Image via WikipediaThe clocks went back one hour this morning, in the UK, to GMT from BST. Personally I enjoyed the extra hour I had to sleep in this morning. Am not looking forward so much to the shorter days and it getting darker earlier in the evening. Still it's that time of year again and I'm trying to get myself to appreciate the beauties of autumn and winter. Also Happy Samhain to everyone. May the following year bring to you all that your heart desires.
Image by Chris Gin via FlickrAwaiting inspiration
Image by Ed.ward via FlickrAfter some lovely warm days, it feels now really autumnal. I did some gardening yesterday and enjoyed sitting out there afterwards, observing the wildlife. But today that has changed again.The wind is quite sharp and leaves are skittering from the trees. There are some beautiful colours about. I saw a Stag's Horn when I was driving back from choir rehearsal this morning which was a glorious colour of red-brown and quite beautiful. All around are the colours of autumn, on the trees and now on the ground.
Image by RobW_ via FlickrYesterday when I was driving to a choir rehearsal and saw the nearly full moon shining over Mounts Bay in Cornwall I felt inspired to write the following:
Image by Tony the Misfit via FlickrI have had a problem with understanding the spiritual concept of 'service' in the past as it seemed associated in my mind with somehow being beholden to others and of duty. More recently I have come to understand that this is a natural expression of compassion which flows from one's being. This experience of compassion is free flowing and as I said earlier natural and unconstrained. There is also a sense of excitement and deep connection which is also part of the experience.
Image via WikipediaLiving as I do in Northern Europe, I seldom suffer from water shortage, in fact often the opposite is true and there is too much water around. We often have days of quite heavy rain. It is hard, therefore, for me to realise how clean water can be an issue for many people who live in hotter areas of the world, and who have to walk miles to have access to water or who have no clean water at all. Despite the claim by the United Nations that access to clean water is a human right, there are still a staggering number of people who have no access to this most basic amenity. Since 'water' is the subject of this years Blog Action Day, I would like to urge that every action possible is made to make clean water a reality for all of humanity. For more information on Blog Action Day please click on this link blogactionday.change.org
Image via WikipediaI had the opportunity of meeting up with some friends to do some creative writing. We had a lot of fun writing and sharing our creativity and it was good to meet up with some old friends who I hadn't had the opportunity of speaking to for quite a while. A very positive experience all round!
Image via WikipediaToday is the birthday of a close family member and it made me think about the various manner in which we view this celebratory event at different stages in our lives. When we're young, we can't wait for the great day, the presents and the party; but somewhere after about 21 years of age we start to feel more reluctant about that anniversary. The years with the big '0' are usually the worst as they seem to mark such a big numerical change, whilst in many ways little else alters. Some years later, the birthday age seems to become more irrelevant, especially if we're in good health. Sometimes we can feel as young as we were in our twenties well past that age. At other times we can feel very old but this often has little to do with the birthday age itself. It's all so subjective and depends on so many conditions. As someone who has been around quite a while, though, I do find that age does give me a broader perspective of life.
Because it was such a lovely day yesterday, I decided to drive with a friend to Tehidy Country Park, hoping to be able to photograph some of the autumn colours. It was still a bit too early for the autumn colours although some trees were beginning to turn but it was still a beautiful day out. The woods were lovely and peaceful and almost everyboday we met was friendly. There were also lots of photo opportunities, not only of the trees themselves but also of ducks, swans and the occasional obliging squirrel! All in all it was a beautiful day out in surprisingly mild weather.
Image via WikipediaAs a relative late-comer to the use of social media, I was somewhat cynical about its use and the hype that was around it. I think that it is important to accept it for what it is. It is a useful link to other people and organisations and does provide some means of human contact. At the same time, I feel that it in no way replaces interpersonal relationships with other people in the standard way. It is still necessary to meet people face-to-face to share and support one another. At the same time I've found some wonderful sources of information and inspiration through the social media, particularly Facebook. Also you find information this way that might not be accessible though other avenues. So providing that it is possible to combine both types of relationships, both social media and ordinary friendships I feel that it is an important way to expand our lives, if not taken to excess.
Image by climatesafety via FlickrI have just read a report in Positive News that the UK could eliminate greenhouse gases within 20 years. This report was the result of input from universities, research facilities and industry and offers a comprehensive energy strategy without the use of nuclear energy. Also in the same paper I read that developing countries like the Maldives have pledged to reduce carbon levels to neutral by 2020 and Ethiopia by 2025. Wouldn't it be good if other countries could make similar pledges?