What a beautiful quote, thank you for sharing that! I think it's a well-timed reminder for us all. And a lovely post too. So glad you are nesting nicely in, it's a big part of the process of finding where home is. I had a lovely time with your Andrea on Wednesday, we are planning to get you over to Spain for a writing retreat, you've been warned! :-p
Isn't it a great quotation? Some of the words just popped into my head whilst I was writing, and I had to look it up to find the whole piece. But it still resonates so well.
And I am SO VERY MUCH UP for whatever you two concoct! I am also jealous that she got to meet you first, but we will catch up soon, I am sure.
I love the nest feathering and time spent quietly at home sheltered from the turbulent, uncertain world (me too). I too am prone to emotion when any one in my family sings or performs, though I am not much invested in the national anthem. Or the flag. But I love America!
You have lots of musicians in your family so I can see why you would be emotive at those times.
I have two fond memories of you reciting poems out loud (which is close to singing, in my opinion) which just popped into my memory: one is on the brick bench with Chris F. in high school. EE Cummings perhaps? Or one of the many poets we were supposed to be studying. The other is up in the high sierra when we were backpacking with John D and you recited the entire The Creation of Sam McGee. What an amazing time that was.
LOVE that deck! How wonderful to invite the outside in. Jobs worth doing by the sound of it. And especially lovely to watch the birds. Ther'es something about birds being comfortable enough around us to inhabit a space and to share their life and son with us.
Re the national anthem - yes, it's played here before games of grandfinal football but not much else. And not at schools anymore. Daily singing of same means very little.
Nevertheless, Australians are very patriotic and proud and need very little to get them chanting: 'Aussie (pronounced Ozzie), Aussie, Aussie! Oi,Oi, Oi!' It pretty well sums up our laid-back, don't-take-each-other-too-seriously attitude. That ethos is something that I'm proud of in our national identity. Used in the right way, it could be a lesson to many countries across the globe. (And yes, to anyone reading this comment, I realise Australia is far from perfect but it's such a great country!)
The only time I've been moved to tears by a national anthem was at the Proms in London and at the ballet three years ago when we watched the Ukrainian national company. They all came on stage at the end with a flag and sang their anthem. It was spine-chilling and the whole theatre stood in respect.
I like that Aussies are patriotic too-I think our countries (the US one, I mean, of my two) are alike in that way. Sadly, many have hijacked the flag to mean only a certain set of values; that seemed to start after the 9/11 attacks and has made me rather furious.
I've still never seen the proms, it's on my list of things still to do here! The Ukrainian Ballet must have been absolutely thrilling to watch. Lucky you to witness that.
Thank you for the kind words about the deck. We knew we would love it, and we do!
So many wonderful aspects to your writing piece this week Sabrina, thank you! LOVE the French doors and deck, and the other improvements sound wonderful as well. Livability is key to making it feel like your home!
What are the Proms?? I do plan to Google it….
Lots to think about with all of the rest of your piece as well, but what I take away primarily is the beauty of the William Saroyan quotation…YES! Thank you for including that; it’s definitely going on my bulletin board. 💙
Thank you Martha, very kind of you to say all that!
Based on where it was in my book of quotations, I'm guessing that I copied it out of one of the yearbooks from the years ahead of ours...The rhythm and the sentiment have stuck with me ever more (although buried for some time!)
Having seen the old version of our back garden, thank you for appreciating the new! It is quite enjoyable.
Sounds like on your next visit we should all go to the Proms together! 🎶
I'll have to tell Fabio right away that those just might be gin and tonics. And that you might have been imbibing while watching the Olympics. He'll be thrilled and envious.
Your house projects turned out so well. I'm delighted to see the deck and know the bathroom situation improved. It's so important to feel happy at home, especially as a shelter from the terrible things going on in the world. But at least they are slightly counterbalanced with a bit of good news.
I can see why you cried seeing Clare sing. Those girls look so young, sweet, and innocent. They still are mostly all of those things but slightly older and not so innocent of the world around them.
I get a little misty at the Star Spangled Banner realizing the power and promise behind that anthem. If only the country could live up to that spirit of freedom and democracy. I get choked up over a hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Even though I'm not religious, I'm pretty sure I want it sung at my end of life celebration.
