Jigging Away

The end of an extraordinarily busy week this week, catching up after a week off and then having another day off today to make a long weekend and using some time off I have accrued, I am ready for roast beef which I can smell cooking away.

I went to visit a lady today to give her a reading and she lives in one of the more run down estates in Hull. The 1960s and 1970s houses (and some more recent into the 1980s) are not particularly well maintained by the council and some even less well kept by tennants. There is a fair amount of dereliction and some properties are boarded up with vandalised roofs waiting to be demolished to be fair for a new start.

However, on the run up to the street, there are long wide grass verges which are covered in tens if not hundred of thousands of daffodils - a solid mass of bright yellow. I wish I had time to stop and take a photograph it was splendid and gave a real lift to the soul. Lunch followed with my parents and mother made a home made chicken soup (not as good as mine mum - sorry) but never-the-less, it was lovely.

I took her a bunch of flowers and a strawberry cheesecake from a well known store. The beauty of visiting one's parents if you're lucky enough to still have them around is that being my age, the stuff you talk about from the past seems such a long time ago. I was asked if my youngest son, who is still at university is going to renew his fishing licence because he loves to go fishing with my dad. He has renewed it indeed - he will enjoy sunny days on the banks of ponds and lakes.

The subject then turned to fishing stories from the past, my past. As a young man or teenager from the late sixties into the seventies, my grandfather Cyril used to like sea fishing, jigging for mackerel in particular. Jigging by the way is not an offence, its a line with several hooks on with lures, usually feathers which you jiggle about up and down and you often catch several mackerel in one go.

We used to go out in rowing boats from Bridlington harbour in East Yorkshire about a mile out to sea from the harbour wall. Now when I say rowing boats - there was nothing sophisticated about these seemingly ancient wooden craft, just seats and oars. No life jackets, no engine, no cup for bailing out water, no flares - in fact bugger all. Thinking about it now makes me shiver because the water a mile out to sea was never the same as the calm still water in the harbour.

There were three incidents I recall, the first was fishing on the finishing line of a yacht race, that was interesting as yachts whizzed past us (I couldn't understand why someone was firing a cannon on shore every time a yacht passed us!) The second one was where grandfather caught what looked like a telecommunications line, quite thick and heavy - I have no idea how he ever dragged it to the boat, but he stood up and the boat nearly turned over (I'm sweating writing this).

Finally, I recall going out on a lovely calm day and asking grandfather where land was because a fog had come in and land was nowhere to be seen.

How we got back I have no idea to this day. The fishing trips in our fragile wooden craft were often made with Mr Allison, my grandfather's next door neighbour - a bigwig in the council and my uncle Les - so trips were always a laugh with him around.

I've just washed the car because it was supposed to be 21 degrees this afternoon in east Yorkshire, but the wind has taken the edge of the temperatures and my gauge says its just 16 degrees. I've lost the wash leather so 16 degrees is warm enough for the car to have dried clean but streaky.

A farmer bought an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a going concern. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town vicar stopped by to bless the man's work. He said to the farmer, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!"

A few months later, the vicar stopped by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it was a completely different place. The farm house was completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there were plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. "Amazing!" the vicar said. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!"

"Yes, vicar," said the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working on it alone!"

Chat soon

Ta-ra.

Hello Flower...

I hope everyone is well this Saturday which got off to a brilliant start with some big yellow thing in the sky - erm... the Sun! At last.

As is the custom here, welcome to new follower 'Morningaj.'

Apart from a bit of shopping to prepare for our week away in London for a break and to get the kids enough food in to feed an army, the day has been spent in the garden. I've also bought a pack of 'post-its' in bright fluorescent yellow to fix reminders throughout the house for the children: 'dishwasher,' 'hoover,' 'rubbish bin,' 'cat food,' 'this way to the washing machine,' etc.

The lawn has had it's first cut this morning and I've cheated a little really, I've cut it too short which I guess you should never really do especially at this time of the year, but it picked up all the rogue leaves, twigs, bits of other detritus to save me raking it all up. Still it looks okay for now. The compost bin produced three barrows of lovely rich stuff which is now in the borders and in the top of the pots.

The top of the fountain was damaged by the frost and snow this year and when my eldest lad and I came to clean it out ready for the spring, it was cracked and badly damaged. We put it back together and it's working okay, but the pond at the bottom is leaking so it has no fish in it at the moment. I can't decide whether or not to fill it with soil or repair it and put the fish back in. The problem is finding something to line the inside of the concrete section fountain pond with (liner is difficult) and was thinking along the lines of fibre glass. I can feel research coming on. These days you just 'Google' every conceivable problem.
 

