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retroHelen

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  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6eaDOV6irw I would like to see the old City of David/First Temple period again. It was not as extensively excavated when we went last time. Many wonderful things have been uncovered showing the sophisticated/civilized life the Israelites had compared to other nations round about. Other videos show and extensive water system for the city dwellers that was started by the Jebusites only using the natural underwater channels and then the Israelites tapping into them to create bathing facilities not just in or for the temple area. The large pool of Siloam was not excavated when we were there, neither was the amazing discovery of the beautiful patterned/different coloured marble tiles that decorated the floors of the temple courtyards. The finding of the golden bell from the fringe of the garment of the High Priest in the street drain of the steps on the ascents up to the temple that have been excavated, so you can now walk in the way of the worshippers up to the old temple mount whilst they were singing and rejoicing in their worship and carrying their offerings on their best plates or leading the best of their flock.
  2. Jehovah knows how we are created. We are creatures happier in routines and some panic at changes more than others. He kindly and gradually introduces us to the changes subtly over time.Jehovah only expects what we can give not what we cannot give, so we do our best with what abilities we have. I remember it was announced for our midweek meeting demonstrations that we didn't need to stick rigidly to the presentation outline, it was even saying we need not use the suggested scripture or 'toolbox tool' if we felt that it was not as relevant as another for those in our territory. The words 'having a conversation' were starting to replace 'presentation', especially by the Circuit Overseers. Then we have been prepared with small step by step Watchtower study articles - that now visually more resemble the lessons in the ELF book to get us to realise more and more to try to apply what we are learning, just like we expect new bIble students to do with their ELF lessons. These articles have so much practical advice and good appreciative reasoning to get us moving onwards - even articles about being patient with ourselves with the moving forwards. Also, more emphasis on doing everything we do out of love for Jehovah rather than comparing ourselves to average hourly requirements and then there was a step onwards by making the hourly requirements ever more flexible, so many more could share and feel part of the organisation's work - whatever they could do. Letters were blended with ministry and other forms of witnessing and using our different media/videos, to be more inclusive with the less abled and less abled to express themselves. It is a wonderful thing we are doing, unlike any other organisation in the World. It may seem like a big overhaul, but it will continue to be brought to us with little steps and lots of support over many months and we won't be just starting it all in January. We will get more talks and information to think on and practice with as we go on improving, just flow the best you can with it - you will blend old with new until 'new' is easier and support each other verbally in pairs on the ministry more as well.
  3. Food prices have increased, Fuel here - Petrol is £8 a gallon and diesel fuel is more. Roads have also been very icy and local councils cannot afford to put salt down on as many roads as they used to, so we have to think carefully about going on long journeys and not using unsalted lanes on motorways or dual carriageways. The cost of electricity is so bad that many are living in houses with temperatures below zero and unable to afford to heat them. One utility company has sent electric over-blankets to vulnerable customers to help them have some inexpensive heat source. We have all been encouraged to wear extra layers - warm yourself rather than the room where it is healthy to do that. People are saving cooking costs by using their microwaves or air fryers rather than putting on ovens that have to heat up first and cost a lot to run. When the prices for electricity and gas went up suddenly, most of the low price utility companies went bankrupt, so customers were transferred to more expensive ones. If they paid a fix fee monthly, these new companies sent them ridiculously increased monthly tariffs that many could not afford. To help with the subzero temperatures here at present, we were also told to tape extra layers of bubble wrap at our windows;People were encouraged to use dehumidifiers more as it is very damp here as well. Condensation freezes on windows overnight and then thaws to pools on windowsills in the day, so people were filling old long socks with kitty litter or trays of sodium chloride/salt to absorb it or just wiping it up every day to mitigate against toxic black mould growing on damp windowsills and walls. We are putting foil covered cardboard