JANUARY 2008
This item appears on the 2008 - 2009 site ......... please look there.
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DECEMBER 2007
This month, I have continued reminiscing on former events - perhaps some may ring a bell with you? In stead of churches, I now turn to our Halls, first come some of the old Good Shepherd Church Hall (excluding memories of the Drama Group which would take more space than this). When our APCMs were much better attended, we would enjoy a coffee interval in the Hall while the votes for the prospective new P.C.C.candidates were being counted. I recall drying cups, etc., for a friend who had washed up!
Another memory concerns one of the Social Committee's many attempts to arrange events which encourage our fellowship while (hopefully) raising funds for the church. Having experienced some hearing difficulties earlier this year, I can sympathise with the owner of a quavering voice who, after the first few numbers had been announced at a bingo session, called out "Have they started yet?". It may have been the same evening when one of the caller's numbers was spotted on the floor after the end of a game and surreptitiously replaced in the bag, before the next game!
The Roxley Hall also reminds me of Drama Group productions and shares with the St Andrew Centre plenty of memories of the fun at quizzes, when I have enjoyed being in the audience, the Q.M.'s seat or a team (sometimes even the winning one!). There are also many meetings at both venues as well as gatherings for celebrations and sales. I have managed, so far, to survive the excitement as prize-winners are named at the latter. What tension!
I apologise if the Musings seem to have concentrated more on Memories, but my impaired mobility means that I see fewer friends and value my memories more. Thanks for the many happy recollections of times at these three halls in particular.
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I'm constantly being reminded of our deep gratitude to those who voluntarily deliver "Parish Life" in all weathers. If you receive your copy in this way, please have your annual subscription to hand ready for collection early next year. Should you be out when the magazine comes, please get your money as soon as possible to your deliverer (if not known, I'll be pleased to look up the details for you). These sales help cover the cost and any surplus can help provide a valuable source of income when we are again faced with rising expenditure. I know (especially from my time as treasurer) that the church has to meet its most substantial bills towards the beginning of the year, so this revenue is appreciated (..................... and could be vital).
If you buy your copy from one of the several outlets, please patronise it well - they appreciate (and deserve!) your custom. Although we've adopted the status of a town, rather than a village, but let's keep the community spirit alive!
Here are some more wise sayings to consider:-
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"No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head." ~ Terry Josephson
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"Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day." - Goethe
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"The secret of life is not to do what you like, but to like what you do. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage." - Author Unknown
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“Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.“
~ Confucius
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May I wish all readers a Very Happy Christmas!
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NOVEMBER 2007
i think I've mentioned before how increasing age brings a corresponding growth in one's store of memories. It, therfore, seems apt for me to draw on that supply from time to time. This month is one of those times and here are some memories (in no chronological order) of events I recall around our churches.Some may ring a bell with you!
When I used to "do" sound for Drama Group productions, I've a painful memory of the first night of Herod in the Parish Church when some faulty loudspeaker connections caused spasmodic reproduction to mar the performance. At that time, I used to work in the bank next door, so I was able to pop round in my lunch hour to make the necessary repairs. A friend brought some hot soup she had made; that visit helped no end! That proximity to my work was also handy during a Flower Festival when the porch contained a model of the church within which was a loudspeaker connnected by a long lead to my tape recorder in the clergy vestry. This meant that recordings of church music and services could be heard coming from the model. The system worked well - I was able to reverse the tape at midday and switch on and off before and after work. A former rector told me that he and his family had a picnic lunch in the porch listening to my wedding service! I also remember asking my elder son how he had got on as a shepherd in a school nativity play. In his reply, he complained that he hhad got his crook stuck in a grating!
At an anniversary service at the Good Shepherd Church, I once used my recorder's amplified output to power a loudspeaker in the old hall for an expected congregation overflow. This failed to materialise - we all managed to get in the church. I recall the then Bishop of Norwich asking for a show of hands of all of those who had been there at the beginning. He then commented on the fact that the pillars of the church always seemed to be at the back! On one of the two ocasions when I was asked to take the 10 a.m. Family Service, I remember my feeling of distress when I realised that I'd forgotten to check that two youngsters would act as sidesmen. Fortunately, an adult friend sensed my quandary and asked a boy in the adjacent pew to take the collection with him. Naturally, my happiest memory at that church is of the 1995 APCM when the penny dropped that the larger-than-usual turnout was there for my splendid presentation after my 10 years as treasurer!
