Escalation

A colder night, with the aurora borealis displaying overhead to the north and west of us, but the sky wasn't clear enough of thin cloud for the colours to be visible. It was overcast and raining when I got up, but it didn't last long. A good night's sleep nevertheless, although it didn't prevent me from feeling tired and stiff. I don't know why.

Clare went shopping, and I cooked lunch. She came home with a new steel frying pan and steel utensil to turn pan fried food, replacing one made of disturbingly deteriorating plastic.  After a brief siesta I walked around Thompson's Park and then Llandaff Fields. I caught sight of a Jay foraging in the open grass and took several photos. As I walked back down the avenue I was overtaken by a cyclist with a toddler in the back pannier. A second child on a bicycle about five years old was pedalling furiously to catch up and called out "Daddy!" He slowed a little and extended his right hand at a low enough level for the child to take his hand and hold on to it as they rode on together ahead of me, too fast to get out the camera I'd just put away and take what would have been a touching photo from behind. Clare had already eaten supper early when I arrived home, as she was about to go out for choir practice.

For the second time in the past few days, Houthi forces have attacked King Khaled international airport in Riyadh with missiles, killing 13 people and injuring over 300. The airport is now closed as a result. The Saudis struck Houthi forces holding the airport in Sanaa and Saudi air defences are being kept busy dealing with incoming missiles.

Crude oil is still being exported through the Straight of Hormuz by tankers under US naval escort despite occasional attacks from Iranian forces or its Houthi proxies. Houthi control of the Bab al Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea adds to the risk and vulnerability of supply chains. Iran is exporting oil in defiance of American sanctions. The volume of refined products, particularly diesel and liquid natural gas, is well below pre-war levels, leading to price rises with far reaching economic consequences. There has been no progress in diplomatic talks. 

Trump speaks with false optimism of the war ending 'real soon now'. He alleged yesterday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to an 'energy cease-fire', but Russian attacks on Ukrainian power infrastructure since then express contempt for his utterances and show how foolish he is to believe he has influence to bring an end to either conflict. He minimises the effect of support that Iran is receiving from Russia and China in the background and is in no position to confront them openly, having invested so much in waging a war against Iran that has caused so much economic upheaval in the Gulf states and wider world.

With the sun setting around half past six, impaired eyesight is slower to adjust to reduction in contrast outdoors. I've got used to this over the past year, and take more care to notice my surroundings when I'm walking. I need stronger light to use a keyboard as well as when I read a book. After supper I watched another episode of gloomy slow moving Icelandic crimmie 'Black Sands'. Much of it is filmed in semi darkness for dramatic effect. It does nothing to enhance my viewing experience. It's frustrating.

Attention seeking outrage

Quite a good night's sleep, despite going to bed late. We were nearly late arriving at St Catherine's for the Eucharist but that was due to Clare walking slower than usual. Her ankle is giving her pain at the moment. Two children were baptized during the service this morning. I thought Fr Sion looked more relaxed taking the service. With the St John's congregation worshipping in St Catherine's at 9.00am today, he didn't have to leave early to rush between churches to meet a deadline.

After lunch and a snooze, I walked in Llandaff Fields, while Clare's study group was meeting. Here and there, a noticeable section of a particular tree's leaf cover has turned golden brown, though the majority of trees have not yet followed suit. It made me wonder if one tree suffers more stress than those surrounding it to accelerate leaf die-back: e.g. exposure to a localised current of hot or cold air, or insufficient water reaching its roots. Each tree has its own story.

Navi Pillay, a highly regarded South African who was an International Criminal Court judge has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The U.N. Human Rights Commission, and the Court have come under increasing criticism and attack in recent years. Last year  a UN report overseen by her concluded that Israel's actions in Gaza were genocidal. The Nobel committee stated that by honouring her it wanted to remind the world that the international and national rule of law underpins the system devised. 

Trump reacted in a fit of pique, attacking the Nobel committee decision as 'political', and announcing fresh sanctions on the International Criminal Court, the body established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their “continued and unwavering support” for the Court, which condemned Trump's move as an “assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order,” 

Trump has also announced that America will buy sanctions breaking diesel supplies from Russia to meet the global shortage created by his war against Iran, with the aim of reducing the pump price of diesel in the run up to mid-term elections to boost his plummeting popularity. The revenue will support Putin's effort to prolong the war against Ukraine. President Zelenskiy described this as "A gift to Putin, an investment in a war that must be ended." Trump reacted by saying it's time for Ukraine to get a new President, but his move has met with strong criticism from Congress members on both sides. 

