Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Season’s greetings and thanks for keeping the diary going. I had a look back to page 1 today and found it hard to believe that I had been following (all of this dribble  ) for so long now.
From serious stuff to arguing over how to make a proper cuppa or to push or pull a lawnmower I have loved it all so many thanks for this.
Now for some serious stuff. What is on the menu for Christmas lunch tomorrow?

Thank you for those kind words Mr D.

So much I want to say in reply. Thoughts jostling for position, all trying to be first on to the paper. I daren't let them just spill out though, who knows how much of a fool they would make of me.

Just give me a little time to check them over and make them presentable please, and I'll get back to you.

In the meanwhile. Merry Christmas.

[Pokerpops]

Season’s greetings and thanks for keeping the diary going. I had a look back to page 1 today and found it hard to believe that I had been following (all of this dribble  ) for so long now.
From serious stuff to arguing over how to make a proper cuppa or to push or pull a lawnmower I have loved it all so many thanks for this.
Now for some serious stuff. What is on the menu for Christmas lunch tomorrow?

Thank you for those kind words Mr D.

So much I want to say in reply. Thoughts jostling for position, all trying to be first on to the paper. I daren't let them just spill out though, who knows how much of a fool they would make of me.

Just give me a little time to check them over and make them presentable please, and I'll get back to you.

In the meanwhile. Merry Christmas.

What a magnificent couple of sentences those are. Almost Jamesian.

[RED-DOG]

It's hard to keep a diary going for a long period and I kind of guessed that would be the case when I started this.
I dithered for ages, afraid to commit, but then I took the pressure off myself by calling it a sporadic diary, that way, if I didn't want to do it for a while, I wouldn't have to.

I've enjoyed sharing bits of my life with everyone, be it memories and nostalgia or 'current affairs'.

Over the years, what started as a bit of fun has turned into a serious record of some of the most important events of my life.

I've also exposed far more of myself than I ever thought I would and in doing so I've learned more about myself I thought possible.

In amongst the inane blathering I've written about my culture and heritage, my struggle to be allowed to live on the land that I own, the prejudice I've encountered etc, but because this is an interactive diary, I've been forced to confront my own prejudices and shortcomings and I've come to realise that basically, we are mostly all the same people with the same problems and insecurities.

I've told the stories that are important to me, the ones that make me laugh and the ones that make me cry. The ones that are burned deeply into my memory, and the ones I hope someone will remember after I've gone.

I wrote about seismic emotional events like losing my son Tommy and the death of my father and I bared my soul in a way that I would never be able to do in person.

I wrote about the the fascination I have for the trivia that makes up all of our daily lives and I've tried to remark upon the seemingly unremarkable. The frost on the grass, the spider under the leaf, the tiny flower growing from a crack in a stone... and when I write I visualise the reader's eyes rolling and it makes me smile.

I've asked endless stupid questions and been rewarded with amazingly detailed or excruciatingly funny answers.

There are so many people on here that I am in awe of. Some I chat to regularly on various threads, some seldom talk to me and some no longer post on blonde at all.

They all have two things in common, they have enriched my life immensely and they would never guess who they are.



I've written tributes to the people I love and have loved, to friends past and present, to strangers who's names I will never know but in who's debt I will always remain, and to the strangers on here who became my friends.

In my mind, there is no greater thing on earth than the kindness of a stranger.


xx

[arbboy]

When i read the above it sounded like a retirement speech Tom.   Fingers crossed you keep it going your diary is a great read even though i hardly know you personally its always a great read your thoughts and views on life.

[RED-DOG]

When i read the above it sounded like a retirement speech Tom.   Fingers crossed you keep it going your diary is a great read even though i hardly know you personally its always a great read your thoughts and views on life.

Cheers arby.

I think I'll let Eric reply on my behalf.

[Karabiner]

Great post Tom - although I too thought it sounded a bit like an "end of diary" post at first - hopefully I was wrong.

We all love your diary and how you permit us to be the spiders on the wall.

Very Merry Xmas to all of you.

xxxxxx

[booder]

What Ralphy said ,
 keep on keeping on.

Seasons Greetings to you and yours.

[RED-DOG]

Season’s greetings and thanks for keeping the diary going. I had a look back to page 1 today and found it hard to believe that I had been following (all of this dribble  ) for so long now.
From serious stuff to arguing over how to make a proper cuppa or to push or pull a lawnmower I have loved it all so many thanks for this.
Now for some serious stuff. What is on the menu for Christmas lunch tomorrow?

