Tuesday, October 1, 2013

I'm Barbara - Fly Me!





I don't know where August and September went to!  I knew I hadn't blogged for a while or contributed to The Magpie, but hadn't realized that my last entry was at the end of July.

Things have happened.  Many of them of little or no consequence but they happened nevertheless and had to be dealt with. Dealing with them took up time.  So when I wasn't dealing with those things I discovered Pinterest which went on to take up more of my time than I had bargained for.  The I remembered that I love jig saw puzzles and so went back to Jigidi!  That took up more of my time than I intended!



And things must have been bad because I began to tweet.



Netflix had a wealth of goodies so i caught up with some movies and British television series.  The last one I watched was the BBC's season 1 of 'Call the Midwife.'



The reality was that I was tired and needed distractions.  Distractions that weren't taxing!  Distractions that would relieve  the stress, frustration and impatience of working with a contractor who has yet to finish the renovations in my department.  It started on the 29 July and to date although it is very much better than when we started it is not finished.  I did the designs, the colour, the layout and now feel that I am in the wrong business.  My blood pressure is rising!

This was day one in the main office area, before the wall to an unused kitchen which was being used for storage,  came down.



This was day one after the wall had come down.



This was a few days later.




And this was the almost end product.


This was the old showcase!!


This is what it looks like now!



Old show cases on their way out!



New showcases on their way in!



This is what one corner of my office looked like before the work started.



Almost finished.



They decided to use my officer as a dumping ground.



This is what it looks like now and it's not finished.



It is a very good thing that for the majority of the work, I was out having had laser surgery to remove cataracts but I was back six working days later.

So all in all it has been eventful to say nothing of the fact that a friend of mine lost her son unexpectedly last month.  That has been a major happening and I needed much distraction from the pain and anguish.

Life continues. The other eye is to be done this coming Friday.

Maybe I'll take up bunji jumping!  


Or maybe I have already!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Out There!

MAGPIE 179


Photo courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales


Save your life
Including files
Where you can't
Hold them 

Keep them safe
Locked away
Within a cloud
Out there


Let them all
Float about
So very  safe
In cyberspace!



Barbara M Lake ©
Trinidad WI
July 2013




`








Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Indentured Labourer

MAGPIE 175



Image by Musin Yohan
Courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on Blogger


From a far off land she came
Rolling across rough seas
With promises of 
A better life
In the West Indies

Days and nights meld into one
The routine just the same
No one cares
About her life
As she cuts the cane

Now the rains are fast in coming
Falling now until December
And all the 
Time she toils
She refuses to remember






Barbara M Lake  ©
Trinidad WI
July 2013






Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Birthdays!

It's my daughter's birthday today!  



Last Week.



First passport photograph  - aged two years!

It was my son's birthday last week.


Taken on his Wedding Day December 2010


Aged two years

I am blessed to have two wonderful children. They are a joy.

Eight years apart and born in  the same week.  Wimbledon was a no-no for me the week of their births as I was somewhat preoccupied!  

Birthday parties which of course had to be separate, were a challenge!   He  didn't want the clowns and the little children but she wanted to roller blade and barbecue  with the big boys!!  Happy days!







1986

Monday, June 24, 2013

Let It Be Me

MAGPIE 174


 Stanley Kubrick for Look Magazine 1949



C`mon baby
Let me
Light up your life


Barbara M Lake
Trinidad WI
June 2013

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Is There More to Life?






After a somewhat 'dark' week during which I felt that something was 'disturbing my spirit', today was wonderful.

I spent most of the day being part of an Alpha Holy Spirit Day.  The Alpha Programme which came out of the Anglican church many years ago,  is not a bible study or a crash course in religion!  It  is a ten week course which explores the meaning of life and one's relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is a very personal, uplifting, and non threatening course which ultimately can bring one into a deeper understanding of life and enhance the faith of those who do believe in God and also, bring non believers to Christ.  It is anything but boring, is fun and involves food.  Plenty of food.  I always tell people to be prepared to gain a little weight whilst doing an Alpha course as this is hospitality at its best!!

I have over the years, worked on many Alpha Courses and have seen peoples' lives change as a result of their participation.  I have  seen relationships change for the better be it a marriage or a friendship.  I have seen attitudes change, brittleness disappear, forgiveness taking place and non believers coming to faith.  And also I have seen people 'giving' their lives to Christ.

Giving one's life to Christ does not mean sackcloth and ashes, continuous fasting, piety  and being permanently on one's knees!!  That is a far cry from Christianity.  Christianity is fun. It's a way of life.  It's following in the footsteps of Christ and trying to live out His expectations of us. It's living by example. No easy task!!

Anyway, there I was today at the Holy Spirit Day having given the refresher Ministry talk to prayer leaders last Thursday evening when I was still shrouded in the thing that was disturbing my spirit! This evening that cloud has gone.  Today I saw people who were wary of what might happen, receive the Holy Spirit.  I saw tears, heard laughter, felt the beginnings of healing and personally once again, felt an extraordinary peace as the Holy Spirit moved among the group.

Want to know more about Alpha?

 
http://www.alpha.org/  in the UK or

http://www.alphausa.org/Groups/1000047505/What_is_Alpha.aspx










Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Self Protection

MAGPIE 171


Walking, Walking Singing in the New Dimension? 1979 by Marris Graves
Photo courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on Blogger

Awakening to the world
Feeling human
A thanksgiving prayer
And life was good

Daily crackle onslaught
Too early
Disturbing my spirit
So life became bad

Suck in sharp irritability
Quick retaliation
To unnecessary remarks
Interpreted as criticism

Change of hairstyle
Good last night
Cannot ever compensate
When clothes don’t fit

Fumes from bumper to
Bumper traffic
Impatience of drivers
Road rage abounds

Suffocating heat makes
Noise even louder
As the city
Springs to life

Different ethnic groups
Unbearably sullen
Step over homeless
Asleep on pavements

Cool of my sanctuary
Behind office door
Down the valium
Pink aura protects 

Barbara M Lake ©
Trinidad WI
June 2013
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