I promised that I'd publish something new yesterday, but then I got a damned virus so in fact I've done nothing. It's not often I feel so bad I can't even imagine Sherlock and John doing Naughty Things. Bah.
I felt so bad on Monday that I wondered if it was divine retribution for leaving the church. I'll keep you posted on that one, but I still suspect I'm right. Or stubborn.
So this is just a placeholder post to whine and say nothing important.
Pip xxx
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Monday 14 March 2011
Weekend Off
I did some writing, but not a whole lot of it. Instead I took some time to do my actual full time job. No, not that one; the other one.
This is about as close to 'stand there to each other and look like you love each other' as my children get.
James let me have a lie in. In fact he let me have two! No, you can't have him, he's mine. Anyhow, the deal was that I get a lie in, and then I take the children away for a couple of hours in the afternoon so that he could have some peace and quiet. They're good kids, but they're not half exhausting after a week at work!
Day one, also known as Saturday, I put the kids in the car and drove them to the beach. Yes, technically it is walking distance, but I prefer to deliver them there fresh as daisies, let them frolic and whatnot, then drive them home, rather than having an OK walk along a main road, dullness at beach, and whiny, annoying, tired children to take home again.
Anyhow, it was ace! Even if it was a bit cold. They both took collecting bags and we looked for shells and stuff. Here's Tom with his find.
No, he isn't looking at something out at sea, he actually chose to be all 'I'm so cool I don't need to look at the camera'. Still, that's a great shell!
Claudia demonstrated that little rule that I tend to forget so easily: Children don't actually need that much to be entertained. She spent a full fifteen minutes just walking along some planks of wood that the fishermen rest their boats on. I had a picture, but I'm rubbish, so I've lost it.
Tom seems to have been taking posing lessons from someone. This is him pretending to hold up a wonky post.
Alas, Claudia couldn't quite understand the concept when she chose to have a go. Still, cute handbag and strange, alien smile.
Day two we were supposed to go and visit Sis, but that was called off as they needed to do a quick trip to Casualty. We were all dressed and ready to go, so instead we bundled into the car to do a walk in Stanmer Park. Most of the photos I took there are rubbish, on account of me being a crap photographer, but the children were both brilliant. They walked from my office car-park right across the park and up the hill on the other side. I'd say they walked about 3-5KM yesterday, but I'm rubbish at measuring distance, so it may have been loads more, or much less. Anyhow, we walked for about an hour and a half, up the hill to see a strange tree at the top then right back again. Neither of them asked for a carry once.
Aparently it was worth their while, even if it didn't have a talking mouth like the Wishing Tree.
Here is Claudia enjoying the tree.
And here is Tom at a neighbouring stump that he felt was so worth of his attention, he ate some of the peat that was forming happily on top of it.
So it was a really nice, relaxing weekend.
One of the things that I'm particularly enjoying this morning, is the knowledge that nine months ago, this sort of thing would have been completely impossible. If I wanted to go out, I needed James to prop me up, just in case. I'd have wanted him when driving in case Something Went Wrong. I'd have been utterly unable to just stand and watch Claudia walk along a plank for quarter of an hour while Tom was fifty meters away digging for more shells. I'd probably have shouted a lot. I'd probably have cried. Nine months prior to that, I could barely leave the house at all.
So a bit woot! for medication, therapy and the NHS who have made it possible for me to be a parent again. Let's not let the government spoil it all for us please?
This is about as close to 'stand there to each other and look like you love each other' as my children get.
James let me have a lie in. In fact he let me have two! No, you can't have him, he's mine. Anyhow, the deal was that I get a lie in, and then I take the children away for a couple of hours in the afternoon so that he could have some peace and quiet. They're good kids, but they're not half exhausting after a week at work!
Day one, also known as Saturday, I put the kids in the car and drove them to the beach. Yes, technically it is walking distance, but I prefer to deliver them there fresh as daisies, let them frolic and whatnot, then drive them home, rather than having an OK walk along a main road, dullness at beach, and whiny, annoying, tired children to take home again.
Anyhow, it was ace! Even if it was a bit cold. They both took collecting bags and we looked for shells and stuff. Here's Tom with his find.
No, he isn't looking at something out at sea, he actually chose to be all 'I'm so cool I don't need to look at the camera'. Still, that's a great shell!
Claudia demonstrated that little rule that I tend to forget so easily: Children don't actually need that much to be entertained. She spent a full fifteen minutes just walking along some planks of wood that the fishermen rest their boats on. I had a picture, but I'm rubbish, so I've lost it.
Tom seems to have been taking posing lessons from someone. This is him pretending to hold up a wonky post.
Alas, Claudia couldn't quite understand the concept when she chose to have a go. Still, cute handbag and strange, alien smile.
