Stop a while and listen

In Memory of Patrick

IN MEMORY OF Patrick Gilmore 06-02-1976 - 23-01-2009

" ....... so clearly, I cannot understand time. It is eternity now. I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine;

I am in it, as the butterfly floats in the light-laden air. Nothing has to come; it is now. Now is eternity; now is the immortal life.

Here this moment, by this tumulus, on earth,now; I exist in it.

The years, the centuries, the cycles are absolutely nothing; it is only a moment since this tumulus was raised; in a
thousand years it will still be only a moment.

To the soul there is no past and no future; all is and will be ever, in now. "

(from The Story of my Heart - by Richard Jeffries)

China - window on the world

Once in a lifetime something happens that changes you, something happens that changes your outlook on life, that changes how you relate to people, to yourself, to one another.

Having been privileged to have the opportunity to travel to China, thanks to your donations, a window opened and I saw with my eyes, felt with my heart and touched by the warmth, generosity, charm, courtesy and spirit of the Chinese people....

From people in the TianTan park ( Park of heavenly peace) at 7am in the morning doing Tai chi, to the Mongolian Wall seller, to the man at the corner shop, to the waiter, to the bicycle repair man on the street, to everyone we met, there shone through the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people.

A blaze of colour, reds and yellows, swept through the countryside, an order, a chaos, a cacophony, a silence, a beauty, a shyness, a fierceness, a tenderness, an unfamiliarity, a friendliness. One stranger meets another.

I dived into China, at the deep end. (I can't swim) I came up gasping for air. I struggled to the side and a stranger said , " you are my brothers and sisters'.

.... to be continued...

Writing

There is a book in all of us, waiting to be written.

I went to a recently formed Writing Group so they could critique some of the stuff I had written.

Well frankly I was gobsmacked on their comments on two of my so-called 'poems'

It just goes to show that if toss your pebble in the pond of life, ripples come back.

They may take time, but they do come.

So if there is a book in you , get writing!

Who U spending your money with?

Times are tough, suppport your local company.

Here are a few I have come across and would recommend.

At the end of the day they are just blokes like you and me keeping family & kin together.

1. Buckinghamshire Chinese Language School
Evey Sunday 10-30 - 12.30 Bassetbury Manor, Bassetbury Lane, HW HP11 1QX
Contact: MaiSim Merry 07976 835968
www.bucksinfo.net/buckschineseasso

2. Buckingham Hotel/ Wendover Arms
156 West Wycombe Road, HW 01494 474747
Contact: shaf@buckinghamhotels.co.uk
www.buckinghamhotels.co.uk

3. Berkeley Chauffers - maybe u have a prom coming up?
Contact: 0845 423 8975 (Ian) admin@berkeleychauffers.com
www.berkeleychauffers.com

4. Bloc 3 - 4 Cornmarket , HW HP11 2BW
David Jones runs Bloc Brazilian coffee/sandwich bar in HW and Henley on Thames and Wallingford. All FAIRTRADE coffees. All freshly made sandwiches/cookies on premises.
David: 07812 101604


Bythe way, I should be publishing a book on Ireland in the 1960s - Recollections..let me know if you want to see it and let me know what you thinkbefore the rest of the world gets its hands on.
it.

Manzou - Chinese for take care.

Three Men in a Boat

Redundancy affects us all in different ways.

Once many years ago when I was first made redundant, the wife wasnt talking to me, I had crashed the car and they called me in that same morning to give me my P45.

Talk about waiting for buses and three come along at once.

Meet Bob, one of the Shotokan black belts at High Wycombe dojo

"Bob Davis, 35 years in PCB design, specialist in PADS and Cadence, looking for permanent, contract or sub-contract design work".

Meet Brian, my neighbour an iSeries Technical Support Analyst.

Meet Chris, my son's football coach, a materials scientist/engineer

Do you know anyone whoworks in their business sector?
Do you know anyone recruiting at the moment?
Do contact them if you can help - click on the column on the right (CVs) and open up the Word document, or drop a comment below.

Thanks.

For Cousin Carol

Carol Royle 1950 - 2009 a much loved sister, cousin, wife and friend

We said goodbye to Carol today. She chose this poem to be read.

Dry Your Tears

You can shed tears that she is gone or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left,

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her or you can be full of the love you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday,

You can remember her and only that she’s gone or you can cherish her memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.