weather we have not been active for some time so it was good to get out there in the comparatively warm weather with lovely blue sky. Afterwards we went to my favorite tea room in Chewton Mendip. We had two lasagnas for main course accompanied by elderberry cordial followed by generous chocolate cake slices and coffee. That took all the money from the second small job but we had a lovely relaxing time followed by a drive back home again under a blue sky.  No chem trails today.I wonder why. There was little if any wind.

We need gardening to defray the ever increasing utility bills. Council tax £205 pm, gas and electricity just over £100 and that’s with a rebate, Sky TV and internet £66, car tax £31.50, water £29.50.  So that’s over £400 on a good day.  However a couple of jobs per week will more than cover it. I just have to get out there and find lighter jobs which older people are glad to have done for them and which I can do without straining my body.

For some reason neither of us is sleeping well. I go to bed not really tired. Maybe I have to stop watching TV at an earlier hour and read a book. I did not lose consciousness at all last evening.

More madness from the Just Stop Oil people. The police are pathetic, just standing around watching someone climb on a gantry on the M25. I wonder how the protestors got there. Surely not in their cars. In China they would have been imprisoned in a blink of an eye.

So UK is paying France £60m to better control the stream of thugs and drug dealers from Albania that are coming over, conveniently traveling through Europe and arriving at the land of milk and honey with the promise of well paid jobs. They are entertained at our expense £7m a DAY. What about our own poor and needy?

As a result of our house having a Feng Shui examination (see previous) we now have a spot lit Buddha in our back garden to balance the Chi.  The finer points escape me but I do feel well.

Today I am in full work mode. I love this Doctor; irrespective of subject matter, his attitude is a role model for anything in the scientific or indeed the humanities field. Do watch this interview and watch how he comports himself.

His faith involves three elements. Be compassionate, rejoice for others, stay in the middle i.e. don’t be extreme. So simple and yet so key.

Monday evening is the time I must make a report to the Town Council on the topic of our local allotments of which I am the chair. The last 203 years have seen much battering of the human spirit and I have shown that in spite of all, progress has been made and we have raised the bar on performance and user friendliness. It is quite unusual for Allotment Associations to have their own websites so without realizing it, we are managing to achieve standards that few others care to match.

Today started cloudless and warm. I had my eye appointment this morning so I was sat a couple of hours on buses. I had the quickest ever ‘in out’ experience. My appointment was 11.am.  I entered the ward at 10.50 am, was tested at 10.55, entered the theatre at 11.00 and left after the procedure at 11.05.  I celebrated by having a lunch of fish, chips and mushy potatoes followed by custard and chocolate pudding yum yum.

A couple of weeks ago we had our house Feng Shui examined. I did this in preparation for a forthcoming attempt to re-launch my healing and diagnostic services. It was necessary to balance the house by placing a statue in the rear of the property, and also making a path of paving stones in the front garden.  We went to the Hillier Garden Centre in Cheddar and bought seven large slate-like paving stones and . just for good measure, five more goldfish to add to our five in the pool in our back garden.

With regard to the current world chaos, if anyone is interested, the bad and evil people who run the world will I believe destroy themselves by a process culminating in a world-wise collapse starting April 2024 and finishing August 2024. Meanwhile they will throw everything at us. Many people are dying and will die. It is a clumsy attempt by a group of psychopaths to destroy the human being and replace us with a form of being controlled by Artificial intelligence or ‘AI’

I know it is grim stuff but the only way to avoid fear (and the ability of others to make us frightened) is to know what is going on and why.

My stomach continues with its ups and downs but if I refrain from sugar and alcohol and eat food slowly my stomach is maintained in a quiescent state.

I type to the sound of fireworks. It is only 4th November but the forecast for tomorrow is not good so some have chosen to have their parties one night prior. A wise move because there is no wind and no rain.

I came across this during one of my many wanderings through sites related to Covid. We are supposed to – and were once – an embodiment of light. We are now harbingers of doom in so far as we do not respect our humanity and unique soul ‘made in the image of God’. I love these sorts of memes.

Today I had a chat with my vicar, Rev. Adam Pitt, of All Saints Church, Paulton at the regular coffee morning that I attend Tuesdays. We do not see eye to eye on everything but I suddenly thought of us talking and wondered about the difference between talking and speaking. This led to a good discussion which I said I would follow up.