Day two we were supposed to go and visit Sis, but that was called off as they needed to do a quick trip to Casualty. We were all dressed and ready to go, so instead we bundled into the car to do a walk in Stanmer Park. Most of the photos I took there are rubbish, on account of me being a crap photographer, but the children were both brilliant. They walked from my office car-park right across the park and up the hill on the other side. I'd say they walked about 3-5KM yesterday, but I'm rubbish at measuring distance, so it may have been loads more, or much less. Anyhow, we walked for about an hour and a half, up the hill to see a strange tree at the top then right back again. Neither of them asked for a carry once.
Aparently it was worth their while, even if it didn't have a talking mouth like the Wishing Tree.
Here is Claudia enjoying the tree.
And here is Tom at a neighbouring stump that he felt was so worth of his attention, he ate some of the peat that was forming happily on top of it.
So it was a really nice, relaxing weekend.
One of the things that I'm particularly enjoying this morning, is the knowledge that nine months ago, this sort of thing would have been completely impossible. If I wanted to go out, I needed James to prop me up, just in case. I'd have wanted him when driving in case Something Went Wrong. I'd have been utterly unable to just stand and watch Claudia walk along a plank for quarter of an hour while Tom was fifty meters away digging for more shells. I'd probably have shouted a lot. I'd probably have cried. Nine months prior to that, I could barely leave the house at all.
So a bit woot! for medication, therapy and the NHS who have made it possible for me to be a parent again. Let's not let the government spoil it all for us please?
Thursday 10 March 2011
Thursday, 10th March
Yesterday I killed Mrs Hudson had gave Sherlock a complete mental breakdown.
I am evil and a wrong 'un.
On the otherhand, that was over 4,000 words! So go me!
Today I am going to be concentrating on what happens next, doing some general thinking about Tom and stuff relating to him (still surfing the Clueless-Parent wave there), and trying to get through a 10 hour day without actually shouting and swearing at some of my more senior colleagues.
Pip xxx
I am evil and a wrong 'un.
On the otherhand, that was over 4,000 words! So go me!
Today I am going to be concentrating on what happens next, doing some general thinking about Tom and stuff relating to him (still surfing the Clueless-Parent wave there), and trying to get through a 10 hour day without actually shouting and swearing at some of my more senior colleagues.
Pip xxx
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Homosexuality and Christianity
An article was brought to my attention this week. It’s here:
The link above was given, along with a quote from the article here ‘the judgement was an example of homosexual rights trumping freedom of conscience, and also of continuing intolerance against Christians in the UK’ (Andrea Minichiello Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre (CLC)).
The couple, supported by the CLC, made the claim that they are being discriminated against because they are Christian.
They said it was because they had a moral code that was ‘based on their faith’.
And I, for the millionth time in the past couple of months, became enraged.
No. No they were not discriminated against because they were Christian. They were discriminated against because they were homophobic. The judges were not saying ‘Christians cannot foster children’; they were saying ‘homophobes cannot foster children’. It was not because the moral code they had was based on their faith, but because the moral code they had is utterly immoral and moreover it is dangerous particularly when aimed at what are likely to be vulnerable children.
I feel sad for Owen and Eunice Johns, and I am certain that they have been an important, influential and caring force in the lives of the children that they have already fostered. However, as sorry as I might feel for them, I recognise that the greater care needs to be given to the children. I really, really hope that none of the children they have previously fostered are gay, and that if they are they are strong enough to stand up and say ‘Foster parents, thank you for caring for me, but your views about me and my sexuality are frankly wrong, and I am no lesser than you because I am gay’. But these are children. Children who have already had difficult and confusing backgrounds, and I think it’s an awfully big thing to ask of them.
The reason that I’m glad that this judgement was upheld is because if a ‘looked after child’ should ever go to their foster parents saying “I think I’m gay,” there should be no risk at all that the response should be anything other than “OK, that’s all good.” They should not hear “But that’s a sin,” or “you will burn in Hell,” or even just “I’ll pray for you.” A person, particularly a child, should not be made to feel that their sexuality is a sin.
The thing I’m beginning to get more and more bored with is the statement that people are being denied their Christianity if they are not allowed to condemn homosexuals. I simply do not understand it. To be a Christian is to firstly to believe that Jesus was Christ, both God and the son of God, and secondly to follow the teaching of Christ. A person’s sexuality is irrelevant to the first part of this. So what about the second?
I happen to have a book here that gives me some insight into what Christ’s teaching was. Alas, it’s secondary sources only, but we have to work with what we can get, or not bother trying at all. So what does Christ teach us about homosexuals? I can’t find a single quote from him condemning anyone for their sexuality.
I did find this though:
“Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus said to him, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew, 22:36-39.