Trump's Department of Justice proposes speeding up the death penalty backlog using execution by firing squad. It comes in the wake of last week's botched execution of a woman by lethal injection, who is now recovering in hospital. It's not clear what will happen to her next. First on his hit list is Ex Major Nidal Hasan, an army psychiatrist  with hidden islamist sympathies, who massacred thirteen unarmed soldiers at an army base in 2009. He was paralysed from the waist down in the shoot-out. It is proposed the execution will be live streamed to serve as a deterrent to others. But what message about justice and humanity is conveyed by legally killing a wheelchair bound man in public? One attention grabbing pronouncement after another from the White House administration generates outrage or uncertainty. America's economy suffers meanwhile? Does Trump or any of his advisors have any real idea about the impact of his decisions and pronouncements on the world outside of his charmed circle of fans?

After supper I watched the melodramatic finale of series one of 'Black Sands'. Behind the murder mystery a back story of child abuse in a dysfunctional foster family. It was a bit difficult to piece together. Working out who was who among the characters from the way it was portrayed added unnecessarily to the mystery. The dialogue was in English or in Icelandic, a North Western Germanic language descended from Old Norse. Familiarity with German, Swedish and Danish movies made it possible to identify some words but not the flow of dialogue. Relying mostly on sub titles added to the challenge of working out what went on. A lapse of concentration meant having to rewind to read and make sense of dialogue, not something that's often necessary. I've just discovered there's a second series to watch. Shall I bother?

Excursion

A better night's sleep feeling refreshed when I got up. Clare we up ahead of me cooking Saturday breakfast pancakes. We wanted to visit a lighting shop at the bottom of Sloper road to look for a replacement standard lamp, but had difficulty identifying the best bus that would take us in that direction as we'd already decided on a trip to Penarth. The information provided by Cardiff bus is plentiful but not exactly user friendly in the way it's presented. We ended up going to the bus station in town to get one of several different buses which go to Penarth via Sloper Road, with the aim of visiting the shop on returning from our excursion.

Clare bought a small pumpkin yesterday and excavated the flesh from inside it to use in making pumpkin soup for lunch. It was full of flavour, enhanced with lemon juice. Then we went to the bus station on a 61 and caught a 92 to Windsor Road in Penarth, where we caught a convenient 305 which took us a mile downhill to the sea front. The tide was out. We walked on the pier enjoying the spectacular view of the pebble beach and Severn Estuary under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds floating in it. Then we walked up to the cliff top path and had a cup of tea from an ice cream stall overlooking the children's playground and the sea. We climbed back up to Windsor Road on the steep path through Alexandra Park, and were lucky enough to find a 92 bus waiting to return to Cardiff bus station, where a 61 bus was about to depart. 

We got off at the stop near the 'Rock & Malt' fish and chip shop where we bought a generously portioned take-away supper. As my head was much clearer, I enjoyed our five bus excursion this afternoon rather than enduring it. It makes the prospect of holiday travel feel promising once more. After we'd eaten, I watched the finale of 'After the Flood' on ITVX then three episodes of 'Black Sands', keeping me up later than necessary. Serives me right if I'm tired tomorrow.

Jewellery shopping

Yet again painful trapped wind in my gut robbed me of a couple of hours of sleep. Both of us got up late for breakfast. We were hardly ready when Clare's flute teacher arrived for a lesson at ten. An overcast and drizzly damp start to the day. Fortunately, the sky cleared. The afternoon was sunny, and the temperature dropped to single figures after dark.

After lunch we went out in search of some earrings to go with the pendant I bought Clare for our 60th wedding anniversary. First we visited a pawnbroker's shop on Cowbridge Road East, with a jewellery display in the window as Clare had seen something of interest in the window, but it turned out on closer examination to be unsuitable. It's the first time in my life that I've been inside a pawnbroker's shop. Then we went to town on the bus and visited half a dozen jewellers without finding what we were looking for. In Castle Arcade there's a shop that sells quartz crystal jewellery with lots of original designs, and that was where a set of simple pendant earrings caught her eye a good match for the neck pendant.

We took a bus back to Cowbridge Road East to call at the hardware store for some mothballs. Sadly two of my short sleeved pullovers have acquired moth holes from being kept un-bagged in a bedroom chest of drawers.

After supper I watched a couple of episodes of an Icelandic crimmie called 'Black Sands' on Walter Presents. A multi layered story, a bit slow moving, but interesting enough to persuade me to stay up late.

The changing face of money

Wind pain in my gut deprived me of an hour's sleep but I slept fairly well apart from that. Kath phoned on her way to work while we were having breakfast. We were delighted to hear that Rhiannon has joined a University theatre group and has been enlisted as a costume designer for a musical production. She has to come up with ideas and supervise others in making the garments. Such a good experience, given that she'll be doing this in future course projects. Rachel messaged us to say that she's booked her home flight for 22nd December staying until New Year's Eve. Kath and Anto are going to Vienna for New Year but will be here with us for Christmas, which we are hosting this year. 