Thank you for those kind words Mr D.

So much I want to say in reply. Thoughts jostling for position, all trying to be first on to the paper. I daren't let them just spill out though, who knows how much of a fool they would make of me.

Just give me a little time to check them over and make them presentable please, and I'll get back to you.

In the meanwhile. Merry Christmas.

What a magnificent couple of sentences those are. Almost Jamesian.

That's an uncommonly nice and probably totally undeserved compliment David. I'll take it all the same.




The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.

Henry James

[arbboy]

When i read the above it sounded like a retirement speech Tom.   Fingers crossed you keep it going your diary is a great read even though i hardly know you personally its always a great read your thoughts and views on life.

Cheers arby.

I think I'll let Eric reply on my behalf.

My fav post of your diary this year was the conifer hair cuts around your house and the crazy double variety conifer off shoot picture.

[RED-DOG]

Great post Tom - although I too thought it sounded a bit like an "end of diary" post at first - hopefully I was wrong.

We all love your diary and how you permit us to be the spiders on the wall.

Very Merry Xmas to all of you.

xxxxxx

I'm all quotatious tonight Ralph.




Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill



Merry Christmas. x

[Pokerpops]

Season’s greetings and thanks for keeping the diary going. I had a look back to page 1 today and found it hard to believe that I had been following (all of this dribble  ) for so long now.
From serious stuff to arguing over how to make a proper cuppa or to push or pull a lawnmower I have loved it all so many thanks for this.
Now for some serious stuff. What is on the menu for Christmas lunch tomorrow?

Thank you for those kind words Mr D.

So much I want to say in reply. Thoughts jostling for position, all trying to be first on to the paper. I daren't let them just spill out though, who knows how much of a fool they would make of me.

Just give me a little time to check them over and make them presentable please, and I'll get back to you.

In the meanwhile. Merry Christmas.

What a magnificent couple of sentences those are. Almost Jamesian.

That's an uncommonly nice and probably totally undeserved compliment David. I'll take it all the same.




The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.

Henry James

I meant it all. Although, as I am sure you knew, I had the recently departed Clive in mind.

[RED-DOG]

My fav post of your diary this year was the conifer hair cuts around your house and the crazy double variety conifer off shoot picture.

Wasn't that an amazing thing?

Even more amazing, now that I know what to look for I've found another one with an even crazier offshoot.

I'll get a pic tomorrow.

[RED-DOG]

Season’s greetings and thanks for keeping the diary going. I had a look back to page 1 today and found it hard to believe that I had been following (all of this dribble  ) for so long now.
From serious stuff to arguing over how to make a proper cuppa or to push or pull a lawnmower I have loved it all so many thanks for this.
Now for some serious stuff. What is on the menu for Christmas lunch tomorrow?

Thank you for those kind words Mr D.

So much I want to say in reply. Thoughts jostling for position, all trying to be first on to the paper. I daren't let them just spill out though, who knows how much of a fool they would make of me.

Just give me a little time to check them over and make them presentable please, and I'll get back to you.

In the meanwhile. Merry Christmas.

What a magnificent couple of sentences those are. Almost Jamesian.

That's an uncommonly nice and probably totally undeserved compliment David. I'll take it all the same.




The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.

Henry James

I meant it all. Although, as I am sure you knew, I had the recently departed Clive in mind.

I have to admit to being torn between Henry, William and Clive. I plumped for Henry because he is most often referred to when 'Jamesian' is used.

Clive is a far better and even more undeserved compliment.



William wasn't bad though.



Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second.

William James

[RED-DOG]

What Ralphy said ,
 keep on keeping on.

Seasons Greetings to you and yours.

I toyed with the idea of calling you Dave but just the though of it made me feel like Trigger.


Merry Christmas Boo.

[arbboy]

My fav post of your diary this year was the conifer hair cuts around your house and the crazy double variety conifer off shoot picture.

Wasn't that an amazing thing?

Even more amazing, now that I know what to look for I've found another one with an even crazier offshoot.

I'll get a pic tomorrow.

Properly amazing thing.   I am a bit of a conifer nerd because my mother has had a long legal battle at her house over conifers and really thought your before and after pics of the trees around your house looked amazing how they had developed and all the different 'haircut' styles you give them.

Looking forward to the next picture.