The miniature daffs are in flower and the flowering blackcurrant is out. Some of the heather I planted last year has survived the snow and is in flower and the dicentra, 'bleeding heart' is about two feet high - the heart shaped flowers won't be far away now. The thing that seals springs arrival for me is the honey bees and midges that are out in force. The fish in the ponds are now eagerly feeding with wheatgerm even though the water is still cool.

A cuppa, while sat on the garden seat listening to a blue tit singing away in the tree just a few feet away was just dreamy in the warmish fresh air. The long tailed tits are just starting to appear along with the goldcrests, a sure sign of the birds returning for the spring entertainment. They are so funny to watch. The robins are around in pairs too.

The week has been a good one for a number of reasons, lots achieved at work and the first night of the healing group that I was invited to as a healer went off really well on Thursday night. I met a couple of retired ex work colleagues on Friday tea-time for a drink (non-alcoholic in my case, sadly) and a catch up for an hour at a local and a Tarot card reading I did on Friday night went really well with a positive and confirmed spirit link for the sitter and that rounded off the week.

So, I can hear my other half hoovering, getting the house ready for us going away so I best get the kettle on to make her a cuppa to keep her strength up so she can carry on with the domestic chores (so I can listen to the football on the Internet radio).

I'll keep you posted with what we get up to in the capital next week because I think the hotel has free wi-fi connections.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Chat soon

Ta-ra.

Coincidence or Reason?

Those of you who follow this blog will know that I am a Spiritualist and I refer to it occasionally but tonight, I'm going to devote a blog just to an incident which you may (or may not) find interesting.

I attend a psychic circle every Tuesday run by a very experienced tutor, clairvoyant medium Shirley Ann Summerwill in Hull. I take my drawing materials because I enjoy psychic art and am fortunate enough to be able to draw dead people who come into my imagination and normally they are recognised and taken by those for whom they are drawn. They are pencil drawings, often done in around five or ten minutes.

Last Tuesday I drew a man who came to me from the world of Spirit who, in life had a straggly beard and I noted certain things about his life, where he worked, his mode of transport to work, what he was like in life, the era he lived and the relationship he had to a person still living - their father. I even discovered as evidence, that he had been watching over his child in this world and had observed them 'umming and ahhing' about whether or not to get rid of a wooden chopping board.

Sadly, at the time no-one at the circle could recognise him at all, yet the image of him was vivid and he gave me some good checkable evidence. I wrote the facts on the bottom of the drawing of the man should I ever need to refer to them again, which was unlikely. Whilst disappointed, at the end of the night I put my pad and the picture of the man back in my bag and departed for home.

Last Friday night, I had previously arranged to do a Tarot card reading for a lady in a nearby town. Before setting off, I put my Tarot cards in my drawing bag and set off. What you need to know is that other than my circle, I NEVER take my drawing bag out of the house - ever - unless I am going out to do some sketching (usually on a nice warm summer's day).

Indeed the reading went well with an evidenced link to the lady's Grandmother in Spirit. At the end of the reading which went so well, although very happy with it, the lady expressed a slight sadness that her father had not come through - someone to whom she was very attached and loved a great deal.

For a reason I can't explain, I asked if her father had a beard to which she replied that he had. I reached for my bag and withdrew my drawing pad and showed her the picture I had drawn on the previous Tuesday. I have no idea why I did this or what prompted me to do it.

You know what's coming - Indeed, it was her father - quite clearly. Not only was the drawing of her father, but the facts about him were absolutely right. I had drawn him four days earlier for no obvious reason because no-one at the circle could take him. She had even been trying to decide whether or not to get rid of her wooden chopping board!

Spiritualism never ceases to amaze me and more often than not there are less than obvious explanations for coincidences and strange things happening, never-the-less I believe that they normally happen for a reason. I was delighted that the lady was reunited with her father who she so much wanted to contact again and I can't explain why the world of Spirit chose to do it this way, but she is now in possession of the picture and has it with my love.

I don't charge for Tarot readings, I ask that the sitter donate a sum they think suitable directly to their favourite charity if they think the reading was okay. I am pleased to say that the Heart Foundation will be a few bob better off as a result of the reading.

Not a remarkable story perhaps but one which gives me a glow to know that someone has benefited from a reading facilitated by the world of Spirit which for me always has four vital components: compassion, hope, truth and whenever possible, checkable or recognisable evidence.

I hope your week is going well.

Chat soon

Ta-ra!

Sunshine and Optimism

I hope you've all had a good week and the sunshine has seemed to have brought a little optimism about the place which is very welcome indeed.

I've just come back from doing Tarot readings for a couple of dear friends and distant work colleagues and have enjoyed a lovely relaxing night in good company. G was slightly worried about having a reading, she's never had one before and right up to me turning up was considering whether or not to cancel. The reading went ahead and was done with compassion, truth and tact and in fact was entirely positive as I knew it would be. Both friends will give a small donation to charity for the readings which they said they enjoyed which is fantastic and I am grateful to them for their hospitality and generosity to good causes.

