I recently made some determinations for this year and the first one that I need to achieve is to get my blood pressure sorted out and that's within 3 weeks as I'm likely to be put on tablets on my next visit to the doctors. I'm not so against the idea that I would refuse, and if I need them, then I need them. However, I really want to avoid this if possible.
Basically before Xmas a chance visit to the doc revealed my BP to be really high. A week of exercise and better diet did bring it down but still pretty high and it's stayed similar ever since. A week or so ago, I bought a home BP tester and as I suspected, my BP is lower when taken at home, though once again, still too high. Through using that, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that it's predominantly anxiety which is the root cause of it and so decided to try to address that.
The first thing I did was to get some guidance regarding it from a Buddhist perspective which was really useful. I think the key phrase that summed it up for me was:
"I do believe that a high life state – or specifically Buddha state – does preclude anxiety. Anxiety must be an aspect of fundamental darkness – a lack of confidence in life and a lack of understanding of life causing low level fear. So daimoku must be the starting point, together with study and action for Kosen-rufu (shakubuku), all of which raise our life state."
I think it's the 'lack of confidence in life' bit that stood out for me ... although I'm fairly outgoing, my anxiety could well be a manifestation of that. With regards to the other bits .. my study is pretty good but my daimoku is a bit random if I'm honest.
We often hear of people chanting to be in rythm with the universe but it occurred to me that I'm not really even in rythm with my own life ... that was probably best summarised by the last two morning gongyos being done in the middle of the afternoon !! So, yesterday, I spent some time planning a new daily schedule starting with my alarm being set for 7am so that I could a) get an hours chanting done in the morning and b) get more work done while allowing time for other things. I am self employed and work from home which is great BUT, with that needs to come an element of self discipline .. something it seems I lack.
Anyway ... the new schedule looks quite do-able and also allows time for a swim/gym at lunch and an hours free time in the afternoon to read/watch TV/paint or whatever.
And then today, .... sansho shima kicked in ...
My alarm was set for seven but I woke at 5am .. probably because I ate really late after coming back from a buddhist meeting. I tried to get back to sleep but it just wasn't happening. Now, usually, if I don't get enough sleep, I'd simply scrap all my new schedule ideas and have a useless day instead and more than likely abandon the idea alogether, but today, I decided to stick to the schedule 'no matter what' ... so I eventually got up at 7am, having not slept since 5am, and did do an hours chanting with morning gongyo. The next bit of my plan was to go for a 15-20 minute 'walk to work' .. ie a walk round the block before starting work ... I usually find a bit of exercise relaxes me a bit ... of course, when I did the schedule, I was thinking of a nice stroll in bright sunshine ... and what was the weather like ? grey and drizzly .. once again, I'd normally think ... "manyana" .. but once again I decided to actually go for the walk and it was ok actually ... sun would have been better but !!!
The next challenge was the lunch time exercise ... I did consider not doing it as I was tired but as my BP was really high this morning, I thought it was probably wise to do some exercise to relax a bit ( I suspect it's high because of the lack of sleep but not sure) so once more .. I stuck to the schedule and went for a walk followed by a swim at the gym (fortunately realllly close by).
And then came the 'treat' bit (after a period of work of course .. I do actually do some ;).. I've allowed myself an hour in the afternoon to do something such as read or paint or something creative, however, today I decided to put my head down for half hour or so to catch up on sleep a bit .. well .. I deserve it :-) and that was nice .... though longer would have been nicer :)
And then back to work ... which I'm now coming to an end of. Just evening Gongyo to do at 6.30pm and I'll have succeeded in my first day or new routine.
So all in all, it's not been a great day but I guess that in itself is a small victory .. the fact that despite feeling like shite, I stuck to my schedule even though I really didn't feel like it .. and that's when I usually just give up ..... Is it a turning point .... let's see if I can keep it up :)
The Eternity of Life - A Discussion
Last weekend, I attended an SGI-UK study lecturers training day at Taplow Court. It was a really interesting talk by Mrs Takahashi, the European Study leader.
