posted of course, on Tuesday...
best thing about Totnes on bank holiday weekends is-
not the banks being closed silly!
Good old friends return for visits. The long weekend brings folks back down to Devon, and with them opportunity to catch up and relax,watch the kids play (in the same parks and woods we did ), and to raise a few glasses to hard work and laugh, loudly and raucously, at life's foibles.
I say 'foibles' because I'm being nonchalant about the undercurrent of global and cultural crisis. One reason friendship is so sweet, is because we know the difficulties ahead are going to be pretty testing. The news, what ever channel you tune in to, is not sounding good.
Easter weekend was a lovely weekend- and kinda made (bitter) sweeter because of the tragedy occurring across our country on Monday. A paradox- accompanying the 'transference of power (hmmmmm...) to communities (devolvement, 'localism', The eek Big Society) are massive austerity cuts in public sector provision: the poorest in the country are made responsible for their own poverty, at the same time that key support is cut away. I wonder what Jesus would have thought...
I watched a movie with my mum this weekend- her choice: 'Traffic'.
( 6/10, Micheal Douglas lost them 3 points straight away, since 'Falling Down' set a high bar, he always disappoints ). Mr Benito Del Torro, a Mexican street cop, having stood up as best he could to corrupt and complicated US/Mexico drug syndicates involving all levels of mafia, government and police, asks as his reward for a baseball court, for the children of his city, to be lit at night, so they can come and play ball and find some health and happiness in a alternative to disenfranchisement and hopelessness. A baseball court- offering more hope and help than another multi million dollar 'war on drugs' campaign? Perhaps! Hollywood of course piles on the nostalgia and glitter in equal measures, but i really loved that for all the governments and criminals fighting round and round over power and money, Del Torro's character Rodriguez invests his gain and his ambition in something to bring some happiness and empowerment to kids, whom as a policeman, he might well meet later in life. The film underlined for me this idea of accepting the working of the world, but working with what you have to make the most of what you can effect.
There is an art to knowing what is in our remit to work upon, and what is beyond our ken. Life is full of stuff we can't change to our own agenda. (Everybody! Be nice, be fair and share! OK? Sorted. ) Good friends can discuss the dark side, and laugh with us (or cry, should it be needed) and emphasise what is in within our reach to work with. The Big Picture might well be a total mess, but maybe your colours are bright - we share inspirations and commiserations, and get on with what is at hand.
here is a picture from a Easter walk on the beach:
the sign says "CAUTION! falling rocks".
best thing about Totnes on bank holiday weekends is-
not the banks being closed silly!
Good old friends return for visits. The long weekend brings folks back down to Devon, and with them opportunity to catch up and relax,watch the kids play (in the same parks and woods we did ), and to raise a few glasses to hard work and laugh, loudly and raucously, at life's foibles.
I say 'foibles' because I'm being nonchalant about the undercurrent of global and cultural crisis. One reason friendship is so sweet, is because we know the difficulties ahead are going to be pretty testing. The news, what ever channel you tune in to, is not sounding good.
Easter weekend was a lovely weekend- and kinda made (bitter) sweeter because of the tragedy occurring across our country on Monday. A paradox- accompanying the 'transference of power (hmmmmm...) to communities (devolvement, 'localism', The eek Big Society) are massive austerity cuts in public sector provision: the poorest in the country are made responsible for their own poverty, at the same time that key support is cut away. I wonder what Jesus would have thought...
I watched a movie with my mum this weekend- her choice: 'Traffic'.
( 6/10, Micheal Douglas lost them 3 points straight away, since 'Falling Down' set a high bar, he always disappoints ). Mr Benito Del Torro, a Mexican street cop, having stood up as best he could to corrupt and complicated US/Mexico drug syndicates involving all levels of mafia, government and police, asks as his reward for a baseball court, for the children of his city, to be lit at night, so they can come and play ball and find some health and happiness in a alternative to disenfranchisement and hopelessness. A baseball court- offering more hope and help than another multi million dollar 'war on drugs' campaign? Perhaps! Hollywood of course piles on the nostalgia and glitter in equal measures, but i really loved that for all the governments and criminals fighting round and round over power and money, Del Torro's character Rodriguez invests his gain and his ambition in something to bring some happiness and empowerment to kids, whom as a policeman, he might well meet later in life. The film underlined for me this idea of accepting the working of the world, but working with what you have to make the most of what you can effect.
There is an art to knowing what is in our remit to work upon, and what is beyond our ken. Life is full of stuff we can't change to our own agenda. (Everybody! Be nice, be fair and share! OK? Sorted. ) Good friends can discuss the dark side, and laugh with us (or cry, should it be needed) and emphasise what is in within our reach to work with. The Big Picture might well be a total mess, but maybe your colours are bright - we share inspirations and commiserations, and get on with what is at hand.
here is a picture from a Easter walk on the beach:
the sign says "CAUTION! falling rocks".
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