This is the email I just sent to him:

Talking – to exchange thoughts and opinions. covers a wide variety of methodology

Speaking – to convey information in a formal way, I must speak to x about Y – more one way?

Speaking up – either more volume or becoming courageous or outspoken

Having a word with – also to convey information, to give advice, to keep informed

Having words with – to reprimand or chastise with an element of anger attached. ‘They had words’

An address – to aim, to guide, to direct in a formal or old-fashioned way. ‘He addressed the group’

Having a chat – informal, passing the time, includes gossip

An oration – a formal speech made in public

A eulogy – speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something

Airing – getting something off your chest, raising a problem that may have been hidden

Ventilating or voicing – expressing an inner situation that may be troubling

Spouting – to utter a great volume of material, but not necessarily coherent or correct

Blabbering, Jabbering – constant talking without discipline or entertaining another view

Gossiping – to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature

I am now pondering about how much of each I do in my daily life.

This morning I received a Government notification of the possibility of power cuts. They are supposed to be rotating, and last for three hours. You know which area you are in through the code on your electricity bill (though I have yet to test this out). It looks like cuts in January and February, as we had not enough to worry about.

Finally in this miscellany, listen to Martha Argerich, playing piano at around the age of 80. How does she manage. You think YOU are old?

We have invited a Feng Shui consultant to visit us later on this month. I want everything in our home to be harmonious as we move to the next phase of our development.

I have today written to the subscribers of my covid website that I shall no longer be adding information on a daily basis. Readers have a choice of reading over 15,000 entries which themselves lead to an average of four time that number and between them they reach into every corner of the ghastly corrupt world of Covid.

I told my readers that if they did not ‘get it’ by now there was nothing more I could do. The main object of Covid is to act as a frightener to bringing on the NWO New World Order where the planet as we know it is being destroyed deliberately yes you heard that right.  Mass starvation will be the order of the day and many millions will die.

An example of the dystopian scenario is an interview with Mike Adams and the founder of EngineeringWatch.org. Here it is.

Advice given by Dr Fuellmich is that we should be happy and aware. Instead of complying we should resist.  I intend to have a full and happy time in winter. Amazing how sure the main stream media is that we are going to have a cold winter. Maybe they know something that we do not. I would like to build up a consultancy business to assist those who are frightened and disorientated but until we have the right formula I shall not proceed. Meanwhile I have a stack of books I want to read.

I am fascinated by accounts of NDE’s, near death experiences. They show how transitory this world is and how there is no escape from your actions and indeed your thoughts. I watched one where the landscape was so luminescent that each blade of grass was said to have its own music and its own distinctive smell. In a way I cannot wait to pass over but I know that many are sent back as they have to finish their tasks agreed and given for this life.  I do not feel, at 78, that I have finished – by a long chalk.

Last Thursday we visited a Crafters show in the Bath and West showgrounds south of Shepton Mallet. I went mainly for Francoise but it was interesting to see an alternative world of greatly skilled people working their craft. So many types – needle work, crochet, embroidery, printing, weaving etc. Let’s hope these therapeutic crafts stay alive.

For the winter I am making arrangements for a ‘sitting round the fire’ event at our home, either inside or outside weather permitting.  ‘Down’ days like we all have can be worse in the cold and frost.  The main thing that is important to me, at the end of the day, is making a difference to the life of others even if its in a small way. I wonder if there is any such thing as a ‘small’ way. You have either given support or you have not.

Most people don’t use imagine-ation when writing a piece. This writer, Lisa Loraine Baker,  has the talent of putting the reader in the picture and I read this thorough whilst being side tracked from something complete different.
I reproduce it in full.

Can you imagine what it felt like to face a Roman death penalty in the early first century? The Romans, masters of cruelty, didn’t give a prisoner a choice of how they wished to face their demise. Criminals either had their heads taken off, were thrown from a great elevation, strangled, killed by a beast, drowned, buried alive, impaled, or crucified. All were brutal, and only beheading was quick.

Imagine again what it would have been like to have been the thief on the cross, crucified alongside Jesus Christ, hearing the large crowd of mockers spewing venom at Him, and seeing Him die, knowing your death is soon to come.

Who Was the Thief on the Cross?

For the purpose of this article, we will refer to the thief who repented.

The Bible does not give us a name or any other details about the thief — only that he was a criminal (or robber, depending on the version you read).

