Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

A little girl went into school one Monday morning and told her teacher that her parents had won the lottery. Her delighted teacher announced it to the school. The good news got around. The truth was that the girl had made up the story. Her parents hadn’t won the lottery. Mum had to go intoContinue reading “Problem Solving”

My friend Jill was talking about a ‘Ghillie Suit’. I confessed ignorance and googled it. Wikipedia says: ‘A ghillie suit is a type of camouflage clothing designed to resemble the background environment – such as foliage, snow or sand. Typically, it is a net or cloth garment covered in loose strips of burlap (hessian), cloth,Continue reading “Ghillie Suits”

This old song starts: ‘I wish I could fly way up to the sky but I can’t, You can… I can’t!’ Keith Harris promises that he will mend Orville the duck’s broken heart… I was reminded of this principle yesterday by the recent ‘No Trousers Tube Ride’. I imagined conversations: ‘You can’t go to workContinue reading “You Can’t – I Can!”

Yesterday I took advice from others travelling life’s journey… Claire wrote about her daughter’s decision to leave university: ‘…Things don’t always work out the way we want and expect. They’re not always easy or right. I’m so proud of my daughter for knowing herself enough to say “I’m not ready”… I’m proud of my kid,Continue reading “A Traveller’s Notes”

Long, long ago, feels like yesterday,A little child watched as dad sat down to play.They pulled the old piano to the middle of the room,Friends and neighbours calling for their favourite tuneSo long ago. Stretching out our bedtime being good as we could be,With my sister and my brother, I’d try to sing the harmony.Cross-leggedContinue reading “Salvation Songs”

Today, January 6th, is Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, the day when traditionally the church remembers the wise men visiting Jesus and presenting their gifts. ‘Epiphany’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘to reveal’; the baby Jesus was ‘revealed’ to the world. It was a revelation… An ‘Epiphany’ is a moment of sudden, profoundContinue reading “Revelations and Epiphany”

Often I get into fixed ways of thinking about things; my beliefs, convictions and standards become inflexible. I need to put things that I already know in a different order to get fresh insight, to receive a deeper understanding. I had that experience yesterday… I’ve mused before on ‘The Repair Shop’ – the TV programmeContinue reading “Restoring the Broken”

Our Christmas has ended. The Christmas tree lights and decorations are back in boxes, Christmas cards have been taken down, nativity scenes are put away, the illuminated Santa’s back on the top shelf of the garage. Our house is back to normal. We’ve lived here for thirty seven years. We bought the house – bricks,Continue reading “Houses and Homes”

This morning, reading about Noah – ark, animals, floods… As the waters recede Noah thanks his God. The God who made the world, promises to sustain it: ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ God establishes constants. If these constants areContinue reading “Challenging and Removing the Constants”

I read something yesterday that made me think. Referring to musicians it said: If you practice you get better. If you get better you play with better players. If you play with better players you play better music. If you play better music you have more fun. If you have more fun you practice more.Continue reading “Loops of Improvement”