The morning slipped away while I wrote and reflected on current events. Clare made lunch an hour early as she is joining a community choir gathering in the garden of a pub in Grangetown to sing for the funeral of a former member. Apparently a service cannot be held in St John's church as it is being hired as a film location. This extends to Sunday as well. The St John's nine o'clock congregation is asked to meet at St Catherine's for the Eucharist instead. 

I hope members will resist the temptation to think this is the thin end of the wedge. Both congregations together would fill either church, but being 'local' is key to the offer of Anglican Parish worship. Gone are the days when both churches would welcome a thousand people between them to Sunday worship. It's a tenth of that nowadays. Running costs are higher than ever and hard to cover. Even so, occasional funerals and weddings fill each church with hundreds attending, but how much this contributes to all maintaining Parish ministry is anybody's guess. 

Use as a filming location raises income that benefits the struggling finances of a small congregation. St Catherine's church benefits from having a period piece church hall often used in this way, sparing the church building from disruption. St German's was also used for location filming last year. It's argued that appearing in a TV drama showcases the building and attracts movie buffs curious to see inside a building in real life. Maybe so, but does it attract worshippers or inspire long term commitment? 

Fewer churches are open to visitors these days. There's less opportunity for curious folk to enter and explore, to experience the aesthetic of sacred space evoking awe and wonder through its beauty. As an undergraduate St Mary's Tyndall's Park in Bristol was on my walking route home from the chemistry lab. A side door was often open, and a handful of people would be inside doing routine cleaning and polishing, always ready to welcome passers by with a smile and encourage them to look around or pray. It was a capacious Victorian Gothic Anglo-Catholic edifice, dark within, thanks to its array of stained glass windows making good use of blue and red colour. Quite apart from the odour of incense still lingering after Sunday Mass and Benediction, it was for me a new experience of sacred mystery which I grew to delight in. 

Ten years after I graduated, the church was closed, its diminishing congregation could no longer afford to use it. The BBC bought it for storing equipment, props and scenery, but it was subsequently bought by a free evangelical congregation and converted into the Woodlands Centre', a Christian enterprise still alive and active, albeit in a radically different contemporary way to its High Church missionary predecessor.

I went to the Post Office after lunch to send Rachel's birthday present. I was astonished to find there was an import handling charge to pay on top of postage, even though the item wasn't of high value. This drives people to order gifts and have them delivered through Amazon, depersonalizing the nature of the gift. It may be convenient, as digital payment is more convenient than hard cash, but this diminishes the material reality of the exchange. Having said that, I went to Tesco's on my way back to buy olive oil, eggs and a pack of chicken legs to roast, and paid digitally for a second time in half an hour. I still carry cash, but have become dependent on making digital payments. Meanwhile the number of cash machines diminishes. 

I remember when they were introduced in the early seventies. Natwest bank  issued me with an Access credit card. I pre-loaded with sterling and used it to withdraw French Francs during a camping holiday by Lake Annecy. I don't think that was the main intention of the card company at the time as it meant the banking consortium behind Access paying me a tiny sum of interest instead of charging me for borrowing their money. Post Office travel money cards appeared thirty years later. Other companies and banks issued pre-paid money cards for use as a kind of digital currency. In the late nineties Geneva public transport issued a pre-pay travel card called 'CASH'. We didn't bother with this as a monthly season ticket called a 'Carte Orange' was part of my job expenses package. Nowadays this is the name given to a phone SIM card or eSIM for tourists. How things develop over time!

Grim anniversary

A refreshing night's sleep, only awake for an hour out of nine in bed. I'm feeling the benefit of stopping using almond milk, with a clearer head and more energy. I was able to walk to church at a faster pace and arrive just in time, having started out too late for a leisurely walk. Chilly, damp and overcast this morning. There were eight of us at the St Catherine's Eucharist. I bought yellow courgettes, French beans, tomatoes and a couple of ripe figs grown in the church garden when we met for coffee and chat after the service.

Clare went to town and bought me a new short sleeved pullover. Two of the four I own have moth holes, one has shrunk to the point of being too tight for me, though I'm slimmer than when I first wore it decades ago. I cooked coley, potatoes and French beans for lunch and we had the delicious figs for dessert. Then I went to Boots to get packs of wound dressings - hopefully for the past time, as the bum wound is almost healed.

