We are back...
Leaving the fantastical dream-realm of the Serenissima for the harsh reality of the Everyday Life in London.
Nine days into the New Year is, I guess, a tad late to offer best wishes for the remaining 358, but better late than never.
Being frail creatures, we habitually begin each new year (despite its utter arbitrariness) with blithe hopes and wistful expectations. So, whatever you may be hoping, wishing or praying for in 2008: may you find or receive those things or else be given the courage and resolve to make do with whatever does happen to come your way...
And I'll close this first blog of the year with a thought-provoking thought from G K Chesterton:
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year.
It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.
Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions.
Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.
Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards.
Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Image: © Brian Sibley, 2008
12 comments:
At last, a new Brian Blog - Welcome Back - hope Buttons didn't get splashed by any passing vaporettas!
I haven't made new year resolutions for a while, but this year decided to set myself a target to complete a task - something important to me - within a set time period. I'm hoping it will work better than the usual more generalised - I'm going to lose weight, or get fitter.
If I do reach that target I'll recommend trying this approach to others.
In the meantime, I hope 2008 is a good year for other avid and devoted readers of Brian's Blogs.
Thanks LisaH and good luck with that resolution which is, I know, very important to you.
Hello Mr B,
Happy New Year ! Glad your back, even if you're suffering from the same reality check we did coming back from beautiful Brugge just a few days ago.Don't worry, it won't be long before you are assimilated back into the maelstrom of reality to the point where you can't even remember that restful state that was your hols...
Good to have to back Brian. I see what Mr Boll Weavil meant by reality check... coming back from Orval was a shock to the system too.
By the way, after having read the term "boll weavil" in one of my Jeeves books, I finally looked it up in the dictionary... Q.I.!
And following up on your email yesterday, I think I shall get Tom Cutler's book too!
Suzanne - 'Boll Weavil' is a musical duo comprising myself (as Mr Boll) and my oppo Mr Weavil. It began in 1982 when the idea of switching the spelling of 'weevil' to 'weavil' to copy the Beatles seemed pretty funny.Regrettably, our musical activities have lapsed of late, due to Mr Weavil's stage commitments and his penchant for panto.The name though, continues to thrive, for in signing upto email addresses or obtaining logon names, one can always be reasonably certain that the 'Boll Weavil' nomenclature will be available...
Good to have you - and your blog - back again, Brian!
Ah, the first Siblog of the new year! Terrifically otherworldly streetlamp photo, Brian!
- I didn't realize how much your blog had become a daily mental boost of sorts, until the retardation began seeping back in, ala Flowers For Algernon, in your absence. I received staggering news that my friend and sometime's writing partner, George' wife, 38, had an MRI of a chronic shoulder pain, yesterday, and it seems to be cancer, spreading fast. I only bring it up here because of your timely posting of Chesterton's poigniant words- they have 4 children, 3 autistic, so all who read this, can you please keep Alaine in your thoughts and prayers. So thank you Brian, for your return and the healthy dose of spirit and goodwill!- Bill
Thanks, Rob and Bill...
And, Bill, our thoughts and hearts go out to Alaine and George and to you and all their friends and relations.
Thanks for the explanation Mr Boll! I can't get onto your Blog though...
Suzanne - have just tried Brian's link and it seems to work OK.History may catch up with it though as my magazine has a suspended sentence of death hanging over it owing to an unsympathetic local council !
To Brian and the "Sibloggers",
I am happy-- or, more appropriately, ecstatic to say, Alaine and George went to the oncologist, to find that the nagging pain was from a benign cyst that was easily drained, and will be completely dispensed by antibiotics, no surgery required. The easy answer is, that the Dr. in charge of the MRI labs, drew the wrong conclusions, but, just what if- he was right? I promise, I am not one to evangelize, I have seen unexplained "miracles" before, and I am apt to put this in that category. I know countless folks read your blog, Brian, and I wish to thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. Our lives are rigorous, fast, and and full of experience, it would be easy to ignore and not mentally record events like this, but I think it's refreshing to believe that thoughts and prayer can accomplish things that a scalpel would be incapable of.- Thank You, Bill
BILL - Excellent news! I'm so pleased for you all. Take care.
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