Beauty joined to energy

Here is my review of the Degas Exhibition at the R.A. that Col, Jacks and me went to on Monday:

There were not enough seats, and those that were supplied were not comfortable.  The Earl Grey tea was good and I loved the teapots - they looked nice and poured properly.

The paintings?

Here is a verse from a poem called "Museum Piece" by Richard Wilbur:

"See how she spins!  The grace is there,
But strain as well is plain to see.
Degas loved the two together:
Beauty joined to energy."

Yes.  Wonderful dancers. But he was interested in the body and the energy, the movement.  He didn't seem to be interested in the faces at all.  And I hadn't realised how fascinated he was by the new art of photography.  Exciting times.

There was a few seconds of  film showing an elderly Degas walking in a Paris (I suppose it was Paris?) street with a young girl.  Sitting there watching it was like getting into the Tardis for a moment.

So its an exhibition well worth seeing.

Audrey and I were out on the work this morning. We both placed literature and will need to call back.  Mick is going to help me with the possible Bible student, but not till next week. We are all so busy this week.

I had a bad night with an arthritis shoulder.

Col and I had a walk on the beach this afternoon. There was a strong wind, white water and foam flowers blowing everywhere.  Standing on the pier watching the immense sea surge up the river was fantastic.  Beauty joined to energy.

It was another lovely day in retirement.  I am grateful for every one of them.

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In which I become a Butterfly Bureaucrat

Jean and I were out on the door to door preaching work this morning. We covered our territory, without any response, and then did a couple of return visits.

Yesterday we (me and the Captain) met Linda in Cowfold and she handed over all her paperwork to me.  I am now a Butterfly Bureaucrat and must start to get to grips with all that the Membership Secretary has to do.

Its a bit of a puzzle at the moment.

Col has taken his wings off and put on his SUSSAR hat  and left early, with an extra large packed lunch, for a Mountain Bike Training day.

No I don't understand it either. All I know is there were four of them, I was asked to provide cakes, and made a batch of marmalade muffins for them all.

When we were in Expatland, I used to make a big tray of carrot cake to take on the dive boat.  I hardly bake these days.

Jackie gave us supper last night - an Italian dish, not lasagne, but the one without pasta whose name now escapes me - followed by hot mince pies.  We see her again Monday.

Today is grey with a coldish wind, and the Channel is blue grey outside the window - with long white waves curling and uncurling.

How did Jehovah create water?  It is so beautiful and powerful.   And when the earth is finally restored to Paradise and there are new things again, what amazing things will we see?

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The last of the Nabbs Family

We got more sad news yesterday, as we heard that Aunt Deirdre has died.   I think Mr.Skimpole would have called her The Beauty Aunt.   All our aunts were and are beautiful by the way, but I think it is Deirdre that Mr.Skimpole would have given that particular designation to.

The photo is of the family at Nabbs, many years ago.  We are on the bottom lawn - the steps to the top lawn can be seen behind us.

Aunt Deirdre was the last of the Nabbs "grown-ups".

The Bible's warning that, at the moment, "death reigns as king over us", sounds louder every year.

How young we all were then, including the timeless aunts and uncles.  But how quickly the years have gone by.

Audrey and I were out on the work that morning, trying to tell people the good news of the incoming Kingdom of  God, and to reassure them that the dead will wake up from the sleep of death when the time comes.

We worked in an area with a lot of shops and, where possible, i.e. when the shops were not busy, we left little leaflets with the staff.

Its was a grey November day, which was appropriate.

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Butterfly Business

Sonia Copeland Bloom

It was the Butterfly AGM yesterday - at the Cheltenham Racecourse.  Which is a splendid building with fantastic views.  It is not somewhere we would visit in the normal course of events as we do not involve ourselves with horse racing.

What can I say about it?  Well worth the visit - what a professional organisation Butterfly Conservation is.  The speaker from Marks and Sparks - Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business - was impressive, as you would expect.  The Treasurer's Report was both interesting and understandable.  (I am usually like Edwina in Ab Fab when it comes to discussing money matters, holding my head in my hands and sobbing "Just tell me how much money we've got!", as fiscal this&thats get discussed.  I have even sobbed over the phone to a girl at the Tax Office about filling in my Tax Forms: "You know more about my money than I do. Can't YOU fill it in?!")

Sonia Copeland Bloom (Orlando Bloom's mum) gave us a short talk on the series of children's book she is writing about insects.  She read an extract from her butterfly book: "Crystal, the Small Miracle".  It was wonderfully anthropomorphic, which as someone who has been a moth-er of several moth babies, I appreciate.   But she also researches so that the books are accurate and the children can learn happily from reading them.   I am so glad she used the word "miracle", as egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly is exactly that.  A miracle.

I joined the queue and got her to sign books for Eleanor Margaret and for Beth.

Neil joined us for lunch, which was baked potato with chile and salad.  Altogether a nice day out.

Today Captain B was off early with his Treasure Hunter hat on, and I was off to the meeting - then a few return visits - and then home.

It was such a beautiful Autumn day I only wish I could find the words to describe it.  As I was doing my return visits I was thinking that this is surely another glimpse of the Paradise the earth is going to be, and I was longing to tell people about it.

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A misty November afternoon

We spent Tuesday afternoon at Cissbury Ring.  The sun was shining on the last of the Autumn colours, but it was also damp and chilly, and the horizons disappeared into soft mist.  Mushrooms and toadstools had sprung up everywhere - each one a miracle.  Wednesday was a housework day, with Col off on a butterfly work party.  I made a fish pie for him to come home to. Thursday I was out with Louise, but we found hardly any of our return visits at home.  I am hoping - hoping! - that we can start a doorstep Bible study with a very nice guy as we have had some interesting talks recently.  We will be flying North with the annual migration of the butterfly herds, as it is the Butterfly Conservation AGM this weekend.

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Another lovely Autumn day...

... but with a hint of Winter, down here by the Channel.   The sea is fairly calm, the sun is shining, but it is quite cold.   Captain B is settling down again to real life after his dive holiday.  I swooped and flew and hovered round his luggage as he unpacked it in the hall Saturday night, until with an interesting rustle, a parcel wrapped in Maldivian newpaper appeared.  I carried it off to my lair on the kitchen table, and I now have a lovely clownfish coffee mug.
He is back at the helm of the coffee machine too.
Jacks came round on Sunday night to hear about his adventures and have supper (chicken and chick pea casserole and apple crumble).
Audrey and  went out this morning - return visits and route calls.  I was able to take the "Does God Really Care?" brochure to a lovely lady who had asked me the question as to why there is so much suffering if there is a God who is good and all-powerful.
Its a question I always used to ask, and I hope she will find the Biblical answer as wonderful as I did.  And do.

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A cycling fish

Col just rang from Gatwick!

I don't know if anyone remembers that Womens Lib slogan: "A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs A Bicycle".    Well, I think I must be a cycling fish, and will be very glad to have him safely back - and will spend the next 45 minutes trying not to worry about the drive back from the airport - in the dark.

Anyway, it was a busy day.  Out with June in Arundel this morning, working in a lovely close, on a beautiful Autumn day.  Just right for trying to tell people about the Creator of it all.   And this afternoon I had a sudden surge of energy - perhaps my detox helped - and went out for nearly two hours, and found two people I have been trying to find at home for months.

And I have a curry simmering away, as Jackie is coming for supper tomorrow.

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