My Somerset Life

A diary by Brian Snellgrove

Taking relationships to the next level – my views

I want to reproduce something from my birthday speech which talks about getting relationships to the next level. I spoke to my friends who are on the wavelength so to speak but I think the message applies to everyone so please enjoy it and if you find anything of benefit do let me know.

The value of testimonies

I want to speak about the lessons I have learned about testimonies. Us humans have installed the most brilliant self-limiting software. It prevents us from being free and spontaneous and even human.

We are inhibited for the following reasons:

# we do not want to offend anybody or ‘give offense’ as it is called,
# we don’t want to be misunderstood in case our words come out the
wrong way,
# we do not want to step out of line,
# we do not want to lose a friend or be ostracised
# we do not want to be laughed at
# we do not want to be seen as an ignoramus
# we not want to be seen as vulnerable

I reckon the best single thing we can do for ourselves is to learn to unlearn our inhibitions and give testimonies more freely. A testimony does not have to be long or formal.

For example after a party or social event, rather than saying mechanically, thank you very much for inviting me see you around we must do lunch, why not try a burst from the heart by saying that

‘I was a bit apprehensive about coming to the event because I didn’t know anyone but I  met this amazing chap with whom I had something in common and I learned a lot from them and this was only possible because you the host invited us’.

This has the power to transform. The deepest human need is to feel valued.

Formula comments do not do it. E.g. ’enjoy the rest of your day’. ‘we must meet for lunch’. ‘That was a great party’

I invite you all to participate. You might find that the status of your relationships will be enhanced’

In this act we may realize how much we have been inhibited. This may be a trait of northern hemisphere man as opposed to those near the equator who are more joyous and spontaneous.



My Somerset Life

A diary by Brian Snellgrove

The most brainless parking charge sign in Bath? (P+R)

Today I went for my eye appointment in Bath and decided to go via park and ride from Odd Down. Please read this sign and tell me if you could make sense of it more than I can perhaps I’m having a brain ‘off day’. I note the charges but I thought the whole point of park and ride was to save people parking in the city centre and paying high fees for so doing. I thought this was a public service.  Instead, what do I see?

It says charges do not apply when leaving the site on the park and ride bus service. So are there magic cameras placed around to spot those who are leaving their car to go on the park and ride bus?   How do I know I’ve been penalized? Who are MIpermit when they are at home?

I have not been there in the morning but if everyone has to pay this will cause huge queues and there will be nothing more frustrating than waiting to pay and then going back to your car and missing a bus. I could say this was a cynical way of taking advantage of people who have no choice for earning money and balancing the books.

So I have a travel pass. I have read reviews of the company which are rated 1 out of 5. This does not inspire confidence.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/mipermit.com  Can anyone out there give me any feedback on this?  Has anyone been charged?   They do not accept calls on these topics if you call their head office in Chippenham

A fresh attempt to get people to drive buses.

A lovely sunset this evening Monday 10th June. A light like no other time of day.

 

——–VIDEO LIBRARY——–

Dr Bruce Lipton – everything is energy. Dr. Bruce Lipton explains how quantum physics has shown us that what we perceive as solid matter is an illusion composed of light and energy.
Pope Francis Urges Pride Organisers to be inclusive of ‘Pedosexuals‘.  Says it all
THE PUPPET MASTERS ARE ABOUT TO ABOLISH GOD THEN ABOLISH YOU. HAPPY ABOUT THAT ARE YOU?
500 Year Old ILLEGAL Ethiopian Bible Reveals Terrifying Knowledge About Human Race

 



My Somerset Life

A diary by Brian Snellgrove

My 80th birthday party – key “to do’s”

14 people were invited and 14 people showed up. There is always the moment before when you’ve done everything you can and say to yourself, what happens if?…..    I’m glad to say that people did show up, they bought presents, everyone except one person made the attempt to dress up for the part and the occasion.

As I’m de facto administrator as well as being a birthday boy everything ultimately falls on me and I found I didn’t have a lot of time for more than half a dozen conversations with people and was more concerned about the flow of food and the fact that people were aware that refreshments were now being served.