Luke 23:33 states, “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27 state the same. John 19:18 calls them “two others.”

What Did the Thief Experience?

The thief, himself being crucified (and therefore suffering a slow and painful death from asphyxiation), would have had a hard time breathing. Every inhalation came in anguish as he pushed himself up in order to gain a breath. Body weight pulled the thief down and made breathing extremely difficult. His heart and lungs would lose their functions due to blood loss from the wounds (from the flogging and pierced hands and feet). When killed this way, death was expected within twenty-four hours.

Once the legs faltered, the arms would bear their weight, and soon their shoulders would detach from their sockets. Yet, “Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:31-34).

We know the thief died a few feet from Jesus and woke that day knowing it was his last day on earth (implied).

What could the thief do but agonize, observe, and listen?

He:

– Witnessed and heard the mocking crowds.

– Would have heard Jesus speak to His disciple, John (John 19:25-27).

– Would have heard Jesus speak to His Father (Matthew 27:46, Luke 23:34, 46, John 19:28).

– Experienced the earthquake.

– Faced the darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour.

He also would have listened to the centurion and his cohorts say, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). Luke’s record states, “Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent’” (Luke 23:47)!

Mark 15:32b tells us, “Those who were crucified with him also reviled Him.” Matthew 27:44 also records their actions, “And the robbers who were crucified with Him also reviled Him in the same way.” From this record we see both thieves insulted Jesus.

How Does the Other Thief Being Crucified Respond to Jesus?

Luke 23:39-43 shares the conversations between Jesus and the two thieves. The one we learn is the unrepentant thief mimics what he obviously heard from the mocking crowd. Verse 39 says he “railed” at Jesus. He said, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39). We can infer from what he said he was not sincere in his retort, for the word used for His remark to Jesus (railed) means he hurled abuse at Him.

What Did the Thief Do?

The one we learn is the repentant thief admonished the other. We, on this side of Calvary, can surmise the thief took all the mocking of Jesus to heart. No matter their intent, the thief heard the crowd remind Jesus that He said He would “destroy the temple and raise it again in three days” (Matthew 27:40). He also overheard them say “if You are the Son of God…” (Matthew 27:40). The crowds also proclaimed He saved others (John 19: 42). And the mockers acknowledged He called Himself “the Son of God” (John 19:43). He heard about Jesus from the mockers. In essence, he heard the Gospel preached by them.

The thief, though, also heard precious prayers from Jesus to His Father. Jesus did not throw insults back at His revilers. Instead, He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Luke 23:46 records this: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this He breathed His last.”

With all of this probably in mind, he said to the other thief, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41).

He then said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Why Does Jesus Say the Thief Will be With Him in Paradise?

This is the gist of the whole interaction between Jesus and the thief. We must remember Jesus knows the hearts of men (Luke 9:47). The thief recognized his own wretched condition, as we read in Luke 23:41. Recognizing our sinful state is part of how God draws us to Him.

The penitent thief also asked the other thief if he feared God, knowing he too was condemned. We can infer from this the thief who spoke understood his consequence and feared God.

And then the thief displayed belief (faith) in and surrender to Jesus when he asked Him to remember him when He came into His kingdom.

Jesus’ reply to the thief was one of veracity and compassion. Veracity because Jesus said, “Truly.” Compassion because Jesus told the man that day he would be with Him in paradise. He gave the thief hope that He forgives a broken and contrite heart and this life is not all there is. The best is yet to come, for paradise is “the realm of the righteous dead awaiting the resurrection of the body.”

What Does This Mean for Us?

Entering paradise is not a matter of works; it is a matter of faith and repentance, two things we see in how the thief responded to what he saw and heard. He told the other thief they both deserved their penalty and, like them, we, too, deserve the death the other thief died.

But God. 

Romans 5:8 reads, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That penitent thief lived in the very moment Christ died for us. He, in effect, is eyewitness to Romans 5:8!

Burk Parsons said, “Jesus promised paradise to the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43) and He has promised it to us, too (Revelation 2:7).

What Does This Instance Teach Us about Faith?

God numbers our days, not us. Therefore, when we wake each morning, we don’t know if it’s our last day on earth. That thief did, and so did the Lord Jesus. But knowing Jesus and having surrendered our lives to Him in contrition and belief, we trust His sovereignty over our lives. The thief did not work for his salvation. He repented and believed. He had faith.

