2025? It's a wrap!

 Three years ago, I quoted Minnie Haskins' 1908 advice for moving forward at Turn-of-Year. We had a perfick Christmas: lorra food, some healthy; a moderate amount of ethanol; a brisk yomp up the hill; only one item of shouting at family [sorry]. I had to cede space on the sofa but they didn't send me to the tunnel. I was given a weighty-blanket: which is supposed to help with anxiety, insomnia or the spectrum. It is colour coordinated with the sofa and I reclaimed my place with added gravitas after Dau.Book and Dau.Cook returned to the fray in Das Kapital. I have to learn how to operate the blanket because it can be quite a struggle to throw it off if the door-bell or the telephone rings. D.B and D.C were across the water earlier in December hangin' with the niblings and found themselves at a concert in Bristol Cathedral.

Dau.II [not wearing her toque there!] was interested to see an easel in the narthex = porch = vestibule = entryway of the cathedral but was delirah at the message written there. Turns out that the sentiments are not original to the Dean and Chapter but were probably borrowed from The Church of St John the Evangelist in North Vancouver, BC, CA. "When we at St. John's say that All Are Welcome, we really, really do mean it.  The words of welcome in the sign are part whimsical, part spritely, part purposeful but all of it sincere. ". You can find the full text at the StJohn link above incl.: " , , , You are welcome here if you are just browsing, just woken up or just out of prison. We don't mind if you're more Christian than Saint Paul or more Anglican than the Archbishop of Canterbury, haven't been to church since you were a child, follow a different faith, or have no faith. . ." 

That's a rather different christian message than the brutal caedite eos pushed by Arnaud Almaric in 1209. There are far too many Almaric wannabees in today's polarized world who are punching down on folks who are having an even crappier time. Not going to preach at you. But my new year resolution is to be kinder [and less shouty].

All the best for '26!