There's A Line....

 I bought a tea light in a tea-light holder from a shop selling handicrafts on my way to the Meeting House yesterday- and when we got there suggested, tentatively, that we might use it as a focus for contemplation in our worship. "I recognise," I conceded, with an ingratiating smile."That it might be considered a little papistical..."

The Friends agreed with that last bit. Lighting candles in the Meeting Room would cross a line that oughtn't to be crossed. 

It is never enjoyable to be knocked back- but that's the ego doing its thing- and I backed down with a goodish grace. 

We are defined as much by what we don't do as by what we do....

Midsummer

 The light is thicker, heavier, golden, the wild grass is seeding, the lawns are turning sere (grand word "sere", we need to keep it in circulation) the poppies are nearly done and we just harvested our first bulb of garlic. There's a melancholy about midsummer. From now on the days get shorter, the vegetation wearier. Sidney Keyes called a book of his "The Cruel Solstice"- and though I've never been sure which one he meant (because midwinter has its cruelties too) I lean towards Midsummer....

Midsummer is bright with darkness at its heart and Midwinter is dark with brightness at its heart. Picture the Yin-Yang symbol. That's why, from the furthest antiquity, it's at Midwinter that people have partied the hardest.... 

Alice chose the solstice to launch her new book. She did it on Zoom and I was there, in the virtual room. Clover, who is eight, was visible behind her mother's shoulder as a dark blur. When the hour was up, she emerged into focus and nuzzled Alice's shoulder. Better than an alarm clock. "Bye, Grandpa," she said- and I, having been been muted, texted her back....

Alice's book is called Soulful Pregnancy. I haven't read it yet so I can't tell you much more. She read us a paragraph about grandmothers, and we all texted her about ours. My grandmother- Alice's great granny-, I wrote, was a woodcarver, a painter and bred dogs. That's my maternal grandmother. My other grandmother was a lovely, kind person and quite a character- but I favour the maternal line because that's where the Quakers and artists are.....

Picture Diary 43

 Three formidable characters....

1 Pirate Captain

2 Demon Bowler



3 Not A Man You Want To Mess With