Childish Things

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)

 The word 'childish' has simply become this awful word that we use when we want to put someone down as being immature. It seems to denigrate all those things that go with childhood: wide-eyed wonder, a sense of fun, even a sense of irresponsibility....For me the child in me is my soul. If you lose that I think you lose your soul. And I think that one of the worst things about growing older in our society...I do think St Paul has something to answer for - an assumption that you have to grow away from being a child in order to become an adult, instead of the child in you becoming part of the adult that you become.

               - children's author Michael Morpurgo OBE in the June edition of Third Way Magazine

Embracing Minimalism

That should bring in more traffic; or at least traffic from real bloggers as opposed to those pesky persons in trenchcoats bearing tins of luncheon meat. When I say 'minimalism,' I'm referring not to the simplicity element of my rule of life, more the enforced space and burst of energy caused by the last Bank holiday sunshine and by Mr GP being away cycling. Put another way, I've been making hay...that is, whirling  round house and garden like a dervish, mop, broom and spade in hand. Plants have been planted, floors have been mopped, cupboards (well, one cupboard anyway) have been cleared, paper clutter shredded, dog hoovered (only joking), bags dropped off at the charity shop and the whole place generally spruced up.  How long it'll last is anybody's guess, I'll make the most of it. I do some of my best thinking when I'm physically occupied.

Smile Awhile

It's catching. Even for me, your original dyed in the wool Eeyore. I logged on just now to find Chris Goan's smiles waiting in my in-box:  photo montage and poetry celebrating   timeless beauty and life in its fullness. Real people, wrinkles and all; genuine smiles rather than the cheesy, perfect airbrushed and photoshopped grins the media bombards us with. It makes me want to...yes...smile. ...Memories of my Grannie quoting that old rhyme: 

Smile awhile, And while you smile, Another smiles, And soon there's miles and miles, Of smiles, And life's worth while, Because you smile.

Spiritual Underpinnings - Wandering Round in Circles

...upon that Long and Winding Road: another set of Spiritual Underpinnings on Praying the Labyrinth.

Hallelujah Encore!

Yes, you've guessed it - our cat with cattitude hit the target aka his litter tray again!  Yes, I realise this has nothing whatsoever to do with the remit of this blog; but you'll have to indulge me - if you have to co-exist with our furry tiger, even commonplace achievements like this are a cause for letting off the party poppers.  There's nothing like rejoicing at the little things in life. I'll leave you to draw suitably spiritual  parallels. I'm sure there are many.

Oh -  and I couldn't resist linking to one of my favourite feline clips - Simon's Cat's "Double Trouble."  Enjoy!

Prayer

Ground Me in Your Grace

Eternal One,

     Silence

        from whom my words come;

     Questioner

        from whom my questions arise;

     Lover

        of whom all my loves are hints;

     Disturber

        in whom alone I find my rest;

     Mystery

        in whose depths I find healing

             and myself;

Enfold me now in your presence;

     restore to me your peace;

        renew me through your power;

                   and ground me in your grace.

- Ted Loder from Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle, LuraMedia, 1984

Summer Days

Bank Holiday Monday Wanderings

Greenpatch dog and I have been working on our fitness levels over the bank holiday. I've also been working on his barkiness levels, in the hopes that he'll be too worn out to entertain the neighbours with his usual melifluous singing.  Here he is wandering over  the Moors...

...through  the churchyard...or was it the other way round? There used to be sheep grazing here, but although we looked hard, we couldn't find any this time. Shame, they're much more fun than a lawnmower! We paused for a refreshment stop halfway at a tap with doggy bowl thoughtfully provided.   At least, I assume it's intended for passing doggies. Either that or we've been using up the church flower ladies' supplies.  I could have done with an icecream myself,  only you don't tend to find icecream vans in the middle of the Lambourn Valley way, unfortunately.

Never mind, onwards ever onwards, dodging passers-by out watching for the few remaining craft from the annual raft race. Home at last...GP collapses; GP dog is still raring to go! 

Lucky dip canine style. Guess who wasted an hour this afternoon searching the town for play balls? Hide his tea amongst these and you can buy yourself at least two minutes P and Q!

Last but not least....who would have guessed that  the childrens' old play tent would be given a new lease of life  as a doggy des-res, dtchd, and ld to lwn? 

Next project: Convert old collapsible garden bin into a Fido play tunnel, site next to high jump (broom balanced on a couple of upturned flowerpots), and open my own little agility business!

World Labyrinth Day

Lent 2012 - labyrinth

Saturday 4 May is World Labyrinth Day; here's one I made earlier, (much earlier). Joining in the world-wide wave of labyrinth walking later this afternoon could be tricky; I'll be out shopping come 1 pm. There's nothing for it: I'll just have to  force myself to retire to a convenient coffee shop; all in the line of duty, you understand.

Hallelujah!

 PTL! We've hit gold.  Tigercat has - how shall we put it delicately -  just"deposited" a feline "Number Two" in the correct receptacle  for the second time this week! To date they're usually left on the study floor for me to find first thing. Please don't flood me with suggestions as to the likely cause or solution to the problem; believe me, we've tried them all! Just rejoice with us that he who...that our cat with cattitude has ...brain's not working this morning...any biblical re-writes on the topic welcome.

Suspect this entry falls into the 'totally illogical' category. (Oops!)

Labyrinth Day

Labyrinth at St Beunos, Wales

Thanks to Jan Richardson of the Painted Prayerbook for pointing out that this coming Saturday 4 May, is World Labyrinth Day when people all over the world are being encouraged to walk a labyrinth. St Beunos is a wee bit too far for a day trip. Never mind, I'll rake out my homemade finger labyrinth in honour of the occasion.