Thursday 19 September 2019

Concrete proof of the law of attraction










Surprisingly tranquil photos from a weekend when I whizzed round the house and garden like a mad woman. The dog walk was good, and so was the bird survey down by the river. Little peaceful interludes.

I also discovered something rather disturbing. It all started when I called Isambard Kingdom Brunel an idiot because he swallowed a coin. The middle boy took me to task, saying that in fact he was the second Greatest Briton Of All Time, after Winston Churchill. Hmm. Anyway, I found the poll and IKB is indeed at number 2, coin-swallowing notwithstanding. The disturbing thing was the lack of women on the list. Other than a handful of queens and Margaret Thatcher, really very, very few. And yet, included were John Lennon, Robbie Williams, Richard Burton, Enoch Powell, Aleister Crowley and, at 17 on the list, Michael Crawford. Michael Crawford! Am I missing some huge deed of great national importance he's carried out?

I was going to name some British women that should be on the list, but I didn't know where to start. Scientists, politicians, activists, maybe even a civil engineer or two, who were able to get through life without swallowing a coin. I am hoping times are a-changing, but I think it is a slow process. Incidentally, the coin was stuck in IKB's lung and they had to hang him upside down and shake him to get it out, after six weeks of life-threatening attempts to cut it out etc.

The littlest boy has apparently been reading Unsuitable books, full of violence and pestilence and pus according to the middle boy, who read them before him and has declared them to be too old for him. Apparently it's 'jaw-dropping zombie horror'. They have names like The Dead and The Fear. Oh dear. I am adding it to my list of things to worry about, although of course prising them away from him will be tricky, you know how small boys love a bit of pestilence.

In other news, I have been thinking about the law of attraction. Is it actually a thing? It sounds utterly ridiculous, that by thinking about the things you want or need, they will magically find their way to you, but it actually happened to me the other day, so I am reconsidering my sceptical stance. I was mulling over the purchase of Barbara Kingsolver's latest book, Unsheltered, which I really wanted to read. I popped it in my online shopping basket to think about. And then, I walked into my local library and there it was, right in front of me, on the trolley. Not even on a shelf where I might have missed it, but almost leaping out at me. As if it had FOUND me.

The law of attraction is a mysterious thing. There has been a bestselling book about it which has sold THIRTY MILLION COPIES. Again, am I missing something? Apparently all you need to do is vibrate at the same frequency as the thing you want and it will find its way to you across the ether. Well, something like that, I haven't actually read the book, you know how it is. As we speak I am trying to manifest a new sofa and a chocolate eclair. Nothing so far, but I'll let you know.


17 comments:

  1. Maybe there is something to the law of attractions as far as books are concerned: I was humming and hawing about whether I should purchase The Testaments by Margaret Atwood rather than wait in the queue at my public library (there are 28 people ahead of me!). I work at an academic library which carries little in the way of fiction. I was checking a new book display and there was a copy of the book, waiting just for me, I think! Unbelievable, no-one else had snatched it up.

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  2. Dear CJ, I can also vouch for the law of attraction too. It is amazing how wool and materials find their way to me. They just land in my take home bag, after purchasing them of course.... It doesn't happen with books for me though. Any luck with the new sofa and chocolate eclair since you posted on your blog? Lovely photos. Regards, Robyn

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  3. A very dubious list of great Britons I must say and no woman. Harrumph! Intriguing story of the coin and Brunel, hadn’t heard that before. I have a mental image of him dangling upside down now!
    Very much in favour of the law of attraction. I think it does exist as similar things have happened to me. The Kingsolver book was on my ‘to read’ list too, I look forward to hearing your opinion. Good luck with the new sofa and chocolate eclair.
    Is that knitting I see by your book? Anything exciting. Have a good stress free weekend. B x

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  4. At least the littlest boy is reading. Does the law of attraction work in the opposite direction especially on socks? By the way Martyn was a non coin swallowing civil engineer and some of our female friends are too.

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  5. I have heard of the law of attraction before.... I think it all boils down to our notoriously bad grasp of probability and coincidences rather than mysterious vibrations. But of course I like the idea of positive wishful thinking, a lovely and welcome coincidence is always appreciated in my corner although lately, I seem to attract (or notice) the less fun coincidences.

    As for the poll, lets add some amazing women to it, surely there were plenty even back in 2002, when that poll was published. I can't think of anyone less inspiring than Bono (86) or David Beckham (33!), just a few spots higher than Emmeline Pankhurst (27) who should surely be rated way more important than Princess Diana (3)... I can feel some middle aged disapproval creeping up on me, must stopping studying that list.

    Fingers crossed for that sofa :-)

    Have a lovely weekend xx

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  6. I have been trying manifest calm, peace and perhaps a holiday to the Maldives. Unfortunately I think the kids vibrations for the xbox games they want are not on the same wave length as mine and things are going a little haywire. I haven't looked at the poll and I'm not sure if I want to. It might make me cranky and then my vibes will truly be stuffed up! Good luck with the sofa and the éclair. xx Susan

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  7. A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. I'm surprised that you didn't name any British women.
    I'd happy if I could manifest a cup and tea and a couple of biscuits now and again.
    Enjoy your weekend. xx

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  8. I am trying to manifest unlimited money so I can work less, it isn't working yet. Maybe I like my job too much? Maybe I am not saying it all right? I have no idea. Good luck with the new sofa.

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  9. Doesn't look like the manifestations are working but thanks for your beautiful pictures of Gloucestershire countryside, I am missing the harvest right now. CN x

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  10. Stunning photos, CJ. I've just returned from a family holiday and am catching up with my favourite blogs. R is a big fan of IKB - apparently, he designed the apparatus used to invert him and retrieve the coin himself. He was a bit more sketchy as to why he was daft enough to inhale one in the first place! Not sure about the law of attraction but let me know if that sofa/eclair appear, I'm willing to be convinced! xx

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  11. Mmm! I didn’t know that about IKB - obviously very good on the engineering front but seriously lacking in common sense it would seem.

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  12. Came for a dose of your witty words and got what I wanted so it must be working! So many women could have been there...Micheal Crawford, honestly! Jo xxx

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  13. I came across your blog from a side link on Attic24, and I love your style of writing and your pictures.
    Famous women... Florence Nightingale, Ada Lovelace, Helen Sharman....

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  14. How depressing that there were so few women on that list, but not surprising. I don't expect the men were massively diverse either x

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  15. I remember boycotting the Great Briton’s programme when it was on due to its lack of women. And as I live in an ex-coal mining town the inclusion of Margaret Thatcher was an additional reason to boycott.
    On a more positive note I love the notion of the law of attraction. It works best for me when I announce loudly to all the thing I most want (tea/cake/peace &quiet).

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  16. Oooooooooooooo..... I hope that law of attraction thing works. I'd like a new boiler for the basement to just appear instead of me having to BUY one. Wouldn't THAT be a wonderful thing.

    Love your photos. :-) So many beautiful things to see where you live.

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