A Unicorn at Pulborough Brooks

This afternoon the Captain and myself went for a long walk at Pulborough Brooks.  We saw innumerable birds, squirrels, three fat rabbits, lovely white cows and a unicorn (aka a white deer).   It was an afternoon of wonderful light, but quite cold. We wrapped up well.

I was out this morning on the field service with Audrey, but was not at my best.  I was very tired from our day in London yesterday - we went to the Wildlife Photography Exhibition at the Natural History Exhibition with Jackie.

We like to go every year if we can as it is fantastic.   London was sunny but very cold.  It was "the March wind doth blow and we shall have snow" weather.  The snow hasn't arrived here yet, but it might.

Jacks came over for  supper at the weekend - we had chicken casserole, followed by cheese platter and cream meringues.

Beryl came over today to view the flat and have a cup of tea.  She wants to downsize and is thinking seriously about buying into our block. We have a splendid view of the English Channel and the flats are nice and spacious.

I hope to officially put up the URL for the poetry book tomorrow, though Dan has already put it into comments.   I want to do a Poetry Book blog, and should have time, as I have nothing else planned.  Though the butterfly paperwork for the month should be fluttering through my letterbox any moment.

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Pre-bluebell woods and poetry books

We went for a walk in the bluebell woods near Arundel on Friday - only green shoots at the moment of course.  There was a misty watercolour light - and everything had that touch of bleakness of the very early Spring.  If I were a painter, I would have had a go at painting it, but Col has got some great photos.

We shopped in the morning and I made a chicken casserole for tonight when Jackie comes for supper. It is packed full of veggies from the Abel and Cole box.

The Poetry Book is just about to hatch out. I hope to be posting a link very soon.

Thursday was the Bible study.  Steve took me and we were there for an hour and half, and we did some return visits on the way home.  I am off on the doors this morning with June, and its Hall Cleaning this afternoon.  The Gallant Captain Butterfly has volunteered to help.

The Channel is getting a bit stirred up and apparently there is rain on the way.

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The weekend comes back to me...

... in all its glory.   I was out on the field service on Saturday morning with a young Ghanaian brother and a sister who is older than me - I am approaching that stage when soon there won't be anyone older... no, i can't think about it - we were working behind the station where they both live, so I didn't need to give either of them a lift back.  There was a match on in the afternoon so i was able to listen to Captain B being, variously, over the moon/sick as a parrot, and yelling: "Get your specs on ref".   And Sunday of course was the meeting at the Hall. One of our last at our old Hall, as we soon start building our new one.  The old one is not only old, but bursting at the seams.

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The Birds

Col will be missing his beloved Countdown Rachel today due to a hospital appointment.   In fact, I haven't seen him since early when he sped off with his lunchbox and various cameras to meet Mark and photograph a new bird that has just arrived at Pagham Harbour.

Apparently its known for its distinctive call of "And today's numbers are 5, 7, 2, 4, 1 and 75".

Wait a minute!  Sets off grimly towards Pagham Harbour with large rolling pin in hand.

In the meantime, while they were frivolling about with birds, Audrey and I were out on the field service.  We missed the group, owing to a medical appointment of mine own -  but did manage an hour on some not at homes that Audrey saved for us.

I'm trying to think what on earth I did yesterday but nothing is happening.   Beyond that I did make a fish pie (for today) out of the fish selection that Abel and Cole delivered.  And managed a fair amount of housework. The weekend is a blank.

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Too Much Information - and another visit from the Thought Police

What has been preoccupying me for the last couple of days - the state of my insides - definitely comes under the: heading of: Too Much Information.

Hospital visit yesterday?  No, too gloomy a subject, though positive overall as it seems I will get on the new med, though it will take about a month to organise. I have to inject myself - though Captain B is very happy to do it too.  His eyes positively gleamed... Anyway, I injected the nurse's desk with great success - and then practised on my own leg.

The Nurse in Charge is Filippino, which makes me feel at home, as my last congregation was mainly Filippino.  And a lovely warm congregation it was.  

