Library

Well, things worked out perfectly yesterday, with The Light distributed to some Stanhope folks, including at the Paper Shop where some of the staff appreciate it and hopefully share it with sceptical customers. Frankly, 400 won't go far if pushed through every letter box in Weardale, let alone Hexham. And since it's free to readers, though not sponsored by the plutocrats, then selective delivery is advisable. This includes the pubs and known Resistance, some of whom take more than one, which brings us to Anita down the Dale who I catch just as she's going out, and is happy for a few papers for her fellow magistrates who are sitting today. Julie is not at work in the Charity Shop in Wolsingham, but her colleague takes the copies for her, her son who manages the Charity Shop  in Crook, and husband who teaches keep-fit and has been a troublemaker since I met him a decade ago. The other objective was to top Daisy up for future trips, which was achieved on the way back, meaning the whole thing was an hour, leaving plenty of time to prepare the meal for John, before whose arrival the promised two hardback books arrive via Hive, the ethical option to Amazon, and the Royal Mail.

All of which mundane detail brings us to the two volume sensation, hot off the press, written by polymath Iain McGilchrist, whose previous book, The Master and His Emissary, is on the shelf for John to take when he arrives for lunch bang on time. As it happens, when we'd just finished the main course, the step-grandsons and their Granny, or Nana, arrived half an hour early ... perfect timing for the Nana friend to chat with John about issues at the Community Hub, while dessert was served and your old blogger had a chance to dress up warm ready for the trip to Gibside, and the Christmas Light trail, which was delightful and remarkably smooth. We all enjoyed the hour and a half round Gibside and the 45 minutes each way was problem free, meaning home for a shower, the fire and a light supper before bed, though the hardback books were left for this morning, when this blog is finished, the others being read abandoned for Iain McGilchrist, the polymath and his masterpiece in two volumes. Which will take a while.

Deep sleep was short and sweet last night, but that's alright. It's not insomnia after all. These dark mornings of midwinter are precious indeed and your blog is finished before 5.30 am. Later, after breakfast, the paper round will be continued when it's light enough, then home for second coffee and more McGilchrist, volume one of The Matter With Things - The Ways to Truth. Volume two, by the way is sub-titled What Then is True? and I can hardly wait to discover his conclusions, This is basically the Meaning of Life with hard science and a spiritual dimension. If you're as intrigued as your old would be philosopher you'll doubtless want your own copies because these two beauties are going nowhere. As you may observe, dear reader, the Camino and Social Media addictions are joined by the love of proper hardback books in the Library, and that includes Lao Tse's beautifully bound Dao de Jing another masterpiece, but not contemporary like The Matter With Things.

As for afternoon, the current plan is to call in to see the elders, after they've had their main course in St Thomas' Church Hall. John will be there, plus Elaine and dear Gillian helping collect the elders, which she still does. As any philosopher will tell you, dear reader, the only thing that's certain in life is change. And bodily death of course. This is the first year when your blogger was actually in Stanhope for Christmas and not volunteering. Was that an addiction? Well, no actually. It's been remarkably easy to stop driving minibuses and volunteering with The Hub and relax without obligations at all. And if the plan for this afternoon works out, there's a good chance of the sugar addiction being satisfied with dessert at St Thomas' Church Hall.

Let's see, shall we? Time for early breakfast!