R's rue

Back in 2007, we helped our son Ian to buy a terraced house just a stone's throw from Sheffield United's Bramall Lane Stadium. He was only twenty two at the time and for five years he lived there with paying friends. But in 2012 he moved down to London with his then girlfriend, Ruby. Gradually, Ian washed his hands of that house and by default Shirley and I ended up as a landlord and landlady - not something we had ever wanted. We used savings to pay off the mortgage and for the past seven years we have rented the house out to strangers. When Ian lived there I used to cut the privet hedge at the back and mow the little lawn. This carried on right through to 2017 when the current tenants moved in. He is a Canadian academic working at The University of Sheffield  and she is amongst other things a translator, specialising in Spanish. When they moved in, I told them about the previous gardening and hedge-trimming arrangements but Dr Maple-Leaf said that he would be happy to do...

 I’m staring at a screen waiting to be filled with something masterful. As I hit each key, I realize this. Writing is about the absence of perfection. It’s the raw and unfiltered. The one without polish. It’s about returning to roots. The deep ones that hold pain and promise. It’s letting you see a soul as calloused as my toes. It’s about learning from anything or anyone that crosses the path. It’s about showing weakness so that strength may become a necessary antidote. I have become stubborn, and not in a good way. It’s about learning from a six year old, not arguing about nonsense. I’ve loved Philippians 4:13, but I haven’t let it make roots. I can recite it, but do I believe it. Honesty, the policy, I haven’t honored in a long time.  from R's rue https://ift.tt/j41H0VY

  It’s still and very hot indeed. The ponies in the field are standing quietly in the shade of the hawthorn hedges with back legs bent and Dorothy is lying nipples to concrete  in order to cool down after a short walk.  The cottage is peaceful as my neighbours in the new build have put Charlie inside out of the sun, where he can bark is voice box out of his head without bothering anyone. I’m off out shortly to buy white gloss paint.  I’ve been meaning to paint my bathroom door since CBM was here.  Not only did I buy white paint but I saw some planters going cheap at Sainsbury’s so brought them home and filled them with cheerful pink geraniums  I’m not booked to work until the weekend and have emailed the dog breeder about picking Roger Up It sounds that a majority of the village has covid Btw my booked train home last night ( the last one from London ) was cancelled, thank goodness I got an earlier train, the guard on which let slip that the ...

 Yesterday my niece was over, and it never ceases to amazes me the wisdom of children. Playing tic tac toe, she says “you can’t keep doing the same thing if you want to win”. I didn’t even realize it. Her words stuck with me. How often in life do I do the same things just to not lose. At six and a half, my niece gave me advice I will keep forever. I want to remember that you can be taught by anyone at anytime. Who knew a rainy summer Sunday is when I would receive such gifts. Thank you Lord for the children who remind me of life lessons we adults seem to forget.  What have children taught you? from R's rue https://ift.tt/BDKGQa0