My favourite page on The Irish Times is without doubt the Bulletin Page on the Saturday edition (the page with the crosswords). I love the crosswords on the other days, but on Saturday it is the Thinking Anew article and Patsy McGarry’s In a Word that I read first. I often cut out the article to read again and again. I sometimes find an old article tucked away in a book or drawer and I enjoy the rereading. I had a friend once who used send me cut-out articles from magazines. My mother often kept articles that appealed to her, made her think or just amused her.
1. THINKING ANEW
The article at the top of the page Thinking Anew always sets me thinking. Very often it’s based on the weekend’s scripture reading, with a link to a current issue.
- December 16 was titled “Our anywhere and everywhere God” and discussed the links between the liturgical seasons and everyday ups and downs.
- December 9 was titled “Waiting for God-oh” and discussed the importance of waiting and patience, quoting Leo Tolstoy “Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait”.
2. IN A WORD
In a Word as the title implies, takes a word and relates it to a current issue. It always finishes with the etymology of the word.
- December 16 the word was Puddle and the article discussed how we are all like the child who jumps into a puddle, young at heart. We want Santy (as he was called when I was a child) to provide our dreams- world peace, freedom from famine, an All-Ireland title for Roscommon.
PUDDLE from old English pudd, “a small pool of dirty water”.
- November 18: In a Word November
This article discussd the bad press given to the month of November and suggests that Scorpios, born in September are described as “complicated, needy and and just plain difficult to get along with. (I know some very cheery Scorpios!) Follow the link to read the 19th Century poet, Thomas Hood’s poem November.
McGarry then compares Scoirpios to Saggitarians, born towards the end of the month. “Passionate and charming, clever, outgoing, and charismatic” who “can light up a room instantly and without trying“.
NOVEMBER, from Latin “novem” meaning “nine” for the ninth month of the Roman calendar.
