Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

On Friday, daughter-Jo described telling the story of the wise man who builds his house on the rock, and the foolish man who builds his house on the sand to children in Uganda. On Saturday, at Abbie and Jacob’s wedding, in church and in speeches, there was talk of building a strong marriage. Yesterday atContinue reading “My Ramshackle Shack”

Yesterday we attended Abbie and Jacob’s wedding. It was a wonderful day. The church service went well, the rain held off for the photographs, a nearby hotel provided an excellent meal, the speeches were lovingly humorous, and the disco had many up and dancing. I had many lovely conversations with friends, catching up with news,Continue reading “Raining In My Heart”

My favourite story in yesterday’s Lowestoft Journal involved a strange bet… John Duffield was dining in a local restaurant when he made an unexpected claim – that  no woman could explain football’s offside rule – an unexpected gender stereotype… Unexpectedly, Elaine Charlton gave a perfect answer. Unexpectedly John kept his word and paid Elaine £1,000.Continue reading “Dealing With The Unexpected”

This morning the sea-front was cooler than yesterday. A steady breeze blew grey clouds across the sky; there was a hint of rain. Morning conversations about the weather are often a complaint – it’s too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet… I said ‘Good morning,’ to a woman looking out to sea. ‘I likeContinue reading “I Like Days Like Today”

People sometimes tell me to ‘have fun’. I resist such suggestions. I prefer to be a grumpy old man. My aversion to ‘having fun’ has become a long-standing joke with a number of friends… My friend, I’ll call him Norman,  reminded me of this yesterday… He’d been invited by his son and family to joinContinue reading “Fun, Fun, Fun!”

Yesterday a group of us were in conversation. Aaron’s describing what he’s been doing. In the middle of his explanation he says, ‘I’m autistic’. I’m no expert, but it’s clear that he is; that’s OK. Karen says, ‘I’ve got ADHD’. She certainly has some ADHD characteristics..… The growing understanding of neurodivergence in recent years emphasisesContinue reading “The Suspension of Disbelief”

Getting: Yesterday afternoon I was on the sea front, outside ‘The Thatch’ café drinking tea with my friend Alan. As usual the big Herring Gulls were ready and waiting for scavenging opportunities. We watched several times: as soon families left their tables the seagulls landed – noisily taking what they could find… abandoned chips, leftContinue reading “Scavenging Seagulls meet Winston Churchill”

On last night’s news… …A hot air balloon landed in a residential area of Bedford. Many local residents looked on in disbelief, enjoying the unexpected afternoon’s entertainment. Others grabbed the guide rope and helped it to land safely. Some were observers; some chose to get involved. …In sport – the ‘100’ tournament in cricket, theContinue reading “When Observers Become Participators”

Last week, listening to some Alison Krauss and Union Station bluegrass/country music, I was reminded of this song: Sometimes I’m battle wearyI forget to use my shieldThe arrows pierce my armourAnd I stumble in the field A shield won’t do much good if it’s hangin’ by your sideKeep the shield of faith before you ifContinue reading “Shield of Faith”

Local news reports two wallaby sightings. On Tuesday one was spotted outside Ilketshall St Andrew, near Bungay. On Wednesday one was seen in Wissett, near Halesworth, A witness said, “We’ve got quite a few deer around, so I thought I must be mistaken. But then I thought it was a kangaroo… I stood there thinking:Continue reading “Wallabies, Wedding-Rings and Weetabix”