We are all in need of a bit of lightness me thinks.
The sun is still shining and life has a habit of propelling us forward towards new adventures and new projects, so things are not as bleak as the newspapers keep telling us that they are!
Best foot forward, chins up and all that!
Today I've caught up with an old friend on the phone.
Winnie has an ear infection which I've treated quickly and is now sunbathing happily
The California lilac is a vibrant blue in front of the cottage and the alliums are showing their proud heads in the flower borders.
The batchelors have enjoyed a long cool drink of water ( a gift from a passer by)
And the laburnam tree in the churchyard is days away from looking truly stunning.
Life is good
It's a great photo. David was not exactly overly endowed.
ReplyDeleteTerrific photo!
ReplyDeleteOf course it is, which is why the bad bits are so shocking.
ReplyDeleteChins up but don't look up, ladies!!! :)
ReplyDeletewhat can we do but go forward?
ReplyDeleteYou move on quickly from this and yet Trump winning caused weeks and months of toys out of pram and never a moment when people weren't thinking about him and crying and putting his name in every comment lest anybody forget their hurt. Now its best foot forward clickedly click one day after Manchester. I find fellow humans quite weird. Why not chuck some toys out of the pram about religious fanatics and suicide bombers?
ReplyDeleteDont be a tit rachel, its BECAUSE the news was so bad yesterday that I want to be more positive today.
DeleteIt looks as though isis will be striking again, troops are on the streets, more young girls, and innocents are being named in the tally of dead which could be added to in the next hours, days and/or weeks.
I want to remember the good in people, the nice things of life, the positive news, the sweet and the enjoyable.
I dont forget the trauma of monday. But i dont want to be cowed in fear also.
As for Trump he said one positive thing when he referred to the bomber as a "loser not a monster"
They want to be seen as monsters, striking fear in us all...
They WANT us to fear them and want us to forget the flowers and the blue sky and the kindness of taxi drivers and the good things in life.
Dont try and slap me down on this one and this post Rachel. For once in the world you couldnt be more wrong
As you wish. I was making an observation that's all. 22 dead, many young girls, blown up just over 24 hours ago up the road in Manchester by a jihadi and you judge it is time for levity and every one is gung ho. Life is too short to argue and you have many friends.
DeletePerhaps the word " levity" was wrong....a time to smile and not be bowed was the feeling I was after.
DeleteAnd what do " many friends" have to do with anything?
The word levity upset me.
DeleteIt has been duly removed it wasnt the word i was after
DeleteAll forgivenx
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRachel is right. I agree to every word of her initial comment. And may I add, it's not what They Want, it's what we want, what the western world wants - and here lies the big tragedy. The western world doesn't know what it wants , and it's going to get beaten.
DeleteLet's not milk the situation for all it is worth, shall we? Sometimes showing respect is keeping one's big mouth shut.
DeleteOh dear, praise the Lord on this 24th of May, I do agree with Tom. He is right. Sometimes we should keep out mouths shut. Naturally I have no idea who he is addressing but it sounds good.
DeleteI don't understand you, Rachel. You know that John always tries to look at the bright side of life. It's one of his USPs. Why piss on his perspective?
To put it bluntly, Rachel, if we weren't able to smell roses among the shit life deals us occasionally (not even us in particular) then we'd just take the short cut.
U
I hope one of the ladies will be brave enough to ask why, against Jewish law, David isn't circumcised!
ReplyDeleteVery nice photos. I am off to steal some lilacs that back on to a walking trail. Just for fun!
ReplyDeleteI heard the awful news while on a little holiday with my mum visiting my lovely niece, her delightful two year old daughter and new baby girl. Bitter sweet indeed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you John. If we wallow in the awful misery caused by this atrocity it doesnt help anyone. Going forward in our joy of all the good things will defeat the inhuman bastards.
ReplyDeleteThe Winnie photo made me laugh.
ReplyDelete(Presumably, you meant positivity, not positivism!)
Yes! Spell check is a barstard
DeleteYes - it puts an extra R in bastard.
DeleteI was being ironic
DeleteAh.
DeleteAs sun rises each day, I am reminded we have a chance to start a new adventure, to do better, to try to be a beacon of love and hope. I was reminded by a colleague that the vast majority of people are good, and wish no one harm - if not everyday would be barbaric and few would survive to see the sun rise on a new adventure. Cute little dog, if there is reincarnation I want to come back as one of your dogs.
