Getting Around

 Hello all. I hope you are well and for those who celebrate Mothering Sunday, I hope you had a good time. At this point, I think I am supposed to insert a list of people who may not enjoy the day for many different reasons - not mothers, don't/didn't like their mother, don't want to be a mother, missing their mother etc. Well yes indeed - a blessing on you and all your camels. However, even though I have and do carry some of that baggage - was a late Mum (Senior as my GP winningly called it), my Mum was interesting and we are just trying to sort out how we feel after her recent death - for me - I'm not really bothered about how I feel on Mothering Sunday and never was really. If you are bothered - no judgement here - enjoy and fill your boots. I just can't help but feel that there would be a lot less upset if these days didn't exist and we all just got a bit better at finding the opportunity to tell each other how much we love and appreciate each other. I know it's a bit woo-woo - like Fifth Dimension singing Aquarius while we all dance semi-naked in a field - but do we really need corporates to tell us to love our mothers? (or fathers or carers or the non-specific person who has filled a mothering role etc.)

A couple of thoughts though. The Bible is full of set feast days, celebrations, thanksgiving days etc. Lots of monastic traditions successfully mark off their days and split them into prayer times, work, meals etc. so maybe people do need reminding about things that should be done and said.

Also, judging by the scrum my daughter saw at the flower counter at M and S on Saturday, people do want to celebrate special days. It was full of adult males, usually with children -  "Which one do you think Mummy would like? No! not the one with the glass vase! Put that down. Get the tulips! She likes tulips. Or the daffs! Everyone likes daffs!" 

So what do I know? Also, I will be drinking the whisky and eating the Walnut Whips that I have been given so I am being a bit hypocritical I suppose. It is obviously lovely to get nice messages from people, I just don't want anyone to think that they are a lesser person if it doesn't happen for them. 

We are just back from a weekend in Bristol seeing FOW1. We went on the bus instead of the train. Worrying about whether there would actually be a train proved a bridge too far for me. It was fine I suppose. The one going out smelt a bit funny and I was too scared to use the toilet but it was comfy enough. I am reaching a point in my life though, where I need to be getting up and stretching my back on a regular basis and that just isn't really possible on these buses. Still, the driver made a speech at the end - which I am sure was heartfelt and he said it had been an honour to carry us. He was standing under the notice that said "Please feel free to tip your driver" but I am sure that was unconnected. Don't have a problem with it though. I'm sure they are paid peanuts. 

Bristol is a funny place. I really like it, there's lots of stuff there and a great buzz. It is also vaguely terrifying. It's full of "characters", a good proportion of whom are trying to relieve you of your money, legally if possible but they are keeping their options open. We were sat down having a brew in a cafe and a woman at the next table leaned over and asked if we had any spare change - a bit unexpected - I'll be honest. Last time we went  - I may have told you - a lady was approaching people for money and when someone turned her down she shouted after her "Well, I hope your house burns down!". As I say - unexpected. Yet, they have much posher shops than Plymouth, really good theatres and venues etc. Maybe it's what Frankie Howerd used to call "All fur coat and no knickers." 

I was also annoyed to discover that the John Wesley Museum was closed  - Sunday, right. There's a pathetic photo of it above. Sorry. Why is he on a horse? For a Methodist, which technically I suppose I am now, I know precious little about Wesley. Except that in my female group of friends in my twenties, we would use the phrase "She's being very Susanna Wesley about it" which indicated being very self-sacrificial and putting her husband first. It was not always meant as a compliment. Wouldn't mind finding a book about him - historical more than spiritual. Any recommendation gratefully received. I think I might have found him a bit intimidating. I do remember my dad telling me the story of how Wesley had "felt his heart strangely warmed" and he cried a bit because it was so lovely. This was from a man who felt that most Pentes needed to calm down. You never can tell with folk, can you? Have a good week.