I have been feeling under the weather lately - I wonder if this has a deeper meaning being that the weather lately has been a great improvement on the failed summer of July and August. I received a message via Facebook today from a friend in Madrid apologising for not responding to my birthday greetings. Why because he has discovered something quite revolutionary - walking in parks and relating to people. He describes it as “a new concept” and wonders why he never thought of it before. Now I wonder why I too have never thought of it though I did have a brief encounter with flesh and blood whilst taking an early morning short walk along the river last Saturday. I found myself noticing strange unusual happenings such as a young man sitting beside his baby staring into what appeared to be nothingness. I noticed a woman sitting alone on a bench reading a book. I noticed a lone woman in a small wooden boat meandering along the river and wondered where she had come from and where could she be going? Before I could really take all this in, I found myself at the end of the tow path and back in cafe Starbucks lalala land with all the accessories of consumerism and the moment was lost, gone - I need to find it again. Maybe that is where sanity lies, at least for me.

I just read a post by Hathor on being old and singular which made me feel quite sad……….

I have been called bitter, because I thought I had deserved more in life and said so. I am invisible, because I am older and I am also singular.

I became a singular person during my last marriage, I can’t really say how this happen. I have never been an outgoing sort of person, but I had had a few friends before.

I thought I would take a vacation and now I find that I am penalized for being singular. The better bargains are for double occupancy.

Too old to get a date, but not quite old enough to get those senior discounts.

Yesterday my father celebrated his 87th birthday and my mother will celebrate her 85th in a couple of weeks. They both try and keep as active and involved with life as possible within their own physical and financial constraints. I am beginning to see my mother, in particular as “old” but she forever surprises me. She is still playing bridge and recently joined her local University of the 3rd Age where is attends a music club. She is a walking encyclopedia on opera and classical music so I know she has a lot to offer newbies as well as her peers. My father who is now blind in one eye with the other slowly deteriorating and he is no longer able to travel home which I know saddens him the most. But he is still writing, enjoying daily walks and cooking his okra stew with fish and eba at least a couple of times a week. For us, their stories fills in the gaps of their lives when they were younger which was incredibly full and exciting. So far I am happy in the knowledge that my own kids and grandchildren will also benefit from exciting stories of my own life - I just hope I can tell them as humorously as my father does.

Just in case anyone noticed I have been away for the past 3 weeks (Nigeria). Wish I had something to say about the trip but am too tired and there are too many stories to know where to begin and even after a mere 24 hours it all seems to incredibly far away in some other world. Thanks to Rethabile for keeping things going - all I have to do now is think of where this is going!

Perils of lies will await you on the roadside, watch your front and back, turn sideways and round in a circle. Look to the sky, this is the home of ancestors with their eyes of ten thousand splendid suns watching over you.

Beware of “enemies” in the shape of “friends”, you have to look INSIDE and walk on your toes……… Take chances but be wise and watch watch watch.

At the end of the thousands of miles you walked to find happiness, you may find the land is not so sweet, the people not so welcoming. Too late, dear child you cannot go home, not yet at any rate. Dont take off your shoes because you will have to run and run damn fast. When you do, just keep looking to the sky.

Thanks to Lance for his drawings which always stretch the imagination.

Tags:
Asylum Seekers
Lance Tooks
Afganistan
Immigration Europe
Greece

I am now Vegan - phew I have finally spoken the words in a public space. Am sweating from the admittance not because there is anything negative about being a Vegan, on the contrary I feel quite proud that I am no longing consuming animal bits. But a certain commitment comes with public admissions. I have to say though my veganism does not extend to me throwing away my shoes and leather jacket - I mean I have them so I might as well wear them. I was watching K D Lang when someone from the audience asked why she performs barefoot. “I’m vegan” she replied and went on to explain about the ugliness of plastic shoes. But what about the drums in the band are they not made of animal skins? I need help on that one but maybe I am only a “food vegan“?

Actually being vegan today is a lot easier than I thought and I have discovered some delicious foods and a few pretty disgusting ones. Loads of veggies and soya everything - tofu, flavored tofu, dried soya chunks and mince, tasty spicy soya pates, soya “fish” cakes, soya burgers the list is endless and of course Linda McCartney helps if you are in fast food mode. The only thing I miss is honey and cheap chocolate like bounty and crunchy bars.

It’s Saturday morning and sad as it is, I’m reading vegan blogs. From VegHaven which gives you a starter kit in case you haven’t a clue what to eat, is a Vegan/Vegetarian social networking site and no I am not joining. A Veggie Adventure has recipes like stir fried brown rice which might well send your stomach into free fall! VeganKid who I met as the USSF and whose report about plans to grow meat plants was probably the first time I started to think Vegan. Deep Roots Animal Sanctury also written by Vegan Kid is an animal rights blog. Which brings me to Zami. Do I have the right to deprive her of the dried meaty dog food she loves and turn her into a vegan dog? Even worse, no more cow hide bones to chew.

I want my bones back!

Tags:
Vegan