What’s on my mind

The price of domestic heating oil is nearly double what it was a year ago. But thus far into the autumn we’ve managed without the central heating: the log burning stoves have been just enough. I light the one in my studio first thing after breakfast, and the other one at teatime. But this week we’ve been treating ourselves to an hour of heating first thing, and an hour last thing. It’s adequate. This morning the temperature outside is minus 1C. I am sitting in bed writing this wearing two jumpers.  When I go into the kitchen to cook the tea at 5 o’ clock I put on a scarf and a fleece. It’s OK. I’m getting used to it. 

And I really do feel fortunate when I read about what’s happening in Gaza. Last weekend Gaza was hit by deadly storms, flooding over 70,000 tents. 

There have been landslides and sewage overspills, and at least four Palestinian children and one woman has died as a result if the storms. More than 560,000 children are without adequate shelter.

And guess what? Just for a change, Israel is blocking humanitarian aid. This includes 150,000 tents from the UN, as well as blankets, food, medicine and building materials.

And yesterday, Israel did this:

What can we do?

Ed Miliband, Foreign Secretary, is saying the right things. I saw him before the air strike say we are sending aid, and pressuring Israel to do the right thing. Who knows if it will work?

What I’m doing is selling cards of my paintings to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, who have been working in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon for over forty years. 

You could support MAP here.

Or the Gaza Soup Kitchen here.

I’m sorry to keep returning to this, but it’s what’s on my mind this week. That and the beauty of the trees on the Monsal Trail, which I’ve enjoyed while walking and cycling.