I hope to see you at the Centre for the Autumn Fair on the 17th.
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Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.’" - Ann Landers
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“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments - there are consequences..” - Robert G. Ingersoll
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“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.”
- Heda Bejar
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Mind how you go
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OCTOBER 2007
I wasn't feeling too well on the day I commenced my summer respite break and recalled it was Friday the13th when I later read an email which listed some bizarre national superstitions. Have you heard of this selection of beliefs?
In Iceland, an unmarried person who sits at the corner of a table won't marry for seven years. A pregnant woman who drinks from a cracked cup risks having a baby with a hare-lip.
In Japan, picking up a comb with its teeth facing your body brings bad luck.
In Malta, churches with two towers are fitted with a clock face in each but the two clocks always tell different times to confuse the Devil about the time of the service.
In Nigeria, a man hit with a broom becomes impotent unless he retaliates seven times with the same broom. Sweeping a house at night brings misfortune to the occupants.
In Scotland, red and green should never be worn together. It is unlucky to throw vegetables on to the fire (and wasteful as well as anti recycling!) and to carry a spade through the house. This means that a grave will soon be dug. And three swans flying together means a national disaster is imminent.
In Holland, people with red hair bring bad luck. I'm glad that this doesn't seem to apply to several redheads in my life, from my mother and elder son to one I am always pleased to see when she is on my district nurse rota.
In China, sweeping out a house removes all the good luck, especially on Chinese New Year.
Some believe that a black cat crossing your path means that Satan is paying attention to you. Others believe that a black cat walking toward you signifies good fortune while one walking away from you takes your good luck with it. In America, dreaming of a white cat means good luck. An Italian superstition holds that a sneezing cat is a good omen for all who hear it. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say that it will rain if a cat washes behind its ears.
Allegedly, the most widely held superstition says that if you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake with the first puff you will get your wish. It's my birthday this month, so here's hoping, although modern safety regulations forbid the number of lighted candles equalling my age!
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"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it." - Somerset Maugham
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"Telling the future by looking at the past assumes that conditions remain constant. This is like driving a car by looking in the rear view mirror". - Herb Brody
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"Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination."
- Roy Goodman
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“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.” - Jim Rohn
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"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith." - Henry Ward Beeche
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"Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate accomplishments." - Napoleon Hill
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All the best,
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SEPTEMBER 2007
These Musings embrace several different topics rather than one main theme.
Firstly, I've written before about the desirability of having a reserve list of potential magazine distributors who I can approach for help, should a need arise. I'm grateful for the response from last year's Stewardship Appeal - but several were from areas already covered: may I have some more offers, please?
It seems that another plea is due for your unwanted CD's and DVD's (including those given with newspapers and magazines); these may be put in the marked boxes at the back of church. They are taken from there for recycling, resale or offered when a donation to church funds is appreciated.
Have you been able yet (at home, at a work break or via a library) to access the Links page of my web site? Amongst the sites included there is one I set up for our church news over 5 years ago on a temporary basis and have since updated it pending the 'going live' of the official version. Another link will take you to previous Musings. The latest link is to the site for the local branch of Diabetes UK (where you may find details of this month's meeting).
Now for a really serious warning re the possibly unpleasant side of the internet
If you genuinely stumble across illegal images on the web (which contain e.g. child pornography, criminally obscene content or incitement to racial hatred) or are inadvertently exposed to them you must report them to the Internet Watch Foundation (freely via www.iwf.org.uk) or to the police.
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“If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.” - Bob Hope
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“When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, "Yes, this is how I ought to feel." - Harold Kushner
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"The possibility that we may fail in the struggle should not deter us from supporting a cause we believe to be just." - Abraham Lincoln
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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." - Henry Ford
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"Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." - Dale Carnegie
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"The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit." - Jim Rohn
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All the best
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AUGUST 2007
The certainties of this life are often stated to be death, taxes and rain stopped play during summer sports events in England (especially Wimbledon Fortnight!). So this month's thoughts are about weather. Increasing disabilty has meant that I now rarely go outside - weather forecasts are no longer so important but memories remain.
