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March 31, 2008
A Lizard's Tale
On saturday eveing just after my daughter and her friend left to go out i received a phone call "Mum come quick, we're by the lift, we've found a lizard" so my younger daughter and I ran out to the lift and indeed they had found a lizard, a bright yellow and black lizard aboud the length of my hand. " You've got to take it inside, it's gonna die out 'ere" cried three little voices. I went back inside and found a shoe box and then we spent another ten minutes trying to get the bugger to go into the box because none of us was brave enough to pick it up. Eventually my younger daughter, lizard and myself were safe back inside. Then it dawned on me, What exactly do you do with a lizard? Answer, Ring the RSPCA of course and luckily i happened to have the number at hand, this is not the first time by a long chalk that my girls have brought home waifs and strays, i once had a extra teenager for a whole two weeks! Anyway i rang the nice lady at the RSPCA and she informed me that black and yellow lizards are native to England and i could put it back outside under a bush! Well to say i was surprised is a bit of an understatment in all my years i've never ever seen a lizard in England, but i did what i was told and took the lizard back outside.
Today i decided that i needed to find out more about english lizards so i 'googled' 'native english lizards'and i found some photo's that didn't look anything like the little chap we found, so now i am left wondering whether i should have let him go.The other interesting thing i found out quite accidently was that a 'lot lizard' isn't actually a lizard at all, I very rarely give advice, but i will say best not use 'lot lizard' as a term of endearment for any females you wish to remain friends with!And to finish the best quote i came across while on my lizard quest was 'Sometimes the worst evil is done by good people who do not know that they are not good' Reinhold Niebuhr.What did we ever do before the internet?
Posted by Shelliz at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)
JKR and me shock!
I've had two different book pitches rejected by publishers in the last 10 days.
But they do say that disappointment comes only to create space in us for new things. And I sense this to be true.
And rejection is not always the end. JK Rowling and her fist Harry Potter story was famously rejected by everyone before Bloomsbury reluctantly took her on. And it was reluctantly. The advance they gave her, was the same advance they gave me for my book 'A Beautiful Life'. It was an advance which said most eloquently in numbers: 'We'll do it, and God bless you - but to be honest, we're not that hopeful.'
Of course, much to Bloomsbury's delight, commercially H. Potter went on to conquer the world - and several of the larger planets as well. As for my book, let us say that the financial stories of JKR and myself coincided only most briefly.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at 02:02 PM | Comments (1)
March 29, 2008
Last night
It was very quiet last night due to ample bed space available.
Sandwiches and hot chocolate were made and cigarettes were smoked. Those who were able retired to bed and those who had to stay awake saw a long night ahead.
At this time last week, we played monopoly. This was a difficult game due to it's savage nature and left players unsettled after.
This week Scrabble seemed a better and more peaceful choice. There were a few small disagreements over certain words which were clearly not in the English language. The internet dictionary was called upon more than once. All played very well however I was victorious at the end due to getting rid of all my letters.
Outside the safety of our office doors, some were not so at ease. Images of the past were visiting them in their dreams leaving them in confused and disorientated states. One individual came out every so often to have a wander in the corridor and ask for another chocolate bar. She randomly spoke of things she knew but only briefly and then quickly would return to her room.
As the night continued, various things were done to pass the time. I've found Sudoku to be a good one.
Finally as the sun began to rise, the cupboard was restocked with cereal and squash. The plates and cutlery was put through the dishwasher and we prepared for the new day.
Teas and coffees were made and someone enjoyed a bowl of fruit and fibre. I prefer something with a little less nuts in myself.
Freshly showered and perfumed staff entered and we were released into the sun and cool breeze to make our way to bed.
Posted by Russell at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2008
As easy as falling off a cliff.
'So, if you prosper, suspect those bright
Mornings when you whistle with a light
Heart.'
And 'bright before seven, rain before eleven', but in the Village we are grateful that the Easter weather, more horizontal than the vertical way to which we have become accustomed over the years, has subsided into the bosom of a milder front.
Looking out of his latticed windows on Tuesday, the old white headed schoolmaster who lives in the forge, thought to venture up above the chalk pits with his pensionable greyhound. Wherever he goes he is followed by the dog,and children begging for the mints and scraps of cheese he keeps about his person.
"Let 'er run Sir", pleaded one of the urchin boys, "let me see her run".
He smiled, and handing the boy the lead, walked away a 50 yard distance.
"Undo the leash son", his voice wavered in the breeze. "Come on here my Lady."
