Israel and Gaza

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28275414 .

Surely Israel wants to be treated fairly and so do the Palestinians. It is in BOTH sides best interest to negotiate a fair and lasting peace. The war that basically started the current mess was fought in 1967 when  I was doing my A-levels and now I have retired! Surely it is not beyond both sides to jaw, jaw not make war, war?

There are precedents for warring parties to make peace - South Africa, Northern Ireland for example. The endless cycle of violence does no good at all and just makes hate stronger. Make true and lasting peace and let's have mutual respect. Both sides are different: accept these and make a lasting settlement. It both frustrates and puzzles me why the cycle of violence goes on and on.  No-one wins.

Cutting the lawns

Both our sons (and one grandchild each) are due up on Wednesday. In the meantime, if the weather dries, I hope to cut both lawns, front and back. The lawns here are larger than at our old home. It takes all my strength to cut them these days, whereas in the past it would have been effortless.

Front lawn with windmill back right. Laurels trimmed yesterday.

I managed the front lawn today. 0.75hrs rather than 1hr the last time I cut it. It is 2 weeks since it was last cut. It left me "cream crackered" but I managed it. The back lawn is larger. That is probably a job for Monday or Tuesday, if the weather is dry.

Assisted dying law

So the old Archbishop of Canterbury, George Cary, has changed his mind on this subject and now will support a bill on it going though the House of Lords. I hope I never need this.

Dying in great pain and suffering must be truly dreadful. I guess it is a fear/hope of an afterlife that worries us most? If dying was just going into nothingness then there can be little argument against assisted dying to make ones end peaceful. If there is some form of life after death,who knows?

I wonder what the old archbishop believes happens when we die? I just don't know.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28274531 .

Younger son and family in France

See http://www.la-croix-du-vieux-pont.com/Plaquette_La_Croix_du_Vieux_Pont_final.pdf .

Our younger son and family are in northern France on a camping break. The weather has been poor until yesterday. I think they are having a good time despite the weather. I think they have a caravan rather than a tent, which is just as well.

Not H.Pylori

One of the surgery doctors rang to tell me the lab results are back and I do not have an H.Pylori stomach infection. In a way this is bad news as if I had been, it would explain the symptoms and antibiotics should have cleared it. Now I have no idea what is causing my stomach discomfort or bad breath. More tests, more unknowns, more waiting.

Laurel hedge

Last summer, a few days before my brain bleed that changed my life, at least for now, I planted a row of laurel bushes to help define our front boundary. We don't intend the hedge to grow too high, but we do want it to thicken out.

Sorry about my reflection in the window glass!

Today I trimmed the tops so they are all roughly the same size and I hope this will encourage them to grow thicker with time. I don't intend to trim them again before next spring but they could probably do with a further bone meal feed. This certainly helped in the spring.

Missing South Devon

Usually, we go back to South Devon at least twice a year and stay with my brother who still lives in the South Hams. This is where I was brought up as a child (Salcombe and Kingsbridge). This year we have not been back because of my stroke sadly.

I get very emotional these days (stroke) and thinking of "home" - my dad (who died in 1987) used to call it "the promised land" - makes me fill with tears. I shall get back there again before too long, I very much hope. Strange how thinking of the South Hams makes me tearful, but it does.