Uncommonly in 1947, my late father had a car and used to take a Thorpe End neighbour on weekly trips to the fish and chip shop on Yarmouth Road. They would subsequently pick up their order after a visit to the Red Lion. One evening, they went slowly, following wheel tracks on a snow covered Pound Lane. After a turn, our intrepid travellers found themselves in a field behind a parked tractor.
Another weather experience occurred some years later when I arrived early at school - no school mates about. ............. in fact, nobody. I wandered around the outbuildings alone under a black sky with frequent nearby crcks of thunder and flashes of lightning. It was like a scene from a Hammer horror film: I've never been scared of storms but I can still sense that one. .
I remember how I had been looking forward to October 16th, 1987. It would be my 50th birthday, and to help me celebrate the event, I had invited some friends round for that evening. After I woke up that morning (& noticed the lack of power which had caused the absence of the usual friendly Radio Norfolk greeting via the clock radio), I learned from my transistor model that the problems were nation-wide. On the way to work, I saw fallen trees although my own garden only suffered a damaged apple-tree (which has survived, albeit "on the skew"). Later that day, I heard more of the damage throughout the district.
When I got home that afternoon, my wife was unhappy that she had been unable to use the vacuum cleaner. Ever the optimist, I said "Never mind, we'll light some candles. Folk won't be able to see where it isn't spick & span!" Just as the first guest knocked at the door, the lights came on! We had a grand evening, certainly a date to remember. I planned a larger "do" for my 60th & was hoping the elements wouldn’t be similarly disturbed! Unfortunately, I was in pain from an accident but it was great to see so many friends at the party.
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"Do not wait for ideal circumstances, nor the best opportunities; they will never come." - Janet E. Stuart
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"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine." - Morris West
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"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about." - Charles Kingsley
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A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! ~Author Unknown
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Snowmen fall from heaven... unassembled. ~Author Unknown
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Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
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All the best,
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JULY 2007
A popular summer event is the Strawberry Tea which is being held this year on July 15th at 3 p.m. in the Parish Church (before Songs of Praise there at 5 p.m.). Have you bought your ticket/s yet? (Adult £5, Child £2, Family £10). To me, a strawberry has always been just a tasty fruit and I was amazed when a little research enabled me to unearth some interesting facts - I doubt whether even a keen gardener knows them all!
I discovered that the Romans loved their wild strawberries and actually cultivated them as early as 200 BC. - not only for their taste. They believed strawberries could cure a number of illnesses and modern thinking supports this. Despite being one of the foods most commonly associated with allergic reactions, strawberries are very nutritious and contain nearly 5 times as much vitamin C as blackberries and twice as much of this vitamin as grapefruit, mangos, nectarines or redcurrants; in fact, eight strawberries have more vitamin C than one orange, that's 140% of our daily recommended amount. They are full of ellagic acid (which can help fight cancers) and flavonoids (which are known to help reduce cholesterol from clogging up the heart's arteries. So we're all smiles - did you know strawberries can help whiten your teeth? The acids in the fruit help to remove stains.
It seems that In medieval times strawberry designs were carved in churches to signify flawlessness and virtue, while strawberry (then regarded as an aphrodisiac) soup was served to the bride and groom at their wedding breakfast. In the sixteenth century strawberries became one of the earliest packaged foods: they were sold in cone-shaped straw baskets. More recently, among the early foods provided by NASA to feed astronauts were freeze-dried strawberries. A variety developed in 1821 by English market gardener Michael Keens is the ancestor of practically all modern varieties commercially cultivated today.
The word strawberry comes from Old English and there are a few theories about how it got its name. The "straw" bit could come from the straw that was used to keep the strawberries fresh or the straw-like appearance of the runners, or it might even come from "strewed"; the erratic straying habit of the plant, which it shares with many fellow members of the rose family such as the blackberry. Wimbledon may have 64 seeds in the men's and women's competition, but did you know there are about 200 seeds in every strawberry? The strawberry has a unique structure and is known as a "false" fruit. Unlike any other fruit, the seeds are the true fruits of the plant and are the black dots on the surface. The fleshy 'berry' to which they are attached is an enlarged, softened receptacle.
Of course, I cannot ignore the tennis link: Roughly 27,000 kilos of strawberries are eaten during the Wimbledon Championships, and 7,000 litres of cream.
Dr. William Butler originated the famous quotation: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did".
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"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."" - Matsuo Basho
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"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." - Albert Einstein
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"To the questions of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution." - Joe Cordare
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"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac." - George Carlin
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"You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue."
- Mike Murdock
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"One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory." - Rita Mae Brown
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Keep smiling, be happy.
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JUNE 2007
Hearing that Norfolk has yet to get recycling machinery which doesn't get clogged with envelope gum has led to my abandoning the practice of putting only the plastic windows in the general waste - the entire envelope goes there now. This is an example of changing one's mind after learning more about something. Often, this follows repeated use (a car?) or seeing or hearing (a character or tune?). Further consideration (and my wife's advice!) caused me to change several of the quiz questions for easier ones.
Advances in technology have caused much rethinking - corrections and other amendments are much easier with a computer (or even a word processor) than with a typewriter (manual or electric) ............................. and as for the duplicating machines of early days in the office ............. !
I've written in earlier Musings about the frequent need for fresh faces (especially among the officers!) in our organisations - this is not always due to second thoughts and dissatisfaction but the desire for survival.
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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do ... Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
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“The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” - Mohammed Ali
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"Knowing which way to turn gives you self confidence. Taking a chance and going the opposite way gives you a chance to see what you are made of." - Bob Perks
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"We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan
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"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." - Susan Jeffries
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“The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind." - William Blake
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Best wishes - be happy
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MAY 2007
As you may expect, the theme for my Musings is often decided by something which has been occupying my mind during the previous month. This article is no exception - it is about the local branch of Diabetes Uk which I have the honour to serve as president.
My diabetes was initially diagnosed more than 45 years ago when I was in Kelling Hospital and one of my fellow patients advised me to contact his hairdresser, Mr Alex Falconer, when I returned home.He was then the founder-secretary/treasurer of the Norwich & Norfolk branch of the British Diabetic Association and my offer to take over the treasurership was gratefully accepted. Over the years, new officers have come and gone and new groups have sprung up - we are now known as the Norwich and District Branch of Diabetes UK. As we were formed in May, 1958, we will soon be celebrating our 50th anniversary!
Several members had children with diabetes and they left to form a Youth Group. By chance, these parents included the most active fundraisers: our present emphasis is on arranging meetings with talks by health professionals on various aspects of the complaint. There is no branch membership fee - admission is also open to visitors and friends with expenses being covered by the sale of raffle tickets and refreshments. As well as information gathered from the speakers, the social exchanges are extremely useful in problem-solving! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information (e.g. details of this year's meetings).
Have you bought your tickets yet for the Quiz 'n' Chips evening of fun at the St Andrew's Centre on May 10th? I hope to see you there.
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”
- Abraham Lincoln
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"I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value." - Hermann Hesse
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"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." - David Frost
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“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.“ - Winston Churchill
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“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”
- George Smith Patton
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"Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley
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Thanks for reading this,
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APRIL 2007
For a theme for these particular Musings, I've considered emails sent to me in the month before writing this. I know that I'm not alone in being sent a majority of spam (unwanted emails) - these are deleted, either manually or automatically (so that they don't even reach me!). These may ask me to provide my bank account details when claiming a large sum of money as a prize I'm told I've won (in a lottery which I hadn't even entered!), or in return for helping transfer a blocked account from abroad. Some requests purport to come from banks or building societies (not often mine!) seeking to perform security checks. I am often invited to enrol in various courses (to enable me to qualify for fantastic future earnings) or to purchase drugs with dubious claims for increasing my masculinity or even reducing excess weight! Two sayings spring to mind "Caveat emptor" ("Let the buyer beware") and "You don't get anything for nothing".
