A terrific week

What a great week!

It started with my giving a talk in a local church service at the start of Refugee Week. The minister leading the service had asked me to talk about our Refugee Hospitality Days. At the end of the service something happened that I was not expecting - several people came up and offered to volunteer (whoop whoop)  and there was also a generous retiring collection which has gone towards our expenses for the Days. 

Then on Monday Mick Lynch began to hit the airwaves and stood up to stupid and dishonest politicians, calling out lies, and held his own honourably with hard questioning from hostile journalists. How refreshing to see someone intelligent and straightforward speaking truth to power. Let’s have him for next Labour leader.

Then on Tuesday I tripped and fell over - according to Dave “like a felled tree” - on the patio and amazingly broke no bones. I had grazes and bruises and felt as if I was 100 for a couple of days, but no other damage. The next day I tripped and fell forwards onto the grass. No damage at all except to my dignity and Dave’s worry circuits. My fears were allayed, though, when I read in the paper that whether or not you can stand on one leg determines whether you’ll still be alive in 10 years: I can stand on one leg for as long as you like. However, the falls do make me think that these days I need to stop walking around in a dream, and not be like ex US president Gerald Ford who allegedly could not walk and chew gum at the same time.

I’ve had several fabulous bike rides up the Trail this week, which is strangely quiet for this time of year. I’m wondering if the cost of petrol is the reason. Visitors from local towns and cities don’t just casually ‘pop out’ to the Peak District any more, just as Dave and I don’t casually pop into Sheffield. We’re also ringing up the oil company twice a week to see if the domestic heating oil price has come down. We’ll be needing it in the winter.

Back to the Trail…there are orchids blooming there right now 

But my favourite wild flowers now the cow parsley is finished are the moonpennies

and the keck:

I finally finished my hedgerow painting, which is huge:

And I started a new painting I’m excited about. It’s of my bedside table.

And now this morning, the end to a perfect week - the by-election wins by opposition parties in Wakefield and Tiverton, and the resignation of Oliver Dowden, the chairman of the Conservative Party. Oh frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!

I took a screen shot of his Wikipedia entry this morning:

The second sentence said: "Everyone thought Oli was a wetwipe but this morning everyone thinks he's an absolute lad."

This has now been deleted, but well done Dave for spotting it early.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!