Happy New Year 2026 …

 

I still can't quite believe … 2026 … where did that come from … I was only seven 'a few years ago'!!

An 1880s
New Year salutation

Still onward and upwards … 2025's health challenges have to be put back in their place in 2026 … somehow – we shall see … life continues and is interesting – albeit quieter as the years tick by … thankfully 'you encouraging lot' are here … cheering me/ us all on …

Gerrard Winstanley's quote from 1649 seemed to ring rather too true today – from nearly five hundred years ago …

"Was the earth made

to preserve a few

covetous, proud

men to live at ease;

or was it made to

preserve all her

children?”

Gerrard Winstanley (1609 – 1676) – Political Philosopher amongst his other talents and ideals … I call upon us all to ...

Think,

read, and seriously ponder between the lines,

concentrate on the quieter words,

no need for division … I like marmite – I know many don't – but I'll be happy for you with your vegemite!!

2025 was not the easiest of years for most people in this world … 2026 doesn't portend well …

Let's do all we can to help others in all ways … so many far worse off than we are … 'doing good does us good' …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Happy New Year ... 2025 here we come?!

 

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR

TO  YOU  ALL

LET'S HOPE THE WORLD MOVES TOWARDS

PEACE AND GIVES US ALL BREATHING SPACE,

without upsetting our apple carts of life.

Hi everyone … I've been having interesting techie headaches … probably me having the blanks, then the poor head being fed up with clearing the mess up …

Here's to us ... 

Next Monday will be a somewhat important post … for me, and updating you on another great blogging friend …

This week we have our first 2025 European Movement dinner – so I'm kept busy in that direction …

Heaven help me?!
I'm sure I didn't turn into this?!

I also have a talk to give on Magna Carta – which if I wasn't having techie challenges would be fine … but I really need to work something out – so I can finish it here and not have to go and ask for help …

That's it for now – I will need to catch up … sloth really has set in – let alone the wet weather (no snow here, so far) we've been having … a few chills ...

This is 'my Mummy' from about
40 years ago ... appropriate n'est pas?

Good luck to all with the weather we're having in various parts of the world …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Happy New Year – Ma'at came into my orbit recently …

 

Ma'at is the goddess, who personified the ancient Egyptian concepts of:

                  truth,             balance, 

                           order,             harmony, 

                                             law,                morality, 

                   and justice … 

as well as bringing order to the world from chaos …

Goddess Ma'at

Her roles in reminding us of the necessities of being decent, helping and co-operating with others in 2023 … 

... seem to me to be well worth remembering … if only we could pass these ideals across to the many despicable rulers, who seem to want to cause harm to other human beings …

I know we all do what we can to help others … and wish you all a very Happy New Year as 2022 turns into 2023 …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Life is to Treasure …

 

We are so lucky we live today and have lived as far as this period in history …

Treasure - of Villenna, Spain

Let's enjoy our world, regardless, we are living history … and here in the UK – we live in peace – which means we've had the opportunity to be sensible and realise how lucky we are …

Buses stuck in 1963

There have been a fair number of reflective programmes – reminding us of 'events' that have happened since WW2 – most of us were born since the war …

… some have lived through the Great Depression, all of us (most) will have family memories of times since 1900 or perhaps a little earlier.

Stonehenge with blue skies, which 
have been in short supply recently

I realise my parents, born after WW1, survived the War and privations, which we 'inherited' as we grew up … Winter of 1962/1963 – that time is 'iced' into my memory bank …

That's enough for this first post of 2022 – I'm going to see if I can do something about the layout of my blog postings* …

Hazel Dormouse

Happy New Year – life is ahead of us .. let's go – we have the intellect and education to cope, adjust and help others …

* Well I tried - to start it was ok - then I did some editing ... and ah well it's slipped off track again .... ne'er mind ... cheers!

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 54 - Power for the Neighbours ... and where are we going in 2022 …

It's amazing in this day and age – how people go out of their way to help their communities …

Here in Murang'a County, south central Kenya – one man got VERY TIRED OF WAITING – so took 'things into his own hands' …

… he found some bicycle parts, scrap metal, built a home made generator – subsequently bringing electricity to his neighbourhood …

Murang'a County

John Magiro expanded his electric operation – thus bringing affordable electricity to 750 local people ...

John Magiro outside his office

… he transformed so many lives – now they don't have to use hand-held kerosene lamps … the kids can study, people can safely move around … and all those benefits those of us have in our day to day lives, they now have ... 

Here's to more John Magiro's – People Fixing the World … giving Power to the People …

BBC How to make electricity for your Neighbours (video 2.43)

Magiro Mini Hydro Power - their website ... 

At the end of 2021 – what will 2022 hold? …

more peace,

more understanding,

more compassion,

more thought for others, before one's self …

George Cruikshank - see my
previous post ... His view
to the opera - taken by me
as 'our view' to 2022 ...

So with this last post of 2021 – I wish you an easier New Year – here's to 2022 …

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Abdul Abulbul Amir … and snowy bullfinches …

 

Bullfinch cards were on sale at the Towner Art Gallery … so I bought some … for some reason they always remind me of my father and our romping sing songs we had very early in our lives …

 

Bullfinches card by
Allen W Seaby

… one of those songs was Abdul Abulbul Amir … but I always sang abdul abul la mer (or something similar!) … while the bullfinches always take me back to those times.

 

Cartoon of Ivan and Abdul

I guess I’d never seen how the name of the song was written – hence my never being able to remember it exactly … equally having now looked I don’t think I’ll bother – other than to remember the fun lyrics and the delightful tune.

 

Record cover in the 1920s

So my first post of 2021 is a simple romping ditty … with variations galore … Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar is another major player in the lyric …

 

I give you the 1927 Youtube recording by Fred Crumit … using a real record player … not so badly scratched after all these years.

 

Stephen Fry in the advert

 While I was down south, South Africa, a beer advertappeared x 3 … if you stay watching …

 

 

As you’ll have gathered … I’ve enjoyed listening to Abdul and Ivan rather more often than is necessary recently … they’ve been enlivening my listless brain as 2021 kicks in …

 

Bullfinch - England

Here’s the link if you want to find out more about, and read the lyrics, this “music-hall song” written in 1877 by Percy French, while at Trinity College, Dublin …

 

 

While Allen W Seaby is the artist with a lot of credentials to his name … for more see here …

All of the best for this year

 

To all of you – a Gentle New Year … as each day goes forward … one hopes towards peace and relief that we can venture out freely again …

 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 44 Happy New Year 2021 …

All the very best everyone … there’s so much to be grateful for … many of us are blessed – equally I know, too many have suffered and continue to do so …

 

Happy New Year 2021

It has been an extraordinary year … and one which we will remember in many different ways … I’m overloaded with Brexit and Covid …

 

see link below

For now I can only think of how Altruistic much of humanity is being … while we all look forward to a better tomorrow …

 

 

Healthy selection of fresh foods

Here’s to an easier 2021 … eat local, eat well, stay healthy, stay strong, help others and keep your spirits up – there is much to be positive about … little steps towards that better tomorrow …

 

A song for 2021 … with words to take into your hearts:

 

Welcome 2021 … ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ …

Morecombe & Wise’s song c/o YouTube …see lyrics …

 

 

Scilly Isles narcissi

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

 

 Altruism Health Benefits - Mental Health Foundation

 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories