Somewhere Else

Hello all. Sorry this is late. Hurt my back last night - removing a small tray of roast potatoes from the oven. Not even heavy. Couldn't type - partly because it hurt my back and partly because I was so annoyed, every time I typed anything it was full of vitriol and self pity and no-one needs that - least of all me. 

Instead I watched Great Pottery Throwdown when it was actually on, which is rare for us. I love Great Pottery Throwdown. Everyone is so nice to one another and they are all so clever. I do have a theory about that Keith. He always seems to cry at the people he is probably going to send home. I think Lois is the one to beat this year but what do I know?

As I am approximately 80% paracetamol at the moment, I thought I would just let you know about a few of the things we have watched or read and try desperately to look at the stars whilst I am lying in the gutter (or on the settee with three cushions under my lower back). 

We watched two films last week. One - at the cinema - Marcel, the shell with shoes on - and another on Netflix - The Swimmers

Marcel is a difficult one because it is really difficult to categorise. It's a PG rating so fine for kids but I'm not sure that children are the target audience. It's stop motion animation. Marcel is a tiny shell (with shoes) who has become separated from most of his family. Like Lilo and Stitch "This is my family. It's cute but broken." Let me know if you think I am going a bit too niche. A documentary maker moves into the AirBNB where Marcel lives and makes friends with him. He then starts to change Marcel's life and he's not sure he's entirely ready. Without sounding too much like my head is up my bottom (which is what a friend told me once when I said Love Actually was the worst film ever made) Marcel is really quite profound. It's full of love, loss and wisdom as well as an animated tampon with stick on eyes and tiny shoes. Highly recommended if you can find it.

The Swimmers is the true story of two sisters who make the harrowing journey as refugees from Syria to Berlin. Can I be honest? I thought it went on a bit. (Please take your shocked hands away from your mouths.) The sisters are top class swimmers and this saves their lives. The scenes where they are in a boat that is sinking is genuinely terrifying but I found the girls a bit annoying. Before you all file me under M for monster, I went away and read the true story later and it made me cry. I think it's funny how sometimes even a decent film doesn't land with everyone. Apparently, it had a four minute standing ovation at the Canadian Film Festival. Maybe Canadians don't get out much. I would still recommend though. It's important.You are all nicer than me and you may well love it.

Am reading Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. It is about time management except it's not really. Burkeman is an ex efficiency guru who knew all the tips and tricks around productivity. However, he has put that all behind him now and has written about discovering that sometimes things need to be done slowly and properly. there's much more to it than that. He's read widely on the subject - including Biblical scholars and it is really uplifting and interesting. The Four Thousand Weeks title is the amount of an average lifespan. It doesn't sound much does it? He wonders if we should be spending that crossing through things on a to-do list. 

Is it still ok to be impressed by the wonders of Creation. I wouldn't say I was a full out Creationist. Even my Father - who sometimes felt that John Calvin was a bit free and easy doctrinally - would say that Genesis indicated the Hand of God in Creation rather than being a literal account of how it happened. It seems lots of Christians have a Darwinist bent now as if that's the only fruit. (On a side note, I head a very good podcast the other day that drew a straight line between survival of the fittest and the rise of the Nazis. Not sure why I mentioned that.) Anyway, I obviously haven't thought all this through as I only got a C in Biology and that was because I struck lucky with the questions but I have to tell you that I am definitely sensing the Hand of God in the natural world. 

Lest year, we had two magpies build a nest in a tree outside our house. I worried a bit because the tree seemed a bit insubstantial but they got through and made a baby magpie. Anyway, they are back! (please see photo above as evidence of why I will never make a wildlife photographer. It's difficult to use the focus when your other hand is propping you up against the settee.) And they are building again BUT IN A DIFFERENT TREE. It's a bigger tree, a better tree and they are taking twigs from the old tree and building a new nest with them. I mean. Who taught them this? How do they know what to do? And when? What made them decide - "We're going bigger this year Judith - last year was too flimsy." I'm sorry, but I definitely sense the H-O-G there. As well as bright sun on my cold face and the way a seagull runs towards me when I wave a trout sandwich at him. 

And, at a time when Aged Parent is moving away from this world towards the next - where I sincerely hope Jesus will be ready to answer many of her most perplexing questions. I gain comfort from the tiny glimpses of something else where she too will be comforted and content.

Have a good week.