Thursday

 He reclines on his couch. The coffee cup has been emptied. It's 4am NZ time. He thinks about making another coffee. He looks at the Bible on the coffee table. The table is not made of coffee. It's called that because for a half an hour everyday he puts a cup of coffee on it. Flowers and remote controls are always on it. It's not called a remote control table though. He decides to stir some instant coffee with boiled water and milk. No sugar. He uses the same cup. Five minutes has elapsed. The kettle quickly comes to the boil. Faster than those in the USA. Not that Americans use kettles often. Their power is only 120 volts. So their kettles take twice as long to raise water to the temperature where it begins to turn to gas. 100C. That's at sea level. One atmosphere. Air is actually very heavy. You can't heat water hotter than 100C at sea level. When you ascend it boils at lower temperatures. But it gets harder to breathe too. 

He looks at the clock. Fifteen minutes has now past. Or is that passed? English has many words that are similar that mean slightly different things. Or should that have read have different meanings. Yes that read better. Or is it reads better? No wonder foreigners seldom master English.

He thinks about his security camera. Not that he has only one. To assume that would be called an argument from silence. The one in the front yard stopped working. He had found a receipt for it that was over a year old. He would take it back. Then he pushed and on/off button and it worked. He now has it in the living room facing the front door. That will be temperory. He thinks he will reinstall it over the drive way as a back up and close up for the one already there. 

He looks at the clock. Twenty minutes before he must open the front poorly sealed door and walk into the inclement weather. His coffee cup has been drained to about an inch from the bottom. Before he leaves home he must dress, fry two eggs and make two slices of sourdough toast. He'll take an orange for later. But that will not be enough. Some crackers and butter too maybe for a snack. Not that he has only one snack. 

He finishes his coffee and grimaces. Bitter cold sensations rush to his brain. He takes a deep breath and exhales. Time to turn off the lap top....... shutting down.......darkness.

Wednesday 8th July. Acrostic Mnemonics.

 Expect rain. God sends his rain on the good and the wicked. What a mighty and loving God we have.

Acrostic Mnemonics.... I wonder how it would work to memorize a chord sequence?

"All of me" in C

Chris Can't Eat Eggs

Alan Ate Dead Dogs

Everyone Eats Ants Already

Dead Dogs Dread God

Chris Can't Eat Eggs

Alan Ate Dead Dogs

For Friday (Can't Eat) Angelfish

Don't Gobble Cats (Everyone Does Greedily)

It could work. Especially if you could recall each four bar sequence at the the start of each line. It would take me a morning to memorize the Mnemonic, like learning two versus of a song. Refresh it for a few minutes for three days and hey bingo you could play over an accompaniment. The only way is to give it a go. I'll start this morning.

God uses the thing that caused us to sin to punish us (sic) ...Book  of  Wisdom.

Tuesday

 "Just on 600,000,000 blogs posting 7,000,000 posts a day". Says Meta AI.

"A niche blog....boing, boing.... small circle...." Meta AI said when I typed in my URL. Don't know what 'boing, boing' is about, TC might.

Anyway its good to know I can write any crap I want and only a couple of Indians and Italians might flick on it by mistake once a week!

So lets ramble.... today I have read the scripture readings for today. I started the Bible in a year readings too. It's indicated on the right bottom of my Bible diary wot I get the readings from. It was Wisdom chapters 6-10. I'm pretty sure that there is a plenary indulgence for reading the Bible for half an hour so I might have got one of those.

The HCC council is debating replacing the walkway on the side of the rail bridge that spans the lower Te Awaikarangi. Of course it would cost millions and it sounds like those most keen are the residents at the Bob Jones retirement village. I can't imagine that many really walk over to Moera! I used to use it when I had dogs. It's not really that far to the other two road bridges at Waihone and Hutt City.

I think Friday is a public holiday. The Maori new year.  Something to do with a group of stars rising. I wonder what year it is. They arrived here about 600 years ago so must be about 626 AA (After Arrival). The Europeans started coming here 200 years ago, so they've really only had it to themselves for 400 years. Before that were the Maorioris who got exterminated. Cultures are like that. One flourishes then gets replaced. 

I watched a lecture on the end of the Bronze age last night. I wonder why there isn't a Brass age. I think bronze and brass are made from Tin and Copper. RBB got something to do with brass being a compound wrong in my quiz. Though he still got 70% which was better than anyone else and shows he is pretty clever. (He included brass as an element, but it doesn't really matter). Copper only comes from Cyprus and tin from England (surprisingly) and also some place in the East near India. So there was a lot of trading around the Mediterainian to procure those two metals. In the end there were famines and earthquakes and revolts so the bronze age came to an end about July 1st 1187 BC; which is also about when the Israelites left Egypt for the promised land. Are they linked? 

What came next? Was it the iron age. I always imagined that iron weapons would break bronze weapons so that is why it changed. As the guy said in the lecture, these things are never simple so beware linear explanations. 

Better start getting ready for work. The supervisor is off so things tend to perculate down to me to deal with. I had to show a chap around a part of the site yesterday. I get an extra hour to clean the cafe and tea rooms. 

