Husband and I sat and watched our recording of the very last episode of Downton, minus the adverts, on Sunday evening.
What a masterpiece of knots unravelled and loose ends tied up, either in the 'there and then' or, if not, in the suggestion of happy endings to come. Just what you want from Christmas television; well, what I want anyway and is that so terrible! The last series was terrific too, in my estimation, after, I felt, some of the over-melodramatic scenes of former episodes.
Reading some snooty reviews in our otherwise excellent Catholic Herald magazine, I feel that I want to tell those critics that they've entirely missed the point of Downton. It was not, essentially, an historical drama, it wasn't about chronological accuracy or exactitude. It was about people, their lives, their relationships, their stories.
Its characterisations have been excellent and the acting superb. The photography, the settings, the world which has been created for us on a Sunday evening, have lifted us into another life, one which has brought real interest and delight. It will be sadly missed.
Thank goodness that we had this Christmas special to relish, to cherish the resolutions and to share in the satisfaction of a story well-told and well ended.
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
About 'Mary's Meals' (Take 2)
Two days ago, at three minutes to midnight, I finished reading a book which tells the story of the amazing charity named above. The book is called ''The Shed That Fed a Million Children''.
It was easy to read in one sense but very hard in others, dealing as it does with such sad stories of poverty and hunger in terribly difficult situations.
There is tremendous hope in the book though, as ways of really making a difference in the lives of so many have evolved from the efforts of all the dedicated people involved.
If you have a moment, perhaps you could check it out on-line and maybe you might decide to become one of the countless number of people who have decided to help to feed the hungry children of our world.
Husband and I had recently decided to support this charity with a monthly donation. Now I discover that my housekeeping money has stretched to feed not just 20 plus children a year but 40 plus!! How lovely to have increased my extended family as I shall now think of them.
The children have their meals in school, so bodies AND minds are fed. As a Mum, Gran and retired teacher, there is something especially pleasing to me in that.
Postscript
It was easy to read in one sense but very hard in others, dealing as it does with such sad stories of poverty and hunger in terribly difficult situations.
There is tremendous hope in the book though, as ways of really making a difference in the lives of so many have evolved from the efforts of all the dedicated people involved.
If you have a moment, perhaps you could check it out on-line and maybe you might decide to become one of the countless number of people who have decided to help to feed the hungry children of our world.
- It costs £12. 20 to feed a child for a year. (I just checked on google and this is crossed out and now reads 'two children').
- 93p of every £1 donated goes directly to aid.
Husband and I had recently decided to support this charity with a monthly donation. Now I discover that my housekeeping money has stretched to feed not just 20 plus children a year but 40 plus!! How lovely to have increased my extended family as I shall now think of them.
The children have their meals in school, so bodies AND minds are fed. As a Mum, Gran and retired teacher, there is something especially pleasing to me in that.
Postscript
- I haven't mentioned the number of children our donations are feeding in order to boast, because, honestly, the amount isn't mega-bucks; it's only £25 a month, so less than £1 a day and a lot less than it costs us to feed husband, son-at-home and me.
- I've figured out the crossing out of one child to two children! The government is doubling any contribution to this charity for one month up until the 28th of this month. So this means the 40 children are just for December but that's good anyway.
Sunday, 22 November 2015
About giving and giving in
Let us learn to give
but not to give in.
This should probably read
'Let us learn when it is right to give, and then, give.'
and 'Let us learn when it is right not to give in, and then, not give in.'
but, of course, it's not so succinct (or poetic)!
I add this because there are times when it is right not to give
and, conversely, times when it is right to give in (or so husband says, anyway!)
but not to give in.
This should probably read
'Let us learn when it is right to give, and then, give.'
and 'Let us learn when it is right not to give in, and then, not give in.'
but, of course, it's not so succinct (or poetic)!
I add this because there are times when it is right not to give
and, conversely, times when it is right to give in (or so husband says, anyway!)
About realising our own worth
We are not extras but main players
in the film of our lives.
In our own lives,
we will always be a part of the team.
There is no substitute's bench.
I realise that this may read as being somewhat egocentric, but my purpose in writing it is to address the problem that people like me may have of always feeling that everyone else is more important than we are, or that we won't be picked for the team, that there will always be someone who is better than we are, that other people's ways of doing something are more likely to be right than ours; (or as I have put it before, in my case, forever self-doubting, looking for affirmation, being a pain in the neck!!).
If you are a bit like that, I hope the words above may help.
in the film of our lives.
In our own lives,
we will always be a part of the team.
There is no substitute's bench.
I realise that this may read as being somewhat egocentric, but my purpose in writing it is to address the problem that people like me may have of always feeling that everyone else is more important than we are, or that we won't be picked for the team, that there will always be someone who is better than we are, that other people's ways of doing something are more likely to be right than ours; (or as I have put it before, in my case, forever self-doubting, looking for affirmation, being a pain in the neck!!).
If you are a bit like that, I hope the words above may help.
Friday, 20 November 2015
A postscript on the soup
Today, I added a sweet potato as well as a parsnip to the veg and it was really nice, we thought.
,
,
About 'cold calls': a post script
After the 'oh so cool, calm and collected' account of my dealings with the above, two days later my poise, such as it is, was dented by a call on my MOBILE, would you believe! (How do they find our numbers?!)
A voice, which addressed me by name, as far as I can remember, before I could say anything, launched into "I believe you've been involved in an accident which wasn't your fault".
Well, I just found myself putting the phone down immediately, in real annoyance; the civil and studied politeness disappeared through the window!
The outrage was compounded by the fact that not only was it lunchtime, a much treasured time in the home of this branch of the early-retired, a group of which husband and I are grateful members, on top of that, the call interrupted "Bargain hunt"! I rest my case!!
PS I would like it known that the said programme is, of course, our only recourse to daytime television and is time-shared, be it noted, with eating. (Otherwise, I'd never get anything done!)
A voice, which addressed me by name, as far as I can remember, before I could say anything, launched into "I believe you've been involved in an accident which wasn't your fault".
Well, I just found myself putting the phone down immediately, in real annoyance; the civil and studied politeness disappeared through the window!
The outrage was compounded by the fact that not only was it lunchtime, a much treasured time in the home of this branch of the early-retired, a group of which husband and I are grateful members, on top of that, the call interrupted "Bargain hunt"! I rest my case!!
PS I would like it known that the said programme is, of course, our only recourse to daytime television and is time-shared, be it noted, with eating. (Otherwise, I'd never get anything done!)
Monday, 16 November 2015
About dealing with 'cold calls'
My first tactic, when I've realised the nature of the call is, ignoring the caller's opening gambit, to say, politely and calmly, "What do you want, please?" If he or she persists with the spiel, I persist with, "What do you want please?!"
If the caller continues, not having recognised that this particular approach is unlikely to achieve much, I say, again, very politely, "I'm not interested, thank you; good-bye." and put the phone down. I must add here that nothing incenses me more than an enquiry as to 'how I am'! I feel like shouting down the phone, "What's it got to do with you."
I feel heart-sorry for the poor folk who are reduced to trying to earn a living in this way and have no wish to be rude. I really wish that someone would tell them that all we want (or don't want usually) is to know the purpose of the call, not an enquiry as to the state of our health!
All I can say is that this is the most successful tactic I've come up with so far and I hope it may be of use to someone else.
If the caller continues, not having recognised that this particular approach is unlikely to achieve much, I say, again, very politely, "I'm not interested, thank you; good-bye." and put the phone down. I must add here that nothing incenses me more than an enquiry as to 'how I am'! I feel like shouting down the phone, "What's it got to do with you."
I feel heart-sorry for the poor folk who are reduced to trying to earn a living in this way and have no wish to be rude. I really wish that someone would tell them that all we want (or don't want usually) is to know the purpose of the call, not an enquiry as to the state of our health!
All I can say is that this is the most successful tactic I've come up with so far and I hope it may be of use to someone else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)