Christmas 2024

First, let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year you can be proud of.

Secondly - To everyone I have offended this year, work on it so I do not have to do it next year.

A message to Mark Cook. If someone tells you, you have enough motorbikes, stop talking to them. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.

My New Years message;

In life, there are 3 things you might want to consider.

1. Self-control is strength and calmness is mastery, you have to get to the point where your mood doesn’t shift based on the actions of someone else, don’t allow others to control the direction of your life and don’t allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.

2. Stop being afraid to spend money, you go out and spend £100 on good food and drinks, so what, you had a good time with your friends. Your time on this planet is a gift, you can always get back money but you can’t get back time.

3. In three generations, everyone that knows you will be dead including the opinions of the people who stopped you from what you wanted to be doing all along. Do it for yourself, life is brief, your achievements will be remembered.

Sam

I saw a photo of Sam today and could not help but remember his last few minutes with Susan, Robert and I. The vet had come to put him down and we all sat on the lounge carpet and he was laying on his blanket. She gave him a sedative and he slowly relaxed. Susan was sitting at his head and Robert and I were on either side. He was very drowsy but now and again he would look around and wag his tail once or twice. As the sedative took hold the vet injected him with a drug that would stop his heart. We were all pretty emotional but he seemed at peace, as the last minutes of his life faded away, he seemed completely asleep but his heart was slowing down, he suddenly looked up into Susan’s eyes and wagged his tail once,  lay his head down and was gone. They do say all dogs look at their master one last time before they go and he was no exception. It is so important for your dog to have you there in the last minutes of their lives, they, I believe, need that assurance from you, that it is OK to go. The love I had for that amazing creature, although we have never had a conversation, shows that actions speak louder than words. May that amazing dog rest in peace.

Christmas Carols at The Lighthouse. Thursday 12th.

What a performance, 15 school choirs from Poole combined to sing Christmas Carols at the Lighthouse Concert Hall. Now you might think that is a little ambitious, normally mummy's little darlings sing out of tune, get distracted and pick their nose but not this time, this was a professional performance. The Concert Hall seats 1500 and it was sold out. The concert started with ‘Hark the Herald’, you know the song, sing along. The harmony and excellent vocal renditions of our favourite carols were mind-blowing. The primary school combined choir was well-executed, clear and disciplined. The secondary school choirs were a little disappointing, not enough of them and they seemed out of tune. In all fairness ‘Mary Did You Know’ was quite a difficult carol. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos on the night but I did find this one on Facebook. Just a word of caution from one of the fathers watching, he felt the microphones needed upgrading, sounded fine to me, my hearing is not that great but hopefully they will take his helpful advice before the next Christmas Carols. 

We were very lucky to have Claudia coming to see her son’s performance. She does have a busy social life and I am sure a very enjoyable one, thanks for coming Claudia, I know Alex and Gary appreciated your appearance. 

Christmas at Corfe Castle.

Saturday 14th - We decided to embrace the Christmas spirit and Corfe Castle and Village had a Christmas Fair going, we set off at 4:30 pm, it does get dark here by 5 pm. As you would expect, the village was packed and all the carparks over full. Knowing the village, we found parking on a side road just a short distance from the village centre. The lights were pretty but they did seem to be short-lived, for a small village it was a good effort. The castle was more minimalistic in its approach, as can be seen from the images Susan took. After a walk up to the castle and down again and a short walk through the village, we headed home. It was worth the drive and as Susan says, if you are not out there you will miss all the good times.

Susan and her holiday plans.

Talking of Christmas, Susan has so much in her diary, she is meeting her friends, Fridwulfa and Nanny McPhee for breakfast and a chat, this is going to be a long chat, speaking frankly, 3 to 4 hours. That is just Fridwulfa and her woes, Nanny McPhee, 10 minutes tops. 

Still swimming after all these years.

Susan and I are still swimming every day, it is a welcome challenge now as the water temperature is dropping, yesterday a cold 8 degrees C, and the air temperature has fluctuated between 5 and 12 degrees C. There has been very little rain, which is a bonus. Our daily swim and walk on the beach normally takes us to the Haven Hotel, where we swim. It is a changing landscape, sculptured by the wind and the ebb and flow of the tides. Somedays we have very little beach to walk on and then, as it is now, at lunchtime when I swim, being low tide the beach is large. I am always fascinated by the changing sea, one day it is a still lake of water and on another day it is angry, full of aggression and not for the faint-hearted. It still holds that magic and sense of achievement every time I swim, also is a great health benefit.

I have attached an image of Sandbanks Beach taken in the 1950s and a photo I took of the Haven, where we normally swim.

What is wrong with this photo?

No phones, no fake boobs/ass/bottox, no tattoos, no fish lips, no body piercings.

Talking of strange things happening, Mika has now started smoking pot in the nude. Her exact words to Gary were “I was literally in the nude.” Gary is irritated as it sets the smoke alarm off. The only way for Mika to rectify this problem is to take the battery out or smoke her cannabis outside.