However, I really struggled with this one as it was predominantly (though not exclusively) about the Eternity of Life which is a subject that I find difficult. When I say difficult, I don't mean difficult as in dealing with death etc but how the whole process of the eternity of life works.
As those who practise know, there are three proofs in this Buddhism; theoretical proof, documentary proof and actual proof, the 'actual' being the most important. I'm sure all of us who practise have had 'actual' proof that the practise works, otherwise we wouldn't practise .. would we !!
However, and this is where it gets a bit confused for me. It is of course, impossible to have actual proof of the eternity of life .. no one has come back and told us what happens etc and at the same time, though scientists can tell us when brain waves stop, they can't tell us what happens to the 'life force' that was there.
Now, I'm not a complete sceptic on this .. I think this explanation is as good as any and more plausable than most and I do believe that lifeforce doesn't just vanish on death and continues in some form or other .. the thing I can't get my head round is how it then 're-establishes' itself ... My own thoughts are that either a) it becomes a part of the universal energy or b) that it simply exists in the form of peoples memories and the influences that we have left behind. For example, I don't believe that Martin Luther King has been 're-born', but I do believe that his memory and influences live on and that this has an effect on the current world, and I'm sure our own influences left behind will do so albeit possibly on a different scale. In many ways to be honest, I'd be ok with that.
If we take the 'energy as part of the universe' option though, what I really really struggle with is the bit that goes something like .... "and when the time is right, we are reborn" .!! I'm not saying this isn't the case but I can't quite put the bits together .... at what point and how does this happen ? As sperm ? while the babies in the womb ? once it's born ?.. and how does it get there ?... I know that sounds daft but it feels to me like a bit of the jigsaw is missing.
All that said, I'm not overly worried about it though if anyone can enlighten me, that would be great.
My own take is very similar to something Daisaku Ikeda once said (and this is from memory so not a quote as such). He said:
"The fact is that we don't know what happens after we die. Many religions have many different explanations but none can be 100% certain. However, what really matters is how a religions view of death makes us live our lives in the here and now"
So on that level, I'm happy with that, but thought I'd throw my thoughts out for possible debate ... any takers ?
However, I really struggled with this one as it was predominantly (though not exclusively) about the Eternity of Life which is a subject that I find difficult. When I say difficult, I don't mean difficult as in dealing with death etc but how the whole process of the eternity of life works.
As those who practise know, there are three proofs in this Buddhism; theoretical proof, documentary proof and actual proof, the 'actual' being the most important. I'm sure all of us who practise have had 'actual' proof that the practise works, otherwise we wouldn't practise .. would we !!
However, and this is where it gets a bit confused for me. It is of course, impossible to have actual proof of the eternity of life .. no one has come back and told us what happens etc and at the same time, though scientists can tell us when brain waves stop, they can't tell us what happens to the 'life force' that was there.
Now, I'm not a complete sceptic on this .. I think this explanation is as good as any and more plausable than most and I do believe that lifeforce doesn't just vanish on death and continues in some form or other .. the thing I can't get my head round is how it then 're-establishes' itself ... My own thoughts are that either a) it becomes a part of the universal energy or b) that it simply exists in the form of peoples memories and the influences that we have left behind. For example, I don't believe that Martin Luther King has been 're-born', but I do believe that his memory and influences live on and that this has an effect on the current world, and I'm sure our own influences left behind will do so albeit possibly on a different scale. In many ways to be honest, I'd be ok with that.
If we take the 'energy as part of the universe' option though, what I really really struggle with is the bit that goes something like .... "and when the time is right, we are reborn" .!! I'm not saying this isn't the case but I can't quite put the bits together .... at what point and how does this happen ? As sperm ? while the babies in the womb ? once it's born ?.. and how does it get there ?... I know that sounds daft but it feels to me like a bit of the jigsaw is missing.
All that said, I'm not overly worried about it though if anyone can enlighten me, that would be great.
