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Film

صورة
On Friday, I walked into the city centre to be at the lunchtime screening of "Wild Horse Nine" in The Showroom - my favourite  local cinema. Starring John Malcovitch and Sam Rockwell and directed by Martin McDonagh,  it is a dark comedy with a political edge set in Chile in 1973.  Many people do not realise that the most westerly part of Chile is Easter Island - 2330 miles across the eastern Pacific Ocean. Malcovitch plays the part of Chris and Rockwell plays the part of Lee. They are CIA agents involved in the pending overthrow of Salvador Allende's democratically elected left wing government. They have been planted in Chile for many months. For some reason - it is never explained why - their boss sends them to Easter Island . It was this factor that drew me to the film because I spent a happy week on Easter Island seventeen years ago - an experience that meant the world to me. Surely the film's use of Easter Island as a backdrop would bring back some special memorie...

happies

 Happies Christmas card season Delicious sweet treat Bing Crosby My Christmas tree You from R's rue https://ift.tt/sRFcXbZ

Leaves

صورة
Every leaf that falls in autumn is a little different from its neighbour. They each have their own story to tell - like the lines revealed on an open palm. Over the last week, the tree friendly southern suburbs of Sheffield have been carpeted with leaves and sometimes you walk ankle deep along the pavements, listening to the leaves' crinkly soundtrack. The air has been still but yet there are nooks and crannies, corners and gateways where the autumn dead have drifted. Yesterday, I raked and swept up a great pile of leaves in our garden then I decanted them into an old dustbin where they can gradually rot down for a year or so ready to enrich the soil. A virtuous circle perhaps. "Leaves" is a word used more than its synonym - "departs" and on Thursday our decorators left after a two week stint of meticulous work - preparing, sanding, undercoating, coating and recoating. They have done a great job of our hallway, staircase and landing. Although five different youn...

Roar

 When anxiety  Rises up  In me May a quiet Faith roar In response That says I’m here To guide And lead You into A hope That can’t Be dispelled  from R's rue https://ift.tt/VvlSM7C

Origin

صورة
T his is the second in a series of blogposts that explain the origins of the unusual names of several stations on the London Underground railway system. The first in the series was published a mere fourteen years ago when the author of this blog considered Shepherd's Bush . Today, we are thinking about Canary Wharf. Who knows - it might be another fourteen years till we reach the third selected station. I bet you can't wait. Just to warn you - the author will then be eighty seven years old and may be even more doolally. B efore people got used to money, there was something called bartering. You didn’t need money. You could just exchange things with your neighbour. You might have admired your neighbour’s bantam chicken so you’d say “I’d like to have that little chicken” and your neighbour might say, “Okay you can have that bantam for a sack of turnips.” Then you might say “No way Jose! Half a sack of turnips and it’s a deal but not a full sack. Turnips are hard to grow.” And the...

Thoughts

 An early morning greeted me as I stepped out on the porch today, and it couldn’t be more timely. The cool rain is reminding me it’s okay to rest. My body needs it. My mind needs it. My soul needs to crave it. It’s okay not to have perfect or pretty words to describe everything. Sometimes the truth just likes to sneak up and smack you in the face. Grief and gratitude can intertwine, and I can welcome both as long as I don’t stay there too long. The human experience doesn’t guarantee ease. I’m also have to disconnect from the need to be connected online constantly. The addiction is real sometimes. I’m having to reconcile my need for perfection daily.  My best friend told me to care but not carry. Such a simple statement. So much truth, yet so hard to do. I can do hard things. So today, I awake to nature providing new perspective and some peace. I truly wish the same for you.  Joy Is simply  Putting down What is Now to Heavy to bear from R's rue https://ift.tt/5u27BH...

Applause

صورة
Applause is due to the ordinary working people of America who turned up in their millions yesterday to change the political tide. They passed judgement on Trump and his gang and the divisiveness they have wrought - including starting an unnecessary war that threatens peace and economic stability around the world. Of course, the increasingly senile president accepts no responsibility for this electoral battering. He has even claimed that if his name had been on the ballot papers instead of the nominees he endorsed, the defeat would not have happened. But deception and dodging responsibility is part of his DNA. The other night I tuned in to a video that examined his academic career at Fordham University in New York (1964-1966) and The Wharton Business School at The University of Pennsylvania (1966-1968). Although Trump has often boasted of his academic prowess and high achievement, it seems more than likely that he made it all up or at least exaggerated everything. He left virtually no ...