"Practice self love: you are worthy of your own affections". (Bible diary)

Monday

 Today is the feast of St Maria Goretti. In 1902 she was stabbed 14 times for not giving into the sexual advances of Alessandro, he stabbed her. She was 11 years old.

Have to run. Been reading RBB's blog.

Practice self-care: nourish your body and soul.

How AI thinks yesterday's lunch might have gone (with a little help from me).

 It had started a clear July Wellington Saturday but the southerly had strengthened with occasional showers. That meant RBB decided to put away the BBQ. The invite list was the usual suspects: me, RBB, plus TC and the two wives. The topic list is never set, but religion showed up faster than the assortment of cheeses.

RBB, host, mostly retired music teacher, and unapologetic devotee of the Greek pantheon. He reckons Poseidon owes Wellingtonians for all the ferry crossings ruined by southerlies.

TC, anti-catholic atheist, former wine salesman/manager, believes organized religion is humanity’s longest-running con. Doesn’t mince words.

Rob Catholic, goes to Mass in Lower Hutt, sometimes twice a day. Brings good altar wine and mandatory patience, even if he tries that of others.

Shelley RBB’s wife, keeps the peas hot and the arguments from boiling over.

Lynn TC’s wife,  she’s heard TC’s spiel for 48 years and can disarm him with one eyebrow.

Lunch was roast lamb, mint sauce, and  kumara mash. RBB had a little altar to Hestia by the kitchen window. No one touches it except RBB to dust, like his basses.

RBB carving: “Right. Before we eat, a crumb for Hestia. Keep the home safe, keep the arguments civil.” He flicks a bit of crust into the flame on a tea light. “Hospitality matters to the gods, lads. Zeus would smite a bad host.”

TC, already loading his plate: “Zeus would smite anyone he felt like, sparky. You’ve picked the soap opera pantheon. Meanwhile, the real damage down here gets done by the bloke in Rome.” He nods at me. “No offense, Rob.”

Rob, uncorking a pinot: “None taken. You’ve been offended on my behalf since 1974” He pours for Lynn first. “I’m here for lamb and company. If God wants to join us, He’s welcome. If He doesn’t, He’s still welcome.”

Lynn “TC eat before you lecture. You go sour on an empty stomach.”

TC mouth full, undeterred: “All I’m saying is, I don’t need a priest to tell me right from wrong. Or a god. Or twelve gods.” He waves his fork at RBB. “Yours at least had the decency to be flawed. Jealous, petty, sleeping around. More honest than ‘all-loving, all-powerful’ while there is so much pain in the world”.

RBB, grinning: “That’s why I like them. The Greeks never pretended the gods were perfect. They’re forces. You respect the sea, you don’t moralize at it. Poseidon doesn’t do pastoral care. He does tides and storms. You build a good boat and you pay attention. Same with Ares, same with Aphrodite. You think love is rational, TC? Did you read Rob's last blog?”

Shelley: “Careful, Richard.” But she’s hiding a smile.

Rob passing the peas: “I get the appeal, RBB. I do. The Greeks mapped human nature onto the sky and called it divinity. But I’m after something else at Mass. Not a story about why the world is messy. I’m there because I think there’s a way through the mess. Grace, forgiveness, praying for each other. Even for you, TC.”

TC “Forgiveness is great. Don’t need a cross for it. Don’t need a collection plate either.”

RBB, raising his glass: “To us, then. And to Dionysus, who made sure we had pinot.”

Rob, clinking: “To free will. You lot use yours to argue with me, and I’ll use mine to top up your glasses, try this Mission Chardonnay”

Lynn: “To lunch that’s still hot. Eat, you philosophers.” Lynn and Shellie look at each other and shake their heads.

4th July

 Today the Yanks will celebrate breaking away from a little country in Europe. But was it a good thing?

There probably wouldn't have been a civil war in 1860. England had abolished slavery in the 1830s and this would have filtered down.

The native Americans would have been better off as England guaranteed much of their native lands.

The English parliamentarian system is more stable and less divisive. Look at NZ, Australia and Canada compared to the polarization in the USA.

The French wouldn't have gone bankrupt supporting the Yanks and there probably wouldn't have been a Bonapart or French revolution.

There could now be a mega country in north America including Canada with better social policies and health care...etc etc etc.

A distant overseeing King Charles would be better than a temporary president that acts as a king for a while and then is replaced.

Anyway its nice to have a day off after a busy week. All is well in my world. I know God loves me, (Agapa and Storge). My darling L too (Eros). I think RBB and TC too (Philia). Well that's covered the four Greek types of love. 

Time for some breakfast.

Practise gratitude daily; it's the key to abundance!

the third

 Today is the third of July, the month named after Julius Caesar in 44 BC. It is the feast day of Saint Thomas. He said "my Lord and my God" after poking is hands in Jesus wounds. He was martyred in India by a spear. 

Im back on cresche duty today. 

I read about a schism in the Church by some Swedes . They follow Pope Pious and like the Latin Mass. Just don't receive communion of go to confession with them 'cause it wont be the real deal.

There was a bomb attack in Monaco. Evidently the son was a scammer. Cant work it out .

Plant seeds of kindness, they will bloom in unexpected ways. I suppose the opposite applies too.