Having spent much of yesterday with Rob and Jay, today was all about doing things with all the family. Aardman Animation, the creators of Wallace and Gromit is based in Bristol and Wallace and Gromit are the faces of ‘The Grand Appeal’ raising money for Bristol’s Children’s Hospital.
There are 80 Gromits, of varying designs, being shown in and around Bristol for a total of 10 weeks, and Charlotte, Rob and the boys have been doing their best to find them all and get photos.
So that was our quest for the day, to find as many of the remaining Gromits and take photographic evidence that we had seen them. They are dotted all over the city, in public places outdoors as well as in buildings such as the Bristol Library and the Marriot Hotel, so finding them is great fun.
Of course there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other families all trying to do the same thing, so there was usually a wait to get that special photo, but it was worth it.
There was a fair bit of walking involved, no problem for those of us who are fully grown and have long, strong legs, but for the smaller members of our party it got a bit tiring after a while.
But the weather was kind, it was warm, but not too warm, with a refreshing breeze and the occasional cloud to offer some respite from the midday sunshine.
By about two the boys had had about enough. After all, they have been Gromit hunting for a couple of weeks now, so the novelty was worn off a little, so we said our goodbyes and Hannah, Stanley and I made our way back to Hanham.
It was a brilliant day, spending quality time with the whole Bristol clan, and we really must do it much more often.
Making good use of my time up in Bristle, I was pleased to go along to the Bristol Rovers vs. Scunthorpe United game, at the Memorial Ground this afternoon. Rob, his Dad Barry and Jake are avid Gas Heads, and I am accepted as an honorary fan whilst I’m up there.
Shortly after kick off, The Gas suffered another blow as captain Tom Parkes was stretchered off with concussion, being substituted by the exotically named Santos. So it was left up to the talented younger squad members to take on a much more mature Scunthorpe side.
If you missed all the signs in the last few days, I embarked on a mini marathon of a bike ride today, cycling from Poole, in deepest Dorset, to Hanham in Bristol, partly to visit my girls, their men and my grandsons, but partly to test my physical and mental strength by riding a distance I haven’t attempted for years.
With the cycle trip to Bristol beginning tomorrow, I’m busy tidying up some of the loose ends here at work before my much anticipated long weekend. There’s a lot going on at present, in fact it’s been this way since all the changes earlier in the year, but a company wide migration to cloud based applications is keeping us all on our toes. I want to leave the decks nice and clear before I head off for home this evening.
When we are open and engaged, we experience the greater self. When we are closed off, we are exhibiting our lesser self. 
There is nobody lonelier or more unhappy than a person who does not know the pure joy of creating a life for her or himself.
It’s a fairly well known fact that 90% of the wealth of the UK is in the hands of 10% of the population, which is a shocking state of affairs in my opinion. 
My own experiences with Nichiren Buddhism have shown me how powerfully it can change your life.
They are estimating that tonight’s UK National Lottery draw will have a rollover jackpot of £5.9M. What would you do with that kind of money? Buy a fancy car, a posh house, a nice yacht maybe even a helicopter or plane ?
In Nichiren Buddhism, attaining enlightenment is not about embarking on some inconceivably long journey to become a resplendent, all knowing Buddha, it is about accomplishing a transformation in the depths of one’s being, little by little.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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