Sources to which I've subscribed send interesting emails with e.g. short videos, illustrated sale lists, amusing material, information re family history and the internet; most recently are questions for national opinion surveys.
Naturally, I am delighted to find in my Inbox emails from friends and relatives. Their personal messages often include jokes and photos as well as replies to what I've sent. And I love getting reactions to my Musings from all of you!
Don't forget to watch out for tickets to be on sale for the Social Committee's Quiz'n'Chips Evening on May 10th!
Here's this month's choice of meaningful quotations:
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"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth."
- Ludwig Borne
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"In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." - Eric Hoffer
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"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."- E E Cummings
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"I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough."
- Red Skelton
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"The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause." - Mark Twain
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"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." - Winston Churchill
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All the best
MARCH 2007
Although my interest in photography has never been as keen as that of my sons, it has been present for most of my life. It began when I was first allowed to use my parents' box Brownie (where is it now?). I remember owning an updated model (also long gone) before, at work and having more money, I was able to purchase a 35mm model (albeit second-hand!). Its ability to use low f numbers combined with the high glass dome of my first work place together enabled me to take many natural photos using only "available light" (i.e. without needing flash). These bring back many memories of yesteryear and caused much discussion when I displayed them at a staff reunion gathering.
Technology has advanced and I cannot praise too highly the digital camera of today. Single-use flash bulbs have long been replaced by electronic flash units, which were soon built into cameras and now we no longer have films and processing and their associated cost and delay ("some day my prints will come"). My model, like others, has a screen which adequately displays the view and can produce immediate images of all photos taken so one can decide whether to retake any before subsequent loading onto a computer. Thence they may be emailed to friends; the editor of this magazine is always pleased to receive pictures for possible inclusion inside or even on the front cover!
"The camera never lies" is no longer strictly true and I am often intrigued by photos which have been edited to insert (or remove!) subjects or show them in unreal positions: a recent example (on the theme of global warming) showed a polar bear sitting in a deckchair on the beach beside the sea! Expressions may be altered too ........................................ the possibilities are endless!
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"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
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"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting" - Edmund Burke
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"A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak." - Michael Garrett Marino
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Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." - Nido Qubein
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"Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress." - Alfred A. Montapert
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"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning." -Ivy Baker Priest
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Keep smiling, be happy.
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FEBRUARY 2007
Folk often ask my wife and myself what I find to do spending most of each day at my computer. A recent survey revealed that over half the households in this country have broadband (a faster form of internet access); the proportion of owners soon rises when you include those with computers but still to 'get connected'. So, most readers should find something of interest here - these Musings aren't a mere copy of those of August, 2005!.
I used to spend a lot of computing time deleting 'spam' (undesired e-mails) but have this year installed a program which learns to automatically stop it reaching me in the first place so. hopefully, this bane will be mostly removed. Until the end of 2004, I was recording the church accounts via my keyboard (before me, they were on a manual system. My two successors have both followed my lead.).
Unlike several other computer users, I don't spend a lot of time at home playing games - this is a treat for my stays at Ethel Tipple Court! Of course, I still exchange e-mails with friends and firms all over the world and use this instant facility often (even at week-ends). My computer excels when I write and submit these Musings (and a mini-pantomime last December for Radio Norfolk!).
You probably know that I keep the current list of Parish Life subscribers and distributors in a computer file so I can usually access any details required (e.g. "I've been unable to pay my distributor, how do I get in touch?") quite quickly. Among my current keyboard projects, an important one is setting up a web site for the local branch of a national charity before seeking approval from the committee. Because I enjoy computing so much, some accuse me of 'playing'; what do you think?
Here are some other folk's musings; some are apt for the above, some for February 14th. :-
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"It is with our passions as it is with fire and water; they are good servants, but bad masters." - Roger L'Estrange
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"Some day, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity we shall harness the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire." - Teilhard De Chardin
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"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice."
- Anton Chekhov
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"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."-Confucius
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
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"The best portion of a good man's life is in his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." - William Wordsworth
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"Many of us spend our whole lives running from feelings with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond that pain." - Kahlil Gibran
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"No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens." - Abraham Lincoln
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"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love ..........