sheets down the backs of any working radiators to reflect heat back into rooms and not absorb into walls unnecessarily. It is so unfair that electricity and gas companies charge twice the Kilowatt hour and standing charges for using gas or electricity in businesses/shops, so our shared shop had it's gas supply totally disconnected as we cannot afford even to leave the heating off with such high standing charges still ticking over. This is on top of our very high business rates/tax; and our shop rents - no wonder so many shops are closing, we may even end up doing that ourselves, but would miss it greatly - we have many good customers and enjoy interacting with them. Many high streets have boarded up shops now - looking derelict, the once thriving market towns. We changed all our lightbulbs in the shop and home to LED lights. Even lighting rows of glass shop display cabinets with LED string lights (also called fairy lights in UK) instead of the old halogen spotlights they had before, to save money. I even have them at home in the kitchen under my overhead kitchen cupboards as the old spotlights cost too much to run. Need them here with such short days and it going dark after 3.30 pm. A customer came into the shop and could not afford to buy what he wanted. Then he said how he had felled trees on his land that were felled 5 years ago - too many to burn on his fireplace for years. He offered that if he sawed up 2 car boot loads of wood would we take that instead of cash - like barter. We agreed and took a box of goods to him and filled our car boot and it's back seats with wood for 2 runs. We have a multifuel stove at home that heats 7 radiators and the hot water system and buying fuel in has become expensive as the smokeless fuel was from Eastern Europe , local domestic fuel mines are closed and not re-opening. The smokeless fuel has tripled in price and bought kiln dried wood logs has doubled in price.
  4. We love it. WE feel we are getting to know the specialist repairers quite well and also learning so much about how to fix up different things rather than just throw them away or put up with them broken. Jay Blades, the host of the show is dyslexic and never learned to read at school and has just done a program about his latest struggles to learn to read as a man in his 50s. Fascinating insight into a skill that most of us take for granted when we learned to read as little children, when our brains were more flexible and not afraid of making loads of mistakes at first.
  5. I have been in the Truth since the mid 1960s and I always knew that the gravemarker was for all who served at Bethel and Russell had his own separate one. I was also told that it was pyramid shaped because it had 4 faces looking throughout all sides of the graveyard - over the burial areas of all the Bethelites and the pyramid shape would stand up to weather better than 4 straight sides with hollow or filled area atop of it. It seems pretty irrelevant that it may resemble a shape in an older book called the Divine Plan of the Ages. If anything - re: their beliefs back then - it more resembles an arrow pointing to heaven where they all regarded themselves as going at that time.
  6. Seems to be folks mostly in areas where dry summer is coming on, when viruses don't spread as much in the atmosphere and/or where people are double vaxxed and it's still within the 6 months before booster is needed. I suppose this might alter when winter comes on again/new variants emerge and damp weather helps viruses spread and boosters haven't arrived and infection rates start going up again. Wonder if we will have a chance in the Lake District UK where we get rain regularly on odd days all year round that keeps the Lakes filled and only briefly get out of damp weather ever! Getting my booster in a fortnight. Infection rates here are among the highest in the country at present now winter is coming on. It's our flood season here - evacuated from our shop and told to go home while roads were not too flooded in the torrential rains last Thursday afternoon!
  7. An elderly couple in our congregation had 2 bereavements in their family. They inherited from both members and felt they would like to share some out. They had an idea to cheer up a few in the congregations they knew who live alone and have been a bit isolated in the lock downs we have had for nearly 2 years now. Quite a few eating places around here do deliveries of food. UK has a time in the afternoon called 'High Tea' or 'Afternoon Tea' when people socialize, but don't eat a meal, just snack with a cup of tea at home together or in a cafe. It was the fashion from the 1700s when tea was an imported luxury item for just when socializing, to set up High Tea as an opportunity at about 2/3pm to invite friends around and get out your best china tea service and decorate the table with your best linen cloth and napkins/serviettes and serve tea from a pretty teapot with cream/milk in a matching jug and/or sugar in a matching bowl and with it a tazza or stacked/tiered serving-plates with sandwiches on the bottom; scones in the middle; cakes on the top tier. You serve