May the 23rd.

Monday morning. I had a quiet afternoon. I listened to the preface, introduction and part one of chapter one of ACIM, again, it was surprisingly fresh to hear it once again. I played complete attention to it for an hour until I sought sleep and it was a good night's sleep.

Intentionally I'd left the Course's lessons, which I had followed from the 1st January up to and including the 31st of December. Almost six months gathering dust and my mind was desperate for its rhythms and devices to bring me back out of the doldrums. It definitely works for me so I am beginning it again. The text first, obviously, then the lessons: I am so incomplete spiritually that I still haven't really attempted the Manual for Teachers... I am not in any position to be a teacher of anything spiritual... But one day? I've been away from the Text for more than a year so it's had time to settle in my long term memory.

As usual I began seeing the swirling patterns in my mind's eye - like I was spinning into a divine maelstrom: an area of my Being walled off since the 31st December, getting layer upon layer of forgetfulness covering over a better way: never a truer statement is made anywhere: There Must Be A Better Way.

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From the 5th June I am going back on Pilgrimage. It's essential to my being and the allotment can take care of itself for the couple of weeks I can be away from England.

Ideally I'd like to be away for the Awful Jubilee mania which is sure to grip all flag waving monarchists up and down the country, but flights out of the UK are phenomenally expensive as families also flee for their alloted week(Whitsuntide is a week early due to the extra bank holiday that the country has been given).

Michael is reading my blog (thank you, Mike) and I didn't know anyone would be after I'd stopped my meanderings. I know Ben from University follows me when I'm a walking, but I am not sure he does when I am writing the 'peace time' journal?

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Emma's back at work this morning, she had Lola overnight so I could stay in Wetherby (and away from the barley malt temptations of Leeds for at least a day). I am really going to try to give beer a wide berth for a few days. Since Friday I've gone back to a meat free existence so an alcohol one may be possible?

Yesterday, after I'd worked at the allotment for three hours I walked back through Wetherby, had two halves in the sunshine after I'd got mum some shopping. She's hoping to pick up Finley on Wednesday, which would be a stage on her road to recovery post operation wellness?

It's so easy to overlook the fact mum is nearly eighty years old. She's one of the most active, or was prior to last summer and the knee issues, but she still has an octogenarian skeletal system...