(no subject)

[endlessrarities]

Aargh!  March comes in like a sabre-toothed tiger, and hangs around like a woolly mammoth.

It's a garden post today.  I'd hoped I could give you a progress report on the front flower bed, which was looking decidedly woolly itself before I started work on transforming it into something presentable.  I was due to finish weeding it this weekend, but this now seems very unlikely, because this is how it looks today:-

 

The straggly rose bush at the right hand side shows where work has stopped for the moment....

Another hellebore photograph now, just to prove that I haven't filched an earlier photograph to exaggerate:-
 

 

Now the multi-million dollar question is:  at what point do I cancel horse-riding???

Anyway, everything's relative.  After the recent horrific earthquake that shook Christchurch, New Zealand, the seismic forces that shape this world have done it again and put on a repeat performance in North-East Japan.

It never fails to frustrate me that while the Disasters Emergency Committee pulls the stops out to air appeals asking for public support when these natural disasters taking place in the developing world, they don't do a similar thing for 'rich'  countries.  I think it's important to offer financial support to those caught up in such terrible events, wherever they live, and whatever the size of their home country's GDP.  I'd like to think that where the situation's reversed, they do the same for me.  But for someone who isn't really happy about carrying out financial transactions on the internet, it's virtually impossible to do this.  It's just a shame that the Post Office, which regularly hosts the appeals for the DEC, can't host a regular account which the public can support on a more regular basis...

My thoughts go out to all those who are caught up in these hurrendous events.
 

Comments

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

That's a lot of snow - iIshall now stop grousing about the rain and wind here

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That was exactly what we were talking about, the poor flowers thinking it was Spring and then getting all frosted by late snow. Poor babies.

And yes, I hear you on the disaster thing. I can't help but think, "hey, nobody's stirring themselves to take care of my disaster" which may be horrid of me since I'm technically speaking 'safe' but still; charity begins at home, I think. Yes, I'm horribly sorry for them but all I can do is pray and well-wish.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I can see why you're so cheesed off with things - the way in which your country does thing leaves so much to be desired. You're clearly trying damned hard to get yourself a job and better yourself, and yet the state doesn't help you one iota. In a modern civilised world, it's a disgrace, especially when there's an over-priviliged few who really don't contribute much to the greater good of society.

How's the sewing work going?

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

That's it exactly. I got so very pissed off at a guy the other day who was complaining at how his insurance rates had gone up, nearly doubling, and that didn't even count the deductible, complained that "it was just really in case somebody got cancer or something." I snapped and said angrily, "At least you HAVE insurance and you CAN pay the difference. There are some of us who don't have any and if we get sick, well, it's just too bad." He looked utterly shocked like he'd never heard that concept before; may have read about it but hadn't really conceived that it really happened..

Yeah, I don't have much patience with conspicuous consumerism right now.

The sewing is starting to pick up; I'm just gonna have to work my butt to the bone and keep doing that.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Democracy (as opposed to socialism) and "free market" only work when everything falls into place perfectly. Kind of like a Ponzi/pyramid scheme. The ones at the top always benefit. The ones at the bottom do for a while. . . and then it all comes crashing down. Except for the top.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I don't think any of these systems can ever work because humanity is flawed, and obsessed with the creation and retention of wealth.

What impresses me is how many of the world's great religions put great emphasis on the redistribution of wealth and the importance of being charitable, etc. And yet even when such systems are in place, there are still massive inequalities evident between those at the top and those at the bottom.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Your poor garden! I heard the forecast of snow for Scotland and hoped that it would confine itself to the hills -- but it seems it didn't. :(

I'd better not mention that it's a lovely sunshiny spring day down here in London then.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that.

On the bright side, I'm confined to barracks which means lots of writing. Though the Muses seem to be playing noughts and crosses right now...

[roaming.livejournal.com]

That's okay, the US is stepping up to the plate for Japan here. Everyone is sending something. (Can you imagine, if ALL of us just sent $10 lousy dollars (@ 1.85 pound sterling, I'm guessing), how much it would add up to!)

Wow. You got snow. And here in snowy New England, it's sunny and nearly spring like today and tomorrow. What a reversal! In our garden, we let the fall leaves stay there through the winter, we don't rake them up like everyone does. They insulate what's under them. We leave them there until the first weeks of April, because March can fool you. It's sunny now, but we could still have snow the beginning of April. Anyway, we find that the protected/insulated new growth comes back stronger and with a vengeance once we rake away their "roof."

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

We usually leave our leaves in place, too. The only problem is that certain slimy critters tend to find it an extremely useful means of surviving the winter.

But the disadvantage of protecting the slugs and snails is more than balanced out by the helping hand we give to ground beetles, centipedes, ladybirds, hoverflies, etc. etc.

I've started the clean-up on various flower beds in readiness for spring, but there's still plenty of cover left to help the mini-beasts make it through this cold snap.