It would seem that this blog is becoming a weekly event! That is not my intention folks but I have had a busy few days and all I seem to do with my computer these days is catch up with emails! Not good use of technology I know but that’s the way it is at the moment.

I could post about fuel prices or the so called ‘credit crunch’. I could vent my frustration with the media who only want to concentrate on ‘doom and gloom’. I could put forward my views about my belief that car owners are going to have to consider car sharing with friends and neighbours - I have a friend in Elgin who car shares with two work colleagues. Each of them only uses their own car, for work related travel, every third week. My belief is that this will start to become the norm as fuel prices continue to rise. But hey, lets try to be positive. Maybe one of the knock on effects of car sharing will be that people will start to support each other and communities will again become the sort of places that are safe and no one is anonymous.

Author Katie Flynn is a current favourite of Kriss & myself at the moment. Ok, not the most demanding of reads, and probably too romantic for some folks, but one thing that always gets to me is the sense of community that is there in the majority of the stories. The stories are mainly set in the 1930s - 40s, either in Liverpool or the northwest of England. The descriptions of family life of the ‘working class’ of those times just make you realise how easy our lives really are. Times were hard back then but people lived in real communities and I believe that that sense of community is going to have to be rekindled in the days ahead.

So maybe out of the ‘doom & gloom’ will come something positive.

Been out visiting

today.

We saw son ‘D’ first thing. He is doing ok after the op. Then we visited ‘P’ whose grandson lives with her and her husband - a lovely time of fellowship. Their grandson ‘M’ is just a few months younger than Will and, despite the upheaval in his life, is a very contented child.

Then we visited ‘H’ who we have not visited for a few weeks. Another time of sweet fellowship with a dear Christian sister. Thanks ‘H’.

We then visited ‘J’ who is a lady who has deep bouts of depression. She has turned away from the Lord and has a difficult time with neighbours especially the neighbourhood children.

We have been blessed by all these visits today and tomorrow we are planning on visiting ‘E’ & ‘P’. ‘E’ was diagnosed with multiple myeloma - blood cancer - 5 years ago and he has just started another course of treatment. He was an household painter & decorator so the cancer could have been triggered off by exposure to solvents etc. His wife ‘P’ has been so positive through a very difficult time and ‘E’ himself is very positive as well.

We are both keeping well and this week Kriss has achieved a lot in the garden and I’ve managed to cut the grass out the front and in a wee while I’m going to be grass cutting out the back and down the side of the cottage - just the thought of that makes me want to go and put my feet up! LOL! But it has got to be done!

Catch up with you all later. God bless.

Tomorrow

we are going to a barbeque which is being hosted by one of Kriss’ work colleagues. We will be travelling east along the coast to a small town [fishing village] called Findochty - pronouced ‘Fa-neck-tee’; sort of!

We will hopefully have a pleasant time and it will be good for me to meet some of Kriss’ work colleagues.

Now I like a glass of wine but Kriss has warned me that it could be a bit boozy so we will have to be wise enough to take our leave at the right time. No booze for me anyway as I will be driving.

Son ‘D’ had a minor hernia op yesterday and it was just like old times looking after our son for the day! It reminded us of times past when we looked after him when he was ill etc! I guess you never stop being parents. We saw him today and although he is sore he was doing ok. Now that he has had this op he can look forward to start taking beta inteferon for the MS that he has. It has been delayed because the beta inteferon suppresses the immune system. So hopefully in a few weeks he will start taking it. The only thing being that he will have to inject himself three times a week. But he will be using an auto injection device.

Kriss stocked up on some bedding plants and compost today - she is off next week and intends spending as much time as possible in the garden - I get to cut the grass! LOL! Boy am I blessed to have a wife who loves gardening!

So, a long day ahead tomorrow but it is due to start off well as we will be with Will in the morning.

Catch up with you all later.

Have had

such a blessed time this last week or so. My fitness levels are slowly increasing as I continue to walk my way around town.

Pinetree House, our church building, is about 1.5 miles out of town. When Kriss has to have the car, for travelling around to visit any GP practices, I usually walk from her office to Pinetree House and then do what I need to do there. After that I sometimes walk round to my son’s place and get to visit grandson Will. I am also able to walk to various folks’ homes and visit as well. I also get to visit our favourite coffee shop whilst I wait for Kriss to finish work!

Most of you reading this will know of the industrial dispute that has caused the temporary shut down of Scotland’s oil refinery at Grangemouth. Despite numerous assurances of enough petrol/diesel being available for about 70 days the reporting by various elements of the media has, in my opinion, been nothing short of disgraceful!

One national newspaper last week, the Sunday Express, had “Scotland to run out of petrol by Friday” as its headline! So where did I get my petrol from yesterday morning?

Even that so called paragon of news, the BBC, has, in my opinion, been guilty of scaremongering.

The Scottish Post has on its front page this morning a statement which may well be accurate but again it seems to be an attempt at scaremongering. Sunday Post But on page 3 [not on website] there is a smaller article which gives information about how Scotland is supplied with fuel. Supermarket ASDA [Walmart] has 24 petrol [gas] stations in Scotland and does not source any fuel from Grangemouth. Supermarket TESCO says that Grangemouth is just one of a number of sources for its fuel requirements. For me this would have been a more responsible article to put on the front page. Drivers have been asked all week not to panic buy but there have been occasions this last week when petrol stations in the area have run out of fuel. I’m convinced that this situation has been fuelled [sorry!] by irresponsible media reporting.

Anyway the strike is for two days from today and then the oil refinery is due to be gradually brought back up to full production.

This dispute seems to be about the company wanting employees to contribute to their company pension scheme - as far as I understand it current employees have a non-contributory pension fund. Now Kriss, having worked in the NHS for over 30 years has always contributed to her pension fund; teachers, police, firefighters, as far as I am aware, all contribute to their pension schemes. However, I don’t think the company are exactly doing the right thing by the workforce - they are just coming across as greedy. Just get your act together folks and get this sorted!

We had our Friday evening meal with daughter R & partner M; We spent most of yesterday with Will & today has been a glorious sunny day and we even spent time sitting outside this afternoon, so summer is hopefully actually just about here! LOL!

So that’s us up to date; we are both well and giving thanks to the Lord for all His blessings.

It has been

a funny sort of week or so since I last posted.

Have been doing all the usual stuff but have spent most days either in Elgin or visiting folks.

Kriss has been very busy with her job and most days we have been able to travel togther into Elgin and then back home in the evenings.

We have been very lazy in the evenings but have made sure that we have kept up with the ‘Reading the Bible in a year’ program.  It’s such a blessing reading God’s Word together!

We are struggling a little bit with the fact that the evenings are staying cold and in fact we have had three frosty mornings this week already with another one predicted tomorrow. But the days are sunny and generally ok as long as you are in a sheltered spot and out of the cold wind!

Have been doing a lot of walking around town instead of just jumping into the car. I am definitely feeling the benefit of the exercise!

So, we are ok; praising God and seeking to do His will.

Take care folks.