OK, so that seems fairly reasonable. Assuming you believe in God, you are instructed to love him, and all the people whom he created. Good. OK. I can do that without condemning homosexuals.
Mark has something too:
“Which is the first of all the commandments? Jesus replied, “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark, 12:29-31.
Huh. In two gospels? Must be pretty important then.
Luke?
“Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, “What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?” He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered right, do this and life is yours.” Luke 10:25-38.
I think that’s pretty clear is it not? And it’s important enough to be covered in three gospels. I’m guessing that it’s something that Jesus stood for.
Now I have trawled through the gospels and squinted and turned them upside-down and I simply cannot find a disclaimer that reads ‘unless your neighbour is someone who you generally disapprove of, in which case it’s fine for you to judge and condemn them.’ In fact all I’ve found were other examples of people you should love. Apparent; all of them! Who would have thought it, hey? All. Your enemy, the tax-collector, the Samaritan, the Prostitute... basically, if someone is a person and they have been created by God, then you should love them. All of them.
I’d go so far as to say if you do not do so, you are not behaving as a Christian, which is ultimately to behave as Christ did.
And I’ll add to this. If you believe that God made you, and if you believe that he made you with free will and your own conscience, then do Him the credit of using that free will and conscience. Stand up and be counted and say ‘I’ve thought about it, and I don’t like Gay people from my own volition.” And if you can think of any reasons, state them, but don’t hide behind a God and assume to speak for Him because it’s just crass. Particularly, because who you’re actually agreeing with are the people who claim to speak for Him. Not God Himself.
I recently threw my hands up and walked away from the Catholic Church, somewhere that has been my spiritual home for the past thirty-four years. There have always been major parts of the religion that I have had a somewhat relaxed approach to. For example, I’ve always preferred to manage my own fertility, than to leave it pretty much to chance. Well, mostly anyway, but if I haven’t it’s been my own doing because I actually kind of like babies, and not because my Church tells me It’s Wrong. I can admit to having eaten a variety of meats on Fridays. I had sex before I was married. I attended the Civil Partnership of a friend and called it a Wedding, and call it a Marriage and I love the love she has for her wife. I don’t whine and complain and says that her marriage diminishes my own heterosexual one.
But more and more in recent years I have felt that there is has been a pressure on me to turn to face the church and in doing so, to turn my back on people. As if it was saying “If you’re for me, you’re against them.” I can no longer deal with the feeling of being pulled apart by my conscience, which wants me to love, serve and have compassion for all people, and a Church that wants me to turn my back on large swathes of the same people because they don’t measure up to its standards. I felt, that I had to choose. I felt I had to point out that when the Pope speaks on behalf of all Catholics, he does not speak on behalf of me.
It may be that one day a Pope will be elected who says “Y’know what, guys? I think we may have been having a look at the Gospel, and I think we may have been a bit wrong about some stuff...” and I may be able to go back. But in the meantime, I’d prefer to find a place to pray that doesn’t start off with the principles of hatred or fear.
And yet, for the time being I still count myself as a Christian. It turns out that you can do it without finding a particular sexuality immoral.
Monday 7 March 2011
Monday, 7th March
Words written yesterday... some! Somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 I think. Something like that.
Anyhow, I finished the latest chapter and it can be seen here. Again, adult story, but this chapter is fairly benign.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/
I know I should get on with the novel and it slowly starting to happen. I also intended to fill this space with sagacious and interesting thoughts and stories. Yeah. Turns out I'm lazy.
Pip.
Anyhow, I finished the latest chapter and it can be seen here. Again, adult story, but this chapter is fairly benign.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/
I know I should get on with the novel and it slowly starting to happen. I also intended to fill this space with sagacious and interesting thoughts and stories. Yeah. Turns out I'm lazy.
Pip.
Sunday 6 March 2011
Sunday 6th March, 2011
Words written yesterday: 4,741 of fanfic.
New chapter up here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/
The story has adult content but this chapter's fairly harmless.
Didn't write any novel, but we can't have everything.
Pip xxx
New chapter up here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/
The story has adult content but this chapter's fairly harmless.
Didn't write any novel, but we can't have everything.
Pip xxx
Saturday 5 March 2011
Saturday 5th March
Words written yesterday: Big Fat 0.
Yes, you did indeed see my resolution crash and burn. And now I owe the girls at work home-made cake. Blast.
On the other hand, I'll have cake at work on Monday.
And on the other, other hand, Doctor Who is ace! Seriously good. Yes, I know I'm arriving a little late to the game, but let's ignore that and focus on the fact that I turned up at all.
Right, I've opened a blank doc. Let's see if I can un-blank it and publish by tonight.