The dog bounded towards toward him, perhaps the cheese was a more atractive goal than the mechanical rabbit at the races, where last December she started as favourite but came in sixth. The old schoolmaster, in spite of the women folk urging him to "hold fast to her now, mind", was slow to take her collar and she trotted on past him up a rise and suddenly disappeared.
"She's gone over the top" called the boys and the braver souls crawled to the cliff face and peered over the edge, fearing the worst. There was an awful silence.
No, on reflection there wasn't a silence at all,no one ever stops talking round here, but there was a welcome cry from young Harry,"She's down there and walking about!" Steeply below she could be seen picking her way gingerly across the chalky scree and boulders.
It was inded an Easter miracle. Those long boney legs should have snapped like kindling.
United once again with his faithful companion,the kindly, misty eyed schoolmaster, was handing out mints all round and the boys scampered home with a tale to tell round the hearth.
Posted by Martha at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2008
A Truly Wonderful Gift
When we are aware of our true presence
We have hearts that are awake to love
We have genuine compassion for others
We need no rules to keep us on the right path
What society says has no impact on our lives
We reach out to make the world
A kinder, more loving and more generous place
We are capable of using our own sense of peace about a situation
As a measuring stick for the purity of our actions
This trust in ourselves is a Truly Wonderful Gift.
Posted by Shelliz at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2008
Rise
Rise
Rise and shine
You were made to Shine
Alleluia
Posted by Shelliz at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2008
are you my dream therapist?
There's nothing quite as dull as someone else's dream - and to prove it, here's mine.
I was outside a house, aware there was a body inside; a dead body.
I didn't want to look in through the window - for fear of seeing the body.
I was then inside the house with others. There was general talk and action around the body, but I was keeping my distance; standing away from the door, not wishing to look into the room where it lay.
Someone said I should take a look, and I resisted; but in the end was persuaded. I pushed my way through the crowd, moved towards the doorway, looked tentatively around the door, towards the -
The body was lying in a distorted fashion on the bed, and I wished to see no more, but before I could turn away, I fancied I saw it moving slightly.
Yes, and then it was stretching out, recovering, getting up.
Suddenly, the body was alive, smiling and coming forward to shake my hand.
Well?
Posted by Mr Bojangles at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2008
A tale of two city cats
The trouble started when the new cats on the block - coal black twins - had the same model of magnet-controlled cat flap that my two cats, P & C, use. For a few days I had happily thought that at last P & C were finishing up their food. But then I spied one of the new cats on its way in through my cat flap. Even throwing water at it made no difference: all I got was a yellow-eyed glare from the safety of next door's roof.
So the other day I installed a swish infra-red model with a coded key on each cat collar. And now P, who didn't mind in least when the black cats came in, is terrified of the click the cat flap makes as she approaches, and won't go out. In the last two days I've had to clear up four messes and throw away a section of the stair carpet. Soon, no doubt, I'll have to throw away all the carpets. And then what? I can see how easily life could be turned upside-down rather expensively by a stressed animal. Does anyone have any advice for a stressed owner?
Posted by Angela at 11:19 PM | Comments (1)
March 16, 2008
My Truth
When
I do not need
My eyes to see
My ears to hear
My voice to speak
When I dance
Without my body
Then
I will have melted
Into My Truth
Posted by Shelliz at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2008
It's a Fact
It's a Fact
We are always inventing things in our head
To make us feel safe
To make us feel better
To justify our actions
But do we ever stop long enough
To sit with our own inventions?
To question our motives?
To notice our reactions?
To see through our madness?
Or once we have a patent pending
Do we just push to have it rubber stamped?
Posted by Shelliz at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
A matter of scale?
Isn't it lucky for us all that people like Hitler, Stalin and Saddam crop up from time to time in history. They are obviously evil, doing evil things causing the problems that the rest of us have to live with, often having consequences centuries after their death. If it wasn't for these evil people us nice people would all be able to get along much better and the world would be a better place. Put an evil person into power and they will abuse their position causing misery, distress and usually far worst. But what happens when WE have power and how do we use it? Most of us will not be running nation states and most of those that do will probably not be reading this blog, but at work most of us are in a position of power over others even if it's for the briefest of moments. Anyone who visits a doctor’s surgery is at the mercy of the power and knowledge of the doctor. They can make us take off items of clothing and perform various acts we would normally consider totally inappropriate away from the privacy of our bedrooms. When driving up the motorway the doctor enters the domain of the traffic cops who for a brief moment have the power to cause misery and distress. When traffic cops enter a supermarket they come into the domain of the supermarket staff, those who know where everything is, how much is costs and have the power to decide when to open an extra till or close one before the cop gets to the end of the queue. In the bank the supermarket staff are now at the mercy of the bank staff that can play similar games with their customers.
