SONG FOR MONDAY

Christmas is coming!  Beds all made for family coming from Geneva, hearts scattered around the place and the tree's up.  

The desk painted up beautifully Emma.

Song for Monday here

SONG FOR SUNDAY

This is not a photograph of the environment I am living in at the moment with temperatures in the high 30's - centigrade that is.

When I sing Christmas carols, the Australian ones don't quite do it for me.  Here's a beauty set in the bleak mid-winter by Christina Rossetti (1830 - 94).

Christina Rossetti, an English poet, was the daughter of a distinguished Italian political exile who became Professor of English at King's College, London.  Her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, more famous that she, was also a poet and a painter.  They lived in a time of high creativity in which the religious imagination often furnished material for artistic and literary works.  A devout High Anglican who engaged in many charitable works, Rossetti wrote a large number of poems, although she was a semi-invalid for much of her life.

The Nativity is the theme of the poem that follows.  Notice how vividly Rossetti sets the scene, a wintry setting worthy of an English Christmas.  She is intense and visionary, looking beyond the first Christmas to the Lord's second coming, 'when he comes to reign'.  Her contrasts are steep and wide, as they are in Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).  Heaven and earth are always in tension;  riches and poverty, and God's triumphant power revealed in a small and humble space - these high contrasts of the Infancy Narratives become this poet's material as well.

Rossetti's intense spirituality most forceful in the last verse, which by itself stands as a wonderful prayer of Christmas celebration and joy.  (SPIRITUAL CLASSICS ed Richard Foster & Emilie Griffin)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

In the bleak mid-winter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, 

Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter

Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold him,

Nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away

When he comes to reign:

In the bleak mid-winter

A stable-place sufficed

the Lord God Almighty

Jesus Christ.

Enough for him whom cherubim

Worship night and day,

A breastful of milk

And a mangerful of hay;

Enough for him whom angels

Fall down before,

The ox and ass and camel

Which adore.

Angels and archangles

May have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim

Thronged the air,

But only his mother 

In her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.

What can I give him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part -

Yet what I can I give him

Give my heart.

Photograph of my darling sister and you can find a beautiful rendition of the carol sung by Annie Lennox here

SUNDAY SONG

Rufus Wainwright singing 'Hallelujah'

RIP Leonard Cohen

SONG FOR SUNDAY

Song for Sunday

Photograph taken near Gerda's in New South Wales

PROVENCE STAR AND A SONG FOR SUNDAY

One of my 'quilting' fingers became infected about ten days ago, so I spent this week at my sewing maching making this quilt.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I sewed the red and blue borders on yesterday and will take a photograph today.  Going to make the binding today and next Friday, baste it at Robyn's all ready for quilting.

Song for Sunday

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray this is what he taught them. 

MABEL,THE REDUNDANT BOTTLE OPENER, RIPENING PEARS AND A SONG FOR SUNDAY

Song for Sunday

FROM MY LAUNDRY WINDOW AND A SONG FOR SUNDAY

The Jacaranda tree is starting to leaf.

Sunday Song from Dunblane Cathederal, Scotland

HECTOR

We watched HECTOR on Netflix last night.   David went off for some guitar practice while I browsed Netflix for something to watch later.  What a treat it was with the wonderful Peter Mullan from Sunshine on Leith in the leading role.  The film takes you into the world of survival where people sleep with nothing more than a cardboard box as a blanket, a world of sadness, kindness and ultimate hope.

The haunting music of Emily Barker's title song - Anywhere Away can be found here

THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO

Before preaching on Sunday, Andrew played this song for us to listen to.  I just wanted to jump up and sing along but managed to control myself.  Beautiful song.  Have a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JxqQYc9aIU

SHADAHROBA

I'm 'madly' coursing through the MAD MEN series.  When it originally came out some years ago, I watched the first few episodes and then, for some reason didn't keep up with the series.

Anyhoo!  Back I am and in the evenings, when David does some guitar practice after dinner, down I sit, set up the next episode, draw my quilting on to my lap, lower the lamp to sew and press START!

And one of the many things I love about the series is the song which finishes each episode. Last night, poor Don's personal life has just fallen apart!  And the song...fabulous Roy Orbison singing SHADAHROBA.  

Oh! the 60s!  The songs we sang!