...................that is the soul of genius."
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Best wishes - be happy
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JANUARY 2007
To date, I've had no response to my appeal for deliverers of this magazine on Dussindale - at present, there are around 13 in that area but that number could be divided into smaller 'rounds', if necessary.This plea is now URGENT; can you help, please? Never hold back because you think somebody else has already volunteered. Duplicate offers of help are always preferable to none!
Also at the time of writing, I'm reminded of previous Musings on the theme of friendship because I'm in between a couple of seasonal reunion lunches for former work colleagues, now retired. Although their number naturally decreases each year and the toast "To Absent Friends" has a greater tinge of sadness about it, the opportunity (albeit, in too many cases, the only annual one) to chat face-to-face with old friends is much appreciated. May the spirit of friendship long continue. Whether or not you make deliberate resolutions at this time of the year, please try to get in touch with a former friend or neighbour, or both! And do it soon - "next week" may be too late!
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"Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure."
- Don Wilder
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"To have more than you've got, become more than you are." - Jim Rohn
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"In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned." - Jane Haddam
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"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some."
- Charles Dickens
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"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
- Leo Buscaglia
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"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change." - Jim Rohn
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May you all have a Very Happy and Peaceful New Year
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DECEMBER 2006
At the time of year that I'm writing this article, I'm preparing the next year's lists for the magazine distributors. I'm still looking to replace some who will soon have to give up their rounds: mainly in Dussindale (14) and Thunder Lane (6) but also in other parts of Thorpe. I'm constantly being reminded of our deep gratitude to those who voluntarily deliver "Parish Life" in all weathers. If you receive your copy in this way, please have your annual subscription (£7) to hand ready for collection early next year. Should you be out when the magazine comes, please get your money as soon as possible to your deliverer (if not known, I'll be pleased to look up the details for you). These sales help cover the cost and any surplus can help provide a valuable source of income when we are again faced with rising expenditure. I know (especially from my time as treasurer) that the church has to meet its most substantial bills towards the beginning of the year, so this revenue is appreciated (..................... and may be vital).
If you buy your copy from a shop, please patronise it well - they appreciate (and deserve!) your custom. We may have adopted the status of a town, rather than a village, but keep the community spirit alive!
Here are some more wise sayings to consider:-
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"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate." - Dr. Albert Schweitzer
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"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."
- Edmund Burke
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"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." - Anthony J. D'Angelo
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"Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."
- Mary Kay Ash
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"The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can't be done."
- Mary Frances Berry
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May I wish all readers a Very Happy Christmas!
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NOVEMBER 2006
Two of our Parish Life distributors are having to give up their rounds in January - Jackie Ireland (ill health) and Richard Pace (work and domestic pressures). We are most grateful to both of them for their past services but will shortly need more help mainly in Broom Avenue (10), Dussindale (14) and Eastern Road (9) but also in other parts of Thorpe. Please contact me for further details.
I was reminded recently of previous Musings on the pleasures of Friendship - at the recent Harvest Lunch I was delighted to see and chat with quite a number of friends, both recent and long standing. I hope to see you on the 18th at the Centre for the Autumn Fair - make sure you get your raffle tickets early for the Grand Draw!
With the arrival on our screens of a new Robin Hood (played by Jonas Armstrong) has come the remark that one's age may be determined by learning who was the first actor remembered in that role. Errol Flynn, Richard Greene and Jason Connery are often mentioned but my first was Russell Hicks (with Cornel Wilde as Robin's son, the dashing hero in the film, Bandit of Sherwood Forest).
It is no secret that I have a life-long interest in exercising my "little grey cells" - a good thing in retirement! That is why I like compiling the questions (and researching the answers!) to Social Committee quizzes; if you have yet to come to one, please watch out for announcements and try to attend the next one. The accent is on fun rather than knowledge alone! When I was much younger, I recall my admiration for an aunt who used a ball point pen (not then in such general use as today!) to complete crossword puzzles at a time when I only dared use a pencil! That spurred me on to become more daring and a sense of achievement - I have recently experienced something similar with Sudoku puzzles.
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"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty."