My own take is very similar to something Daisaku Ikeda once said (and this is from memory so not a quote as such). He said:
"The fact is that we don't know what happens after we die. Many religions have many different explanations but none can be 100% certain. However, what really matters is how a religions view of death makes us live our lives in the here and now"
So on that level, I'm happy with that, but thought I'd throw my thoughts out for possible debate ... any takers ?
Buddhist Determinations
As a Buddhist, each new year, we make new 'determinations' for the year ahead. These are kind of similar in some ways to resolutions but are intended to be supported by our buddhist practise.
I have had quite a few in my head but maybe it's age as I keep forgetting them, so I'm going to list them below ... will be interesting to see how many I achieve !!
In no particular order:
1) To never miss morning or evening gongyo even if it's only a short one( ie the buddhist practise)
2) To read all 12 volumes of 'the human revolution' by the end of the year (currently on vol 2)
3) To look after my health, remembering that I'm no longer 20 (or even 30 or 40 !) and get my BP down
4) To earn more money and to double my biggest KR contribution next time
5) To have 10 new men or older young men practising in our chapter by the end of the year
6) To go and chant with one man in our chapter per week
7) To be in a relationship by May 3rd 2009
I have had quite a few in my head but maybe it's age as I keep forgetting them, so I'm going to list them below ... will be interesting to see how many I achieve !!
In no particular order:
1) To never miss morning or evening gongyo even if it's only a short one( ie the buddhist practise)
2) To read all 12 volumes of 'the human revolution' by the end of the year (currently on vol 2)
3) To look after my health, remembering that I'm no longer 20 (or even 30 or 40 !) and get my BP down
4) To earn more money and to double my biggest KR contribution next time
5) To have 10 new men or older young men practising in our chapter by the end of the year
6) To go and chant with one man in our chapter per week
7) To be in a relationship by May 3rd 2009
I paint, therefore I Ham
Not so much of a catch up as nothing much to report apart from having a birthday which was pretty good .. usual .. Mayfair .. yum yum !!
Made a determination at the start of the year to do something creative. This determination seemed likely to fade into oblivion when we were asked as part of our Buddhist group to donate something on the subject of 'my mentor and I', for a book to be published. My initial thought was a poem as I've done a bit of that in the past with moderate success ..... well I quite like them anyway lol ( see http://www.lulu.com/content/761774 ), but I decided to have a go at something I've wanted to do for a while and have always enjoyed looking at in galleries .. I decided to paint !!! So far I've done two things, the first for this project and the second just a general thing .... I've got a feeling I may enjoy reading teh comments ... NOT !!!!! lol
Made a determination at the start of the year to do something creative. This determination seemed likely to fade into oblivion when we were asked as part of our Buddhist group to donate something on the subject of 'my mentor and I', for a book to be published. My initial thought was a poem as I've done a bit of that in the past with moderate success ..... well I quite like them anyway lol ( see http://www.lulu.com/content/761774 ), but I decided to have a go at something I've wanted to do for a while and have always enjoyed looking at in galleries .. I decided to paint !!! So far I've done two things, the first for this project and the second just a general thing .... I've got a feeling I may enjoy reading teh comments ... NOT !!!!! lol
Summer Course of course
With all the dampness and recent rain, it was great to be able to travel down to Knebworth for the Mens Regional Buddhist Summer Course. Pretty good turnout from Nottingham with only one or two of the regulars unable to make it. Feedback was that it was a really great meeting and well worth the long journey and I'd have to agree with that .. especially the lecture by Robert Samuels which was probably the best lecture that I've heard yet and which clarified that this Buddhist practise is about battling our own inner negativities every day and to win in our lives, whatever that means for each of us. He emphasised that it's not about being 'nice' and 'peaceful' but involves a daily challenge to live our own 'human revolution'. He also emphasised that the practise is not just about chanting but about encouraging others too .. not even necessarily to practise, but to encourage people to believe that they have what we call 'buddhahood' in them .. ie their own best self .. to encourage them to challenge their own lives to be happy ( not a great word but meant in a 'not grinning stupidly' way .. ).
