Today is the Winter Solstice - the shortest day! After today, things can only get better. Well, actually we won’t notice any real, perceptible lengthening of days for a good few months. And we might think of it as midwinter but as a rule we get much colder weather in January and into February. But it makes us all feel a bit better to know that the days will gradually get longer again.
I’ve been out supermarket shopping with my daughter today, to make sure we have all the necessary ingredients for a good Christmas dinner on Monday. It might have been quicker had I gone on my own and just arranged for her to pick me up to carry the stuff home in the car. But now we have the feeling of a joint family effort to get Christmas Day organised.
Just after Christmas my Spanish sister is flying over with a host of friends and relations - a group of ten in the end. Her daughter wants to explore her mother’s birthplace with her own children, and to visit Liverpool and the Beatle’s memorabilia and to experience a British New Year’s Eve celebration … whatever that means nowadays. One of the party has researched Southport, where my sister and I grew up and where the Spanish group will be “experiencing” our culture. He has read that Southport is famous for its shrimpers, who went out into the Irish sea catching shrimps. He wants to sample the shrimps as he comes from a part of Spain well-known for its shellfish. Unfortunately the Southport shrimpers belong to a past that was already disappearing when my sisters and I were children. My older sister, who still lives there, tells me that the only place you can buy fresh fish in Southport is at Morrison’s supermarket. Goodness! We’re better off fresh-fish-wise in Saddleworth.
Anyway, I have spent some time today trying to coordinate a family reunion while my Spanish sister is here. A nightmare! Too many variables! The days when everyone is available are few and I would say far between but actual days are limited. We are all trying to fit too many activities into a four to five day visit, just as we are trying to find a place that can accommodate all of us for lunch! Watch this space!
I am, of course, aware that there are people in the world with greater problems than trying to coordinate a large group of friends and family into the same place at the same time. It’s beginning to feel like a wedding rather than a reunion. Maybe we should have planned it in detail weeks ago… months ago!
Anyway, here is Michael Rosen again:
'Today we're talking about the sanctity of human life,' said the King's tutor.
'Oh I like the sound of that,' said the King.
'Exactly,' said the tutor, 'we like the sound of it.'
'Do we like the sanctity itself, though?' said the King.
'Only when we choose to like it,' said the tutor. 'At other times, we ignore it.'
'You mean some human life has more sanctity than others?' said the King.
'Yes,' said the tutor.
With the sanctity of human life in mind, talks are stiil/ once more going on to try to stop the war in Gaza. There’s a remarkable reluctance to call ending the fighting a ‘ceasefire’. Other less provocative names are suggested. Just about everyone is talking about it … except Israel, who just keep on shelling and bombing. I suppose that if they exterminate every Palestinian, then they’ll know that Hamas is gone.
Here’s a post from a friend:
“Whilst the US are faffing around in the UN more atrocities keep happening, minute after minute in Gaza!
"The Palestine Red Crescent Society announced that communication has been cut off from the Jabalia ambulance center in northern Gaza.
“We received reports that Israeli forces raided the center two hours ago, and arrested crews and paramedics and took them to unknown location. Women and children remain trapped alone inside the center,” PRCS said in a tweet on Thursday."
(Guardian update 17:49)”
Keep hoping.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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