Contribution from Alexander Smith - The Christmas Child

The Christmas Toy by Alexander Smith

Once, on a dull and pointless Christmas that you will definitely forget eventually, a brother of a bold, noble, heroic child finds out that imagination is the greatest. However, my great, dear reader this story is not about dragons or princesses it is about a toy. A soft, squeezable, fabric-covered, lovely, jolly, ruby-red Santa Clause toy that is quite important (as you will see later on). Could it be a robot?

A silky-smooth, glistening moon covered its home like bubble wrap. This Santa perched on a paper roof that surprisingly looked cosy and comfy. The brother was called Daniel who had muscles that were as strong as a hippo’s jaw. Who can resist being that strong? An inky, fluffy mess like a sheep’s wool covers his head. It could have been the heaviest head even if the head wasn’t two ants. A luscious, dark tan-coloured skin wraps around his body. He is a cactus, he has so many beauty spots.

A lonely, forgotten room is where this story is set, the conservatory it should’ve been called. A place where there is not a single temperature besides freezing. Unsurprisingly, all you can smell is sweaty feet and dampness because it is filled with shoes that rest on a metallic, unstable shoe rack that is damp. Also, there are lots of umbrellas and jackets that rest on the hooks on the hideous ugly wall. The door shrieked as it opened, “Crrrrrrreak”. Daniel grunted “A ha, I really need to oil those hinges”. “Ding ding dong” is the song to 'Now and then, don’t be a Hen'. Someone is here, right at the door so please hurry up! It sounded like the doorbell that was a choir singing but it was just ringing. There was a package so Daniel tried to possibly peek in but it was well packed. Shouldn’t you put it under the Christmas Tree instead of opening it? You wouldn’t like to be on the naughty list? Would you? An ominous, jolly voice laughed…who said that?

New Kit

I now have a new portable communication device, a marvellous bit of kit. The trouble with all these new items is the setting up, they come with installed applications of various origins. I am able to communicate with other fortunate souls who have the same or similar devices. The trick is to know their call sign or number, then a whole world would open up to chatting. For the moment, I think I will stick to messaging or mailing, that way the recipient can answer when it is convenient. 

Daniel is home for Christmas and as he is studying engineering, offered to set up my new portable communication device and I must commend him on a task well executed. One small thing he omitted was the Subscriber Identity Module, tricky but of the utmost importance. I did a short course via YouTube and managed to install it myself. Now who will be the first one to try and communicate with me?

Michael took a portrait of Robert from this new portable communications device

Christmas Greetings

Christmas greetings to all my family and friends, scattered around the world. The Dickens, which includes my favourite daughter Angela, in Australia. I hope you have a great Christmas and the New Year brings you joy and happiness. The Smiths of Tanzania, which includes my brother Russell Smith, a prominent activist and international businessman, is the very best for the festive season, we must catch up soon and please send my love to all your family. The Meads from The Laurels Estate, hope you get all you want for Christmas and the New Year is all that you need. Lady Lauren Bell-Brown who cannot be with us this Christmas, due to family commitments, you are missed, your presents are waiting under the tree. To all the Bell-Browns, including Wendy, who does the most amazing Christmas cards, enjoy Christmas together and all the best for the New Year. The Cooks, which includes Mark and his 8 motorbikes, have a great festive season and enjoy your Tuscany Estate visit. To all those I have not mentioned, have a great Christmas and the best for the New Year.

In Conclusion 

Julia Roberts once said, "When people leave you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they're bad people. It just means their role in your story is over." 

These words remind us of a truth that we often forget - that not everyone who comes into our lives is meant to stay forever. People come into our lives for different reasons, to teach us lessons, to share experiences or to walk with us through certain seasons. But when they leave, it's important to recognise that their part in our journey has been fulfilled, and our paths must now diverge. Holding on to those who are meant to leave only delays your growth and prevents you from moving into the fullness of your own destiny. It's not about rejecting or blaming the person who leaves, but rather understanding that your story continues beyond the chapter Sometimes their exit gives way to new opportunities, deeper connections, and the discovery of new aspects of yourself. Letting go isn't always easy, but it's essential to moving on to the next stage of your life. This does not diminish the importance of the relationship you once shared. Every encounter has value, shaping who you are and helping you grow. But when someone leaves, it's a sign that your journey is no longer lining up. Their departure doesn't make them a villain in your life story, just someone whose role has come to a natural end. When you release the weight of the departed, you create space for the people meant to stay and enrich your life in meaningful ways. Giving up is not an act of giving up; it's an act of acceptance - embracing the flow of life, and understanding that not everyone is meant to accompany you to every destination. Remember, your destiny is yours. No one can take it from you, and no one else can walk the path that has been laid out for you. So when someone leaves, trust that it is for your highest good. They were part of your story, but now the rest is for you to write, and it holds even greater promise.

I must not forget all those who have braved my blogs over the past year, heavy going but you will thank me when you are older. Thank you for all the comments, some positive and encouraging, some solemn or irate, I do read them all and all are welcome.