Anyway .. great day and like most others, I suspect, I went away redetermined to strengthen my practise.
A few days after that I went over to Lincolnshire to see my Mum .. which was pretty relaxing as she lives in a village so all quiet .. birdsong and all that. Had an hour in Boston .. or Bostonski as the locals are calling it. What a dead looking place it is now too .. lots of 'pound' shops including one called 'It must be stolen' !! Ironically, the most interesting bit now is the once almost dead area of West Street which seems to have sprung up a basic tapas bar along with several Polish grill places and cafes .... Will probably try to pop in one one time.
Last night was also the second in the Jazz season at Bonington which was pretty good .. probably around a 7.5 out of 10 ... Much of it was a bit low key and one tempo'd for me but they did end up with a few excellent tracks including a version of Horis Silver's 'Song for my father' ... Interestingly, they had a female drummer... wasn't too sure about her until near the end when she seemed to relax and played really well .. seemed a bit stilted for much of it though but that could have been the style that they wanted perhaps. All in all a good night though and I managed to keep the whisky intake to a reasonable level ;)
It's the end of Summer as we know it (unofficially anyway)
Only unofficially because cricket season hasn't ended yet .. quite !!
But also, unofficially as last night marked the start of the new Jazz season though in a bit of a 'warm up' way. The realMcCoy ie the Jazzsteps gigs start tomorrow, but last night saw Simon Spillet appear at the Fiveways pub in Nottingham with a local backing band. On the whole a pretty good night for £6 and the backing band are pretty decent too. A couple of negatives was the beer was awful so whisky was drunk unsurprisingly. Also half way through the second set, a woman in front of us passed out causing a bit of a panic. Anyway, we managed to carry her outside (still in her chair !!) and after getting some fresh air she seemed to recover ok. One of the guys with her kept saying to us ... "don't get old .. don't get old" ... cheers mate :).
It's nice to be somewhere, where at nearly 50, you'r by far the youngest there lol
And that's it really .. hectic week or so coming upo including a long trip to Knebworth on Sunday for a Buddhist course .... should be good though.
More soon ....
The BIG catch Up
Jeeeze .. it's really been a while since I posted here .. well properly anyway !! Nearly 6 weeks .. so a little re-cap to catch up ...
CRICKET
Bit ofa usual 'summer' thing here .. actually got a bit of decent weather for a few games and saw some good cricket. Unfortunately, with the 20/20, most of the cricket I like, gets squeezed in the start and end of the season when it's wetter !!
FOOD
Had a bit of a pani as the Mayfir seemed closed when I went past on the bus, but turned out Mike was away for a week so had a bit of a Mayfair break ... didn't last long though .. and had some great food (as always) although too much wine (and a visit to the poacher afterwards) meant I couldn't remember too much about it.
Also managed to visita couple of other places; The Memsaab which Ild been to about 10 year ago andwhile ok, thought was heavily over rated. This time, I ordered the fish curry ...quite frankly, thought it wa pretty horrible .. and expensive .. that said, several others had different curries and enjoyed but I didn't enjoy teh place either really and won't be heading back in a hurry.
On a positive note, I did go to a new Tapas bar in Nottingham called 'Iberico' ( http://www.ibericotapas.com/ ) which isn't very heavily advertised but is excellent. It's a bit on the pricey side but compared to the rubbish that La Tasca serves, is well worth a visit. The food comes reasonably quickly and is nicely presented if a little pretetntious ... Also pretentious is that the waiters tell you how things should be eaten which actually is quite comical when it comes from an East European waitress .. 'please to eat the gooseberries after the fish please' :). But I would definitely go there again.
BUDDHISM
Nothing too much to report here .. been going to West Bridgford Meetings which I've enjoyed .. also been doing a little 'home visiting' after years of getting over the phobia .. actualy it's quite easy once I stopped calling them 'home visits' and just said I was going to chant with someone !
Had a couple of excellent Study lectures .. one from Michelle Lamb and one from Jason Jarrett ho does the Buddhist podcasts. In fact if you go to http://abuddhistpodcast.com/ you can hear the Studio Version of the study he gave in Nottingham.
