29/03/2007 by David.

I came across the work of two very different artists today.

Someone sent me an email illustrating the murals of Eric Grohe and that sent me off on a mural search until I revisited the grafiti master Banksy. Both of these artists set about transforming the dull and the mundane with artisitic flair.

The one is stimulating for its sheer scale and excellence the other for its audacity and political comment.

In the building site at the back of my house work is nearing completion - but the builders have had to redo the front of the building because they didn’t consult the plans properly. A man has been painstakingly sticking little brick slices to one part so that it looks as if made of brick - and another part has been resprayed with imitation Bath stone. The trouble we go to to transform!

I’m glad that I know the Expert at transformation. The Creator is the best at transformation. As Easter approaches be reminded of what He did to change our lives for the best.

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24/03/2007 by David.

There is a ritual in my house just before bedtime at this time of year. All the clocks have to be changed allowing for British Summer Time. I tend to do it at about 10pm - which is really a bit early and generally causes confusion.

Beside my bed I have a small clock that listens in to the time signal from Rugby - or the new location in Cumbria, and adjusts itself automatically. So does my computer.

We all go through this performance marking the “rites of spring” - and those who forget are late for Church - or for their visit to the supermarket. By Monday most people have caught up. “Spring forward and fall back” - how often will that be repeated to remind us which way the hands of the clock go?

I like the thought of a clock that synchronises itself with the immensely accurate atomic clocks - because seconds count.

Keep in step with the Spirit, says Paul. Get your life synchronised with God’s clock.

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23/03/2007 by David.

Near my house is a lane between the houses that provides a short cut out of the cul de sac to the road to town.  At night it has been dimly lit until a few days ago, when the council installed a new lamp which is much brighter.

This now shines into the rooms of houses nearby and is a distraction - but the reason for the new light was a recent serious mugging of a nearby resident in that lane.

I guess a compromise will be reached and the council will install “blinkers” that reduce the neighbourly distraction  but preserve a brightly lit pathway.

“The light shines in the darkness…”   It is not always appreciated - but it brings to view dangers and misdeeds that would otherwise be hidden.

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22/03/2007 by David.

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the death of my younger son - Mark. Such anniversaries are inevitably painful, so we planned to go out and do something special.

The Parks Department had said it would try to revarnish his memorial bench by this date - but of course they are busy people - so Mark’s bench in the town’s Ashcombe Park was still looking a bit sad.

Nevertheless we did have a different day, and we came to terms with Greek restaurants, enjoying a meal in a restaurant not owned by the fellow who persuaded Mark to invest the proceeds of his house sale… That is a step in the right direction. Coming to terms with the evidence in the community of that particular fellow’s businesses.

We had a card from our Church, and flowers from several people. The day was not as awful as we had anticipated - and for that we thank God.

Memory can be cruel - but some things must be remembered. Easter approaches.

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08/03/2007 by David.

I received a sad message from my daughter Carol today:-

Dear Dad, got back this morning to find the dogcatchers trying to catch not my dog and I betrayed her. Called her to me and then picked her up and gave them to her. Now I’m sad. But she has been on heat and constantly pestered by loads of dogs of all sizes. Poor thing. At least she had one last cuddle before going, and I hope she doesn’t feel betrayed.