What a great day! After a rather lazy, though well deserved late start, we took a trip in Fishponds to get a Father’s Day card for Ivor, who’s back in hospital again. Although the problem is well known, it can’t be fun for him to keep shuttling back and fro between Frenchay and the nursing home.
We were being picked up by Lisa and Vee in the early evening, so by the time we got back from the hospital we were a bit tight for time. Not that we rushed the visit. While B went off to talk to the nurses, I read Ivor a story about Women’s intuition.
It was all about how, as men, we try all the obvious technical routes to getting things working, like the car that won’t start. Check the plugs, points, carburettor etc. to no avail. Then the lady of the house notices that the number plate is loose and when it’s tightened, the car inexplicably starts, for no apparent reason.
Ivor and I laughed and laughed, and I know it made us both feel better in the circumstances. So a quick bite to eat, a shower and into our glad rags just in time as L and V turned up bang on time. The rain that had been threatening all day finally arrived as we set off for Bristol Cathedral.
So what, you might ask, were we doing in Bristol Cathedral on a Saturday night in mid June? Well we were there to listen to Handel’s choral piece, Israel in Egypt, all about Moses and the exodus of the Israelites, performed by the Bristol Choral Society.
It was the last performance by B’s friend Tina’s mum, retiring after over 30 years as a member. And it was stirring stuff. The choir were fantastic, the acoustics amazing, and the cathedral itself is an awesome building.
So a really enjoyable evening, in a very fitting setting. Albeit that the subject of the piece isn’t exactly in line with Buddhist practice, it was clear that the singing had a very similar effect to Buddhist chanting. The very sound lifts the heart, and when sung so beautifully, it goes to show that we should member that there’s a lot in common between religions.
Plants, grass and trees cannot grow without soil. The ‘soil’ that fosters our growth includes our partners, parents, teachers, seniors, our mentor, community and company. In any case, everyone has some special place where they grew up, or someone who nurtured them.
Following the trauma of Bumble’s injured ankle, we were hoping that life would settle back to the comfort of normality. Sadly that hasn’t been the case, as Ivor, B’s father has again been admitted to hospital today. Given that his health has never been too good, following a major motorcycling accident many years ago, this is obviously a worrying turn of events.
Despite the typically wet Bank holiday weather, we all went off to 
With Bumble back in the cottage, it became very clear that she was in no fit state to do things for herself. Not that you could ever tell her that, she is a persistent little B, and stubbornly insisted that she do this, carry that, the list went on and on. But actually, if her ankle is to get better sooner rather than later, she has to rest it and try not to put weight on it.
Early Sunday morning, bright sunshine and train ticket in hand, I set off for Bristol Parkway station to catch the train down to Cornwall to retrieve Bumble. The walk to the station was nice. The early morning air had a nice cool stillness to it, and I covered the two and a half miles in good time.
How glorious is this weather? Beautiful blue skies and mid 20s temperatures, just perfect for watching Jake’s football tournament, though a little warm to be playing I think. A short trip to the Walkers field in Emerson’s Green and I was quickly united with Rob, Jake and Zach.
Good news from the Scilly Isles this morning. Bumble’s sprained ankle is on the mend and the promised crutches have been delivered. She has been able to get around a little better and put weight on her injured leg, so good news indeed. Whilst it’s not the end of the story, it is going the right way, and we’re all the better for hearing that.
Having spend the day doing ‘stuff’, it was great to let our hair down (not that I have much) going to Phil’s 50th ‘open mike’ evening at a pub in Fishponds. With so much talent and so much fun, the evening flew by so by the time the pub closed, and we found ourselves sitting outside in the beer garden, we were well into Sunday morning.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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