- Henry Ford
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"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present." - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 A.D.)
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"Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing."
- Oscar Wilde
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"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same."
- Author Unknown
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"Someone once wrote: "Happiness is always a by-product. You don't make yourself happy by chasing happiness. You make yourself happy by being a good person." The happiest people I know are people who don't even think about being happy. They just think about being good neighbours, good people. And then happiness sort of sneaks in the back window while they're busy doing good." - Rabbi Harold Kushner
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Dew yew keep a-troshin'
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OCTOBER 2006
The unfortunate coincidence of the deadline for this month's article with another spell of ill health means that this piece is shorter than usual: I promise to try harder next time!
Further to the information I gave about the CD boxes in church, I would add that, as the firm recycles all the associated packaging, broken cases (quite a bane!) may also be included.
And, if those organising church events would like publicity notices to appear on the radio, in Across the See or the local press, please send me details well in advance and I will email them to their destination for those unable to do so, although publication is not guaranteed.
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“One today is worth two tomorrows” - Benjamin Franklin
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“Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!” - Owens Lee Pomeroy
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"The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into maturity." - Thomas Henry Huxley
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All the best,
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SEPTEMBER 2006
I apologise if this month's article seems like a public information leaflet but here it is. Firstly, did you know that more than 3 billion music CDs are produced in Europe annually and billions more are manufactured to provide computer software? Millions are currently sent, with the associated packaging, to overstretched landfill sites. Around 11% of our present UK waste is plastic and 85% of this goes to landfill Every part of a CD/DVD can be recycled. The colourful box at the back of church was provided by a Beccles printing firm which, as part of their keenness for recycling, is collecting unwanted CD's/DVD’s and separating all the materials (CDs, card, paper, plastic) for future re-use. Please help (maybe with unwanted discs given with your newspaper?). If the disc contains sensitive material (e.g. personal data) simply score across the surface. Although this scheme wasn't intended to increase the church's income, it is our moral duty to help save the planet's resources. And suitable discs could be sold at church fundraising events.
The next meeting of the Norwich & District Branch of Diabetes UK will be @ 7.30 pm on Monday, September 25th at the Vauxhall Centre, Norwich (parking on-site, wheelchair friendly). Dr. Ketan Dhatariya, Consultant Physician, will be giving this year's "Update on Diabetes". Raffle & refreshments - friends welcome. For further information, please contact Maggie Flatman, chairman, on 01603 783091.
Do you remember the flower festival at the Parish Church a few years ago? Some pictures of it may still be seen on my Church Life web site - follow the guide from my links page while they're still there!
Here are some more points to ponder:-
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"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." - Sir Thomas Buxton
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“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
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"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." - Margaret Mead
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"The key... is not to think about whether or not something is possible, but simply whether or not you want it... The paradox of life is that we are often not shown how we can get something until we first commit to having it." - Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hanson
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“Now that it's all over, what did you really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?” - Coleman Cox
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“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Bernard Baruch
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AUGUST 2006
I remember a plea, at an A.P.C.M. a few years ago, for more (and younger, hopefully) members for organisations who might offer themselves as candidates for election as officers. Failure to do this has resulted in the demise of Thorpe Men's Institute, the Wives' Group, the Evergreen Club ....................... no doubt, you can easily add to this list.
One reason (or excuse?) for this reluctance heard (too) often is: "I couldn't follow X - he/she does the job so well". The latter may be true but this could be "your chance to shine". You should make the most of the opportunity to do things your way! You may be afraid of taking on "a job for life". For most posts, however, re-election may be declined and, if necessary, resignation (preferably after giving notice to help arrange a successor) is also possible. Too many older officers struggle on in their posts because of a misplaced sense of guilt: "No-one's come forward to replace me and the job's got to be done." There is a strong case for making elections for a given period of time with a year's break before eligibility for re-election.
Examination of church committees (members and officers) reveals a majority of over-fifties (and a surprising number much senior!); we could benefit from an influx of fresh faces with fresh thoughts. Several of the magazine deliverers have intimated that increasing age and declining health means that they will have to give up their rounds: it would be prudent to have a list of those I might call upon as possible successors. Please contact me to discuss this - no obligation!