the scones with small pot of butter; small portion of jam/fruit jelly and a pot of clotted cream. The elderly couple found a little hotel in the Lake District near us that did 'Afternoon Tea' but because of lack of trade because of Covid, could provide individual teas to be delivered in individual boxes. They asked 23 people who are alone in our congregation and some 'alone friends' from other congregations to meet up at 2 pm Saturday afternoon (via their zoom connection) , when most are at home. A paid for tea box would be delivered to most of them for that time. All they were to do was get their best cups out and set out a nice display at their table as if meeting up for tea and chat in reality. Those with special dietary requirements that can't eat bread/cakes/pastries were asked to provide their own food and were sent a lovely bunch of delivered flowers instead. They also asked my elderly Dad (86)- he isn't a JW, just a favourable spouse who, in her declining years, wheeled my faithful mother to meetings in her wheelchair and been coming to meetings for Sundays since my mother died. Dad doesn't have internet, so I set the table at our house, with an inherited china tea service from my Grandma that he would recognized and we provided our own food for my husband and myself, so Dad had his box of goodies for himself. 23 zoom screens of old folks who are living alone were all there sharing and chatting. We were also divided off afterwards into smaller breakout rooms. They reminisced about what it was like in wartime - 2nd World War, not just about being Witnesses as children, but things my Dad understood - food rationing, being evacuated, hiding under stairs or in bomb shelters from night-time bombing raids. Dad was evacuated from his hometown as a child because Barrow was a shipyard town that was heavily bombed during that war. Then they discussed how people entertained themselves before TV and internet took that over. We showed each other what china cups and saucers we had that were often inherited and mostly just displayed in glass fronted china cabinets or hidden in attics in boxes because most use coffee mugs to drink with these days. It was a lovely afternoon and there was so much food for Dad in the box that he could take home and keep in the fridge to nibble at further in the week. We all sent thank you emails to the couple for a lovely time and we sent a bag of apples off our tree, so they've enjoyed apple pies since.
  8. We had someone in this position. She likes to comment rather than just hear a meeting. Our congregation co-ordinator went on JW.ORG website and looked for the congregations in a larger area around us. Some shared Kingdom Halls, not so far away had still got later meeting times listed there and a phone number. They rang the number and found one that still had kept to the later meeting time and the overseer - with permissions from ours' - gave the sister the zoom codes for them, so she could comment and be part of breakout rooms as well as hearing the meeting while in hospital.
  9. These atrocities are not new. It's also not just against us. I read in other news reports of Russian people going to their local governments to beg to be moved from their government owned apartments near certain Police stations/prisons because they were suffering PTSD and sleep deprivation from endlessly having to listen to the authorities beating and torturing prisoners of all kinds there day and night. They seem to have had centuries of history of brutal authoritarianism against their ordinary citizens or earlier on - peasants - going unchecked. Pogroms of the past are still going on! Brothers and sisters suffered similar atrocities in Malawi in the 1970s. It was shocking. I find now though that back then it was commented upon in the media and we had letter-writing campaigns that seemed to have more effect. These days the media rarely reports anything that might support a religion. Even human rights charities that used to stand up for us are too embroiled in LGBT+2...etc and likely wouldn't be so interested in helping an organisation that didn't support similar views, even though we don't militate publicly against others' lifestyles. We can only pray that the King of the North & allies gets to "pushing" too far very soon. Their carelessness for their own citizens and surrounding nations they want to annex, shows also in their uncaring unsustainable destroying of the planet/environment in their race to be top nations and that's the part that is not going unnoticed - what they are doing is threatening the whole planet.