I invited people to come from 2 pm. At 2:30 p.m. I gave a talk lasting 20 minutes reflecting on various aspects of my life. This was followed by a testimony from a couple of people and then we had a symbolic holding of hands and then everyone went out into the garden and we had a toast.  Increasing numbers of people do not consume alcohol so I bought some no alcohol champagne as well as two bottles of real champagne.

I had taken the precaution of writing to everybody saying who was coming and something of their history so in my observation anyway initial conversations were far more meaningful and directed. I also wrote to them on the morning of the party warning them not to have an early lunch as we had plenty of food.

I had to get someone to start the ball rolling by grabbing some food and walking around with it. At 10:00 a.m. I had my doubts whether there would be enough food to go around but when Francoise was joined by Simone who had made the journey from the Brighton area someone 150 miles distant, between them they prepared the food just in time and in enormous quantities as well. We could have fed 10 more. We gave away food at the end and stuffed the rest in the fridge.

I reckon the rule of thumb is that if you are serving a buffet, or cold food, do everything you can the previous night and just leave things like preparing salad and indeed fruit salad until the last moment otherwise it will tend to wilt. We could not store the birthday cake in the fridge as it was too full but we kept it in its box on the floor where temperatures are cooler.

I was very happy with the number of people, 16 in all, because if there are too many souls it’s very difficult even to meet everybody and it becomes more like a football crowd.

At about five pm,  I lit a fire pit type fire and people sat around it and chatted. There’s only a certain amount you can do, the rest is up to people to socialize and take the initiative and talk to people they haven’t met before and this happened in spade fulls on this occasion as we all had one thing in common, the so-called red pill thank you the Matrix film for introducing this idea. We were all alternative thinkers.

As for costs, you don’t think about that sort of thing but we probably spent about £300 on the food, birthday cake, helium balloons, quite a lot of liquid refreshment of various sorts (use your imagination) so that’s something you just do knowing that it’s only going to happen occasionally. It is interesting how the idea of a party and the planning of it starts at least a month before the event at least it did in our case.

We must clean all the rooms, we must move out what is necessary to enable people to sit around in one circle, we must decide where to put the food, the drinks, people’s coats, sitting accommodation outside, the state of the garden in general, all these little things that do add up. As I write this two days later I am still reeling from the energetic effects of the party because it is quite something for 14 people to engage your property and leave their stamp or mark on it. I don’t think I’ll ever be quite the same again.

I had a note from a friend saying how much they enjoyed the party and they will looking forward to the next one so that is always nice. Some people thank you, some people do not, and that’s the way I have found it to be in my life of entertaining. I found myself on overload a bit, feeling and responsibility to everyone and making sure they had a good time but actually the party ran itself for the most part so in retrospect I could have relaxed and enjoyed myself a little bit more but never mind. The last guests left at about 7:30 p.m. Which was quite impressive considering the distances that most of them had to travel.



My Somerset Life

A diary by Brian Snellgrove

It was my birthday yesterday

I was motivated to find out (or remind myself) of the characteristics of my star sign, Gemini.  I can relate well to what was said in Directory.com so reproduce it here.  See the full article by visiting here

As May nears its final weeks, Gemini season rolls in. Lucky people born between May 21–June 20 can call themselves Geminis. It’s the sign after Taurus and before Cancer in the Zodiac calendar.

An air sign ruled by Mercury, Gemini is the third sign of the Zodiac. Represented by twins, Geminis tend to have a dual nature. They can be unpredictable, and their personalities are fluid. Still, people born under this sign usually have a lot in common.

Geminis are known for their gift of gab and way with words. Famous Geminis include the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Angelina Jolie, Kanye West, Venus Williams, Colin Farrell, Natalie Portman, and politicians like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. Like them or not, Geminis aren’t shrinking violets; rather they tend to have outsized personalities. Words frequently used to describe Geminis include witty, wise, and whimsical, but there’s so much more to people born under this sign. Let’s take a closer look at what it means to be a Gemini or to have one in your life.

What does Gemini mean?

Gemini is a zodiacal constellation that can be found between Taurus and Cancer. It contains two bright stars: Castor and Pollux. In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux are the names of identical twin brothers—Castor, the mortal son of King Tyndarus, and Pollux, the immortal son of Zeus. Sailors used to believe that seeing these two stars together was good luck, while seeing only one of them was a sign of bad luck to come.

