Ripples of Random Ramblings

Days seem to merge into one another and there are times when I am really not sure of what day it is.  Fortunately I have my trusty Filofax to keep me sane. I really do need my diary/organizer, for my appointments and to keep track of all  Annabell’s medical appointments. Annabell refers to it as “John’s Brain” and up to a point she is right. Someone suggested that it would be serious if it was lost.

Well, yes and no.. it would be irritating, upsetting, no doubt about that, but not as serious as one would imagine. At the end of the each day I transfer  the contents of the day into  Microsoft Outlook and at the end of each  print everything off so that I have a bound hard copy. Between one thing and another, I have only just  printed off and bound  2021. Normally I would have all this completed but December and January were “interesting” months to say the least.  The garden? Well it was good of you to ask – the flowers are dead but the weeds are doing very nicely, thank you. Getting someone (son) to look after Benji is one thing, but to also do the gardening, is pushing things just a touch  :o)  Never mind, I wasn’t happy with a few things anyway and over the  Autumn (Fall)  I should have the opportunity to rearrange things  differently.  LOL – then it will be time to go back to Adelaide again for the next round…….Ah well, there is always winter. Actually, the only thing that has survived is the Mulberry Bush

We returned from Four days in Adelaide   I partly unpacked, repacked and on Thursday sent off back to Adelaide for a Church Conference, The delays were pretty much the same as they were when we drove down last week. The interesting thing is that the delays were a lot less on the return journey this afternoon (Saturday 12th)

and I made good time.  Benji was at the door waiting for me and  it took me a while before I could even get near Annabell  :o)  For the rest of the afternoon he watched me like a hawk each time I went out to the car go fetch in my bags. It took him a while but he settled down. Later on after things settled I took him to the Ada Ryan Gardens for a walk.

Nothing stays still for too long.  I am currently talking to Annabell and  expressed my belief that my time as Commissioner to the Presbytery and the General Assembly is coming to an end. This, whilst personal on my part, also effects the church and that’s why I have to take Annabell into account before I make any decision.   Like many Traditional Churches we are in decline, a decline that has been accelerating since the onset of Covid. When I was with Annabell in Adelaide,  the Sunday Service here  had a congregation of 11.  Other churches are also suffering and my information is that the L.D.S. ( Mormons)  which was once a full and active

organisation was reduced to 6 members. As the  pandemic decreases we may see an increase in  congregation size as people feel more confident about going out and being with other people. The other problem is that the rules for South Australia require masks indoors and even when singing :  I know that alone has deterred  some people from  attending service, so we may well see  things start to change as the  rules change.  Although, having said that,  I don’t see that happening any time soon. The Sign-in rules have changed for retail so perhaps  the new regulations due out next week will have some new changes in them – the  rules this week do not. There has been more rain and some outback roads are flooded again. The reason being is  that the ground is still waterlogged and the rain has nowhere to go. The police and others have warned drivers  not to drive through moving – over the road – water. It could be stronger than you think it is and the road,  underneath the water,  could be damaged. We are ok down here and the wetlands has benefited from all the extra rain.