Currently managing to do around an hour each day so all pretty good there at the moment.
And I think that's about it ..... Just a couple of vids ... the Buddhist One again just so I don't lose it and a Greek TV one .. sweeeeeet ;)
YOUNG AND BUDDHIST
Watch live video from Antileech on Justin.tv
CRICKET
Bit ofa usual 'summer' thing here .. actually got a bit of decent weather for a few games and saw some good cricket. Unfortunately, with the 20/20, most of the cricket I like, gets squeezed in the start and end of the season when it's wetter !!
FOOD
Had a bit of a pani as the Mayfir seemed closed when I went past on the bus, but turned out Mike was away for a week so had a bit of a Mayfair break ... didn't last long though .. and had some great food (as always) although too much wine (and a visit to the poacher afterwards) meant I couldn't remember too much about it.
Also managed to visita couple of other places; The Memsaab which Ild been to about 10 year ago andwhile ok, thought was heavily over rated. This time, I ordered the fish curry ...quite frankly, thought it wa pretty horrible .. and expensive .. that said, several others had different curries and enjoyed but I didn't enjoy teh place either really and won't be heading back in a hurry.
On a positive note, I did go to a new Tapas bar in Nottingham called 'Iberico' ( http://www.ibericotapas.com/ ) which isn't very heavily advertised but is excellent. It's a bit on the pricey side but compared to the rubbish that La Tasca serves, is well worth a visit. The food comes reasonably quickly and is nicely presented if a little pretetntious ... Also pretentious is that the waiters tell you how things should be eaten which actually is quite comical when it comes from an East European waitress .. 'please to eat the gooseberries after the fish please' :). But I would definitely go there again.
BUDDHISM
Nothing too much to report here .. been going to West Bridgford Meetings which I've enjoyed .. also been doing a little 'home visiting' after years of getting over the phobia .. actualy it's quite easy once I stopped calling them 'home visits' and just said I was going to chant with someone !
Had a couple of excellent Study lectures .. one from Michelle Lamb and one from Jason Jarrett ho does the Buddhist podcasts. In fact if you go to http://abuddhistpodcast.com/ you can hear the Studio Version of the study he gave in Nottingham.
Currently managing to do around an hour each day so all pretty good there at the moment.
And I think that's about it ..... Just a couple of vids ... the Buddhist One again just so I don't lose it and a Greek TV one .. sweeeeeet ;)
YOUNG AND BUDDHIST
Watch live video from Antileech on Justin.tv
Buddhist Interview
yeah yeah .. I know I haven't posted in ages but here's a little video I found to keep you going .. worth a watch.
YOUNG AND BUDDHIST
YOUNG AND BUDDHIST
Leonard Cohen
After 15 years I think, when I saw him last, Leonard Cohen is playing the UK and while I didn't get tickets to see him (though if he adds Nottingham I will !) I was looking forward to seeing him on TV from Glastonbury but apparently he or his manahement wouldn't let it be filmed (maybe a dvd coming out later ?).
Anyway .. a few people filmed it off the screen from Glastonbury .. so enjoy :)
Anyway .. a few people filmed it off the screen from Glastonbury .. so enjoy :)
What can I say ??
That's a good question .. I'm starting to feel a little guilty about not posting but it kind of reminds me of when I first started work and used to keep a diary which predominantly said:
Got up
Went to work
Practised Drums
Went to Pub
Exciting life eh ;)
So that's why no posts I guess, though I've done some Buddhisty stuff such as going to Taplow a couple of weeks back for a lecture to Study Lecturers (likely I'll be doing one in, well... half of one, in September .. scarey !!). The lecture was by European Womens leader .. Mrs Takahashi and was really good, though it was a full day and by the third lecture in the afternoon there were a few 'sleepers' around teh place :-). There's also been a New members day for people practising less than 2 years (but open to all members). That was more succesful than I expected and we had 60 people in one room .. just a normal sized one .. pretty warm that was.
