Thursday 4th March

1969 - The Kray twins Ronald and Reginald were found guilty of murdering John McVite.

Now I remember this being big news, mainly because my Mum used to say how some of her family still lived in the area and had met the Krays, mind you she also said that they were bad people - so one of those strange claim to fame conversations.

Swallow your pride occasionally: it's non fattening!

Nothing, repeat nothing is non fattening - believe me I know - I am sure even the fresh air is fattening - or is that just my excuse because I eat too much. Hmmm.....

Ponderisms email

Now I know we get these types of emails all the time but sometimes, just sometimes I really like them. And I really liked this one so thought I would share it with you. I guess that they kinda sum up how I feel about life (or most of them anyway). Try not to take it too seriously because it all comes to an end.

Ponderisms:

I used to eat a lot of natural foods - until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house or shop is to buy a replacement.

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.

Life is sexually transmitted.

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Have you noticed since everyone has a mobile that takes pictures these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

In the 60s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?

"Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt."

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

It's wednesday

In 1982 the opening of London's Barbican Centre for Arts and Conferences.

Never been there probably never will!!!

Hope never abandons you: you abandon it.

I know where this is coming from. A couple of weeks ago I really felt like I had no hope left. It was a horrible dark feeling, one that I had experienced before but in different circumstances. I know that my illness is about the loss of hope, I know that sometimes the medication made me lose hope but this time I felt I wasn't really ill, although knowing I had to fight hard to make sure I didn't slide back down that slippery slope, and I know it wasn't totally my fault. I still have to fight hard against the feelings that somehow this is my fault, that I am being punished for something I have done, for being a bad person. (JC tells me this is a normal feeling) but still hard to overcome. When the post arrives and more bills and demanding letters arrive, I find myself trying to identify why I am a bad person. In reality, sensibility tells me that I am just a fool with money, that we haven't planned, haven't been careful and sensible and so this is our punishment and probably rightly so. We are what the Victorians would call 'feckless and reckless', and destined for the workhouse. But I also now that with fight, and gumption and backbone and lots of lots of determination anything is possible. So that is where I am now - fighting , planning, trying to control money (even if a tad too late) and hoping, yes really hoping I can be strong for the future and hoping that I will find a way out of this mess. And it is hope that makes it feel ok.

Two Women

I have been sorted through some old notebooks (I have loads of them, probably over a hundred and most have only a couple of pages written on) and found some old bits of poetry. Is it a writers thing to have lots of notebooks? My daughter came home the other day with a really cool Pukka pad which she got sooooo cheap at Uni and I just have to have at least one, probably two. Anyway I found lots of bits of writing, starts of poems and ideas. This was one, don't think it is finished but thought it was interesting...

Two Women

Two Women spending a day up in town,
By the time they leave it's teeming it down.

A strange little man all dressed in red
Ran up to the women and said
'Can you help me,help me please
I seem to have loosened my head.'

He grabbed at his head and began spinning around
before creating a puddle right into the ground.

Women one really didn't give a care,
Women two just pulled at her hair.

Two Women left to catch the train,
and get out of the incessant rain.

M☻g


Must admit I am not sure myself but like the nonsense of it (if you know what I mean). Any ideas?

Tuesday 2nd March

1970 - The Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith, declared his country a republic.

I remember this, I don't think he really wanted to do but kinda had to. Things were changing in the world and Rhodesia couldn't stay the same, although South Africa hung on for a while. I think it was a really good thing but something is nagging in the back of my mind? Maybe I should look it up.

Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.

Hmmm, don't think so - isn't that just being a coward - if someone needs to hear the truth then I believe it should only be said with love and then you stay to listen to their opinion and be prepared to be wrong. Or you say it to someone you dislike and stand there to watch the fall out. Or maybe you just run!

**********

On a personal note today is my nephews 40th birthday and god it is making me feel old. I will say I was only 8 when he was born (so now you know how old I am) but I remember he was such a lovely little boy - so gentle and really beautiful. Don't get me wrong he is still a good person, a nice man and a good father. (And he hasn't had the easiest of lives so even greater to him than man he has become) but wow it has just made me feel really old. It will only be a couple of years and my eldest will be 30 - should I take to my bed now??

Mind you it's my 50th next year - hope I am here to celebrate it.

Boy Racer (2nd Ed)

Marky drives his blood red
street racer down
Consequence Avenue.

His boom base boot
beats loudly as
the body shell vibrates
in bang bang tones.

He races up to
a huddled group of
shopping bag ladies who
tut tut tut
with shaking heads in
nod nod nodding
time to the beat.

M☻g


I've had a re-write on this - just to try and give it more rhythm (or something). Don't know, think it works better. What do you think?

The first of the month

AD 589 - the death of St David, patron saint of Wales.

I'm not Welsh, don't think I even have Welsh relatives so this information doesn't really impact on me. Only thing I can say is that the Welsh are very patriotic, like the Scottish and probably the Irish and as an English person I envy that. They seems to be able to identify who they are and I am sure with today's changing world this helps a lot. I wish the English could find a national identity (a healthy one not National Front (right wing) type one. I am convinced it is because our national dance is Morris Dancing - a who the hell wants to admit to that!!!

Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

I am not 'down' with this one either - surely the whole point of being drunk and saying silly things it the fact that you don't have to stand by them when you are sober.

M☻g