
When I sit down to write my Morning Thoughts I have no idea what will pop into my mind or the route my thoughts will take. My diary entries simply record what is on my mind and reference many years of personal knowledge, insight and experience. I also like to keep them brief; they are not essays after all!

I write my Morning Thoughts (and many other items) on Substack and, if I find the time, I also copy and paste them onto this – my personal website. Please consider subscribing to my Substack page – colinjanderson.substack.com – it’s free! The sheer volume of lies, misinformation, hate and advertisements on Facebook has been getting me down, so the more family and friends who subscribe to my Substack page the sooner I can close down my Facebook page.
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Living Within My Means
I feel okay today but, having read the brochure for the upcoming Chagford Film Festival, I am regretting having to live on such a small budget. I shall not be attending the festival. However, I am upbeat because I stick to my budget and it usually doesn’t bother me too much.
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Avoiding Alternative Realities
I am looking forward to the day ahead and somehow my thoughts move on to the hellish Orwellian nightmare in which we are living – and can we survive it?
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Coffee with Mum
Rain today, but only until lunchtime. For the first time in a couple of months my mother will make it out to me on the bus, despite the rain – and the fact she is one month away from being 90 years old.
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Vampires, Rain & AI
This morning I learn that the Energy Vampires of yesterday may have vanished, it is cloudy outside with no chance of rain and I have taken a microscopic personal step towards switching off AI.
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Mysterious Energy Vampire?
What in my house could be using 6 pence-worth more energy than usual? I try to find an answer but only partially succeed. Could there be an energy vampire sucking up electricity when I am not looking?
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A Break from Tech Troubles
Today is the sort of day you would have expected it to be prior to climate breakdown. I have decided that, after a week of tech nightmares arising out of switching mobile phone companies – resulting in a (nearly) useless debit card – I shall take the weekend off, just like in pre-retirement days.
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Rain, Glorious Rain!
Boy was I glad to see rain this morning, too little, perhaps too late and certainly inconsequential but welcome nevertheless. A boost to my well-being but sadly inot to the garden, the pond, and farmland, forests and reservoirs.
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Will I Ever Own A Home?
A home inspection today made me think about whether I would ever own a home, or even if I would need to as my preference would be for a council home. However, at the age of 70 it has pretty much dawned on me that I will never have a home I can shape to…
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Standing to Read?
I feel quite good today despite my back pain of five days. I will try to get on with some reading but, sitting down becomes very painful when it comes time to get up. Is it possible to read standing up?
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Freely, Romans and Celts
Wednesday, 12th. August 2026: back pain is keeping me at home and I find myself discovering ‘normal’ TV for the first time in 16 years and reading a surprisingly good historical novel.
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Quality: Garlic Olive Oil!
When a very pleasant summer day is sandwiched between two heatwaves it seems even more pleasant! From there my mind wandered to yesterday’s salad and a lesson learned from buying what I thought was a cheaper alternative to my usual garlic olive oil.
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Sitting Room?
I have a new sitting room! Or is it a sitting room? Or perhaps a bar & chat room or a learning room – or just a study? Whatever. It is Monday and I am feeling good!