  10. I have learned so much about life and benefited so much from others' research coming on here. The site has a goodhearted atmosphere of fair sharing, encouraging and caring. I was on it when it was a different format/website style and my old PC couldn't cope with the new site at first and I did miss coming on here until I had sorted my more up-to-date devices with the help of PC specialists on here that we did not have in our congregation then. I was a bit perturbed by the fact that the threads of information disappeared after a set time, so I saved what I could of people's useful comments on the old site or threads and bookmarked the interesting links to refer to again - a wealth of knowledge I didn't want to lose. I got ribbed a bit for resurrecting old threads to add posts of extra research on them, but I wanted to save the useful stuff to use/share again. It's great hearing news firsthand from people on here who actually live in the countries the events are occurring in. It's been an insight into other cultures and how they survive/endure in their environment. May it continue as long as it can.
  11. September in UK an average of 138 dying per day - This is only counting those who die within 28 days of a Covid test - usually in hospital, so there are more dying at home who have not had a recent test but not counted. Delta variant is the majority now.
  12. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-announce-alliance-with-britain-australia-tech-cyber-defense-politico-2021-09-15/ https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/15/biden-deal-uk-australia-defense-tech-sharing-511877 As the King of the North's ally China has been trying to take over the World trade route of the South China Seas, pushing against and threatening the peace of the Philippines; Taiwan; Japan and Australia, President Biden has reached out to the British Prime Minister and UK's ally in the British Commonwealth =Australia to help Australia gain nuclear armament strength in it's seas with British and US technologies. He states that he wants to come to the aid of UK & Australia because he wants to keep the South China seas free for secure World trading and Peace and Security to the countries in that area from the threat from China and it's allies. After a time of wondering what had happened to the Anglo-American alliance as each country suffered through pandemic, economic problems, political upheavals, cyber attacks from China and Russia, and internal troubles making them seem weaker, we observe if they now realize the need to show a stronger alliance against the building of fortified islands and increased military strength threatening them in the South China Seas.
  13. Here is a photograph of my great grandmother Annie Ellen Hartley nee Hargreaves - the young lady stood up in the middle. She started in 'service' (as a servant) in the kitchens of Sir Thomas Storey who was Lord Mayor of the city of Lancaster UK. She worked up until she was his head cook and she had to organize large gatherings for state meals in the city and every year she was asked to organize a dinner for all the senior citizens in the city - 900 people. She would organize the menservants in Sir T's household to prepare a big fire-pit in a town square and then roast hogs and an oxen to feed them all. Sir Thomas Storey was a kind employer - devout Quaker - compared to most factory/mine and mansion owners, so was very interested in welfare of the city citizens. She and her sister - Aunt Maud - helped him (he was a widower, so no wife as support) with many philanthropic ventures that he was able to fund. She helped set up sports teams in the city that still exist today and the mechanics institute and schools that her own children were among the first to attend. Her training, at his home meant that she was brilliant at organizing big parties and events in our large family in the past. These parties and her cooking were legendary, so it would be great to be part of one of her big parties in the resurrection. She lived and died years before I was born, so I only know her from my late Gran and Great Aunts & Uncles talking about her and all she did.
  14. I want to see your lovely dear mother Rosilla as well. She could also see the family of a sister in our congregation that she first Witnessed to when she was in the Maternity ward having your sister. This other woman became our sister in the congregation and the daughter she was having at the same time as your Mother, I believe is the sister in our congregation married to one of our eldesr with 3 children grown up in the Truth now as well.

retroHelen last won the day on July 1 2017

retroHelen had the most liked content!

About retroHelen

  • Birthday 09/22/1960

Member's Public Information

  • Gender
    Sister
  • First Name
    Helen
  • Relationship Status
    Married
  • Displayed Location
    Whitehaven, Cumbria
  • Publisher
    Yes
  • Baptized
    Yes

How I Found the Truth

  • How I found the Truth
    Mother became a Witness in 1963 and taught me. Baptized 1977.

My Hobbies & Interests

  • My Interests
    History.
  • My favorite books
    Historical novels by Ellis Peters; C J Sansome; Peter Tremayne. Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens. In God's Name by David Yallop (exposing Vatican Bank)
  • My favorite music
    ELO/Jeff Lynne; some Queen; Roy Orbison;War of the Worlds Album by Jeff Wayne. Jon Michel Jarre. Owl City. Lindsay Stirling.Rhapsody in Blue-Gershwin; Debussy;Sansome;Fouret;Baccharole-Offenbach;
  • My favorite quotes
    The pen is mightier than the sword and a jolly sight easier to write with.

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