My heart is filled with sadness for the families of the seven people on board the A320 that ditched off France yesterday afternoon. Such a shocking, horrific thing to happen. I understand the aircraft had just finished a lease to XL Germany and was on its way back to Air New Zealand, and it had two German flight crew, and 5 Kiwis on board doing a check flight after maintenance. As I write this in the early hours, there are two confirmed dead, and five missing.
The crash didn't really rate high on the news agenda alongside the Mumbai terror attacks - what a day for horrible, horrible news - but as ever, this remains one of my nightmares, and my thoughts are with anyone involved in this horrible incident.
God bless them, and may they all rest in peace.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Being thankful
In conjunction with the US Thanksgiving holiday, and various posts giving thanks - including ones by Partner of a Pilot and Cpt J's Wife - I thought I'd do the same. Because, despite our financial nightmare, there's still a great deal that I know I should be more thankful for.
1) Meeting my husband was the most amazing bit of luck, and I'm thankful for that every day.
2) Our parents are fantastic: so loving and so helpful, always there for us when we need them.
3) We're both healthy (aside from my infertility of course)
4) We love each other very much
5) We have enough money to pay our mortgage and keep us fed
6) I have a great job
7) My husband has chosen a career he loves, and isn't stuck in some crappy desk job he'd hate
8) We have a lovely home, in a great place with a fantastic community around us.
And this made me smile...It seems I'm spot on with my taste in carols!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7752029.stm
1) Meeting my husband was the most amazing bit of luck, and I'm thankful for that every day.
2) Our parents are fantastic: so loving and so helpful, always there for us when we need them.
3) We're both healthy (aside from my infertility of course)
4) We love each other very much
5) We have enough money to pay our mortgage and keep us fed
6) I have a great job
7) My husband has chosen a career he loves, and isn't stuck in some crappy desk job he'd hate
8) We have a lovely home, in a great place with a fantastic community around us.
And this made me smile...It seems I'm spot on with my taste in carols!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7752029.stm
"While some of the carols nominated may seem unfamiliar, does any other song
get to the very heart of Christmas as understatedly but effectively as In the
Bleak Midwinter?" said Jeremy Pound, deputy editor of BBC Music
Magazine.
I'm feeling rather smug!
Monday, 24 November 2008
In The Bleak Midwinter
Despite our financial and job worries, I'm getting very excited about Christmas already. Some may say I'm still a child at heart (and perhaps I am!) but I don't think it's just about that, really. I personally believe Christmas is all about love - for our family and our friends and neighbours - and that's something we can all get excited about.
The title of this post is my favourite carol. I have several really, but I love the gorgeous tune and beautiful poem it was composed for, despite the obvious fact of course that Jesus was born in the balmy desert and not in the frosty wind of the wintry British countryside. Still, when I hear it I'm immediately transported back to a small Norman country church stuffed full of well wrapped-up locals each holding a candle, and it being so cold that we could all see our breath.
Perhaps I'm lucky, but when I look back over the years and think of all my Christmases, I have warm memories of all of them, despite the inevitable family tiffs that are part and parcel of what can be quite a stressful time.
I'm lucky too that my husband loves this time of year as much as I do. We have strong Christian beliefs, so it has deep meaning for us, beyond the festival of consumerism that it has become for so many.
One of the only few good things that has come out of him losing his job is that this year at least, he's guaranteed to be around for Christmas - all of it! I can't wait, despite the fact we're going to have to restrain from indulging ourselves on presents this year - we'll still have our good old trusty fake tree (£10.99 from Argos, still going strong!) cards on the walls, a home-made Christmas cake, mince pies and some yummy mulled wine.
And of course that thing that money can't buy - lots and lots of good, old fashioned, unlimited love, wrapped up in our warm house and tied with a decadent (but imaginary and therefore free!) big red bow.
Happy Christmas in advance, everyone.
The title of this post is my favourite carol. I have several really, but I love the gorgeous tune and beautiful poem it was composed for, despite the obvious fact of course that Jesus was born in the balmy desert and not in the frosty wind of the wintry British countryside. Still, when I hear it I'm immediately transported back to a small Norman country church stuffed full of well wrapped-up locals each holding a candle, and it being so cold that we could all see our breath.
Perhaps I'm lucky, but when I look back over the years and think of all my Christmases, I have warm memories of all of them, despite the inevitable family tiffs that are part and parcel of what can be quite a stressful time.
I'm lucky too that my husband loves this time of year as much as I do. We have strong Christian beliefs, so it has deep meaning for us, beyond the festival of consumerism that it has become for so many.
One of the only few good things that has come out of him losing his job is that this year at least, he's guaranteed to be around for Christmas - all of it! I can't wait, despite the fact we're going to have to restrain from indulging ourselves on presents this year - we'll still have our good old trusty fake tree (£10.99 from Argos, still going strong!) cards on the walls, a home-made Christmas cake, mince pies and some yummy mulled wine.
And of course that thing that money can't buy - lots and lots of good, old fashioned, unlimited love, wrapped up in our warm house and tied with a decadent (but imaginary and therefore free!) big red bow.
Happy Christmas in advance, everyone.
Monday, 17 November 2008
The girls of Ryanair
I don't think I need to say anything about this really... except that Ryanair claim their annual charity calendar isn't sexist! Bless them, it's all about excellent customer service, isn't it.
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