Indian rape

The recent rape and hanging of young girls in rural India is horrific and another reminder of just how far some countries have still to come to become truly civilised.  We in the west were just as bad not long ago. We have to remember this, but in this global age there really is no excuse for such barbarism. Countries like India , Pakistan and similar have a long way to come.

The world is judging you by your actions. Civilised nations don't allow such acts to go unpunished.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-27807539 .

Son and granddaughter

This afternoon our son came to see us with our granddaughter. We went for a meal at the  La Hogue farm shop where our granddaughter played on the slide and the toy tractors. She really loves these.

Amandine on the slide

As my brother had cut the grass, our son did not have to cut the grass this week. Our laurel hedge along our front wall is growing quite well now. It was given a  bone meal feed about 6 weeks ago and this has helped revive it as it looked quite yellow a little while back.

Front lawn

Brother and sister-in-law go home

My brother at home in our kitchen

Me with my sister-in-law (Jo) and brother (John) in back garden

Today my brother and his wife returned home to Devon. They were good company and did a great job in our garden, tidying up the hedges, flower beds and lawns.  We will miss their company.

My brother John cutting front hedge

"Our" windmill over hedge (from back garden)

Brother and sister-in-law

With Jo and John in the back garden

Tomorrow my brother and wife go back to Devon. It has been good to see them and they were busy yesterday helping to tidy our garden (front and back). John did the hedges and Jo trimmed to lawn edges. Today we went to Ickworth near Bury-St-Edmunds.

Back garden

"Too busy being Christian" to be Christian?

This phrase, from my sister-in-law rings true to me.  Two of our so called "Christian"neighbours have managed just one visit to see how I am and even that was at OUR invitation.   Other friends have been several times including one couple who have a handicapped daughter who drove a round trip of 4 hours to see me. Some people have been genuinely concerned for me, even people I hardly knew.

It may be these neighbours are just shy (?), but it is not a resoundingly good advert for their faith.  Everything they now do supposedly "Christian" will ring hollow. In reality they would not have had to do anything but it would have been nice to know they actually cared at all. Me thinks they are "too busy being Christian" to be real Christians.

One thing my stroke has taught me is that you soon find out who your REAL friends are. Those you least expect come up trumps whereas those you would have expected to be really helpful are noticeable by their hollow shells.

Garden shipshape

My brother and his wife worked really hard on our garden this morning.

They cut the hedges, cut the front lawn and greatly tidied up the beds and lawn edges.

In my current feeble (stroke) state , I was very very grateful indeed. I must say the difference is very noticeable. Thank you both.

At home, John has 4 acres+ to look after and this maybe getting too much now. My brother will be 70 this December.

Michael Gove

Why does Michael Gove (UK Secretary of State for Education) remind me so much of an overgrown schoolboy without satchel and cap? His recent statements about syllabus changes make me cross. He comes over, to me, as more than slightly out of his depth and talking nonsense. In my view, he should be made to write 100 lines "I must stop meddling" and made to sit in the naughty corner. These are my personal views and I appreciate other may have very different views. As a free country I hope I am able to say how I feel without being accused of slander.

I see he is in trouble from David Cameron (for his row with Theresa May, Home Secretary) and now with the Labour Party. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27753394 .  

http://www.michaelgove.com/sites/www.michaelgove.com/files/imagecache/info_image/picture-28098.jpg

Many did not like Tony Benn, but he was a proper principled politician. Never once did I hear him talking rubbish. Everything he said was sensible, in my view.  His views were definitely left wing, but at least he said what he believed and was "his own man".  I had respect for him even if our views differed.

Mr Gove?  Sorry, in my view you are not even in the same league as Tony Benn.
See http://www.michaelgove.com/  .