Neither Maggie nor I was at all well, but we did manage to do her February magazine route on Wednesday, although halfway through we had to make a mad dash down the coast road - while NOT exceeding the speed limit (after my slow expat years I have difficulty getting anywhere near a terrifying 30 miles an hour) - so I could dash home to the loo.

Another bit of Too Much Information.

I was so exhausted by all the hospital stuff I never got to the meeting last night, which makes me feel guilty, but I slept all evening and slept all night (first time for days), so I do feel a lot better this morning.

Dan and Gabi are racing ahead with the book and we are now making some final decisions about the cover and about how it is to be published in its virtual version.   The suggested cover photos are a shot of a tumbledown stone wall in Derbyshire taken by Captain B the Great.   The other is also taken by him.  Its a shot of one of my father's paintings we have on the wall here of woodland in Poland.

My father was a country boy from the fields and forest of Belarus which was then in Poland, was then deep in Russia, and is now Belarus again.  The remains of his family were ethnically-cleansed from there many years ago.  In fact, they have not been heard of from the day that Stalin's Red Army arrived in their village - and, presumably, "cleansed" them.

So both pictures are suitable, as the book travels from Poland to Yorkshire, and the Derbyshire moors were our childhood playgrounds. Wonderful playgrounds too.

And, yes, another visit from the Thought Police.  What do I mean miles?!  Well, alright 30 kilograms an hour then or whatever it is we are supposed to call them now.   And have I forgotten that Stalin and his Red Army are officially the "goodies" in WW2?!!

So will I please sweep my missing family back under the Omelette carpet pronto, along with all those millions of others, remembering that You Can't Make An Omelette Without Breaking Eggs.

The problem is that, as there are so many millions of dead under there, the blood will keep seeping through the carpet.

I also know, comfortingly and reassuringly, that shed blood can't be hidden from the Creator of life - no matter how vast the carpet and how thoroughly it is policed.

Jehovah told us that from the start when he said to Cain.   "“What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground."

The blood of Stalin's victims too cries out to God from the ground.   And I know that as long as Jehovah remembers them they will live again.  They will open their eyes in the restored earthly Paradise.

It will be a more joyful awakening than we can now imagine.

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What to say about today

Yesterday we - Captain B, Jackie and myself - went to Wisley.  It was a beautiful day - blue sky - fluffy white clouds - banks of crocus at Wisely - and the ponds and puddles all iced.  The Glasshouse was very hot. Jackie and I had enough after an hour, and went off for a coffee.  We also looked at the hatching frames - where there were miracles aplenty - tree nymphs hatching out of their golden cocoons.  There should be a lot of photos on the Captain's Log.

Today I took Audrey shopping and we went out on the work. We worked in a street behind the station with Ken and Jean. Once again Audrey did place some magazines. I am not finding much interest at the moment, but the brother taking the field service group may well have told me why.  He asked "Did we all pray about our field service before we go out?"  

The problem is that I am so worried about the driving that I have only been praying - fervently - about that.  I must ask Jehovah to help me with the witnessing as well as the driving before Maggie and I go out tomorrow.

We also finished Audrey's magazine route - and did some not at homes that she had.

Then tiredness overtook me - again - and I have done nothing - beyond getting us lunch and tea and doing my studying.

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Fluorescent Seagulls

The sky today has been amazing - blue, big fluffy white clouds, with seagulls fluorescing across it.  I was wanting everyone to stop and look - and think about what its telling them.

"The heavens are declaring the glory of God
 And of the work of his hands the expanse is telling."

Lovely meeting at the Hall - v. interesting talk about the fruitage of a belief in evolution versus the fruitage of a belief in Genesis, which says that we are all one family and all made in God's image.

I managed to finish my magazine route and had a good talk with one young girl.

Had a terrible night. Couldn't get warm, even though I had the electric blanket on, and then had feverish dreams and awakenings all night, in which I had to make over a hundred hot meals for the congregation very urgently.  It was a relief to wake up and find that no cooking was required.  I don't know whether i am going down with some horrible bug, or whether its the medication making me strange.  At least I am off it for the moment - my last dose was yesterday.

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