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Makes me tear up just reading the lyrics. Now I think I'll sign off and listen.
Looking forward to whatever and whenever comes next higgedly-piggedly or not.
Thanks Andrea. You and Fabio are welcome to come back any time and try the G&Ts in the comfy chairs outside when it is NOT raining. Honestly, you have had more bad weather in England than anyone I know! You are such a reliable visitor and it yet it always rains! Not fair.
That is a wonderful hymn and I can see why you enjoy it so much. Very uplifting.
Looking forward to our writers retreat where we can ignore the entire world around us 🤣❤️
Lovely post, Sabrina. I love home tasks - we haven't got any projects on the go in that department, although gosh, there is soooooo much we'd love to do - but I take great solace - and pleasure - in the everyday jobs of preparing food, loading and unloading the dishwasher, filling up the bird feeders, washing and ironing our clothes. Those are my home 'have-tos', but they're a soothing and welcome distraction to the other stuff*.
*other stuff: riots, politics, wars, my own worries, etc
I love national anthems, too, and it's been such an education hearing such a number of them at the moment. They all move me - and I've been humming along to the ones I recognise.
If there are things you have no control over, maybe it's best to put them in that perspective. Focusing on making your house a home is an important pursuit even if it means spending time on which color towels to get!
Thanks, Ginny.I appreciate your vote of support. Intellectually that of course makes perfect sense. And I enjoy nesting activities. It's just we were all taught to be citizens who serve too, and that is part where I feel I am most helpless.(hopeless? 😄). Thanks for the links you sent separately! I can't wait to dive in!
What a beautiful quote, thank you for sharing that! I think it's a well-timed reminder for us all. And a lovely post too. So glad you are nesting nicely in, it's a big part of the process of finding where home is. I had a lovely time with your Andrea on Wednesday, we are planning to get you over to Spain for a writing retreat, you've been warned! :-p
Isn't it a great quotation? Some of the words just popped into my head whilst I was writing, and I had to look it up to find the whole piece. But it still resonates so well.
And I am SO VERY MUCH UP for whatever you two concoct! I am also jealous that she got to meet you first, but we will catch up soon, I am sure.
And many thanks for the comment!
It's an amazing quotation. It's going on my wall! we will catch up soon for sure, you aren't too far away afterall... Looking forward to it already! 💕
Me too!
Sabrina, Jayne and I started cooking up a plan. More details to come....
You know you had me from the words Spain and writing....
I love the nest feathering and time spent quietly at home sheltered from the turbulent, uncertain world (me too). I too am prone to emotion when any one in my family sings or performs, though I am not much invested in the national anthem. Or the flag. But I love America!
Thanks Tim...these are turbulent times indeed.
You have lots of musicians in your family so I can see why you would be emotive at those times.
I have two fond memories of you reciting poems out loud (which is close to singing, in my opinion) which just popped into my memory: one is on the brick bench with Chris F. in high school. EE Cummings perhaps? Or one of the many poets we were supposed to be studying. The other is up in the high sierra when we were backpacking with John D and you recited the entire The Creation of Sam McGee. What an amazing time that was.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Dear Sabrina, Let's do that again!
it would be my delight!
LOVE that deck! How wonderful to invite the outside in. Jobs worth doing by the sound of it. And especially lovely to watch the birds. Ther'es something about birds being comfortable enough around us to inhabit a space and to share their life and son with us.
Re the national anthem - yes, it's played here before games of grandfinal football but not much else. And not at schools anymore. Daily singing of same means very little.
Nevertheless, Australians are very patriotic and proud and need very little to get them chanting: 'Aussie (pronounced Ozzie), Aussie, Aussie! Oi,Oi, Oi!' It pretty well sums up our laid-back, don't-take-each-other-too-seriously attitude. That ethos is something that I'm proud of in our national identity. Used in the right way, it could be a lesson to many countries across the globe. (And yes, to anyone reading this comment, I realise Australia is far from perfect but it's such a great country!)
