Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

This Weekend… …We’ve enjoyed some wonderful sport – cricket, tennis, football… For each sport there are the ‘experts’, presenters who analyse games, express opinions, describe how they would do the job better. This World Cup has created thousands of new experts. Ordinary folks who previously have had just a passing interest in football now areContinue reading “Listen to the Experts!”

At our ‘Music for Wellbeing’ group on Friday we sung this Bob Dylan song. I’d forgotten how beautiful and poignant it is. Many artists have covered it. Although I still think that Dylan’s is still the best version, I particularly like this version from Lifein3D:   When the rain is blowing in your faceAnd theContinue reading “Make You Feel My Love”

Yesterday… …I read the Lowestoft Journal. We’ve failed to be shortlisted in the UK Town of Culture competition. Des, who helped put together Lowestoft’s application, wrote: ‘The bid gave us the chance to celebrate Lowestoft’s cultural heritage and amazing people… From arts groups and music venues to sports clubs, book groups, dance, drama, and soContinue reading “Seeing Failure in a Fresh Light”

Mum would sometimes say that she knew something because ‘a little bird told her’… Yesterday at our church community café Dave was telling us that he’d bought a pair of parakeets. Looking after pet birds is one of many areas of ignorance – so I was pleased to learn about where to buy them, howContinue reading “A Little Bird Told Me…”

We’re constantly told that we ‘need’ a bigger house, bigger car, bigger holiday, bigger bank balance, bigger influence, bigger popularity… This morning I’m reading Ecclesiastes. The rich, wise teacher accumulates bigger houses, a bigger vineyard and wine cellar, bigger gardens and parks – with bigger water features, a bigger selection of slaves and servants, aContinue reading “Small Is Significant”

I’ve enjoyed reading ‘Proverbs’ in my Bible. Sayings about life and death, wisdom and folly, friends and enemies, wives and children have made me smile and think. The one that’s amused me this morning is: ‘As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.’ It’sContinue reading “One Thing Leads To Another”

In the 1960s, Bob Dylan songs were a joy to would be guitarists – easy chords, easy rhythms… I learnt ‘Blowing in the Wind’, ‘Mr Tambourine Man’… …And ‘Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright’… a song about accepting life when things go wrong, because everything will work out OK in the end. Such optimism was reflectedContinue reading “It’s Alright?”

Last week I was listening to some old favourite songs… including the Beatles ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. It starts ‘What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me…? What are good friends like? Distinctive: Yesterday morning, Minister Lou was talking about saltContinue reading “Help from my Friends”

Last night on TV I watched a stage version of The Sound of Music. In the well-known story Maria is sent from the abbey to be governess to Captain von Trapp’s seven children. Maria falls in love with the captain and returns to the abbey to escape…. Mother Abbess tells Maria to return to theContinue reading “Climb Every Mountain”

In the last couple of days… I was speaking to Denise. She’s been having trouble with her legs. There’s a rash on them, they’re painful. ‘I’ve got to have an autopsy,’ she said. Fortunately, we know each other well enough to laugh about the fact that she wasn’t dead, but needed a biopsy. I readContinue reading “Getting the Right Words”