Anyway .. I think I'm now coming out of my period of Mourning for Harold leaving Neighbours and I'll leave you with a tribute to him
Got up
Went to work
Practised Drums
Went to Pub
Exciting life eh ;)
So that's why no posts I guess, though I've done some Buddhisty stuff such as going to Taplow a couple of weeks back for a lecture to Study Lecturers (likely I'll be doing one in, well... half of one, in September .. scarey !!). The lecture was by European Womens leader .. Mrs Takahashi and was really good, though it was a full day and by the third lecture in the afternoon there were a few 'sleepers' around teh place :-). There's also been a New members day for people practising less than 2 years (but open to all members). That was more succesful than I expected and we had 60 people in one room .. just a normal sized one .. pretty warm that was.
Anyway .. I think I'm now coming out of my period of Mourning for Harold leaving Neighbours and I'll leave you with a tribute to him
It's the end of the world as we know it
Today I'm feeling sad because the Big Bang Theory season finished last night :(
Finally, at last and arghhhhh
Finally
I got my tokubetsu gohonzon enshrined !! I received it last October I believe and for one reason and another I didn't get it enshrined, but finally I had a little ceremony last Friday and then went over the pub where I drank too much and then drank whisky after coming back and felt like crap all the next day and did no work !!!
At Last !!
The cricket season started at Trent Bridge. I went down for a one day game on the sunday after going to Kosen Rufu gongyo. I was a bit late and missed 2 wickets. I watched a few overs then went to the co-op to get some food and when I got back, 2 more wickets had gone !! Anyway .. Northants ended up with a pretty low total which Notts beat with relative ease. Have to say though that I can't understand why people prefer one day cricket to County Cricket .. Apart from the last 4 overs, I found the game pretty dull.
Arghhhhh !!
While it was raining at the criocket, I walked past the physio room and trhey were offering free blood pressure checks so I thought 'why not' .. Much to my surprise I discovered I've got high blood pressure !!! 160/100 .. Nothing to worry about apparently but probably a good idea to keep it in mind re diet/exercise etc ..... Can I do that at the Mayfair tonight ?? Not so much battered food or wine ... mmmmm tell will tell ;)
I got my tokubetsu gohonzon enshrined !! I received it last October I believe and for one reason and another I didn't get it enshrined, but finally I had a little ceremony last Friday and then went over the pub where I drank too much and then drank whisky after coming back and felt like crap all the next day and did no work !!!
At Last !!
The cricket season started at Trent Bridge. I went down for a one day game on the sunday after going to Kosen Rufu gongyo. I was a bit late and missed 2 wickets. I watched a few overs then went to the co-op to get some food and when I got back, 2 more wickets had gone !! Anyway .. Northants ended up with a pretty low total which Notts beat with relative ease. Have to say though that I can't understand why people prefer one day cricket to County Cricket .. Apart from the last 4 overs, I found the game pretty dull.
Arghhhhh !!
While it was raining at the criocket, I walked past the physio room and trhey were offering free blood pressure checks so I thought 'why not' .. Much to my surprise I discovered I've got high blood pressure !!! 160/100 .. Nothing to worry about apparently but probably a good idea to keep it in mind re diet/exercise etc ..... Can I do that at the Mayfair tonight ?? Not so much battered food or wine ... mmmmm tell will tell ;)
An Important Ceremony
I know what some of you are thinking ... but you're wrong .. this ceremony happened a few days ago and it's called 'The Washing of the Hat Ceremony' and is my official marking of the start of the County Cricket season.
All season, I wear my hat to the cricket .. without a wash so as you can imagine, it's a bit nasty b the end of the year (but let's face it, County Cricket ain't a place to pick up chicks .. ya dig lol :-) ... So every year at the start of the season, I give it a ritual wash .. God I can't believe how sad this is sounding as I write this :-) .
Anyway .. the season got off to a good start with a win at Kent which is good as Notts may struggle a bit this year so all points will come in handy.
