Sunday, May 08, 2005
Lest We Forget
I got a great sleep last night and woke with the sun filling the bedroom. I got up and once I had my coffee finished the work I had to do in the garden. A tree stump had to come out, which was the largest job. Most annoying job went to clearing out behind the evergreen trees bordering with the neighbours garden. There is a gap between the line of trees and the fence and it needed some attention. As I reached through to blindly rip out the weeds growing in this patch of no-man's land my hand grasped an overgrown thistle. Oh the pain, and when I pulled my hand away into a patch of nettles I felt like screaming.
I showered and we all jumped into the car to head over to see Kyle, my nephew. He is 2 today and when we arrived he was sitting amongst lots of new toys, the best of which a toss up between a tricycle, a trainable robot and a remote control car.
He's doing great. Shy, but you really need to come down to a 2-year old's level to connect - something I never seem to have a problem with. I think it's a mixsture of my inner child and the fact that I LOOK like a baby makes me more approachable to kids than other adults. I get it a lot; wee babies in prams are fascinated by my big baldy head. I'll be standing at a bus-stop and a woman goes past with her kid in a pram. All I see is this wee face staring up at me and following me until I am out of sight. Strange, but true.
We had some tea and Donna (his Mum) brought in some birthday cake as well. We sang happy birthday and half way through the song I noticed his robot had joined in also - it was beeping and humming the tune at the same time. Strange, but true.
When we got home I decided to make dinner; the old favourite Marzetti being the chosen dish. We invited up Gail's pal up for dinner and Sammy and we all ate together.
I felt in limbo today. I'm tired from everything that's been going on and all the stuff to do around the house. I miss my mates but hopefully I'll see them on Monday evening. It was a rare writing night. Rare in that I just could not be arsed no matter what I thought of working on. I hate it when this happens and I hate myself. It's more than procrastination because I want to work, but my head feels cluttered and jumbled and nothing gets done.
I decided on an early night but the mess inside my head couldn't be ignored so I ended up flicking on the television and watching the VE Day highlights.
Lest we ever forget what these brave man and women did for us. It's been 60 years, but without them we would not be here today with the freedom we enjoy and take for granted.
To quote my good friend, Stuart Howie:
On this day in 1945, the allied nations celebrated Victory in Europe. Europe was once again Free. There is though a price to pay for Freedom. For Britain, the cost was around 265,000 servicemen and women. Each and every one of them deserves to be remembered, alongside the brave men and women of the Commonwealth nations, America and others who were united to defeat evil. Civilians too deserve recognition. The blitz claimed tens of thousands of lives. But the people stood firm in the face of the enemy.
The enormous effort and sacrifice made to secure victory must never be forgotten, nor the horrors of war itself. Yet we must stand ready to defend Freedom even today. Not to do so would be to betray the fallen soldiers, all those who stood up to be counted when their country - when Freedom - needed them most.
I call on you to remember, and to say Thankyou. Raise a glass, take a moment of prayer, anything to honour of the veterans who gave 6 years of sacrifice for our 60 years of Freedom.
Thankyou for our Freedom, thankyou for our future.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
Click to enlarge
I showered and we all jumped into the car to head over to see Kyle, my nephew. He is 2 today and when we arrived he was sitting amongst lots of new toys, the best of which a toss up between a tricycle, a trainable robot and a remote control car.
He's doing great. Shy, but you really need to come down to a 2-year old's level to connect - something I never seem to have a problem with. I think it's a mixsture of my inner child and the fact that I LOOK like a baby makes me more approachable to kids than other adults. I get it a lot; wee babies in prams are fascinated by my big baldy head. I'll be standing at a bus-stop and a woman goes past with her kid in a pram. All I see is this wee face staring up at me and following me until I am out of sight. Strange, but true.
We had some tea and Donna (his Mum) brought in some birthday cake as well. We sang happy birthday and half way through the song I noticed his robot had joined in also - it was beeping and humming the tune at the same time. Strange, but true.
When we got home I decided to make dinner; the old favourite Marzetti being the chosen dish. We invited up Gail's pal up for dinner and Sammy and we all ate together.
I felt in limbo today. I'm tired from everything that's been going on and all the stuff to do around the house. I miss my mates but hopefully I'll see them on Monday evening. It was a rare writing night. Rare in that I just could not be arsed no matter what I thought of working on. I hate it when this happens and I hate myself. It's more than procrastination because I want to work, but my head feels cluttered and jumbled and nothing gets done.
I decided on an early night but the mess inside my head couldn't be ignored so I ended up flicking on the television and watching the VE Day highlights.
Lest we ever forget what these brave man and women did for us. It's been 60 years, but without them we would not be here today with the freedom we enjoy and take for granted.
To quote my good friend, Stuart Howie:
On this day in 1945, the allied nations celebrated Victory in Europe. Europe was once again Free. There is though a price to pay for Freedom. For Britain, the cost was around 265,000 servicemen and women. Each and every one of them deserves to be remembered, alongside the brave men and women of the Commonwealth nations, America and others who were united to defeat evil. Civilians too deserve recognition. The blitz claimed tens of thousands of lives. But the people stood firm in the face of the enemy.
The enormous effort and sacrifice made to secure victory must never be forgotten, nor the horrors of war itself. Yet we must stand ready to defend Freedom even today. Not to do so would be to betray the fallen soldiers, all those who stood up to be counted when their country - when Freedom - needed them most.
I call on you to remember, and to say Thankyou. Raise a glass, take a moment of prayer, anything to honour of the veterans who gave 6 years of sacrifice for our 60 years of Freedom.
Thankyou for our Freedom, thankyou for our future.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
Click to enlarge
Colin 10:46 am