So although we will never have the position of absolute power how we use the limited power, which we sometime get, can be very revealing about who we are.
Posted by Andy Mason at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
Holy Space
When I live from the centre of my being
I need no other to prop me up
Or give me compliments to make me feel better
I no longer use people to fill in my spaces
Because I have no spaces
I am wonderfully whole
Therefore I am Holy Space
Posted by Shelliz at 07:25 PM | Comments (1)
hats off to Wednesday!
This morning, on my run, my woolly hat blew off.
It's a running hat; and it's never done that before.
Whhhooosh! went the wind, and my hat went flying, leaving my head like a boiled egg with no cosy.
This may not be considered as significant as today's budget announcements.
But it did make my head cold; and I almost got hit by a bus trying to retrieve it from the road. (My hat - not my head.)
I could fill the story out, but thought I'd just give you the bald facts.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at 08:10 AM | Comments (1)
March 11, 2008
The Bishop sees us through the dark days.
Well, the children have all reappeared in the village. I saw the Child Catcher looking disconsolate over a rum and coke spritzer in the pub. I think he bit off more than he could chew with those 13 year old girls who take handbags to school and never wear coats when it's raining. I suggested he stick with the younger ones who are happy enough with an old pig's bladder to kick around. He was about to put that in his pipe and smoke it when Mine Host booted him outside to the designated area.
Folk took shelter in the Church while the weather raged on Monday. The Bishop came to cheer everyone's spirits with his last Lentern talk on Nehemiah. It puts all our little parochial problems into perspective, but I'll need to take a bucket and mop to swill out the porch.
Finding myself unencumbered today,I wedged a boiled egg into a buttered roll and took the path by the river planning to walk to the sea. I ate my 'wedgie' as I decided to call it, leaning on the force of the west wind with only the wailing gulls and seven swans a swimming for company.
The railway board are now considering building a bridge should the trains come through. I don't suppose Brunel will be given the contract.
Posted by Martha at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2008
fawlty towers
i got a special offer from a magazine - 4 days in a small hotel in Bournemouth.
So off I went to write.
It was a ** hotel. Presumably you get one star for the building being upright. I don't know what the other star was for.
The fruit juice was warm, the reception chill, as was the sauna. Not a place to go without warm clothes and a thermos.
The 'unique' swimming pool was clean, and covered every night - with a postage stamp. We were advised not to push away with our feet too hard, for fear of breaking our wrists at the other end. And out of interest - how short can a swimming pool be for the word 'length' to become inappropriate?
I presume they were proud of the music in the bar - because it seemed to be piped into my room every night until 3.00am, and at no extra charge.
While the window in my room was so narrow, that when I opened the curtains, it actually got darker.
I'll stop there. I don't want you to think i'm bitter or anything.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at 01:54 PM | Comments (1)
March 09, 2008
LIFEGIVING
My mouth is
in need of
some serious training
if it is to
fulfill it's purpose
of only
saying things
that are
L
I
F
E
G
I
V
I
N
G
Posted by Shelliz at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
March 04, 2008
A question
On Sunday evening I went for a walk on Hampstead Heath just as the light was fading, wanting to see more distant horizons than the litter-strewn streets of Holloway. As I walked through a familiar gathering of trees I felt the strong presence of these ancient forms, and stopped to look up at the bare branches and listen.
I found myself thinking about the way the natural world adapts and changes, whether it's with the turning seasons or with changing global conditions. And I asked myself, 'Why do I find it hard to adapt to change when it's so much a part of life, hard to run with the way things are, with the turbulence and storms that come my way? Why can't I accept all this as the next step along the way?'
The trees are beautiful whether it's winter and we see the bare bones, whether it's spring and life emerges, summer and all is abundant, or autumn when the abundance turns to fiery beauty as it burns out. And they're still beautiful when they're blown over and the roots visible.
I wanted to be able to say 'yes' to what's been happening over the past year, and to let the changes be part of the natural progression of life. Unlike the trees, though, I am a thinking being, with choice, feelings, and knowledge of my history. But I'd like to be more like the trees.
Posted by Angela at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2008
The Worst Game in the World.
The worst game in the world
Is 'Pass the negativity',
For it has a domino effect
Bringing everyone down.
And the sad thing is,
In this game
There are no winners!
I start each day
Determined not to take part,
But i only have to close my eyes
For a split second
And before i realise,
I've the ball in my hands
And i'm looking for someone
To pass it to.
I wonder what would happen
If i woke up and refused to play?
Posted by Shelliz at 05:45 PM | Comments (0)