Rod Marshall

Some time ago, my tape measure lost its end. As I have had that tape measure for at least twenty-five years, I decided it was time for a new one. Like me, it had got a bit fragile and retreated inside its case. It had served me well. This … Read more

I love the sci-fi films, books, and programs. I do love a good story. As a young man, I read Douglas Adams, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, John Wyndham, etc. — good, harmless stimulation for the brain. Now that the television is king … Read more

I have been busy, and I will be for quite a while yet, with a major renovation project. So, I get sucked in by the doing, focused on the job. Quiet times are fast and fleeting. Okay, so that also has to do with sleep deprivation and … Read more

I skimmed over Matthew's parable of the talents this morning, knowing the parable's content, yet I gained a new insight. As someone who has sympathised with the poor chap who was given a single talent as a reluctant servant, I have … Read more

I was in a queue at a set of traffic lights in town. We were stationary, so I looked expectantly towards the red lights in front of me, when a movement in the car in front of me caught my eye. It turned out to be a woman who had leaned … Read more

With a new baby and a wreck of a house, I have a tendency to be focused on the job to be done: it is easy to do. Consequently, I am task-orientated, with a noticeable sense of satisfaction when a task is done. However, as I get older, … Read more

One winter's evening, I arrived to collect my mother-in-law from where she had arrived at the coach station. I was a few minutes late, so, like a gun dog, I feverishly scanned the horizon for my target. There in the gloom of the … Read more

When I cycle in to work, I pass by a woodshed where pallets of sawn wood of various lengths and thicknesses are stacked and kept dry. Sometimes when I pass by and the wind is blowing from the right direction, the lovely fragrance of pine … Read more

As I played with my baby daughter sitting on my knee at the breakfast table, my wife laughed. I asked her what might be the cause for laughter at this early hour. I had been singing and tapping my finger to the beat of a tune as it … Read more

Recently, I have been busy with the duty of jury service. Leading up to the first day, a small boy was out and about in my brain, causing havoc, screaming, and sulking. I was full of the responsibility of the imposition and dealing with … Read more