It's three years today since the Hamas massacre of 1,200 people with 251 taken hostage at the Nova music festival in Israel triggering the devastating war against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, killing 75,225 citizens and 2046 Israelis. The poison of hatred, retaliation and revenge afflicts the Land of the Holy One, if not the whole world. It has aroused anti-semitic attitudes and attacks against Jewish people and institutions regardless of the fact many Jews are critical of the Netanyahu government and disapprove of how Palestinian people are treated.

Elections are due to take place in Israel in three weeks time. Israel has lost a lot of international support because of the extreme ferocity of the Gaza war and the continued suffering of its Palestinian inhabitants. There's little sign candidates will change Israeli foreign policy or consider the possibility of Palestinian statehood. The outcome of the election could have profound consequences for relationships with Gulf states and the international community. As long as America and Israel remain at war with Iran, Israel is vulnerable to attack and will suffer the same economic consequences as Western countries. Days after Israelis go to the polls the American mid-term elections take place. Trump's popularity has plummeted. Opposition to the war will be influential in how people vote. How will each of these elections influence the other?

I find it difficult reading the Psalms at worship when so many sentiments are voiced asking for divine help to subjugate, expel enemies  or destroy them. Some Jews and Christians may interpret this metaphorically as spiritual combat against the evil within ourselves, but others take it literally and use scripture to justify ill-will and violence against others rather than bring it to an end. If only the Gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation was heeded by those locked in everlasting hatred and mortal combat. It's so hard to face up to and endure the pain caused by evil doing to reach a place where people can be a peace with one another.

I had a text message from UHW instructing me to visit an NHS message portal website with an access code to view a message about a General Surgery appointment next month. This follows up from a GP visit when the infection in my buttock scar tissue started. It's healed now, but I'm hoping that I'll be referred for a tissue scan to check if there's any vulnerability remaining. I intend to ask for this, and insist if necessary.

There was nothing of interest I wanted to watch on telly this evening, so I returned to reading Gabriel García Márquez's novel 'El amor en los tiempos de cólera'. My concentration has improved and my head is clear enough to take pleasure reading in Spanish - until I start to get tired and yawn. Then I know it's time for bed.

Intolerance unmasked

Admittedly I did go to bed late last night but lost more sleep from emptying my full bladder five times and waking up early, thinking or was it dreaming about a disposing of a stamp collection which was given to me by the late Mary Setna, an international civil servant and member of the congregation in Geneva when she was downsizing near the end of her life. The intention was that I should use the collection to raise funds for charity. 

I have no knowledge of the world of stamps, but the collection includes French, Swiss and American issues relating to the United Nations. I didn't know how to go about selling in Switzerland, nor when we returned to Wales. They remain packaged the way I received them.  It's been on my to-do list to complete the task for twenty five years. Shame on me. Possibly the collection will be worth more now than when I acquired it. How strange that unfinished business from so long ago should emerge from my unconscious mind. It may be easier now to find out what I needed to know back then, thanks to the wide range of information available on the internet. We'll see.

I swapped almond for soya milk with my breakfast oats, and felt much better as a result - more alert, less sleepy, less fuzzy headed. I wish I'd realised this a year ago, when brain fog and mental fatigue were simply attributed to the stroke. Santander Bank notified me of the need to renew an ISA or have the money revert to a low interest basic account, as happened last month with a savings account - a sort of financial coercion to shift your money around. It's all a bit beyond me how this is meant to work. I went to the bank in town and asked for help. It made sense in the end, and money I don't need to use is now in an ISA that won 't need attention for two years. 

When I looked at my account on-line at home, I could see that a small sum of interest was all that remained in an easy access account, the interest being added after the deposit sum was transferred to another account. I transferred this small sum into my current account, to prove to myself that I can manage online banking. Having said that, finding information about terms and conditions for a variety of possible accounts wasn't immediately obvious to me as a relatively new user. I asked the 'Sandi' bot for help. It delivered the information, but I didn't find the highly structured interface user friendly. It may be as good as it gets, but my mind doesn't work quite like that.

A refund cheque from British Gas Services arrived in the morning mail in response to my complaint about an over enthusiastic insurance contract sign up response back in the summer when Clare contacted them with a maintenance and repair query we then didn't need to pursue. It seems to be for the equivalent of the cancellation fee Clare paid. Something went awry early on, as the system presumed our account was active and sent emails and letters urging us to book a gas service appointment as if we were still clients. I deposited the cheque in my HSBC account at the Post Office after lunch, and sent a message stating that the cheque had been received and banked. Hopefully this brings closure to the affair.

At the end of today I'm surprised at the difference not using almond milk has made to me. Not only a clear head, but feeling calmer, more relaxed. My body doesn't have to work overtime trying to process almond milk, a concentrated form of protein. I feel less stressed because my digestive system is less stressed.

After supper I watched another episode of 'Wisting' to end the day.