30/03/2008 by Aileen.

I reported a dead swan to DEFRA the other day, fleetingly thinking that if it had bird flu I would have a few minutes’ fame before we all died horrible deaths. Anyway, I wasn’t on the news, and on walking along the Canal this evening I find the swan has been disposed of.

It’s sad. The swan was often in the same spot. I think it may have been old.

Had a lovely walk this evening. I feel so fortunate that I can go for a walk and hear curlews calling, see goldfinches, song thrushes, pied wagtails, rabbits, free range chickens and turkeys, and more horses than pedestrians along the path.

The dead swan spoiled it in a way, but that’s life. Without the bad we can’t appreciate the good.

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29/03/2008 by Aileen.

Funny sort of day, but I made the best of it.

1. Went to the Rubbish Tip at 9am and it didn’t open ’til 10am. Luckily I had my camera on me so went to Eastrington Ponds for an hour and took some photos. Heard chiff-chaffs and siskins, photoed greylag geese and greenfinch.

2.  We had boiled ham tonight and John really looks forward to green beans with this. I searched like mad in the freezer, and at last found some greeny-grey looking  bits that I must have frozen last year. They actually tasted lovely, and John was happy.

3.  John has bought a new little white chest for the bathroom. It’s only mfd (or something) and it’s to replace a solid wood cabinet that he (or I at the moment) can’t be bothered to repaint. This cabinet has been with us for over 40 years. It’s been stained wood, white, maroon, white again. And it’s solid. I was supposed to take it to the Tip today, but instead I put it in the guest room’s bathroom John never goes in there, as it’s a squeeze for the wheelchair. Also he never reads my blog. (I hope!!!)

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28/03/2008 by Aileen.

At the risk of sounding self-satisfied I’ve had another lovely day (although I’m aware some people might tell me to get a life). I got back from the shops before 10am so I got on with my OU study and I’m ready to start my TMA. Wide Sargasso Sea is such a beautiful haunting book. I’ll have to be careful not to write too much on this and not enough on Pygmalion. There’s so much other recommended reading about colonialism and slavery etc. I’d love to follow it all up. Living near Hull, which has associations with Wilberforce, I learnt a lot about slavery last year. However…… life is short.

I uploaded some more photos to my website this afternoon, and printed a picture of the boy I am preparing for his First Communion. I’m having my second gin and tonic now so I xepetc my tpying wlli get a bittt roooooopyyyyy nowwwww. Cheeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrssssss!

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27/03/2008 by Aileen.

I was up before 7am and decided to clear out a cupboard in the utility room. There’s a 5 drawer Ikea chest in there crammed full with dark room stuff, old cameras/lenses, mounting material etc., as well as the ironing board and cleaning things.

Then, J and I went cycling.

After lunch we put together a little flat-pack cupboard for the bathroom.

Not sure what else I did, but it’s now 10.15pm and I haven’t even looked at Wide Sargasso Sea.

Oh well! Tomorrow is another day!

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26/03/2008 by Aileen.

As yesterday was quite ordinary (or normal might be a better word) I thought I’d list 5 really good things about it.

What was sad about yesterday was that someone I was going to meet on Thursday has cancelled as her daughter is ill. The family are in my thoughts and prayers.

What was a bit of a shock about yesterday was that I realised I have an essay about Pygmalion and Wide Sargasso Sea due in on April 4th. I’m down in London meeting old school friends on Wednesday/Thursday so will have to have essay done by Tuesday (ideally) Although I read WSS in holiday in Setember I have only read and studied Part One this week, so will have to get a move on.
It’s just that I find the website design course so fascinating (and difficult).

Today - on with Wide Sargasso Sea. And I have those veggies to plant.

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24/03/2008 by Aileen.

John had a ladle of casserole tonight. I kept him updated on Eastenders by running from room to room telling him what was happening. As I don’t know the names of the characters I was saying things like ‘the corpse has dragged the murderess by the neck and began throttling her’. Great fun.

Recently I sent one of those circulars you get on t’internet to 10 friends. I’ve had three responses so far. One of the questions was ….’Do you like the person who sent you this e-mail?’ I’m really chuffed with the replies…

Yes – she’s inspired me more than she knows

Of course she is one of the few people who has the courage? to challenge me when I need it!!!!

Oh yes - lots of happy memories when we worked together.

Great fun and unpredictable (in the nicest way)

So I can’t be all bad can I?!

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24/03/2008 by Aileen.

John’s begun to eat again. He asked for a tomato and a banana at 10.30 last night, and this morning they had gone!

He had tea, and two triangles of toast and jam for breakfast. I celebrated my continuing weight loss by finishing his leftovers as well as having a slice myself. With lashings of Olivio and a liberal spreading of home-made plum jam

He hasn’t had any lunch, but got up for a couple of hours and thinks he can manage some beef casserole tonight.

Lazy day catching up on reading so far (photo magazines, periodicals etc.) Must do some studying soon.

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23/03/2008 by Aileen.

John’s not well again. This is the third time since the family came to stay about a month ago. The first time he had just picked up something that the kids had. The second time we thought it was a urine infection, but the hospital tests were negative. He has the same symptoms again. Slight temperature, sick (he was sick last night) and no energy whatsoever. He’s either sleeping or lying down very still. He had a boiled egg at lunch time, so as he’s been ill since Friday I was going to make a joke about the resurrection, but he hasn’t risen yet.

Which reminds me, the Passion is on in 15 minutes, so I just have time to upload a photo of our garden which I took this morning.

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21/03/2008 by Aileen.

At the last school I taught in the kids sang a hymn with the words, ‘That’s why Friday’s Good -not bad.’ I think it sums up the theology of the day. Yes, it’s horrific that anyone should die that way, but in the case of Jesus, he chose it, and conquered death. Obviously you need faith to accept such an outrageous statement.

I am sad that there does seem to be such a lot of anti-religious feeling in the world. Religion ges the blame for a lot of stuff. I’m thinking of Islam as well as Christianity. I have taught such lovely muslim children and really respect their religion. It all gets distorted by fanatics. Christianity has its fanatics too. I cringe at some of the things I hear. Little child preachers in America for one, and anti-abortionists killing (!) doctors for killing babies (!)

Then I notice that some of the anti-Christian people are homosexual. I wonder what hurt they have received at the hands of the church. Divorced people, too, made to feel outcasts by out-of-date catholic teaching. It’s about time the church took another look at moral theology and joined the real world. And I honestly believe we can do that by going back to our roots. What would/did Jesus do? It’s all about love. His life and death showed that love has tobe tough, but he really had a knack of seeing what was in peoples’ hearts.

End of homily!

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19/03/2008 by Aileen.

As it’s the end of term I had to do my own birding today. I sat in the garden from 9.15 to 10.15 and saw

great crested grebes courting…..

a nest full of duck eggs……

and a long tailed tit!

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