Faith is like a receptacle we hold in anticipation of what only God can do to fill it. The thief didn’t see paradise, but He trusted the One who would take him there. Hebrews chapter 11 is rightly called the “Hall of Faith.” The portrayals are those who looked forward to something they had yet to see and had assurance it would be all for which they hoped.

Acts 16:31 relates how Paul told the jailer he would be saved by believing in the Lord Jesus. Belief is trusting. Trust is faith.

Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

The thief could do nothing but listen. He listened to Jesus and to the mockers. And he heard enough to verify who Jesus is, God.

We have but to read this account of the thief on the cross to understand repentance and faith. Jesus would not have welcomed that man into paradise with Him if the thief had not humbled himself by admitting he was a sinner in need of Jesus. Admit you’re a sinner, repent, and have faith. Jesus was the thief’s only hope, and He’s our only hope, too, for in Him is life.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/AlessandroPhoto

I always follow my instincts when it comes to travel. I got the idea lat Friday that we should do a brief visit to Cardiff in Wales.   It is quite close to us. As the crow flies it is 32 miles but more like 55 miles by car. We debated whether to go by car or take a coach from Bristol. The latter would take door to door about 3 hours 30 minutes and would cost £32 return for two.  We decided to do the car option which took just over an hour.

We found an hotel, a Travelodge in the Cardiff Bay area.  See my long review on Trip Advisor.

I had totally underestimated the amount of time effort and money that had been invested in this town, the capital of Wales.  We visited on the way the Museum of Welsh Life. It is on a 110 acre area and gives a living and vivid account of what life was like in the old days.  We went round the formal exhibition halls then went round the gardens (huge and varied) then realized that we would need to visit again to take it all in.  This we did on the last morning after checking out.

The bay area has a modern opera house of beautiful design. The main area – the old town center – has a variety of markets and shopping centers. I totally recommend the old fashioned market. The shopping centers  I found soulless and we only stayed there a short time. In one of the markets I had what I can only call a gourmet meal
starters – mixed sea food with oil £3.45
Main course – lasagna  – one of the have have ever tasted £3.90
Sweet course – rhubarb and cherry cake – the best I have ever had  £2.70
For less than a tenner I was totally satisfied with beautifully cooked and presented food.  Well done all.

I find the Welsh people alert, intelligent and quick witted.  They remind me of Liverpudlians.  I engaged in many conversations with random strangers and enjoyed it enormously.

The weather was kind to us if a little breezy but for late September who is complaining.

Our energy readings conducted before and after showed a small improvement but really we need a couple of weeks aggressively doing nothing to fully charge our batteries.

This came up when I was on vacation in Cardiff

It’s a great role model if you know someone who is about to depart.

My Sunflower has blown away

Blazing Reader:

This is hardest email I’ve ever written.

My wife Nicole said when she passed she wanted to be in my arms with me chanting in her ear. On Tuesday night, at 11:30pm, it was as she wished.

Trouble viewing this photo? Click here.

As you may know, Nicole suffered from type-1 diabetes and end-stage renal failure. She has been on hemodialysis for the last twelve years. Most people only last seven years. On Friday, September 9th, after a year of preparation, she discontinued dialysis and chose to pass away at home with the assistance of a palliative care team.

By her ninth day sans dialysis, Sunday, September 18th, her breathing had become difficult, she was experiencing severe pain and she began morphine treatment. By Monday, she was unable to walk on her own. I, my son Jonah, and three friends took her for a 90-minute walk in a wheelchair around the lake near our home…

By Tuesday, she was too weak to even go out. Nonetheless, she was fully coherent,  talking and laughing.

Every night, around 8:30pm, we’d been having friends over to chant Vedic religious mantras with her. We usually don’t record these, but I felt the urge to. An MP3 of our final gathering is here.

At 10pm, after I got Nicole ready for bed, I told her this was the first day since she went off dialysis that I hadn’t cried. I told her that I finally accepted that she was indeed going to leave and that it was (probably) the right thing to do. She said she was clear her time had come. She had no fear. She had only been staying for Jonah and me. She asked me to forgive her for abandoning me. I told her there was nothing to forgive.

She told me to sleep in the living room, as her breathing was so loud the previous night it was hard for me to sleep. I left her with a sound bowl to bang if she needed me.