Consider these thoughts - I think they're relevant:
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“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” - Harry Truman
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"The graveyards are full of indispensable men." - Charles de Gaulle
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"Don't get complacent. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and set higher standards of achievement for yourself. Once you've achieved a standard of excellence, don't let it rest -- push yourself even higher." - DaveAnderson
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"Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can." - Danny Kaye
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“Procrastination is opportunity's natural assassin. “ - Victor Kiam
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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw
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JULY 2006
Hearing Meg Muggridge on Radio Norfolk prompted this month's thoughts. Brenda Arthur once told me that a programme could be made called, “What Radio Norfolk means to me”; I'm lucky that I've loads of happy memories of the station - in fact I've found it hard to restrict them to those I've jotted down here (& I must apologise for many not included!). As a regular listener since the beginning (I even listened to the earlier ‘BBC in East Anglia’ programme as well as the RN test transmissions!), I was looking forward to retirement from work when I could hear more programmes. On leaving, I was presented with a drawing showing me listening to a radio playing RN! Before then, I would build up flex time during the week so that I could visit Norfolk Tower on extended lunch breaks on Fridays to hand in competition entries (& chat up the girls on Reception!). It was there, before my mobility became severely restricted, that I met many presenters and guests - & learned that the friendliness & variety of personalities on air extended to off-air as well. Sharing Roy Waller’s sense of humour since his AA road reports, I was pleased when he joined the station - his match commentaries converted me to tuning in regularly to them. My wife and I enjoyed an RN holiday to Jersey which included our first flights.
My prizes range from a toothbrush to a travel mug; at one time, I was winning one competition so often that Ray Cossey barred me from entering it! Early Saturday mornings saw a work colleague, Peter Gay, & me regularly ringing Charlie Cassell to enter “Time Tunnel” competitions set by Iain Meikle and Mary Jane Cullen. My early memories also include hearing Wally Webb in tears as he saw a river bird with fishing line tangled round its feet.
The station’s going on-line encouraged me to follow suit - email offered a more immediate way of communication than the post and I enjoyed looking at the web site first produced by David Line. At one time, I was mentioned on a page of regular mailers & the caption said that I might know more about RN than most of the staff! Typical of the relaxed & friendly style of the presenters is that of the “Pause for Thought” speakers; when I have met any there is an immediate empathy when I say I’ve heard them on RN. In April, 1994, Wally Webb interviewed me for a series he was making on disability & I said I would like to continue working as long as I could. The next day at work was my last!
Here are some varied philosophies to ponder:-
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“The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” - Leo Rosten
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"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Harold Whitman
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"It's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." - Harry S. Truman
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"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative & acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap!" - Cynthia Heimel
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I think the seventh word of the first quote should be "only"; keep smiling, be happy.
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JUNE 2006
Despite earlier pleas (by me as well as others), support for events arranged in aid of the church by your Social Committee could still be greatly improved! I remember from the Sundays when I sold tickets that sales would be almost non-existent at first but would soon pick up. That is not the case today and it is not very encouraging for those who spend time and money trying to raise money for the church. If what we arrange isn't to your taste, please let us know - what would you like? We will listen to your views. Of course, a holiday may prevent your attending a particular event (although may I suggest that it shouldn't prevent an occasional donation, preferably Gift Aided?). The Parish Church building has just passed its 140th birthday, please look out for several events!
Congratulations go to Pat Battle, Janet Blackburn, Ann Cox, Eileen Daines, Joyce Laws-Chapman, Jannette Reed and Hazel Reynolds, whose team scored 82½% to win the Social Committee's Quiz'n'Chips. They had held on to the lead throughout the evening, well done!
Here are some quotations to consider :
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"It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts."
- Robert H. Schuller
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"We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them." - William Arthur Ward
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"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs from climbing it." - Author Unknown
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"The way to love anything is to realise it might be lost." - G.K. Chesterton
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"Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music.” - George Carlin
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“It's wise to taste a great diversity of thought, just be careful of what you swallow.” - Dennis Gaskill
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All the best -----------------------------------
MAY 2006
“Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr Common Sense. Mr Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records