They rejected the $700bn bail out!

I wonder how Mr Paulson's shares in Goldman Sachs are doing tonight?

S.

The key to traveling on the London Underground (subway) can be summed up in one word:

"Chopin"

On noise-isolating headphones of course.

S.

This is an important message to anyone wearing noise-isolating earphones:

Stop picking your nose.

Just because you can't hear us doesn't mean we can't see you.

S.

America's 4th largest investment bank collapses with liabilities worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

And I thought the music industry was in a bad way.

S.

Inspired by my seaside friend from CA, cribbed from www.antsalive.com

• How many ants are needed to fill an apartment?    Tenants
• What do you call an ant who likes to be alone?    Independant
• What is the biggest ant in the world?    Elephant
• What ant is even bigger than that?    Giant
• What do you call a 100 year old ant?    Antique
• What game do ants play with elephants?    Squash
• Why don't anteaters get sick?    Because they are full of antibodies
• What do you call an ant from overseas?    Important
• What do you call an ant with frogs legs?    Antphibian
• What's the difference between writing your will and owning an ant farm?    One is a legacy and the other is a sea of legs.
• Why did the ant race along the box top?    Because the box said: "Tear Along Dotted Line."
• What do you call an ant who misses school?    Truant
• What kind of ant is good at adding things up?    Accountant

Interesting there's no www.antsdead.com

S.

Went for a long, long walk yesterday along the coast – three and a half hours along the sand and stones in ferocious storm winds and rain to a new café at Littlehampton. The prospect of posh nosh certainly made it seem like a great idea at the time of setting off.

Having got there I then had to get back of course. My new walking boots were not feeling quite as comfortable as they did in the shoe shop, my joints were aching from the crunching of the stones and my face was red from the torrential downpours that lashed me on the way there. I made it back under my own steam but you can imagine how pleased I was to stagger through the front door with a hot bath waiting for me.

By the end of it I was walking like this little man…

S.



   

I’m a few days into some much-needed extended ‘me time’. It's like a long artist date for those who know the AW. It's been invaluable and so far has involved a lot of exercise (exploring, walking, running), sleeping, eating, thinking, writing, reflecting, quiet times, re-prioritizing, clearing out, buying in etc. Although I’ve been open to change, the master plan is largely intact. But there’s still time...

One thing I have decided: I’m rejecting pimple theory. Or rather, keeping it for pimples (thanks M).

Looking back to the birth of our first child, there was something divine, mysterious, miraculous and wonderful about it. Looking back to the death of my father, there was something similarly divine, mysterious and miraculous (tho not so wonderful) about it. Life events are life events. They are the big things that happen to us. They could potentially change everything, or maybe not. But they are not pimples. Trying to reframe them into something small is never going to work. Better to try to recognise their bigness and figure out the implications. That's what I'm doing now.

Someone led me to another text (see below). It’s not new but I find it more helpful.

This may be my last blog about the events of the last few weeks. Thank you for joining me on my journey. And for letting me be honest here.

S.

***

WHAT IS DYING?
by Bishop Brent

A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says She is gone.

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large now as when I last saw her. Her diminished size and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says she is gone there are others who are watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up a glad shout There she comes!

That is what dying is. An horizon and just the limit of our sight.

Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further.