An Angel Shouted 'Hoi!, What's Your Game Chummy?!

If you ever wonder if the gods, whoever and wherever they may be, have a sense of humour, this should give you an idea...

I had forgotten about this incident until recently; I was looking through some old diaries and found this from December 1976...I was just 14 at the time...

'Today started out well at school, we had all clubbed together to buy John Boy, (name changed to protect the guilty!), the bloke we all fancied, a Christmas present. We bought him a cigarette lighter, but decided we didn't want him to get lung cancer, so we wrote a warning on the wrapping paper.

I was the only one brave enough to give it to him (out of a form of about 30!), so we all signed the card and at lunchtime I went to find him. I did find him, but he was snogging a sixth former in one of the labs...so I waited until they came up for air, and then gave it to him, on behalf of all of us.
I think he liked it, he said thank you a lot!'

The poor chap must have been terrified at the thought of 30 manic hormone ridden teens all lusting after him...and as for writing a warning on the present not to smoke...oh god the whole thing is just too painful!

I was always the one who went up and asked, who crept into empty classrooms and left notes in desks...I think I was hoping it would give me a greater sense of being included; I was lucky to have some very good friends, but I suffered from lack of confidence...and made up for it, by appearing over confident.

Over the years I have managed to mostly get it under control; anxiety can make us behave in all sorts of bizarre ways...I have even asked for Jim 'Here's what you would have won' (Bullseye) Bowen's autograph on behalf of a work colleague in a hotel in Woverhampton!

The moral of this story is don't take yourself too seriously, and don't feel obliged to do all the daft things you are asked to!

...And if the angels didn't have a good laugh setting me up for that last one, they really don't have a sense of humour!








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Location:Snoozy place

Guardian Angels

I firmly believe that each of us has at least one Guardian Angel; I have had several experiences that have convinced me of this, although my proof may not prove anything of the sort to you!

Let me give you an example.

We visited Helsinki in February this year (Finland; beautiful country, wonderful people, magnificent chocolate), but unfortunately I broke a toe a couple of days before we left. I was extremely nervous about boarding the plane, it is always a scrum, allocated seats or not, and the thought of my toe being trodden on was making me feel nauseous...

We were waiting at the gate, and Phil, my husband wandered off to find a loo...naturally the flight was called the minute he vanished from sight, and horror of horrors...we had to go by bus to the plane!

I watched as it filled up; so many passengers in such a small space! By the time Phil reappeared, there were no seats and very little standing room and I was certain of being severely injured...

Now whilst I was waiting for Phil to reappear, I had been on the hotline to my Guardian Angels, with an emergency request for help...

As we went through the gate, all I could see were people crammed into the bus, right up to the doors...I wasn't even sure there was room for us...when suddenly, the driver came up to us and said there were two seats right behind the drivers seat, and we should have them!

Now at no time had I told anyone of my predicament, or asked for special treatment, he had appeared right out of the blue!

The other standing passengers (there were many) looked on in surprise; it was almost as if those two seats had been invisible up until that moment...

But more was to follow!

As we approached the plane on the tarmac, I knew I still had the worst part in front of me, fighting through a narrow aisle full of folks trying to find their seats and put luggage overhead...but as the bus stopped by the steps, the driver only opened the doors in front of us, so that I was the first off the bus and the first up the steps and onto the plane!

I have to believe in Divine intervention after that!

...But I appreciate you might not!

So how do you find your own 'proof'?

The first thing is to accept (just for the purposes of this experiment), that angels exist. You then need to ask for a sign that they can hear you, and that sign can take all sorts of forms; what you can be absolutely sure of, is that it will be a sign which only means something to you.

The most convincing evidence comes when we are in real need, like me with my toe (!), but your Guardian Angel will respond to every one of your requests...you just might need to learn to spot them.

Look for something that comes when you ask...not hours or days later, something that provokes a real response from you, at a deep emotional level. I tend to laugh a lot; somehow knowing that they are there watching over me just makes me giggle!

I shall write more on angel signs another day, but will leave you with another of my personal experiences...

My car is called Baby Blue; she is a 2008 Fiesta in Pompey (Portsmouth Football Club) Blue, and she is the only car I have had from brand new!

She has a little glitch...something it will probably take a man with a computer days to trace...which is why I am not bothering right now! Sometimes, the radio console is dead when you turn it on; no lights, no anything. It stays dead for a varying amount of time and no amount of fiddling will have any effect.

