Duggie’s Ramblings
Audrey Hepburn – the famous actress, is sadly no longer with us. People -at least some people-listen uncritically, to the words of stars from the big screen and television. Audrey Hepburn once said,memorably, ‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’. Sowing seeds is one of life’s most hopeful activities..It points towards an unknown future, warmer and longer days and an abundant harvest. March, according to the seed packets is the time to sow. The weather may be chilly as it often is in March (as I write this it is trying to snow!) so a pot and tray on the warm windowsill is usually an effective alternative.
Alan Titchmarsh, the gardening guru presents a programme on the television called ‘Love my Garden’. He and his team give life to a garden which has been neglected due to the occupants faced with more pressing issues. In the course of reviving a front garden, Alan Titchmarsh lamented the loss of front gardens full of colourful plants, shrubs and trees, sacrificed to concrete, gravel,slabs and block pavers. It is always good -aesthetically and for the soul to see a colourful well kept front garden and back garden!, evidence of the time, thought and toil of those living in the dwellings – unless they employ a gardener!
Rainbows Childrens Hospice
It never ceases to be a miracle in modern times to realise organisations work and continue to work thanks to charitable donations from the public (the north and midlands donate a greater sum per person than the south and east!). Our own Leicestershire charity-Rainbows is based in Loughborough. Its running costs are £6.6 million a year.The government gives paltry funding – 18%; the remaining sum is met by voluntary contributions! One way to donate in 2023 is to do a sponsored abseil from the tower of Derby Cathedral- now there’s a challenge! I have abseiled in mountains and down from a church tower-exhilarating and alarming at the same time!
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday is coming shortly-4th Sunday in Lent and approximately 9 months to Christmas. It comes at various times in other countries, in Argentina it is in our autumn. It is sad that the commercial and food outlets prefer Mothers Day- a title originating from the United States. Mothering Sunday has been celebrated by centring around the village.town or city ‘mother’ church, not individual mothers. This avoids- and the commercial market ignore this- the fact that many children and adults have no knowledge or recollection of their mothers,and so no one to thank. It is not a cheerful day for those people. I recall our summer holidays as a child by the sea; nearby was an orphanage for boys and girls with no known mothers. Perhaps more thought and feeling needs to be given to those less fortunate. We can reserve our own genuine and grateful thanks to our mothers and motherhood. Mothers Day in the United States is on the second Sunday in May. The custom, unlike in our country goes back to the middle ages; in the United States it was initiated in the 20th century by a woman -and the date in May? – it was her birthday!
A saying, not heard before, maybe familiar to the Chronicle readers.”a knowledgeable person will know that a tomato is a fruit; a wise person will know that it does not go down well iin a fruit salad!”
World Day of Prayer (WDP) 2023
