Gone Away
Dispatches from a life in America
270 posts
Siblings
I grew up with two sisters. It always struck me as a little unfair that I only had two sisters whereas both of my sisters had a brother and a sister. In this way, I was deprived of knowing what it is like to have a…
Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts...
Well, I'm back after a rather longer break for the holidays than I had expected. All caused by daring to stop at all and the resultant crisis in confidence; nothing to be alarmed at, really. And, to set the ball…
Barbel Run
(This is one of a series of articles I wrote dealing with memories of an African childhood. To read the first of these, click here ) The rainstorm passed and the boy ran from the house, out into the new world, bright…
Our Island Story
I like history, particularly the history of the English-speaking peoples. This is quite rare amongst my generation for, when I was at school, history was renowned as the most boring subject of all, being a matter of…
Opinions
As the man with a wooden leg said, it's a matter of opinion. And I've been thinking about opinions. Reading blogs makes one very aware that it's true what they say: everyone has an opinion. What is less often noticed,…
Spare a Thought for Archy
There is a saying that "on the internet, no-one knows that you're a dog". Which is true enough and bears hidden philosophical implications to boot, but gives no hint of the problems encountered as a blogging chameleon.…
A Short Blogging Story
I have been getting extremely blogweary over the last few weeks. Regular readers might have noticed the slowdown in my production and I can only apologize if this has disappointed them. It will probably get worse, not…
Nemesis
He landed softly in a field of wheat. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but this vista of ripening wheat rippling in waves as it bowed to the wind. The sky above was untarnished blue, deep, limitless,…
The Common Grackle
I like animals and birds that have adapted to man's alteration of the natural environment. Very often they are the scruffs and the toughs of the wild, the ones that seem ordinary because they are so common. But they are…
England's Jewel
There is a period in European history known as the Dark Ages. This lasts from the end of the Roman Empire in about 400AD until the Norman conquest of England in 1066. We often think of this period as a time of savagery…
Living Backwards
I was miles from anywhere when I first saw him. He was walking at the side of the road, gas can in hand, and I assumed that he'd run out of fuel somewhere. I didn't remember passing any stranded cars on the road but…
Listening to <em>The Gabbler</em>
Some interest has been expressed in the reasons for my posting the second chapter of The Gabbler's Testament rather than the first. I was being honest when I mentioned that I prefer Chapter Two and feel that it is more…
Exerpt From The Book
Today I am taking the easy way out by posting something that has been in existence for a long time. I have considered all sorts of things as potential subjects for the blog but not been happy with any of them.…
The Natural Order of Things
I smoke. Not from excessive brain activity or a general tendency towards spontaneous combustion, but because I happen to be addicted to nicotine. And, before I even start this post, let me say that I am aware that…
Never Kick the Habit
It is a dangerous thing to be kind to yourself. Forget all those self help books that say you have to start by loving yourself; be cruel and unforgiving, demand higher standards, never allow yourself to get away with…
God's Chosen Country
My recent post, That Good, Red Dirt... , received an excellent response from Oju Kemenyi and I quote from it as follows: Remember that your idyllic existence came at a cost. Whether of course that price was worth paying…
Media Wars
Every Brit knows that television was invented by John Logie Baird. Ask an American who invented it, however, and you will be told that it was either Vladimir Kosma Zworykin or Philo Taylor Farnsworth. A bit of research…
That Good, Red Dirt...
In Bluegrass in Duncan , I wrote of my first visit to Duncan, a little town about thirty miles from Lawton. During the summer we had occasion to visit it a few more times and I became familiar with that stretch of the…
Breaking the Blog Rules
Recently I've noticed some interesting things about the numbers of comments on my posts. I have blathered on about this subject a lot in the past ( Oh, Blog It! , Anyone for Comments? and How to Win Friends... ) but…
Okay, Halloween
In America, it is impossible not to notice that today is Halloween. Its symbols, the pumpkins, witches, ghouls and ghosts have been everywhere over the last few weeks and the stores are filled with special offers on…