I said I would see her in the morning. She just smiled.

At 11:30pm, our son Jonah woke me to tell me Mama was calling for me.

I found her half out of bed, breathing heavily and covered in sweat, making gurgling noises. I lifted her up into a sitting position, and her head slumped forward, as the “death rattle” (which the nurses had warned me about) continued.

I just held her head up and against my neck as I hugged her as tight as I could , chanting OM (the Hindu sound or word for God) as she had asked me to do. It lasted for about two minutes or eternity, I’m not sure. It is the most horrific and beautiful moment of my life.

She thought she was a burden, but love doesn’t feel burdens. I must have told her I loved her so much a hundred times as my mind tried to accept what had happened. I thought she had another week at least. I thought she’d still change her mind. Jonah heard me crying. He came in and joined me.

I then carried her body to the living room, where she had had a hospital bed set up.  I lit candles and Jonah and I meditated and chanted at her side, in between a relentless flood of tears.

Her suffering was over. And it hurt so much.

All of Wednesday, friends from the community came to sit, pray and sing by her body. People kept on bringing roses and we surrounded her body with them…

She couldn’t bear her illnesses any longer — 43 years and four forms of life support (dialysis, insulin, blood transfusions and calcitriol injections) were enough. She said she knew her days were numbered and this was how she wanted to go, saying goodbye and surrounded by friends and having as spiritual a death as possible.

Our marriage was the happiest it had ever been. We’d grown so much together. And she had raised a wonderful young man, having home schooled him for fifteen years.

Every day since she went off dialysis I would ask if she was still sure this is what she wanted to do. She would say, “Yes, 95%.” She was at total peace with the decision. Ever since she decided to go, she’s been the happiest I’ve ever known her.I couldn’t bear it, and all her efforts to convince me I’d be better without her “draining me” and pushing me towards other people and activities. She said I needed more time to write and a wife who could do things. But I’d burn my novel if it would bring her back (in a body that wasn’t suffering).

She said when she was gone I’d feel relief. At first, all I felt was more sadness and regret than I thought possible. I didn’t know the heart could feel so much pain. Grief is the price of love, the cost of caring. I let her go because she asked me to, but this is the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. I can see how so much that has happened over the last year was her and God trying to make it possible for me let her go.
Still, Wednesday was mainly shock and tears. Thursday was hell and screams. Friday peace and reassurance.

And, now, I do feel relief. Not for me, but for her. I sense she is free, happy and active. No more coughing. No more insomnia. No more fatigue. No more racing heartbeat. No more nausea. No more headaches. No more painful dialysis sessions. No more low blood pressure. No more nerve pain. No more brain fog.

Everything went just as she wanted. She was so happy that final night, so at peace chanting and meditating with her friends and family, so grateful for everyone who came to say goodbye to her over the last weeks.

I love her so much. She was an amazing woman shouldering an incredible burden.

Please pray for her, me and my son my Sunflower takes her lone journey…

—John C. A. ManleyPS I’ll be sharing more in future posts about my wonderful wife and our twenty year journey together and this final experience with death. Until then, If you haven’t seen it yet, here is a tribute to Nicole that I published a couple weeks ago: My Red-Headed Sunflower.

PPS There will be a memorial service for Nicole on Saturday, October 15th. We’ll aim for a live web feed of the gathering, but, at the very least, will have a recording posted.

*******************************

This followed the next day

3 Surreal Signs From My Wife in Heaven

Blazing Reader:

As I wrote about yesterday, my wife of 19 years of marriage, passed away Tuesday night at 11:30pm in our home, after a lifetime suffering from type-1 diabetes and kidney failure…

Trouble viewing this photo? Click here.

Nicole had told my son and me she would send signs that she was okay after her passing. It seems she has kept her promise. She’s sent at least three clear signs.

1. Thunder: For the next day after her passing, The Weather Network had predicted blue skies. Instead, on Wednesday morning it began to pour… and thunder. We had three thunderstorms that day, after a summer with barely any (due to drought). Nicole loved thunderstorms. Many times this year, she had said she was waiting for a good thunderstorm. Now it feels as if she can make them happen.