ReplyDeleteI am about to go through my first mini hurricane alone with cats so that will be my only negative to consider today.
ReplyDeleteThere is more than enough misery and sadness in the world if that is what we are looking for , finding things that make you smile and feel good are a bit harder to find some days.
So I am taking my blanket and going downstairs to huddle with 3 sweet cats and wait until the storm blows over, hopefully no trees will fall on my home and there will be no floods and the sun will come out and life will go on.
What we do with that life is up to us .. no one else.
Stay safe xx
DeleteYes be safe
DeleteNice post to remember all the good thing in life to help us deal with the awful.
ReplyDeleteStupid, bastard, cowards, inhuman, creeps, evil are just that.
cheers, parsnip
Thanks for the photos. Love our winnie..though i pretend she is mine now. Sometimes after such tragedy, it is hard to believe there can ever be another day.... but the day comes anyway. The flowers bloom the sun shines and we go on. The pain is left for the families and we others hope for better and are silently relieved that we are ok this time.
ReplyDeleteI guess we are experiencing to some degree the horror of war and those terrible buzz bombs that were inflicted on London in the 2nd world war. .the people never knew where they would land
DeleteIt's just after 3am here in Aus..I cant sleep distressed & thoughts racing. So came here again tonight & read your post..I think often these terrible events make the appreciation of what is so normal and beautiful all the more appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for the photos John and for sharing calming thòughts
I don't understand.
ReplyDeleteWhat bit yp?
DeleteWhile we can show sympathy and empathy there's not a lot any of us can do, except to hold those that have died or suffered in our hearts and offer up prayers if we are that way inclined.... and then as John says move on with our lives.
ReplyDeleteEach step of positivity, each smile, each enjoying of our day is a step in the direction of showing those that would try and make our lives darker and smaller that we will not be defeated by the evil and hatred in their hearts.
We are stronger together ... and stronger when we stand proud. I'm proud to be a Mancunian through and through. xx
Talking of chins, I've just started a soup kitchen for you.
ReplyDeleteI saw!
DeleteThere was a fly in it.
DeleteOur huge California Lilac is always referred to as the buzzy bee bush , theres so many you can here it buzzing in the house
ReplyDeleteWe are a strange lot . . . we humans.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments . . .
What else can one do but move forward . . .
And think about and remember the goodness in people . . .
Not for a minute do any of us forget . . .
There is a statue of David at a Las Vegas casino ....husband took a photo of e standing below :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photos John, especially the one of the gorgeous Winnie. We can't, and shan't, forget the very recent atrocity, but seeing your sunshine and flowers today helps remind us that there are still some good things in life.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I might have been in that pic. I'm sure now that they, like us are praying for peace, well being and for the souls who lost their lives.
ReplyDeletePeace and well being to all of us on this post.
Diana from Canada
bless winnie.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great shot.
ReplyDeleteDavid must be smiling inside.
xo
Heavily armed police on the streets of Edinburgh today. Hard to believe it. North Yorkshire Police giving out advice on what to do in the event of another catastrophe and to save the Anti-Terrorism Squad number to your phone. Suddenly, it's all very real. Thank you for lifting us out of it for a moment or two. x
ReplyDeleteThanks for the smiles AND the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteYou have a ceanothus! I'm jealous. Sadly we have no room in our garden for a shrubbery....or a wildflower meadow, orchard, chicken pen, pond, goat pen, small woodland, stream, walled garden, orangery or any of the other landscape features I dream of; alas the flower borders and veggie garden will have to suffice.;-)
ReplyDeleteWinnie looks very peaceful in the sun xxx
Atta girl, girls! :D
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing that photo of your beautiful laburnum in full bloom! Growing up in northern California we had a huge specimen of that gorgeous tree (which we mistakenly called the Golden Rain tree) in our front yard and on the very rare evenings it was warm enough to be outside we would have our dinner on a picnic table underneath it. My brothers and I were always horrified if a blossom fell in someone's milk because our mom had told us the tree was poisonous. Great potential for melodrama at the dinner table and wonderful memories!
ReplyDelete