Well I have so much to do in the garden this weekend. I was in Liverpool for the first decent weekend for months last weekend so missed out so I'm going to have to graft to get the place tidied up, trimming and pruning done and what I can't recycle and compost, get off to the tip.

My compost bin has filled up during the winter with peelings from the kitchen that are perfectly preserved in the cold and haven't started to rot down at all, but I guess after the first lawn trim in a couple of weeks, the grass clippings will help to get some warmth going as it decomposes and starts the composting processes going. I need to put the compost from the bottom of the bin on the borders.

Signs are about of growth: the daffs are slow this year bit the snowdrops are just flowering and the birds are chasing each other. The grass verges on the city's dual carriageways are full of crocus and the purples, yellows and white are adding much needed colour to faded and washed out green grass. Nights are pulling out and I went to work in a fleece rather than a padded jacket today!

Time for a list, haven't done one for a while.

Although I'm 30+ years out of practice in the art of picking up members of the opposite gender, there are some lines I'd definitely NOT use...

"You wanna see my collection of Jack the Ripper memorabilia?"
"Let's make the most of this because I'm only out on day release."
"Excuse me while I use my phone. I have to ring my mother if I'm going to be out after nine thirty."
"Who wants safe sex anyway?"
"It's late - you'll do."
"I work in a slaughterhouse - how about you?"
"What are your views on handcuffs?"
"I'm a lawyer - Trust me!"
"You'd be a real babe if you lost three stones."

Have a great weekend.

Chat soon

Ta-ra
Thanks to Goeff Tibballs for the lines

Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy?

There's a sort of buzz around the workplace as people talk about Christmas, or rather, exclusively their preparations for the event. Some have wrapped presents, some have yet to buy them, "I've been sooooo busy." Some are having their families round to share a Christmas meal, others "nice and quiet, just the two of us." Some are having turkey, some "Can't stand the stuff, we always have steak." One or two are panicking that the cards will need a first class stamp now because they've only just got round to writing them.

Some have a heavy calendar of social events (generally but not exclusively, the younger set,) others just have the one special 'do,' and some don't do anything.

None of them have talked about the reason for Christmas.

Yet in their own way, there is something of the ethos of the day about their activities. My line manager said today that he enjoyed giving presents more than anything else and seeing the joy on his children's faces. Others have families visit for the day and cater for those less able to do it themselves. People send prezzies to the troops fighting abroad and others give to charities to help those most in need. There is a general air of goodwill, fewer crimes are committed on Christmas Day and there are thoughts of those no longer with us but who live in our memories.

Yes there is hardship and that's the flip side with pressure to buy things, pressure on finances, unhappiness for those alone or in combative relationships, depression as years move along at a pace, sadness at opportunities missed, missing any hope of things improving - a world apart from what they would like to experience and a huge contrast to the commercial view of an ideal Christmas and what should be a wonderful and joyful time of year.

Christmas with my family and children (my other half doesn't celebrate Christmas) is very important for me. I do all the prep: cards, buying, decorations, cooking etc., and it's worth every second of effort.

Ghosts and shadows of Christmas Past for me are not like those experienced by Ebenezer Scrooge, rather they are full of happy memories living in our large (tall) Victorian house with my parents, frustrated that I never got out of bed early on Christmas morning. Lovely presents, simple, inexpensive (they hadn't much money) nevertheless lovingly given with coal fires in the background, a real tree and paper chains, glass baubles, tinsel and old fashioned wall decorations of silver and gold coloured leaves.

We always had turkey, sometimes quite a large one and I can even remember one being cooked upside down one year (it still tasted good) followed by Christmas pudding cooked with sixpences covered in silver foil in the middle. Home made mince pies with real cream really completed the stuffed experience. Afternoons were listening to the Queen's speech, a walk if it was crisp and cold and them a buffet tea followed inevitably by Morecambe and Wise shows.

This year, my mum and dad are round and we'll all stay in all day with an afternoon film, with tea around 5 pm consisting of a traditional turkey roast, followed by playing board games and NO television unless there's something VERY special.

Looking forward to the snow in the next couple of days, forecast by the BBC which will give the Christmassy feel.

I had the good fortune of being asked to day to do a Tarot reading for someone at work (who I know hardly at all) which went very well indeed and I have another one planned for Sunday afternoon. I trained about three years ago and have just renewed and refreshed my acquaintance with the cards, something I really enjoy doing. A charitable donation of the sitter's choice means the reading was not only done for a good reason but a charity benefited as well.

Hope the rest of your week goes well; don't feel too stressed and take care with the white stuff.

Chat soon

ta-ra.