Pip xxx
Yes, you did indeed see my resolution crash and burn. And now I owe the girls at work home-made cake. Blast.
On the other hand, I'll have cake at work on Monday.
And on the other, other hand, Doctor Who is ace! Seriously good. Yes, I know I'm arriving a little late to the game, but let's ignore that and focus on the fact that I turned up at all.
Right, I've opened a blank doc. Let's see if I can un-blank it and publish by tonight.
Pip xxx
Friday 4 March 2011
Friday 4th March 2011
Word count on Wednesday: Big Fat 0
Word count Yesterday: Big Fat 0.
Writing failure.
But do you want to see my excuse?
First off; Tom fell in the playground and got a mountain sized lump on his forehead. Poor boy. And I had one of those annoying parenting moments of 'I know he's fine but if I don't take him to casualty, he will suddenly not be fine after all, and I will be Judged'.
We actually got saved from the casualty wait not by our local health centre who were frankly rubbish on this occasion (not able to help, fine, not able to help and really rather rude about it, not fine), but by the person who sold my Mum her boat who happened to be down looking at the various renovations, and who happens to be an ex-army doctor. He gave Tom the once over and declared him fine. I amended the diagnosis to 'clumsy, but fine'. As this happened less than a week after he fell off the boat while it was moored in the marina, I stand by this diagnosis.
We got home at about 5.30, which, while not late, was too late for me to start a chapter, and due to my usual slight panic over all things medical, I was too exhausted to do anything other than watch the Got To Dance final. (On that, go Chris and Wes! If I'd have watched during the live final, I would absolutely have voted for them!)
Yesterday I had no such excuse, but as Tom needed to be home so that he could be observed, I distracted him with Doctor Who, something he hasn't seen yet, and I hadn't seen any episodes since Christopher Ecclestone left. And my word, I may have got a little bit addicted. So yesterday night I spent a couple of hour watching some of those instead of writing. So sue me.
Today, back at work, and I am going to attempt to restrain myself a touch tonight and get something done, either FF or novel. Haven't decided yet.
So lets all sit back and watch that resolution plummet to the earth with a sickening crash.
Pip xxx
Word count Yesterday: Big Fat 0.
Writing failure.
But do you want to see my excuse?
First off; Tom fell in the playground and got a mountain sized lump on his forehead. Poor boy. And I had one of those annoying parenting moments of 'I know he's fine but if I don't take him to casualty, he will suddenly not be fine after all, and I will be Judged'.
We actually got saved from the casualty wait not by our local health centre who were frankly rubbish on this occasion (not able to help, fine, not able to help and really rather rude about it, not fine), but by the person who sold my Mum her boat who happened to be down looking at the various renovations, and who happens to be an ex-army doctor. He gave Tom the once over and declared him fine. I amended the diagnosis to 'clumsy, but fine'. As this happened less than a week after he fell off the boat while it was moored in the marina, I stand by this diagnosis.
We got home at about 5.30, which, while not late, was too late for me to start a chapter, and due to my usual slight panic over all things medical, I was too exhausted to do anything other than watch the Got To Dance final. (On that, go Chris and Wes! If I'd have watched during the live final, I would absolutely have voted for them!)
Yesterday I had no such excuse, but as Tom needed to be home so that he could be observed, I distracted him with Doctor Who, something he hasn't seen yet, and I hadn't seen any episodes since Christopher Ecclestone left. And my word, I may have got a little bit addicted. So yesterday night I spent a couple of hour watching some of those instead of writing. So sue me.
Today, back at work, and I am going to attempt to restrain myself a touch tonight and get something done, either FF or novel. Haven't decided yet.
So lets all sit back and watch that resolution plummet to the earth with a sickening crash.
Pip xxx
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Wrote: 4292 words of Fan Fiction.
I'm still in a moopish, down mood. I would very much like to get over the demise of GUT. I suspect it will take me a couple of weeks to get into the swing of things.
I'm still wondering about what to put here. Definitely some bits and pieces of... something. But I'm not yet sure what. I'm also struggling a touch with with the editor function here. But that will probably take a couple of weeks to get used to too. Basically at the moment I'm experiencing a time of flux and change and my poor old brain really doesn't get on well with that kind of thing.
Other than that, same old, same old.
Pip.
I'm still in a moopish, down mood. I would very much like to get over the demise of GUT. I suspect it will take me a couple of weeks to get into the swing of things.
I'm still wondering about what to put here. Definitely some bits and pieces of... something. But I'm not yet sure what. I'm also struggling a touch with with the editor function here. But that will probably take a couple of weeks to get used to too. Basically at the moment I'm experiencing a time of flux and change and my poor old brain really doesn't get on well with that kind of thing.
Other than that, same old, same old.
Pip.
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