Just another day in paradise?

Annie & I attended a service at church yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Firstly the organist didn't turn up, then there was a problem with projecting hymn words using PowerPoint. Maybe we should read words the old-fashioned way from a thing called a hymn book!

A singer from the music group fainted and had to lie in the 'recovery position' during a song, still minus an organist.

Rev. Helen Cameron stepped over the unfortunate faintee and everyone carried on regardless.

We were was half-expecting Charles Hawtrey, Jim Dale and Kenneth Williams to turn up ("Carry On Regardless" - the film, get it?)

There was then a misunderstanding with half of the congregation standing and half sitting during a hymn

A stand-in organist had been found at this stage. PowerPoint had been restored but then people clambered to close the blinds because it was too bright to read the words.

A women in front of us had a coughing fit and had to leave, muttering something about the high pollution levels in the air. We think the 20 Benson & Hedges spotted in her handbag might have been partly responsible.

Helen told everyone to sit half-way through a hymn that she thought had ended. Again, half sat and half remained standing for the rest of the hymn.

After the service when a sense of normality returned, Helen said that if a bear had entered stage left, she wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

The moral of the story is that in the face of adversity, it pays to have a sense of humour.

Well done Helen - it was a marvellous service!

Thinking of Africa Today

It seems appropriate today when the 'Live 8 concert' is taking place in Hyde Park, London, that we share with you this fantastic picture that Annie found. Left-click on this image for enlarged picture.

It was the last photo taken by the crew aboard the Columbia during its last mission. The picture is of Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. Half of the picture is in night. The bright dots you see are the cities' lights.

The top part of Africa is the Sahara Desert.

Note that the lights are already on in Holland, Paris, and Barcelona, and that it's still daylight in Dublin, London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Lisbon and Madrid.

The sun is still shining on the Strait of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean Sea is already in darkness. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean you can see the Azores Islands; below them to the right are the Madeira Islands; a bit below are the Canary Islands; and further South, close to the farthest western point of Africa, are the Cape Verde islands.

Note that the Sahara is huge and can be seen both during daytime and night time. To the left, on top, is Greenland, totally frozen.

This makes Annie and I feel in awe of our planet. What do you think?

Thank You

Yesterday was special.

Annie - unknown to me had e-mailed various contacts and friends all over the world with the news it was my birthday and I was bombarded with lovely e-mails from all corners of the globe - fabulous stuff :-)

Thanks to all of you who took time to send the e-mails - I really appreaciate that

And of course .. my greatest thanks and deep love to Annie ... who made yesterday even more special than every other special day we have together!

Perception really is ALL we have - end of story

I have come to believe that perception is actually all that we have to work with.

Excusing those who are colour blind ....If I see grass as red then it is red in my perception and as many times as you tell me it is green makes no difference – to me it is red – end of story.

Nowadays I am less comfortable with words like right and wrong and more comfortable with words like difference.

It is simply not good enough any more to tell people there is only one way to look at anything. I think it is good to have an open mind about possibillities.

If you want a neat little example of this take a look at the piece below - you may have seen it before but it always makes me smile and realise there is always more than one way to see things.

Have a great weekend

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae.The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihsis bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

amzanig huh?