Time not Thyme

T To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrowAudrey Hepburn We love the tick of it. We try to control the tock of it. We have carved the whole planet into thirty seven time zones so we can know how many hours before or after Greenwich Mean Time any place is. We talk about … Continue reading Time not Thyme →

Going, Going and Nearly Gone

There are no disasters, only opportunities And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters.Boris Johnson Our own boring political scene which consists of forming any type of coalition that will keep Sinn Fein out of power and the increasing focus of any TD with ambition on all things European have caused me to glance across the water … Continue reading Going, Going and Nearly Gone →

Smiles, Seagulls and Eagles

The menu list including an all-day Irish breakfast was enough for me to relegate the much better restaurants in this leafy part of Dublin to also rans. The queue was small, affording us enough time to sate our hunger before heading to the gig. Having learned to eat fast in the competitive arena of boarding … Continue reading Smiles, Seagulls and Eagles →

The 56lb Standard Weight

I can’t admit to being a great believer in coincidence. I can’t boast to being comfortable in making risky life decisions by the adage that ‘what is meant for me won’t pass me by’. I have never sat back contentedly to wait for fate to take me where it will. A long time ago I … Continue reading The 56lb Standard Weight →

Snow Walk

Springers snuffling tracks through the flawless snowy coating. Lapping bracing slurps onto lolling tongues. Millions of receptors firing to unravel this conundrum. Plummeting flakes plugging all trace of their passing. Secret spider traps picked out in swaying filigree. Branches stacking snowball scoops for excited children. Moss covered rocks crowned in silver like aging men slouching … Continue reading Snow Walk →

Why God Will Never Get Tenure at Any University

Tenure refers to the academic tenure systems, in which professors (at university level) are granted the right not to be dismissed without cause after an initial probation (in other words: they got a paid job). The answers to the issue, of why God never received a tenure (or Ph.D. — for that matter) may look like a … Continue reading Why God Will Never Get Tenure at Any University →

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Scrolling down the Years

Getting older is no problem, you just have to live long enough.Groucho Marx I was filling in an online application form recently. At the time I wished that I could revert to typing in my date of birth. Nothing reminds you of your age as much as scrolling down to the year of your birth. … Continue reading Scrolling down the Years →

Husband Park

I fill a space in the line leaning on the rail outside Penney’s. We shuffle and twist like horses hitched outside a Wild West saloon. Mobiles scroll to check the football scores and confirm our bargain hunters’ late return. Arm linked couples drift by, smirking at the over fifty membership of the parked husbands club. … Continue reading Husband Park →

Old Age doesn’t matter; unless you’re a cheese

It was only a matter of time before I scribbled down a few thoughts on ageing. I didn’t get old on purpose. It just sort of happened to me. In fact I had never really had to consider whether I was old or not until on September 13th 2020 when, in the middle of the … Continue reading Old Age doesn’t matter; unless you’re a cheese →

A Question of Perspective

She was young, a few inches short of tall, protected in a green hat, scarf and fingerless gloves against the biting wind ripping down Shop Street. She rocked from side to side on her fur lined boots to keep some semblance of warm. Standing on one spot distinguished her from the restless Saturday shopping tide … Continue reading A Question of Perspective →