Skip's Home Studio.

Anniversaries always makes one look back at our life history and we always say, "Where did the time go?" But that is what time does every single moment - it goes. That is why every moment is so precious in our lives and so each moment has the right to be honoured by being recognised for it's existence by making all effort to make it count for good. Not just for ourselves but for those around us who share our lives.



Our lives should not be focused on 'Them and Us', but 'You and Me'.

It was good to hear just now that New Orleans escaped the flooding from the hurricane, that it suffered last time. Phew! We can all expect some serious water in our future, as the Earth warms up and more storms are created in the process. I am glad I can sail

First of all I finally finished the mirror I have been working on and on time. I will post it on my photos just as soon as I can get a decent image of it with my little thumbnail camera. Still working on that.

My 'Friends' list seems to have jammed for some reason. I have received a new friend but he has not shown up on my list, I can not edit the list, and it does not show who of my friends are online. I have reported it to Opera but no show yet.



The weather has become unsettled again. The uncommon weather at this time of year is effecting usual growth. The flowers love the sunshine, but then they get battered by the wind and rain. It is keeping me busy out there, keeping things going.

I think that this growing recession is a good thing generally, because it is forcing people to review their spending habits and forcing them to downshift, using less, and that has got to be good for the planet. It has put a halt to airport expansions and even British Airways have had a big drop in profits and putting up fares to try to compensate for that. As a result people are starting to fly less. Bookings for holidays here have gone up 25%, from people in the U.K. choosing not to holiday abroad this year.

Artwise I have two of my paintings to do and another mirror on order. I am working on the design today.

I do hope that everybody is well and have happiness in your lives. I wish peace for all.

I have started to teach myself to play and sing 'Peace Train', by the then Cat Stevens, because I think that it is a great and meaningful song. I have got the chords and I have got the words, so now I am putting them together on my little acoustic. I would probably find this endeavour a lot easier if (a) I could sing, and (b) I could play guitar properly. But it is a whole loads of laughs and fun trying.

The days are very warm, very busy, and productive,

Subject: for all those of us on a permanent diet!

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums. And Satan said, 'You want hot fudge with that? And Man said, 'Yes!' And Woman said, 'I'll have one too with chocolate chips'. And so they gained 10 pounds.

And God created the healthy yoghurt that woman might keep the figure that man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.

So God said, 'Try my fresh green salad'. And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said 'I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them'.

And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter, and Man's cholesterol went through the roof.

Then God brought forth the potato; naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition.

Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy centre into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds. God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.

Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.

And Satan created McDonalds and the 99p double cheeseburger. Then Satan said 'You want fries with that?' and Man replied, 'Yes, and super size 'em'. And Satan said, 'It is good.' And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed ......... and created quadruple by-pass surgery.

And then ............ Satan chuckled and created the National Health Service.


THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION

After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word on nutrition and health.:

1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
6. The French eat foie-gras, full fat cheese and drink red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than
us

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Nobody on this Earth is here to struggle and suffer alone. That is because gregariousness is part of our basic instincts. The 'world' only had it's problems when they moved away from the natural, abandoned their fellow man, and exchanged love for avarice. The less we have the more that can be shared.

I just got back from another weekend visit to our friends in Pakefield. Last night I was treated to dinner at a Thai restaurant (spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce; chicken green curry with coconut rice; an apple and cream dessert, and a 'Singha' beer to wash it down). Delicious.

No sooner had we got back than the rain arrived here, so the garden and pots are all getting a natural watering and saving me a job.



It is no wonder that I do all I can to disassociate myself from the 'world' when they have no conscience. A footballer can spend £5 million on his wedding day when that amount of children are dying of aids and starvation at the same time.

The calculating left of brain must be tempered by the creative right of brain. Enlightenment comes only with whole brain thinking.

We had our first salad from our little garden last night. It was fresh, organic, and tasted wonderful. I urge everybody to grow something. It only takes a kitchen window sill and/or hanging baskets, if you do not have a garden. Then study the plant(s) closely as they grow to bear flowers, seeds, and/or fruits. You become responsible for that living being, giving the plant's existence and yours mutual recognition. It is a good education to respond with nature.

Of course the ice caps are melting! It is because we are still coming out of the last ice age. Historically the Earth has been without the ice caps several times before and so it is to be again.

Man's carbon emissions are not helping us at all, but they are paltry to what the Earth is doing. As the planet warms up the perma-frost is thawing out and releasing huge amounts of carbon monoxide which is 25 times more damaging to our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Also the Earth's magnetic field is weakening apace and that protects us from solar radiation.

Instead of spending billions of dollars trying to colonise the Moon or Mars (unsustainable) it would be intelligent to spend the resources on adapting to global warming - for everybody on the planet. Every day we are on this Earth counts because we are blessed by the very joy of our living existence.

It is the first of June already! (It does not seem that long ago since Christmas - when I got my new air guitar). How the time is flying by these days. I remember when I was a young lad, the days used to be about a week long. But now time is so precious that one has to make every minute count.
The day has started overcast and very cool and the garden is looking sluggish now. The greenhouse however is busy 'getting there'; with tomato plants, chillies, and begonias flowering and giving some colour besides green. Again this year I have ran out of room with pots and trays of seedlings to be planted out when they are ready. Outside the roses and California poppies are in full bloom (although the poppies are closed this morning from lack of sunshine). I have uploaded some images of the garden, as it is today.



My own favourite quote has always been, 'Live free! - or, at least, very cheaply. Now it looks like the urbanites here have been given a wake up call with this 'credit crunch', spiralling fuel and food costs, etc. And I think that a recession has a positive side because it will force people to use less resources because they can not afford to carry on as they have been doing. It may be a bad thing for the 'world' but a good thing for the Earth. I have always said that the last human beings to survive on this Earth will be the Bushmen of the Kalahari, who have always survived on next to nothing.