A cold day but a cloudless sky to lift the spirits. Grim news from Gaza where over 400 people have been killed by bombing, many of them children as Israel abandons the cease fire after two months in another effort to force Hamas to agree an immediate release of all hostages. Hamas resists, still pursuing the aim of stalled second phase cease-fire terms leading to withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from Gaza. There's a high level of risk that the remaining hostages will not survive this new onslaught and there's mounting disquiet about the decision that has been taken.
Clare's study group arrived after breakfast. I composed and recorded next Wednesday's biblical reflection while they were in session, then Clare and I cooked lunch together. She had an eye appointment at UHW so I drove her there. Cousin Dianne has finished reading 'Jack's tale and enjoyed it. At her suggestion I wrote an extra page for the story about his very long wait in the Ellis Island immigration centre before his visa was issued. I may also try a different ending, to make the most of a few key facts we have about him re-settling in Britain. Then I walked for two hours in Thompson's Park and Llandaff Fields and returned just as the sun was reaching the horizon. By this time Clare had already left for the fortnightly meditation group and I had supper on my own.
The next two hours I spent filling in Aviva's bond surrender form, a nightmare of a task when a legal and financial document contains jargon that's foreign to you. I had to use Google search several times to reach an understanding of the required terminology. So much is done on-line these days that filling in a paper form is a rarity. I can no longer make light work of it as I'm so out of practise. It makes me nervous having to do it, like sitting an exam. It's about fear of failure I reckon, and very stressful. I was too tired to tackle flight bookings for our visit Veronica in May. She checked with the UHW hip surgery department and was told she will be on the waiting list for eighteen months to two years.
Trump and Putin had a long talk today. One of Putin's demands is withdrawal of all military support from other countries, something Zelenskyy and his European allies will not agree to, as it deprives Ukraine of its sovereignty as an internationally recognised nation. Trump's attitude towards Ukraine suggests he's sympathetic to the Russian view that Ukraine is just a schismatic territory of the motherland. His talk with Putin seems to be interested more in assets whose exploitation can be shared between Russia and America without reference to Ukraine. The only good thing is that it's drawing the European community of nations and Britain into a tighter more committed relationship for mutual defence, and support for Ukraine.
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