NDO 1

Being a Catholic in Germany!

by David Boott

I read in the Catholic Herald this week the headline "Record numbers leave Church in Munich archdiocese [in 2019]" and I wondered how they knew, and could be so sure. It turns out the 'system' in Germany is much different to here, as the later paragraph in the article makes clear:

"The [Catholic] Church in Germany is largely funded through a tax collected by the government. If an individual is registered as a Catholic then 8-9% of their income tax goes to the Church. The only way they can stop paying the tax is to make an official declaration renouncing their membership of the Church. They are then no longer allowed to receive the sacraments or a Catholic burial."

I'm not sure what to think of the differences between our two countries!

https://catholicherald.co.uk/record-numbers-leave-church-in-munich-archdiocese/

A Lockdown sonnet

by David Goodhind (a sonnet I wrote soon after the start of the lockdown)

Confined to Barracks

 I mark the calendar as time goes by,

Not to remind me of some future plan,

But to record the passing of the days

Of this self-isolation. Surely, I

Am not so lonely, bored or listless that

I need to while away the hours like this?

Of course, I don’t; there’s far too much to do.

But none the less I sometimes feel quite flat.

Why should this be?  I think it is because

I miss the friends I meet at church each day,

And have a reason to get up and dressed

So as to be in time to chat and pray.

It only needs officialdom to nod

And we shall be together soon, please God.

Garden Centre in Breaston

by David Boott

We've recently discovered a lovely garden centre in Breaston, called Mill Hill Garden Centre, opposite the Navigation pub, on Risley Lane.

It doesn't have a car park (usually plenty of parking on the road outside), it may be small (only allows around 6 people at a time for social distancing) and easy to miss as you drive by, but it's got a huge range of plants (climbers, ground covering plants perennials and annuals), hanging baskets, tubs and planters in such a small space.

They are open every day from 10 am until 4pm and the staff are really helpful and friendly

They're expecting turf this Friday (29th) and had compost earlier in the week.

Who would have thought!

 Smile Time

Submitted by Margaret Lyle

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure.

                                               Anonymous

Insanity is hereditary.  You get it from your children.

                                           Sam Levenson

You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you’re down there.

                                            George Burns

Children:  You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk.

Then you spend the next 16 telling them to sit down and be quiet.

                                               Anonymous

A day without sunshine is like, you know, NIGHT!!!!

                                                 Steve Martin

Submitted by Margaret Lyle

I don’t know about you but I’ve been struggling over the last few weeks to get herbs to plant in my garden.  Due to shielding I can’t go shopping for myself, so being rather clever (so I thought!), I decided to order living herbs with my supermarket delivery.   On the first occasion I received cut herbs in bags, and last week, when I tried to order again,  I received dried herbs in a jar!!!! Frustrating or what?