Sunday 31 July 2011

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print


We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Thursday 28 July 2011

The Thursday Poem




Child and Mother
O mother-my-love, if you'll give me your hand,
And go where I ask you to wander,
I will lead you away to a beautiful land,
The Dreamland that's waiting out yonder.
We'll walk in a sweet posie-garden out there,
Where moonlight and starlight are streaming,
And the flowers and the birds are filling the air
With the fragrance and music of dreaming.

There'll be no little tired-out boy to undress,
No questions or cares to perplex you,
There'll be no little bruises or bumps to caress,
Nor patching of stockings to vex you;
For I'll rock you away on a silver-dew stream
And sing you asleep when you're weary,
And no one shall know of our beautiful dream
But you and your own little dearie.

And when I am tired I'll nestle my head
In the bosom that's soothed me so often,
And the wide-awake stars shall sing, in my stead,
A song which our dreaming shall soften.
So, Mother-my-Love, let me take your dear hand,
And away through the starlight we'll wander,
Away through the mist to the beautiful land,
The Dreamland that's waiting out yonder.

Eugene Field
(2nd September 1850 - 4th November 1895)

Monday 25 July 2011

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy




Instinct is the nose of the mind

Sunday 24 July 2011

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print

We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Friday 22 July 2011

I've been keeping it quiet...





...but I have pulled myself together and got started back on the 'ole weight reduction/fitness path, my loves :-)  I decided to take the plunge and join Slimming World ~ actually going to a group, as opposed to trying to do this all by myself with their online option.  I'm following their Extra Easy Plan ~ which as the name suggests, is incredibly easy!  It really does help to know that I am going to be weighed each week and whether I have a good week or bad, I will still be receiving lots of encouragement.  It's just way too easy for me to simply give up if I have a "bad" week when I am trying to motivate myself.

Of course, sweetie~pies, I realise that there will probably be some of you out there shaking your heads and muttering something along the lines of  "uh-oh, here she goes again" and quite frankly, I couldn't blame you for that ;-)  That's why I've kept this to myself for the past eight weeks, until I was comfortable with going to the group meetings.  I didn't want to embarass myself by telling you what I was doing one week, only to have to 'fess up that I'd packed it in the next! 

I started on 27th May at 316.5 pounds, which equates to 22st 8.5lbs, and have so far shed 10.5 pounds.  I decided not to set an ultimate goal for the time being ~ to get down into my healthy weight range means a maximum of about 11 stone (154 pounds) which quite frankly is a rather disheartening weight to be aiming for at the moment, my loves!  So for the time being I am aiming for my Club 10 target, which simply means shedding 10% of one's excess weight as even dropping this amount helps one's health enormously :-)  My Club 10 target is 20st 4.5lbs (284.5 pounds), a reduction of 32 pounds.  So I'm about one-third of the way there!  Once I do get there, I will set my next target but I'm not going to think too much about that just yet LOL 

I've also started to do more walking, although I confess that I do find it quite hard going with all the weight I am carrying right now.  Still, today I managed to walk into town and back home again, which is getting on for about two miles in total.  I must admit, sweetie-pies, that my poor 'ole legs were tingling and felt burning hot by the time I got home but I was just so chuffed that I had been able to do it!  It's such a long time since I have been able to walk that kind of distance :-) 

I'm sure that you will all be absolutely delighted to know that I intend to keep you up-to-date with my progress ~ so look out for the next thrilling instalment next week LOL

Thursday 21 July 2011

The Thursday Poem


Young Woman Reading by a Window ~ Delphin Enjolras


Sonnet 30

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear times' waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restor'd and sorrows end.

William Shakespeare
(23rd April 1564 - 23rd April 1616)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Monday 18 July 2011

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy



If we cannot live so as to be happy,
let us at least live so as to deserve it

Sunday 17 July 2011

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print


We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Thursday 14 July 2011

The Thursday Poem




Ode (We are the Music Makers)

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities.
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.

We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.

Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy
(14th March 1844 - 30th January 1881)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Monday 11 July 2011

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy





A grown-up is a child with layers on

Sunday 10 July 2011

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print


We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Friday 8 July 2011

Thursday 7 July 2011

The Thursday Poem



Binsey Poplars
felled 1879

My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,
All felled, felled, are all felled;
Of a fresh and following folded rank
Not spared, not one
That dandled a sandalled
Shadow that swam or sank
On meadow and river and wind-wandering
weed-winding bank.

O if we but knew what we do
When we delve or hew -
Hack and rack the growing green!
Since country is so tender
To touch, her being so slender,
That, like this sleek and seeing ball
But a prick will make no eye at all,
Where we, even where we mean
To mend her we end her,
When we hew or delve:
After-comers cannot guess the beauty been.
Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve
Strokes of havoc unselve
The sweet especial scene,
Rural scene, a rural scene,
Sweet especial rural scene.

Gerard Manley Hopkins
(28th July 1844 - 8th June 1889)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Monday 4 July 2011

Start the week with a quote...


image from The Graphics Fairy





God sells us all things at the price of labour

Sunday 3 July 2011

Prayer for World Peace


Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print



We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall


Friday 1 July 2011

I have...






image from freedigitalphotos.net


TOO.....MUCH.....STUFF

There ~ I have now actually said those three little words out loud, my loves *sigh

Do I hear you asking what has brought this on?  Well, I shall tell you: I have been watching programmes about hoarders and it has been making my blood run cold.  I have been watching how these people live and then looking around my own home ~ and realising, with a dreadful sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I too am on the slippery slope to becoming totally overwhelmed by all my belongings and drowning poor Adrian and the kids, too.

It is fast approaching some kind of crisis point.  Whilst Beverly has been away, I have been using her bedroom as a depository for all the stuff I have been buying or have been given ~ and I could close the door to hide it from view.  Even though the airing-cupboard is in Beverly's room, which is where I keep our towels, etc, I have been able to "skim over" the accumulation of things each time I needed to go to the cupboard.  In fact, I seem to have developed this "skill" to a fine art over time and that is most definitely NOT "a good thing"!

I seem to be collecting all kinds of things in a totally haphazard, schizophrenic manner.  And I have not been collecting in a slow, thoughtful way either; oh no, it's being done in a mad rush, almost like I need a sort of "fix" :-(  It's got to the point where even I can see that this has to stop; I fear that I am teetering on the edge of being unable to stop.  If I don't pull back now, then I am afraid that I will tumble and fall into a deep, dark chasm and be unable to climb back out again.

This is a scary place to be, sweetie~pies.  Having watched a few of these hoarding programmes, I have come to know and understand what it is that has been driving this urge in me.  I will say now though that whilst I know what has set this off, I do not feel able to share this with you; some things are just too private for public consumption.  I hope you will be understanding of this, please, my loves.

Since Beverly has come home for the summer, I have had to remove all my things from her bedroom.....and there is just nowhere in this house for it to go.  It is currently spread out all over the place: in Adrian's and my bedroom, in the living and dining rooms, in the hall, in the loft.....

And so I have to tackle the problem now, before it gets utterly overwhelming and out-of-control.  I need to reign myself in and decide just what my collecting passion/s really are, since I am not suggesting that I should have none at all!  I need to be objective and listen quietly to that little voice inside of me whispering about those things that truly inspire and captivate me.

You have probably guessed, my loves, that I have been thinking about all this a great deal over these past couple of weeks or so.  Actually, I have been immersed in "deep thoughts" since around the time of my birthday.  It seems that turning 50 has kick-started a lot of thought processes that have been laying dormant for rather a long time!

I rather think that this collect/take-in-and-keep-any-old-thing issue is a way for me to hide from all those aspects of my life that I am unhappy/dissatisfied with.  There really is so much more I could be doing with my life and the time has come when I have to make some pretty big decisions about what I am going to do about all this ~ and, of course, actually act upon those decisions.  I am losing ~ and indeed, have lost ~ precious time, time that I can never regain.  The clock marches relentlessly forwards, taking me with it however much I may want to simply stand still.

Of course, sweetie~pies, I will be sharing my new adventures with you all so keep an eye open for updates yet to come ;-)