Ok .. enough sad man talk ... on with work now.
Before and After
A couple of Buddhist Podcasts
Just a quick 'stop gap' post ... but I came across this excellent 2 part podcast by Dr. Eric Hauber, Vice General Director of SGI-USA on the Buddhist perspective of Life and Death ... Found it really interesting and well done ... pretty suitable for people who know little about Buddhism too. Oh .. and if you want to know the Buddhist view of sex, listen to the the Q&A's at the end :-)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
4 eyes good 2 eyes bad
Oh Bollox .. !!!
I've just trodden on my glasses and bent them out of shape !!!
Now I've got to walk around looking like freakin Kermit until they're fixed .. grrrrrrr
Buddhist Interview
Found this randomly .. it's a video interview by the Washington Post with Bill Aiken who is US Vice General Director of Soka Gakkai International .. though you might find it interesting .. shame about the military ad first though :O
Another post shock .. and a new(ish) book
I recently book the book 'The Reluctant Buddhist' written by TV presenter William Woolard ( used to present Tommorow's World for those of you old enough to remember !).I have to say that I was very impressed by the book and I think I'm going to be recommending it for new people to read, even before Buddha in Your Mirror.
Although it's not strictly an introductory book as such, it covers his own journey from sceptic to a long practising member and I'm sure many members will identify with many of the things he mentions. It does cover all the usual introduction points, though I would have liked at least a brief explanation of SGI which he does mention, and also Daisaku Ikeda, but doesn't go into any detail on them, which is a shame as a brief history would have been really helpful for new people.
That said, he explains very clearly, the difference between this and other forms of Buddhism, in that this practise is not an 'other world' practise, but is firmly rooted in daily life and designed to move our lives forward.
I've just started to re-read it but for me, it's a great book.
Ta da .... !!!!!!
Nag Nag Nag .... jeeze, just because I haven't posted here, you'd think I'd left the country lol ... Ok .. well truth told it's only one person who is sooo bored at work that he needs to read my blogs .. You know who you are lol.
So .. what have I been up to .. not a lot, truth told. I've taken on a work from home job which takes 2 hours a day and that seems to have impacted fairly heavily on my free time which is irritating, but helps pay the bills so I shouldn't moan I guess. Apart from that .. well , quite a bit of jazz including the excellent John Donaldson and the Partisans, been to the Mayfair a fair few times (now, there's a surprise huh !). Also been out for a couple of meals .. one of which was after a Kosen Rufu meeting and cooked by Makato, a Japanese chef (aided by his mad dog Iggy !) .. Real simple meal with sushi to start and sea bass steamed with herbs and soy .. sounds so simple but it was perfectly cooked. The other one was at Easter at Emily's .. with her Dad and lodger .. funnily enough .. Sea Bass again .. all nicely done .. though she did manage to almost caramalise the frozen lemon mueringe (spelling ?) pie lol.
And I seem finally to have a date for my tokubetsu enshrinement ... May 1st ... good day really as it's also International Workers day and as I used to take the Morning Star and the guy enshrining used to be an SWP member, it's probably appropriate.
I can't even remember when I received the Tokubetsu but probably around October last year and I finally got the Butsudan (cabinet) for it last week and you can see the pictures below.
Ok ... that enough for now Simon ;-) ?
On the move !!
Only kidding .. I'm going nowhere, but I have finally moved my Gohonzon into the living room ready for when I finally enshrine the new one ... about bleedin time too !!
I've been umming and ahhing over whether to move it but I think it's best away from my PC so don't keep checking my e-mail, plus it has been in my office which is increasingly looking like an office .. ie very untidy. I do at least keep my room reeeeasonably tidy in comparison so I'll try it there for a while. Could probably use a higher table but it will do for now.
I've been umming and ahhing over whether to move it but I think it's best away from my PC so don't keep checking my e-mail, plus it has been in my office which is increasingly looking like an office .. ie very untidy. I do at least keep my room reeeeasonably tidy in comparison so I'll try it there for a while. Could probably use a higher table but it will do for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