Gemini entered English around 1350–1400. It’s derived from the Latin word geminī (“twins”). As you can see in the Gemini emoji ♊, the symbol for Gemini depicts the Roman numeral II, which refers to two people (who are twins).

Chart your linguistic stars by taking a closer look at the meaning and usage of the term Gemini.

What’s so great about Geminis?

With the twins representing this Zodiac sign, Gemini personalities can be diverse. Still, there are some traits—both positive and negative—that many tend to possess. Let’s start with the positive.

Here are some great words that describe Geminis:

  1. Intelligent: Geminis are generally highly intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally. They’re inquisitive and driven to continually learn new and interesting things. They’re genuinely interested in other people and pride themselves on being in the know.
  2. Adaptable: Geminis are a go-with-the-flow type. No matter what’s thrown at them, they can course-correct and change courses altogether if need be. When faced with adversity, they find their resilience and tend to come out stronger on the other end. They consider it all one big adventure.
  3. Entertaining: Boring, Geminis are not. They’re lively, fun to be around, and they don’t shy away from being the center of attention. Highly social, they like to be around people, and people tend to like being around them. Many famously entertaining musicians are Geminis, including the likes of Stevie Nicks, Boy Dylan, and Lionel Richie.
  4. Eloquent: Be they written or spoken words, Geminis tend to have a way with them. They’re excellent communicators, and many find themselves in careers related to the media and writing. Walt Whitman, Rick Riordan, and Anne Frank are among famous Gemini writers, to name a few.
  5. Curious: Geminis want to be in the know about most everything. They love to read, write, and explore the world through travel. They don’t delve too deep into any given subject, but tend to know a little bit about a lot of things.

Curious to see how well you know Geminis? Then take this quiz about them!

The downsides of Gemini

As amazing as they may be, all that energy can get Gemini in trouble sometimes too.

Here are some not-so-positive aspects of a Gemini’s nature:

  1. Nosy: Their inquisitive nature can make Geminis a little too curious sometimes. It drives them crazy not knowing who’s doing what, when, where, and why, and they can be prone to gossiping.
  2. Capricious: While their willingness to jump on the adventure train can be fun, it can also be exhausting when they jump on and off it too often. Geminis tend to be impulsive and flighty. Their plans may change on a dime, which can be frustrating for those trying to keep up with them.
  3. Superficial: Geminis aren’t overly emotional and often tend to keep things at a surface level with people. Sometimes they come off as shallow.
  4. Indecisive: Trying to pin a Gemini down can be like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. They tend to change their minds, then change them again. They often hem and haw over even the smallest decisions and can come off as wishy-washy.
  5. Nervous: Geminis tend to overthink things, which can make for a nervous nature. Sometimes those nerves can get the best of them, particularly when their need for constant stimulation is being met.

Does this sound like a Gemini you know?

 

 



My Somerset Life

A diary by Brian Snellgrove

Conclusion of short break in North Somerset

I do not like to leave anything unrecorded but on this occasion I find myself somewhat short of energy and time so I will be publishing a few pictures that will have to suffice. On the Friday morning, the day of our departure from the hotel, we decided to go along the coast to have a look at  Minehead, the historical center of one of Butlins holiday camps. The town itself is pleasant enough. We were advised not to have a look at the camp itself and anyway we didn’t have the time.

Central Square Watchet

Imaginative sign – a work of art – Watchet

Heritage Railway, Minehead

A Gin stall on MInehead station platform – where else.  Worthy of note was a man offering samples of Gin.  He was going to offer a thousand free samples that evening and he could not actually sell us any but we could buy a bottle, 20 centilitres for 12 pounds and I’m glad I made the investment because it was the purest and the most delicious tasting Gin I have had for sometime. He was a master distiller and explained that the effects of gin in the popular selling items were due to the addition of chemicals. This one was pure.

An old steam loco waiting to be used. What a fine specimen

So you have the last two days crammed into one. Summary is that it is really worth visiting parts of the country which are not overloaded with tourists as you get the feel of a local community. This part of the country is stuffed full of people who have escaped from the more metropolitan areas and seeker place where they can express themselves creatively. Much less stressful than a short break by flying somewhere.