Merry Christmas x

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You may or may not be celibrating Christmas, but can I wish you a happy  and peaceful Christmas and send seasons greetings. It may not be the best time of the year for many of us. But at least if people take a little time to think about others then things might improve in the world.

Not everyone is religious and the season does not have the same meaning for everyone. That doesn’t mean that anyone should be excluded from good wishes.

It’s difficult to write about this as I am agnostic, I am not sure what I believe, but I think respecting others is what I am getting at. There are too many wars and fighting. Sending love.

 

Christmas Carol re-written

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I’ve just seen the third and final episode of a Christmas Carol, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens, but with much more details and ‘plot twists’.

Gone is the vaguely cute Scrooge of the original, who is somehow not that nasty, at least compared with this Scrooge. But there is more back story about what caused his intransigence and avarice. There is also much more about what he and Jacob Marley did to his employees, the evil actions that harmed them.

On the whole this was a much more adult adaptation, including swear words and sexual exploitation. Once I got over the fact that it was more of a rewrite than an adaptation I actually enjoyed it. Scrooge does not end up gloriously happy (spoiler alert), but he is changed and his attitude to others is improved. It feels like there might even be a sequel!

What a faff!

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Faff! Not sure what it means but we are faffing about. Staying at a hotel. Breakfast and lunch for Christmas day, but no evening meal. I have asked about room service, they don’t have any. I know I’m faffing, but I have to eat regularly because I have to take tablets with  every meal. (I know I’m very lucky not to live in the majority of the world where one meal is very rare).

I guess I could have worse problems. Its only when you think about them that you realise how very trivial they are!

Got to tidy up

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I don’t like to admit it, but my house is a mess. This is one bit of it. It’s not all that bad, but I need to go through things and shred them or burn them. Why? Because I don’t like putting personal documents out in the bin. There are so many people who can take your details and use them. I wonder whether posting on line is safe sometimes although I try not to go into specifics.

Friends keep telling me that creative people are messy. I think I agree with that. But I need to tidy up. Now I’m feeling a bit better I might be able to do it before Christmas.

Help!

Thai

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I took this photo of Thai figures and Buddha in the Thai restaurant we go to. They looked friendly and warm. The way they are placed in traditional dancing poses must give the owner good memories of where she came from. Dressed in beautiful clothes, with high hats. We need more variety in the world. We should not be scared of what is different, whether it’s skin colour, or sexuality or gender or size or shape or mind. These figures show that life is fascinating and fantastic should we care to share it.

Australian fires

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I’ve been watching the news about the bush fires in Australia an it is awful and devastating. Not only are there hundreds of fires, but they have spread over a huge area. The started around Sidney which has been smothered in smoke for weeks. But then more have started in the West and South of the continent. The Southern hemisphere is moving into summer and the temperatures are rising. They have measured the highest ever temperature there in the last couple of days. Over 40°C and rising. The fires are being fanned by 40 mile an hour winds. They are burning out of control in some places, and the drought affected land is so parched there isn’t the water to put them out. I have friends out there and I worry for them. Meanwhile their prime minister went away on holiday to Hawaii and is only  coming home because of the outcry from its population.

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Depressed

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Being honest with myself, what’s been happening in the UK has really upset and depressed me. The government has just become strongly right wing Conservative after a general election. People seemed to use it as another Brexit referendum (a vote for the UK to leave the European Union). The world keeps turning, but my country seems to be turning inward on itself. Promises were made but are already apparently being broken, where promises to support workers rights have been withdrawn.

So my depression is not internal but has external causes. If I wasn’t to bothered about what happens to people perhaps I could be blasé about it and just feel happy to celebrate the season. But I can’t help worrying about what’s going to happen in the future. I hope this mood lifts soon.

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Christmas Cactii

Watching the flowers bloom on my kitchen window ledge. One Christmas cactus has flowered abd faded. One is in full bloom and the third is  just coming into flower. I also have one which has tiny buds on it. It’s interesting how they have flowered in progression. I don’t know if some have had more water than others. But they must be healthy. Easy to look after. I put a bit that broke off in a mug of water and it has now grown roots.

Cat staring

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One of our cats watches TV. If she sees animals she gets interested. If it’s a dog she will get nervous and walk away. But if it’s a cat, leopard, or lion she gets very interested and stares at the TV. She sometimes goes up and puts her paws or nose on the screen. She seems to notice movement mostly. If it’s a cat stalking another animal she stares intently. She is the first cat that I have ever seen take an interest in TV programmes.