So one morning, I get into Baby Blue, start the engine and there is no radio; I was not a happy bunny anyway, things were not going well, so as I drove I was asking the Angels for a sign that all would be well...

...About 10 minutes into the journey, the radio sang into life, right at the point where Aretha sings the line 'I say a little prayer for you...'
I burst out laughing and thanked them for their attention and response, but then, a few minutes later, I was worrying again, so as I parked up, I was asking for yet another sign, to prove the first one was a proper sign!

I had hardy got to the end of the plea, walking along the pavement under some overhanging trees, when I walked into the perfect fluffy white feather hanging by a gossamer thread...

Fair enough. I get the message!

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Location:You guessed it!

Frustrated Golfist Blues

It has been a really hot day; blue skies and soaring temperatures, an ideal day to try my hand on the golf course!

I have always liked golf; one of the few good things my father shared with me, was his time out on the golf course..

Over 18 of the 20 years that Phil and I have been together, he has robustly maintained his Opinion that golf was a good walk spoilt, however, a round with our friend Ross 2 years ago changed all that, so that now I am danger of becoming a golf widow! I got straight out there with him, but fate took a hand (or foot) and comprehensively killed a tendon in my left foot!

This has left me seriously impaired in the golfing stakes; unable to wear the proper footwear and with treatment ongoing, I had to take a break...

You simply cannot buy ladies golf shoes with a wedge heel, well, except for the TipTeeToe ones in the USA, which cost as much to ship over as the shoos themselves! So today, I tried it with an orthotic support in my.golf shoes...way too painful...and then my sandal...feet don't hurt but it puts me off balance so I have to learn my stance again...

Oh boy was I awful...

My swing ranged from mildly ghastly to laughable...the ball went just about everywhere but forwards...and of course, the more frustrated you become, the worse it gets...

It wasn't all doom and gloom, I had a few passable shots, but I have relearnt an important lesson or two, or three...

1. Don't try and play all the holes... Select the ones you like, and drive the buggy the rest of the time!

2. At least try to stay calm...

3. Celebrate the better shots, and learn from the rest, and...

Enjoy the sunshine and the company!

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Location:In Bed Again!

It's Very Late

Despite what you might think from the time displayed on these Blogs...actually I write late at night, from my bed! I am not in bed in the mud afternoon even though it insists it's about 3.00 or 4.00pm...

So if anyone has worked out how to set the time...let me know please!


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Location:Still in bed!

On being a winner...

I have been glued to the telly tonight, watching Andy Murray in action in the third round at Wimbledon. He was playing Ljubicic (loo-be-chitch), a veteran player at 32, and someone who has certainly come through an awful lot to get where he is.

As a young player, being driven around by his father in Bosnia, they were stopped by hooded gunmen and scared stupid; his father sent him and his mother abroad to safety after that and for six months he did not know if his dad he was alive or dead...

Thankfully, he did reappear and after some time as refugees in several countries, the young Ljubicic was spotted by an Italian coach and the rest as they say, is history. He has been ranked in the Top 10 in previous years, but is most definitely not yet ready to throw in the towel and retire!

He played with skill and determination, his years of experience at times giving him a distinct edge and demonstrating that you do not always need power shots to get the upper hand... He used very gentle short taps over the net to devastating effect on several occasions!

Ljubicic won the first set, Murray won the second, and stormed through the third. The game swung first to one, then the other, and even for those of us used to the edge-of-the-seat-nerves of watching any British player at Wimbledon, it was stressful!

But young Andy has come a long way, not just physically, but mentally.

Yes, you could see the frustration when he lost a point, or fluffed a shot, but he got over it, and moved on. Not only that, but he moved on very quickly; in any fast paced game, such as tennis (or life!) you cannot afford to hang about, you need to be taking the positives and using them to learn how to avoid the pitfalls next time.

Murray eventually won in a tiebreak at the end of the fourth set; we all heaved a sigh of relief and can now relax and watch the Roger and Raffa show tomorrow!

But both players were winners tonight; it was a fantastically entertaining match! Murray may be headed into the fourth round, but we haven't seen the last of Ljubicic, I am sure of that...

Remember, never give up...if things don't pan out as you plan, change the plan!




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Location:Yep, in bed!

Embracing the mud at Glastonbury!

So Glastonbury weekend is upon us once more and this year, just for a change, it has rained!

However, in an unexpected twist, it hurled it down mightily just as the gates opened, which has led to the most incredible quagmire of mud...two whole days before the music has even started!