2. “Mama”: Our son Jonah has always referred to Nicole as Mama. Amidst Wednesday’s thunderstorms, an email arrived in my inbox from cartoonist Bob Moran with the subject line “Mama.” I subscribe to Bob’s email list, where he releases his latest paintings several times a week. Inside this email was the following cartoon called “Mama”…

Just as Mama Nicole broke free from the cage and shackles of her broken body. Nicole had worked with a local shaman only weeks before, and believed her power animal was the bear. She also believed that upon passing she would be reunited with our late daughter Skye. Notice how the baby bear is surrounded by the sky?

3. Widow(ers): On Friday, Bob Moran sent out his next painting. At this point, I felt Nicole was just playing jokes on me…

Regardless of these outwards signs, since Friday, I’ve had a growing and overwhelming sense that she is happy, free and helping me, my son and the world in ways we can barely imagine.

—John C. A. ManleyPS My inbox now contains over 150 emails from readers sending their condolences. I appreciate these messages immensely and will respond to each as soon as I am able.

PPS If you missed the post detailing my wife’s death, you can read it here: My Sunflower has blown away. And here is a tribute to Nicole that I published a couple weeks ago: My Red-Headed Sunflower.
________

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(previous days will follow) We arrived home shortly after 11 p.m.  Door to Door 12 hours. And opened that door to the rather musty smell associated with properties that have not been ventilated for sometime.

Our journey from Dublin began at 11 am when we left our hostess’ house to be taken to Dublin Airport. Traffic was reasonable and we turned up at terminal 2 to and were duly dropped off. After some inquiries we found the area from which the bus was due to leave, so called Zone 20.  I noticed the complete absence of any signage including a timetable; the only one we found much later was in the main terminal. There was no official to ask. Everyone seeed to be on their mobile phones conducting their business from there.

According to a previous Google inquiry the next departure to Belfast was at 11:55. May be due to the fact that it was a public holiday recently announced, the Google information was slightly outdated. The next bus was actually an hour later at 12:55. We joined the queue only to be told that the bus was full and that I should go to Terminal 1 where there was a choice of two bus companies. We found the first of the companies to be told they were not taking bookings due to demand. Our plane was due to depart at at 18:45.  already it was 13.15 and we had a long way to go including a 2-hour coach journey. We went along to another company, the only other company actually. We had to wait in a standby queue and by a great miracle we were the last 2 people to be allowed on the bus. Packed it was.

Finally we were on our way through the Irish countryside. There is no question that there is more rain in Ireland than in UK and the fields were green and lovely to look upon. The boundary between South and Northern Ireland no longer exists but it is somewhere along the M1 motorway near Newry. The bus stopped off at 3 or 4 places and we arrived in the Belfast bus hub at about 15.30. Buses to the international airport – about 17 miles away from Belfast itself please note – leave every 30 minutes and we were able to get a seat without any difficulty. Francoise grabbed a roll which turned out to be largely inedible.  What do they use for bread?

Bearing in mind the exhausting and frustrating wait over over an hour “shuffling forward” at the airport security in Bristol on the way out we were dreading the same happening on the return journey but as it happened there was no queue and we passed security in a matter of minutes. Since I last flew, flight protocols have changed.  You show your QR code to a machine tube at the gate. You show the same QR code when you are boarding. Everyone had their mobile phones to do this. We were one of the few that had a paper print out.

Anyway, on arrival at Belfast International and passing through security we were greeted by a combination of a kitchen and a bar where for the first time whilst in Ireland I sampled a very generous single whisky (more like 40 cl than 25 cl) accompanied by a Guinness with its lovely fresh almost medicinal taste. We had finally made it by 4:45 p.m. And so had time for refreshments. Check in was at 18.15 but we were only told the departing Gate 10 minutes prior but in spite of that, the flight left on time and we had a very smooth journey back to Bristol. Lovely sights of the setting sun above the clouds.

This was when the journey became interesting. At the bus hub in Bristol airport there were no timetables largely I surmise because there were a number of different companies using this as a convenience stop. We did not know if there were going to be any changes due to the Queen’s funeral on that day although we knew it was going to be treated as a public holiday. We turned up at 19:30 just as a bus to Bath was drawing out – or trying to. The bus broke down about 100m from the start. We learned that through knocking on the window and asking the driver.

We had debated taking a taxi but discovered that the cost would be over £75. On balance we decided to wait to see if there was another bus that evening. Even on Google, it’s not possible to find a straightforward timetable so we guess there would be another bus and around about 20.30 and indeed another bus turned up. We get a discount for having a Freedom Pass so we paid £10 each. We arrived in Bath after a smooth journey and caught the 22:06 local bus which dropped us off a couple of streets away from where we live.

It could have been so much worse. If we had not by some magic found a bus to take us to Belfast we would not have caught the plane.  As for Bristol I have never spent a night at an airport but I would have considered it. I’m not going to pay big money for a few hours in a hotel. You don’t get away with less than a £150 for such a convenience. Next time we will be able to take the plane to Dublin itself as Francoise will hopefully have her passport.

We arrived surprisingly refreshed. A really enjoyed the change. I realize that it does not matter what I do when away. It is the change that is the therapy and the inspiration.

My over-riding pre-occupation  is watching the orchestrated destruction of our planet by various underhand and nefarious means. the plans have been going on since the agreement in Rio, Brazil, in 1992.  The latest and most under-estimated method is by geo-engineering. I am watching as  I type. The ‘one in 1000 years’ drought or ‘one in a thousand deluge’ can only happen by premeditation and the use of technology. If you think I am exaggerating, have a  look at Mike Adam’s interview with Dane Wigington of Geoengineeringwatch.org.

I went to Wetherspoons yesterday for breakfast. I find the style far from appetizing. there is no disguising the fact that it is production line stuff. I feel it is cooked without love.  The taste lingers in my stomach and it is not pleasant. Back to home cooking.

This morning I had a large piece of lamb’s liver which I diced and had with 2 eggs. That fills me up for the morning and indeed most of the afternoon. I am happy with two decent meals per day.

But enough!  This is the last day of the holidays for many. Back to school for the children. We went off to do some more blackberry picking. They are so fresh and sweet.  This evening we shall cook a blackberry and apple pie.

We are both physically tired so are looking forward to a short break. Destination and timing unconfirmed but it will happen.

Each year around the 7th of September there is a misty smell in the air which means that autumn has arrived. Off with the shorts. On with the long trousers. On with the jerseys. On with the central heating (if I can afford it)

Logistics- Thursday 25th August we departed from Bath by the 10 am 403 coach arriving London Victoria 1.20 pm.  There are various combinations of stops, some taking longer than others. Our stops were Box, Chippenham and Heathrow. Sunday 28th August we returned by the 6pm coach from Victoria Station arriving 9.02 pm just in time to catch the local bus to our stop, two streets away from our home.  The cost of the travel was £40 for us two.

Whilst in London I used my credit card (NB no need to buy transport tickets). There is a daily cap depending on the relevant travel zones so don’t worry about taking too many buses, tubes or trams or buses. You can check your expenditure on your bank app. if you have an android or similar phone.  Our Freedom Passes qualify us for free bus travel nation-wide.

We had not over-planned as I knew that ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ and sure enough this proved to be true.  We had two obligatory visits. One to my oldest friend Gregory where we meet in a restaurant, the other one was for Francoise to make an application for her french passport renewal. This duly took place at 12.00 on Friday. After that we were as free as a bird to do as we wished.

Haverstock Hill is  part of the very high end property market where you wont get a decent sized flat or house for under £600k. Houses advertised at £1.5m and up are commonplace.

It was a joy to be in the company of so many well off and positive people particularly men who were out enjoying themselves over the bank holiday weekend. This is something I miss very much. A part of me still resides in London but having said that I would not return to live there – unless I had a whole pile of money. Everyone is stressed – by everyone else.

Food – the prices are skyrocketing. It is common to pay £4.95 for a slice of cake.  Meals are very suspicious.  Some have gone to great lengths to make an ordinary dish sound attractive. I was offered Mexican street food with chicken, but the bits of chicken were so small they could barely be tasted.  It was wonderful to sit in the vastly expanded Brixton Market, justifiably world famous. A wonderful selection of fresh fish were offered at prices that we can only dream of locally. If there were less than 100 different nationalities represented I would be amazed.

The South Bank of London is as you would expect of the holiday weekend was full of stalls selling food. People were out enjoying themselves; very few people wore face coverings AKA masks.  We visited Somerset House on the north bank and had a go at the large wheel, about half the size of the London Eye on the South Bank.

It was great to get away from routine and enjoy London before further deterioration makes ‘life as we know it’ impossible. Remember folks, its by design.   As they say ‘prepare to meet thy God’