Harvest (in a tin)

We've just received the latest newsletter from my son's school which, among things, gives details of the annual 'harvest festival'. Now, when I was at school, a harvest festival was, as its name suggests, all about the harvest, i.e. fresh vegetables and things that people had grown. I can still see the school stage festooned in carrots, cabbages, lettuce, giant marrows and potatoes.
How ridiculous, it seems to me, is the instruction to all parents that NO fresh produce is to be donated and that food items must be either tinned or in packets, and to assist, the school have provided a list of 'acceptable' food items;

Why on Earth aren't they contacting the local supermarkets who routinely dispose of anything dented or past its sell-by date? Surely this would be be a better idea rather than expecting those who can barely afford to feed themselves to empty their larders. Is it any wonder our children have no idea where our food comes from...?

The first weekend of the Winter

Winter is here and I've decided I want to get my son a typewriter for Christmas. This may sound odd, but I had a typewriter at a very young age and it was by using it that I learnt how to spell. I don't wish for him to have anything too big or complicated, just a simple portable model that he can learn on. I recall I used to copy large sections from books and as I came across a word I didn't know the meaning of, I would look it up. It was by using a typewriter that I learnt how to type letters and how to arrange them so they looked professional.
I don't want to force my son down this route. He has expressed an interest in having one and learning to use one and maybe he will become as enthusiastic as I did when I was his age. It would be nice if perhaps from this he began to be interested in words and their meanings. It's worth a try. After all, a typewriter isn't expensive - there are literally hundreds of them on eBay for as little as £10 or £20.

Friday last week and I was training again, this time in Lincoln at Involve in Mint Lane. I was with one of my group colleagues who drove us there for a 9.30 start. Although the course was on the subject of mental health, it was difficult (and still is) to understand exactly what the course is about. So far, we have looked at ways in which we can support ourselves personally if we are affected with Anxiety or Depression related mental illness. There are only two others attending the course so it's a jolly good job we turned up! The second part of the course is this coming Friday. So far the course has been unique.
We were invited to join the Renew Group who hold their gatherings at Involve - so we both joined which means we are now able to make use of their facilities as and when we wish. Being a similar type of support group ourselves, it was useful to become affiliated with them and I'm sure good things will come from it.

Earlier today I discovered a rather nice photograph in my parent's kitchen. It had appeared over the last week and it is one I hadn't seen before. It shows my mother, father, my nan and granddad and their daughter in law at Hastings on the East Sussex Coast. It was clearly taken sometime in the 1960's at a spot I'm quite familiar with. The quality of the photograph is excellent so I took a copy straight away.

The hairstyles are quite wonderful and clearly of a different era!

In the news, the Jimmy Savile scandal continues to steal the headlines and this morning, Paul Gadd (aka Gary Glitter) was arrested as part of the police investigation into abuse allegations. I'm pretty sure he won't be the last and it is probably of little surprise that he's been the first.
In the US, the presidential election approaches and with it a huge storm which is bearing down on the East Coast. There is a possibility that Hurricane Sandy will hit New York in the next few days and preparations are being made for the worst should it come.

It is half term and my son has a whole week off school. He had his Harvest Festival on Thursday at our church in Dawsmere. It was very well attended and like last year, we were entertained with a selection of readings and songs performed by the children. This year, the harvest gifts were presented to Agape Food Bank Spalding, a clear indication of the struggle facing many families in the current economic climate.

My mental health has been steady for a couple of weeks now. Today I scored on Moodscope 62% which is my highest recorded so far. The graph clearly shows a steady increase in my mood but it's difficult to know what has caused it. I suspect that my being discharged from CBT has something to do with lowering my anxiety levels. I used to worry constantly about the next session and it really wasn't doing me any good. I'm careful not to over analyse things as this can cause a shift in mood. I'm just making the most of it while it lasts.

Finally, the clocks changed last night and we are now in Greenwich Mean Time. Everything feels a little odd. I've just glanced at my office clock and it says 5.45. Outside, it is getting quite dark but I've realised I haven't put my clock back an hour! Arrrrggghhh!!! Why can't they leave them alone?!

49 Years, Harvest & A New Libya

An extraordinary day. Colonel Gaddafi has finally been hunted down and killed. Of course this is good and one can only hope that Libya can find lasting freedom and democracy. Today this is big news and the Internet is full of gruesome images and video capturing the tyrant's death. I do find it all slightly disturbing but without showing these images, there will be doubt as to whether he has finally gone. For the countless victims, there must be a sense of relief that his reign is now over. The task now is to ensure that no one is able to take his place.

Back to home and it is my parent's wedding anniversary today, their 49th no less. It would seem their wedding anniversary can be linked with major world events. So what was the world like exactly 49 years ago...? Around this date in 1962, the world came dangerously close to the brink of a third world war sparked by the Cuban Missile Crisis. I find it very difficult to understand how normal life could have continued at this time. I am fascinated by this period in time. A part of me suspects that people probably rushed to get things done before perhaps the unthinkable happened. What is known of this period is that the threat posed by two superpowers hell bent on nuclear brinkmanship was very real and terrifying. Life couldn't have been normal and there must have been real questions asked as to whether there would be another tomorrow.

Today was also my son's school harvest service. My wife had to work so, as parents could attend, I followed the coach to church and attended the service at Holbeach St Mark's. The church soon filled with school children and parents. The children occupied the front of the church and their classes took turns to turn facing the congregation and and sang songs with a harvest theme. It was great to be in the audience and see my son looking longingly through the throng of proud parents and finally spotting me with a huge grin on his face. It filled me with pride to be there and I'll cherish the moment forever.