Are the festival attendees downhearted?

Absolutely not!

One family, putting up their tent in driving rain commented on their determination to enjoy themselves come what may in a display of pure British grit, whilst other announced their intentions of 'embracing the mud', a sentiment that seemed entirely appropriate!

I think that they are all going to have a truly fabulous experience...the forecast for the rest of the festival is not that bad, but whatever the weather, they certainly won't forget the first day, with the torrential rain and thick, all consuming mud... It's the stuff of legend!

...and if you are wondering how that translates into a 'spiritual' lesson, just think for a moment...

How do you react when things don't go as you planned?

Do you huff and puff...complain that it's all gone wrong...maybe even sulk...or do you revise the plans to embrace the changes, face up to things with a smile and do your best to enjoy yourself anyway!

It is not always easy to shrug things off, but a positive attitude and a willingness to work to make the best of things brings many benefits...not the least of which is being a happier, more contented soul.

Embrace the mud! Be dirty, but happy!



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Location:Bed again...

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo...

How do you make your choices?

Do you weigh up the pros and cons of each option, look at what others have to say, write lists, think about what you are prepared to compromise on...get second opinions...or...do you just go for the first thing you see, or whatever feels right?!

I know it depends on the situation; you are going to compare tv's or computers, of course that's only right, but what about those choices where you cannot look at what ReeVoo has to say?

What about those situations in life that could make a real difference?

For example, some years ago now, I was offered two different jobs. Both paid about the same, both had a similar status, career progression etc.
How did I choose?

I used my Inner Voice, the deep seated instinct that knows what is good for us...

The thing is that most of us tend to ignore that voice; we override it with what our ego mind, that part of us that looks after the everyday stuff, the me me me stuff, we listen to what that voice says.

Try this simple test; it's daft but you'll get the idea...

Take two different bars of your favourite chocolate (or biscuits, cakes, beer, whatever) and get a friend to hide them behind their back, one in each hand.

They have to be things you have real difficulty in choosing between...

When the hand is revealed, was it the one you really wanted? Or did you really want the other one?

What was your inner voice telling you?

Here is another one; you are out shopping when you spot a stunning pair of boots that you really want, but don't really need and cannot afford...do you walk away with a happy heart...?

Or do you (eventually) give in and buy them anyway!

We know what is good for us, we know what is right for us...but most of the time we ignore it and do as we damn well want to!

So next time a choice comes your way; listen to your inner voice, and put away that credit card...you know it makes sense!

By the way...those two job offers? I did not take either of them...I stayed put. My inner voice told me to tell my boss I had been approached by a rival company-and he promoted me and raised my salary!

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Location:My bed!

Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Now I have heard quite a few comments today, along the lines of it being 'all downhill until Christmas'- and it can be really easy to allow ourselves to be drawn into this way of thinking...but I want to challenge you to think differently.

Ask yourself this question: 'Which of the following statements improves my mood-makes me feel better...?'

1. It's the longest day today...that means the nights will start drawing in soon!

2. It's the longest day today...that means the summer is here!

Ok, so I hope you went for the second statement, but you see what I mean.

How we think about things, down to the smallest details or our everyday lives, has an impact on our mood, our sense of well being.

Try this: for one whole day, make sure every single you say is a positive thing; if you cannot say something positive, don't say it!

My 'Big Grandma'* used to say that if you couldn't find something good to say about a person, keep your mouth shut! Good advice!

It is so easy to slip into using negative phrases, we don't even realise it is happening...

But back to the Summer Solstice...
It has been the sort of day you would expect in England for summer, glorious sunshine interspersed with heavy showers, but the skies have been incredible and I have been busy with my camera...
Remember to look up occasionally, sometimes the skies are filled with angels...

All the following pics were taken from the passenger seat of our car in a 20 minute journey from Petersfield to Cowplain...



The sun through layers of dark grey...still shining through...


Through the vast glass roof of our Peugeot Estate, the rain streaks across at speed, whilst blue sky is visible!


The violent shower has passed and there are many layers of cloud at different levels in the atmosphere...



By the time we are nearly home, the sky is filled with these beautiful cirrus hooks!



Taken from my front doorstep, these incredible glowing cirrus remind me of hosts of angels...

Do you have any fabulous cloud pics? Send them to me at michellejonesmedia@gmail.com

Until next time, stay positive and Look Up!
Michelle x

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Location:Home in the South Downs