Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

At Men’s Shed yesterday I chatted to a number of gents… …Andy’s lives on his own; he’s lonely and depressed. He can’t see Darren, his young son… Darren’s mother won’t permit it. Darren’s stepfather (who Darren is told is his Dad) has already assaulted Andy and is threatening further violence… …Keith’s off work. Recently heContinue reading “Learning to Listen”

Wimbledon has started… Last night we watched  Serena Williams lose to a French Girl, Harmony Tan. Serena Williams has been a great tennis player; it was a great match… but Serena’s past her best. It was as if she has to perform in front of a big crowd… She has to play tennis… Serena’s physicalContinue reading “Restlessness”

The rats have returned to our garden. In the past I’ve paid exorbitant amounts for the professional rat-catcher to come. This time I’ve bought my own trap – click-and-collect from Screwfix… I hope the rats will click the trap as they try to collect the bait. We watched the news last night – the RussianContinue reading “Trapped”

Yesterday started with learning that Sarah had died. Tragic, sad… We went to church. There was a great sense of sadness and loss. Sarah was known and loved by many. We returned home to a family barbecue concluding our Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations… At church Abi quoted St Anselm who talked about ‘Faith seeking understanding…’Continue reading “Faith Seeking Understanding”

Teach me Thy way, O Lord,  Teach me Thy way;Thy gracious aid afford,  Teach me Thy way.Help me to walk aright;More by faith, less by sight;Lead me with heav’nly light,  Teach me Thy way. Our good friends Tim and Jill sang this old hymn at our wedding. Yesterday they, and a number of other friends, celebrated our weddingContinue reading “Teach Me Thy Way”

As a student teacher I was introduced to ‘lesson preparation’… preparing what I was going to teach and how I was going to teach it. I’ve spent my life preparing for the next activity or event in the family, school, church. The old perceived wisdom says: ‘Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance.’ Yesterday wasContinue reading “Preparation and Planning”

I walked along the beach this morning. It was beautiful, warm. The sea was calm. I passed one or two fellow early morning walkers. ‘Good morning,’ was with a smile. Many, still at home, through choice or circumstances, weren’t enjoying the morning… A group of paddle-boarders were paddling gently, chatting to each other. A smallContinue reading “Avoiding, Observing, Floating, Immersing…”

When I was a teacher I taught recurring decimals; English teachers talked about recurring themes in books; textile design teachers described recurring patterns on fabrics… At Men’s Shed yesterday we were chatting about politics, holidays, wives… Martin said: ‘My wife Cathy always…’ With family and friends that we know well, we expect certain words, attitudesContinue reading “Recurring Positives”

Yesterday evening we enjoyed sharing with Alec and Carole, celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. About 40 of us had a meal together at a local hotel. They had a congratulations card from the queen, a special cake and Alec made a speech – in his inimitable style. He described their ‘courting’, wedding on 21st JuneContinue reading “Alec & Carole – Doing Things Together”

Yesterday our holiday ended. We left our hotel and travelled to Munich. From there the 48 of us who had spent a week together flew home – to Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London… We’d spent a week in the expert hands of our Polish guide Marta who did much of thinking for us… helping usContinue reading “Marta… Enjoying, Deciding, Thinking!”