Top Ten Weather related Songs cont...

1. The Sun has got his Hat on

                           2. It's Raining Men, preferably in the original Weather Girls version.


                       3. Singin' In the Rain

           4. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and The Waves Thank you Crafty Green Poet

           5. Lovely Day – Bill Withers

                     And so on...

        

   

   

Whether the Weather again - Top Ten Weather related Songs

From the sublime - the poem I posted this morning, to the ridiculous - a great article on that staple of Brit conversation - Weather Talk: Is there a way to make it interesting? Of course there is! Without further ado, I'm proud to present the GP Top Ten Weather Related Songs:

1. The Sun has got his Hat on

           2. It's Raining Men, preferably in the original Weather Girls version.
         
           3.  Singin' In the Rain

           Over to you now... Which hits  would you choose?

(Should the blog police be lurking ready to pounce,  I realise none of this is remotely theological, ecological or vocational. I defy anybody to say it's not a top runner for winner in the 'totally illogical' category, however.)

Summer IS icumen in - Found Poem

Another Found Poem,  inspired by Quinn Creative's book, Raw Art Journaling. I'm not sure it's complete yet; who knows -  officially, Summer still has three months to run!

Spiritual stargazers discovering wonders
Speak out Summer puzzles.

Jubilee- Kelly Kettles, Choirs, Corgis and Cupcakes

                                                 Jubilee cupcakes


Just off the phone to GP son, who's at a street party in Norwich.

Back down south in Maison Greenpatch, celebrations so far have been more low key. Highlights to date:

1. Cupcakes I bought this luscious lot above in the Saturday market. They didn't last long!

2. "Rock" Went with friends to a performance of the Roger Jones musical about the calling of Simon Peter. Great fun; very moving.

3. Choir I made a one-off visit to Newchurch choir to join in singing Zadok The Priest as part of the joint Jubilee celebrations; the Queen's Diamond coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the ordination of  a retired priest and member of the congregation. Which brings us to...

4. The Royal College of Music Chamber Choir in all their bedraggled splendour singing their hearts out in the river pageant finale. Did you see them? Talk about true British spirit; they weren't going to let a piddling shower of rain stop the show! Marvellous! (Though I must admit to having snoozed through much of the rest of the pageant.)

5. The Queen's home movies Well, that gave us a glimpse into  the lives of the Royals that we've not  come across before. Two snippets in particular, made me smile: one scene at Balmoral where the family were seen brewing up on a poacher's kettle, just like my favourite Kelly Kettle. And those stars of the show, the  ubiquitous corgis, especially Prince Charles's throwaway reference to the breed's snappiness (corgis being originally bred to round up cattle); there were not a few scared sentries around, apparently. Ouch! Too close to home. I've still  clear memories of the Headmistress's corgi at my prep school, who struck terror into the hearts of everybody, and was perfectly capable of bringing an entire 'crocodile'  of nicely brought-up young ladies and accompanying teachers to a terrified halt! Research has revealed that my memories aren't playing me false, either!

Mr GP, needless to say has completely ignored the entire shebang in favour of pub with his mates and golf. But shhhh...he's not noticed that I've sneaked in and changed the radio from Planet Rock to Classic FM's wall to wall Jubilee themed favourites!  All together now....

Jubilee - Let the festivities commence!

...and I could have sworn that my bunting (see 2011 Greenbelt pic) was neatly stashed away with my craft supplies. Not so, it seems. Item 1 on the 'to-do' list for the day: rake out my rucksack from the tottering pile under the stairs and check there.

There is an alternative - get going on the handy bunting kit that Ms GP gave me for my birthday. Given the combined lack of a  machine and my sewing skills, we could be in for a long wait. Your Majesty - would you mind posponing the celebrations for a month, or three?

You Shall Live - Ezekiel 37

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones.  And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest." Again he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."  So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.  Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.'  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.  And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD."

        - Ezekiel 37 (RSV)

Blessed Are...

A blessing based on The Beatitudes which I used last night in prayer group. It's from the conclusion of  Margaret Silf's Landmarks: An Ignatian Journey.

I bless the poverty in your heart, which knows its own emptiness, because that gives me space to grow my Kingdom there.

I bless that in you that touches others gently, because everyone responds to gentleness, and gentleness can capture even hardened hearts.

I bless that in you that grieves and aches for all that is lost or can never be, because that is my opportunity to comfort you with my much greater love.

I bless that in you that longs and strives after your own deepest truth and after truth for the world, because even as you pray, I am constantly satisfying these deep unspoken longings.

I bless you every time you show mercy and forgiveness, because that is like a little window in your heart, setting you free from resentment and opening up a space for me to enter and to heal.

I bless the purity of your heart, because that is the elusive center where your deepest desire meets mine. That is where we meet face-to-face.

I bless the peacemaker in you, that in you that seeks the peace that passes understanding, knowing the cost of its obtaining, because that is what I sent my Son to give, and in your peacemaking you become my daughter or son.

I bless even those things in your experience of journeying with me that feel like persecution and abuse and misunderstanding, because they are the proof that your faith is no illusion.