Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Grand-daughter Hannah had joined her university volleyball team. A picture of her with a bunch of other girls proves it. We were delighted to learn that in her first game of the season she received an ‘honourable mention’ – ‘Hannah used her initiative in the game and won us multiple points.’ An honourable mention. OurContinue reading “Honourable Mention”

Yesterday we spent a lovely day with sister-in-law Geneviève, walking, talking, seeing the sights around her home in Pontault-Combault, on the outskirts of Paris. ‘We’re having dinner tonight with Sara and Fred. We shall have ‘La Raclette’. Sara is Geneviève’s daughter, our niece… so that will be good… but La Raclette? I googled it… RacletteContinue reading “La Raclette”

Most days flow from one to another – increasingly quickly. Events are planned, details written on the kitchen calendar, but yesterday… We’d suggested it a year ago, we’d talked about it through the year, we’d planned dates, bought tickets… Yesterday was different. We got up early, checked we’d remembered everything. Daughter-Jo took us to theContinue reading “That’s Different”

This morning we’re going to Paris… train from Lowestoft to London,  Eurostar from London to Paris… My brother Chris lived in France for most of his life. It’s the first time we’ve been to see our French relations since Chris died last year…    I’m reminded of three train songs… If you miss the trainContinue reading “Trains – Miles, Morningtown and Mountains…”

At Sunday’s Silhouette Stage School show, groups of proud children had done their routines… In the darkness a small child steps up. The lights come up. It’s Maya. A small child on a huge stage. Maya sings beautifully, poignantly:   Where is love?Does it fall from skies above?Is it underneath the willow treeThat I’ve beenContinue reading “Maya’s Big Question…”

When I was at school, we had assembly every morning; it always included a hymn, a Bible reading and a prayer. On the last day of term, the reading was always Romans 12. I read it again this morning… The chapter includes a picture… we’re all parts of a body – different from each other,Continue reading “Difference and Dependence”

I do not know what lies ahead,the way I cannot see;yet one stands near to be my guide;he’ll show the way to me. Songs of all sorts have always been an important part of my life. As a teenager I sung this with other students, (102 in the old Youth Praise!), played it on myContinue reading “I Do Not Know What Lies Ahead”

Yesterday at our ‘Singing for Health’ group we sang: You put de lime in de coconut, you mix it all upPut de lime in de coconut, you mix it all together… We’ve sung it for several weeks. It’s good fun. I assumed it was a West Indian traditional song… I discovered it’s written by whiteContinue reading “It’s Time To Reconsider”

I often return to Pandora’s box… …Zeus gave Pandora a box but warned her never to open it. Pandora was curious and couldn’t stay away from it. Eventually she opened the box and all manner of horrible things flew out – disease, hunger, greed, hatred, grief, pain, poverty, war, death… All of life’s miseries were releasedContinue reading “Hope – Pandora, People & Paul”

It’s 1988. Lily Ebert, a Hungarian Jew, returns to Auschwitz for the first time since 1945. She talks to those she’s with… ‘Learning what happened from somebody who had lived through the camp herself… Confronted with all the numbers on the explanation panels in the museum, numbers so huge they seem unfathomable, they could turnContinue reading “One Person. One Life”