The only time I've been moved to tears by a national anthem was at the Proms in London and at the ballet three years ago when we watched the Ukrainian national company. They all came on stage at the end with a flag and sang their anthem. It was spine-chilling and the whole theatre stood in respect.
I like that Aussies are patriotic too-I think our countries (the US one, I mean, of my two) are alike in that way. Sadly, many have hijacked the flag to mean only a certain set of values; that seemed to start after the 9/11 attacks and has made me rather furious.
I've still never seen the proms, it's on my list of things still to do here! The Ukrainian Ballet must have been absolutely thrilling to watch. Lucky you to witness that.
Thank you for the kind words about the deck. We knew we would love it, and we do!
So many wonderful aspects to your writing piece this week Sabrina, thank you! LOVE the French doors and deck, and the other improvements sound wonderful as well. Livability is key to making it feel like your home!
What are the Proms?? I do plan to Google it….
Lots to think about with all of the rest of your piece as well, but what I take away primarily is the beauty of the William Saroyan quotation…YES! Thank you for including that; it’s definitely going on my bulletin board. 💙
Thank you Martha, very kind of you to say all that!
Based on where it was in my book of quotations, I'm guessing that I copied it out of one of the yearbooks from the years ahead of ours...The rhythm and the sentiment have stuck with me ever more (although buried for some time!)
Having seen the old version of our back garden, thank you for appreciating the new! It is quite enjoyable.
Sounds like on your next visit we should all go to the Proms together! 🎶
I'll have to tell Fabio right away that those just might be gin and tonics. And that you might have been imbibing while watching the Olympics. He'll be thrilled and envious.
Your house projects turned out so well. I'm delighted to see the deck and know the bathroom situation improved. It's so important to feel happy at home, especially as a shelter from the terrible things going on in the world. But at least they are slightly counterbalanced with a bit of good news.
I can see why you cried seeing Clare sing. Those girls look so young, sweet, and innocent. They still are mostly all of those things but slightly older and not so innocent of the world around them.
I get a little misty at the Star Spangled Banner realizing the power and promise behind that anthem. If only the country could live up to that spirit of freedom and democracy. I get choked up over a hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Even though I'm not religious, I'm pretty sure I want it sung at my end of life celebration.
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Makes me tear up just reading the lyrics. Now I think I'll sign off and listen.
Looking forward to whatever and whenever comes next higgedly-piggedly or not.
Thanks Andrea. You and Fabio are welcome to come back any time and try the G&Ts in the comfy chairs outside when it is NOT raining. Honestly, you have had more bad weather in England than anyone I know! You are such a reliable visitor and it yet it always rains! Not fair.
That is a wonderful hymn and I can see why you enjoy it so much. Very uplifting.
Looking forward to our writers retreat where we can ignore the entire world around us 🤣❤️
You don't need to invite us to come back; we'll invite ourselves. The new set up makes it all the more enticing.
Both Fabio and I want that hymn sung at our services.
More on the latter when a few other writing things get figured out :)
Lovely post, Sabrina. I love home tasks - we haven't got any projects on the go in that department, although gosh, there is soooooo much we'd love to do - but I take great solace - and pleasure - in the everyday jobs of preparing food, loading and unloading the dishwasher, filling up the bird feeders, washing and ironing our clothes. Those are my home 'have-tos', but they're a soothing and welcome distraction to the other stuff*.
*other stuff: riots, politics, wars, my own worries, etc
I love national anthems, too, and it's been such an education hearing such a number of them at the moment. They all move me - and I've been humming along to the ones I recognise.
I love the way you describe doing your home tasks. It emanates peacefulness and mindfulness. Lovely!
And I'm happy to hear I am not the only one who gets moved by the anthems. They are a tribute to their composers too.
If there are things you have no control over, maybe it's best to put them in that perspective. Focusing on making your house a home is an important pursuit even if it means spending time on which color towels to get!
Thanks, Ginny.I appreciate your vote of support. Intellectually that of course makes perfect sense. And I enjoy nesting activities. It's just we were all taught to be citizens who serve too, and that is part where I feel I am most helpless.(hopeless? 😄). Thanks for the links you sent separately! I can't wait to dive in!