Wordplay

Hello again, casually dressed and looking extremely relaxed The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington with their delightful one-day-old son at 7.15pm yesterday. The proud parents beamed for the cameras as Kate looked lovingly at ther husband.

    Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the metropolitan cathedral, Rio de Janeiro, yesterday for 1.5m young people yesterday, launching World Youth Day – which has become a week of prayer, praise and fun for all the young people from every part of the globe who attend: nor is it restricted to ‘young people’ alone according to latest reports.

    Are the reported demonstrations and riots following the Popes arrival in Brazil, about the cost of hosting the visit + the cost of hosting the Olympic Games + the cost of hosting the World Cup?

    Sales of Apples iPhone trumps guestimates after US supplies of the said phone caused profits to soar by 51% in the third quarter, according to reports. This lifted the stock by 5% even as overall margins slid from 42% to 37% in the previous twelve months.

   The horse, St. Nicholas Abbey, trained by Mr. Aidan O’Brien, had a ‘comfortable night, according to reports following career-ending surgery.

WORDS TO THE WISE: The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.     – Quentin Crisp (b1910) Model, publicist and writer.

      

RIDDLES:

 How do you know where trains go?

How do you make a baby sleep on a space ship?

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S STUFF:

Climb up a tree and act like a nut.

Unique up on it.

Just dance.

ON THIS DAY: 1802 –  Writer Alexander dumas was born

1847 – Richard M. Hoe patented the rotary-type pringing press.

1923 - The Treaty of Lausanne, which settled the boundaries of modern Turkey was concluded in Switzerland.

1948 – Soviet occupation forces in Germany blockaded West Berlin. The US-British airlift began the following day.

 1970 - Actress Jennifer Dumas was born.

SACRED SPACE:

Something which has existed since the beginning,

That we have heard,

And we have seen with our own eyes;

That we have watched

And touched with our hands:

The Word, who is life-

This is our subject.                                                            1Jn1:1-2

SMILE A WHILE:

BLUEBIRDS SINGING…

Bopping the night away in a groovy night-club in downtown Innsbruck, Zoe thought ‘this is living’. Herself and her friend, Valerie from College had embarked on a European tour. This was their first holiday saved and paid for from their own funds, and better still there were no relatives around to oversee proceedings.

    Next morning they took a cable car to the top of a mountain. What a thrill to see and feel the crispness of the air sucking in its cold delights. In the afternoon they went shopping. Up a cobbled alley they came across a quaint curiosity shop with charming pieces on display. Valerie was captured by a small wooden timepiece made in the shape of a grandfather clock. White Roman numerals adorned its face, while bluebirds hovered at its base. Instead of a  chime; every fifteen minutes a bluebird flew out from atop the face, and with the birds at the base made the most exquisite music. Knowing how her grandmother would love it she bought it and carefully carried the clock in a white carrier bag for the remaining seven countries they visited on the tour.

    In a pizza restaurant while waiting for the waiter on the Swiss/French/Italian border and knowing there might be some confusion over language they took out their phrase books and learned a sentence learning both orders in each of the three languages. Delighted with themselves they waited a little longer. Finally the waiter came and said ‘Now ladies, which language do you speak’?

    To end their journey they drove into Brussels which they found ridiculously expensive. At that time the Bureau de Change announced that 26% tax for every travellers cheque was the cost to foreigners. Shops seemed to be a replica of Brown Thomas’s, Ireland with matching price tags. Barely able to afford a cup of coffee they were grateful when eventually they pulled into the airport.

    It was the height of the ‘Troubles’ and the Irish were ushered into a special room surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. None of the Belgians there seemed to speak much English. The girls understood that they were to put their hand luggage on the counter for it to be searched; one person and one piece of baggage at a time. When this was happening everyone else was chatting away.

     When Valerie’s turn came she put her white carrier bag on the counter. The soldiers stiffened and all guns were suddenly pointing at her. The room fell to stillness. In the silence she heard ‘tick-tock, tick-tock.’ Understanding the situation perfectly she explained ‘it’s all right, it’s....’ An official marched forward and said ‘shhh’ rather fiercely, so she did.

    Gingerly she proceeded to open the plastic bag. Against the deafening silence the ticking grew in intensity. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry she held up a hand: the rifles snapped into the fire position. Quavering she opened the box to reveal the wooden ticking clock surrounded by bluebirds. Everyone laughed and Valerie breathed a huge sigh of relief.

    

Ciao Bellissimo

Valerie