Ed and I have something of a dilemma, a relatively pleasant one.
We’re due to leave for Portugal at 3.00am tomorrow morning, so the dilemma is – do we go to bed for a very short time or stay up in our recliners?
Normally, I fall asleep in front of the television no problem, but will I do so tonight? It would be nice to snatch a couple of hours sleep before setting off for the airport (a two hour drive away.)
As I said, a pleasant dilemma!
Have a good weekend, and I’ll be back in a fortnight.
I can’t believe it’s a week since I last blogged! It shows either how busy life has been, or how lazy I am. I suspect the latter.
Youngest daughter rushed over from Belgium on Friday, appearing on the doorstep with three friends during the evening. Her furniture has been in store over here, and this was the weekend to collect it. The three of them crashed at ours for the night, then set off early next morning to pick up a van they’d hired, fill it with furniture, then drive it over to Belgium via the ferry from Dover.
Somehow it all worked out OK, don’t ask me how!
Meanwhile, Ed and I restored our home from looking like a bomb site, and started on lunch for the rest of the family; eldest daughter, husband and small granddaughter, and our son, all of whom arrived for coffee and the rest of the day.
After they went home, Ed and I slept!
Youngest daughter hasn’t been well since she got back, but went to see the doctor in Belgium and was impressed. She now has medication to sort her out, so I hope it does the trick. Can’t help worrying with her being so far away, but thank goodness for Skype!
On Sunday we’re off to Portugal for a fortnight, and are delighted to see that it’s already hot over there, with good weather forecast for next week at least. Can’t wait!
Went to a church coffee morning today and really enjoyed it. Went for the first time last year, and the contrast – for me – was marked. This year, I knew lots of people and lots of people knew me, and it felt like I was where I belonged. Important thing, this belonging, isn’t it? Makes life go round. Or something.
My son sent me this, and I thought of you!
A revelation with an Incredibly Big Message (IBM):
Well, you might have thought that you knew how the Internet started, but here’s the TRUE story ….
In ancient Israel , it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot.
And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg.
Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.
And she said unto Abraham, her husband: “Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent?”
And Abraham did look at her – as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said: “How, dear?”
And Dot replied: “I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price.
And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah’s Pony Stable (UPS).”
Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success.
Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.
To prevent neighbouring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew.
It was called Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures – Hebrew To The People (HTTP)
But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete himself inside Abraham’s drum and began to siphon off some of Abraham’s business.
But he was soon discovered, arrested and prosecuted – for insider trading.
And the young men did take to Dot Com’s trading as doth the greedy horse fly take to camel dung.
They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.
And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land.
And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates’ drumheads and drumsticks.
And Dot did say: “Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others.”
And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known. He said: “We need a name that reflects what we are.”
And Dot replied: “Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators.”
“YAHOO,” said Abraham.
And because it was Dot’s idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.
Abraham’s cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot’s drums to locate things around the countryside.
It soon became known as God’s Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE)
And that is how it all began, honest.
What have I done this week? I wish I could remember! The week has flown past and I have nothing to show for it – apart from fifteen pounds of marmalade. I did do that, completed it this morning.
What else? A couple of rounds of golf (one and a half, actually. Yesterday’s round was so slow, my partner and I gave in at the halfway stage and repaired for coffee. Much more fun.)
Oh, and I’ve started a small discussion group in the parish. Just a few of us wanting to explore the big issues of life, like forgiveness (should everyone be forgiven? Even those who have committed appalling atrocities?) And is there life after death and if so, what is it like? Next week we’re going to look at the position of women in the world and what influence the Bible has had on that. The group is quite lively, and I’m really enjoying it. It may metamorphose into a Lent group sometime in March.
What else have I done? A bit of retail therapy ready for our holiday in Portugal at the end of February, and a hair-do.
Another good week!
Ed and I had a theatre outing this week. Months ago in a moment of madness, I booked tickets for “Hairspray”, a musical which had apparently had rave reviews, but as the time drew nearer, I grew increasingly anxious.
I had this horrible feeling that it would be very loud and something like a modern rock opera (I loved “Jesus Christ Superstar”, but was about sixteen at the time) which wouldn’t suit either of us. So it was with some trepidation and not much anticipation that we set out for the Theatre Royal In Norwich.
We were entirely captivated from the first moment. “Hairspray” was terrific. Set in Baltimore in 1962 (yes, I remember 1962. It was my era) it told the story of a plump girl who wanted to become a celebrity, but underneath that was the issue of segregation. It was full of fun and colour, and the singing and dancing was magnificent.
We had an unexpectedly brilliant afternoon, and were both so glad we went.
Just to complete the week, yesterday we went to a friend’s birthday lunch – one of those big birthdays you either have to celebrate or mourn. This was a celebration – about twenty-five of us in a local eating pub. Good food, good fun, good company.
All in all, a good week!