Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

As children we learnt the Easter narrative. Jesus, the good man, who bad men had cruelly and unjustly killed, came back to life. He appeared to his friends. Sadness became joy, despair became hope, failure became faith, fear became courage. And we had chocolate. It was great. I had two problems with Easter. Firstly IContinue reading “I Want Jesus To Walk With Me”

Dusty Springfield’s hits in the 60s included this Hal David and Burt Bacharach song… Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’Plannin’ and dreamin’ each night of his charmsThat won’t get you into his armsSo if you’re lookin’ to find love you can shareAll you gotta do is hold him, and kiss him and love himAndContinue reading “Wishing and Hoping”

King Charles was unable to attend the annual Royal Maundy service at Worcester Cathedral yesterday. However, in a recorded message played at the service, he said of Maundy Thursday: “It has its origin in the life of Our Lord who knelt before his disciples and, to their great surprise, washed their travel-weary feet…. in doing soContinue reading “Jesus’ Hands”

One of my favourite local stories this week involves a Norfolk distillery, whose single malt whisky was named the best in the world. Their English Sherry Cask whisky beat off competition from Scotland, Ireland and more than 40 other countries, at the World Whiskies Awards in London. 200 expert judges from around the world, assessingContinue reading “Do They Deserve It?”

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been scarifying my lawn. My electric scarifier, with vicious looking metal blades that spin round, digs into the lawn and removes significant amounts moss and dead thatch (brown stuff beneath the green grass) By scarifying my lawn, I encourage the growth of new grass, and enable water andContinue reading “Scarifying…Enabling Healthy Growth”

On Saturday we watched Little Shop of Horrors. Seymour, a flower shop assistant who’s down on his luck, discovers a mysterious new plant. As the plant grows, he gains fame and fortune. He falls in love with Audrey. His luck seems to be changing. As the plant grows its appetite for blood grows, demanding ‘FeedContinue reading “No More of This!”

This weekend… Eight-year-old Kai Tiffen won his first adult darts tournament. Kai started throwing darts at 18 months… he’s 4ft tall, so needs a step to collect his darts from the board… he needs permission to play in adult matches held in pubs… he won ‘The Wheatsheaf Open’, Sunderland, beating twenty-eight adults, including county players,Continue reading “Kai, Sarah, Jasmin, Seymour – and Me”

Through the 1960s many artists recorded this Pete Seeger song: To everything turn, turn, turnThere is a season turn, turn, turnAnd a time to every purpose under heaven A time to be born, a time to dieA time to plant, a time to reapA time to kill, a time to healA time to laugh, aContinue reading “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

Neil has repaired and serviced our car; an MOT certificate states that our vehicle is roadworthy. Yesterday morning I drove our newly-certificated car for the first time.   Despite an odd sound I kept driving. Arriving home I discovered a flat tyre! I inflated the tyre, and drove gently to a local tyre shop. MarcusContinue reading “When Woes Become Wows”

When we were children Mum always cooked a ‘Sunday Roast’ – beef, lamb, pork… Occasionally, when it was chicken, we would ask Mum for ‘the wishbone’. We wanted to pull the wishbone, to break the bone and get the bigger piece; we knew that the one with the bigger piece could make a wish thatContinue reading “Wishbones”