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I’ve started trying to read my brother Chris’ book. It’s written in French. Apart from various trips to France over the years I’m dependent on French I learnt at school many years ago. I remember two French teachers – Dennis Tucker and Donald Seldon (– we called him ‘Duck’). I remember Dennis to be warm,Continue reading “Teaching and Learning”

At church last night we thought about and prayed for the ‘vulnerable’… those who are ‘easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally’… a 400-year-old word… from the Latin vulnerabilis ‘wounding’, vulnerare ‘to wound, hurt, injure, maim…’ The Covid pandemic has made us think of the ‘vulnerable’ – those who are most likely to catchContinue reading “Vulnerable”

We spent Yesterday with our friends Tim and Jill at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens. We walked through the muddy woods; we sat in the bird hide and observed… There were tree creepers and nuthatches – birds with similar habits that cling to the side of trees. We’ve been told that from a distance youContinue reading “Discerning Truth”

Last night we watched Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement. ’The tidal wave of Omicron’… ‘the race between the vaccine and the virus’… ‘let’s get boosted now’. The message is ‘Get Your Booster’ – your third covid vaccination. I remembered watching ‘Bleep and Booster’… This morning I read 1Thessalonians. St Paul starts with prayer for hisContinue reading “Get Your Booster”

It was not a silent nightThere was blood on the groundYou could hear a woman cryIn the alleyways that nightOn the streets of David’s town Our thoughts and expectations are that we shall have a ‘Happy Christmas.’ There’s plentiful special food, drink, presents… Christmas cheer, families, generosity. ‘All is calm, all is bright.’ Even theContinue reading “Labor Of Love”

Yesterday we went to the Co-op Juniors Christmas Spectacular at Snape Maltings. It was a wonderful production – about 100 young people aged (I guess) 6-18, singing and dancing. There were impressive costumes, complex choreography, accurate harmonies and slick production in a beautiful auditorium. It was indeed a Christmas Spectacular! Amongst the Christmas carols, Santas,Continue reading “Mary Poppins”

We’re well into the Christmas card season. Some cards are local – to/from friends who we see regularly. These cards acknowledge that friendship and wish Christmas joy, good health, peace… There are also cards given to and received from friends and family who live further afield. We may not have seen much of them throughContinue reading “Christmas Letters… (some things don’t change)”

I woke up yesterday morning to find that the storm in the night had blown down and broken one of our fence panels. We took it to the garage. Some of it’s rotten. It will need significant repair if it’s to survive another storm. I read: ‘Thanks to the recent storms, my wheelie bin hasContinue reading “Strength through the Storm”

I first heard about ‘OSCE’s some years ago. Those training to be health care professionals – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers etc – were talking about ‘OSCE’s – (pronounced ‘oskeys’). I discovered it’s a form of assessment, a practical exam – an ‘Objective Structured Clinical Examination’. There’s a circuit of a number of 5-15 minute practicalContinue reading “OSCEs & Repeated Behaviour”

Marks and Spencer have upset some folk with their Percy Pig-themed charity Christmas cards, replacing ‘Christmas’ with ‘Pigmas’. Some Christians are offended that ‘Christ’ should be replaced by ‘pig’.  Others say that card manufacturers wouldn’t dare to insult the central figure of another religion… especially Allah or Mohammed… Christ’s name is openly blasphemed on TVContinue reading “Pigs, Oxen and Goats”