Works of Art

I`m not really an art person but yesterday I went to the city and decided to visit an exhibition of religious modern art at the Cathedral there. I was surprised by how long I spent there looking at them and really appreciating them One in particular which at first glance appeared to be nothing but a daub of white paint on a black canvas, the more I looked at it the more I saw. First that the background wasn`t black, it was a very, very dark blue then that the white shape took on the rough shape of a dove with outstretched wings and the edge of the brush stroke at the edges actually gave the appearance of the fine feather edges. The title of it was Pentecost. It was very moving.

Colourful names

Looking again at the paint card, what lovely images some of the names conjure up……

there`s – Blue lagoon, Aqua pool, Wild honeysuckle, Paradise blue, Summer sky,
and a few down to earth ones like – putting green, English forest, Willow tree,

But what makes anyone think of something like Juicy Jade, Sassy, Desire, Atmosphere,
Wellbeing, Winter`s Day, and put a colour to them. What colours would you think they are?

Who has the job of naming all the shades?
Wonder what colours anyone would invent and name, who reads this?

What is White?

What is white?
I always thought white was white.
So how can the paint card/chart (yes, that was where I found all those white`s yesterday), have so many versions of white? Surely they must actually be very, very, very pale tints of the colour they call them – so Violet White must infact be a pale, pale, pale violet and not white? If you put them beside a white piece of paper they don`t look white, so why do they get called white?

Thinking along those lines, do we all see colours the same?
There`s no way of knowing is there?
Or is someone going to baffle me with science?!

Where are the Whites?

I`ve just seen..... Jasmine White, Barley White, Almond white, Orchid White, Rose White, Apricot White, Blossom White, Violet White, Blossom White, Cornflower White, Apple White, Jade White, and Daffodil White.
What was I reading?

Success at last!

It may seem nothing to any of you computer experts who may stumble across and read this blog - but, at long, long last, after weeks of experimenting I`ve at last discovered how to set up a simple spreadsheet to do one of the tasks I need to at work. And, without sounding boastful (or at least I hope I don`t?), I just am plesased with myself that I`ve done it. Using a computer at work, and which had a different system to my home one, and ofcourse no instruction books with it, it was a case of trying all the different combinations of buttons etc.
But, success, I`ve got it!

A Ploughman`s Prayer

Seen by an old plough while out in the country yesterday:

The Ploughman`s Prayer

The King he governs all

The Parson prays for all

The Lawyer pleads for all

The Ploughman pay for all

And feed all.

Pen & Paper

I`m always happy with a pen and piece of paper.

I suppose it’s a throwback to childhood, when to keep one amused on a Sunday afternoon (because one wasn`t allowed to play games or do anything active!) I`d either be told to read a book or given some paper and pencils to keep me occupied and amused. There were so many things you could do with them to pass the time that way – word games, like Hangman, chains of names or items, or noughts and crosses, dots & box game, or just doodling. I was no good at sketching or drawing though, (still aren`t).

So even today if I have time on my hands (which isn`t often), or if I sit waiting for an appointment or anything, I`ll usually have a pen and paper to keep me occupied. Maybe that`s why I like making up quizzes and competitions because I sit and do them with pen and paper.

Probably the computer is the next step from that too, and why I enjoy doing things on here so much. Even if it is writing about nothing in particular, like this!

What Singles need

I came across a line later yesterday which seemed a coincidence after the blog I`d written yesterday. It was `Every single person needs inspiration and guidance`.

So true.

But, to put it in its context, it was in my bible reading notes, and of course the `every single person` referred to wasn’t just single people, but everyone. (at least I assume that`s what they meant). But I wondered why they used that phrase in that way, when it could be read that only single people need that and not couple or families - or perhaps they don`t need it and only us singles do?
Strange language this English, isn`t it?

Families

What is `a family`?
Reading something a friend had written today sent my thoughts along a line of thinking I often get. We so often now-a-days see and hear the phrases - family outing, ideal for families, family worship, family friendly, family service and others...
Do they mean that those events are just for a family i.e. a mother, father and childen?
They sound fine for them, but they make me as a single person feel very excluded. An odd one out. Lonely. That life has passed me by. (And if one goes the same feelings apply when seeing others in pairs or families).
Instead of being inclusive language, it seems very exclusive.

Do birds see us?

How do blackbirds (or any bird for that matter), see us?

It`s something that I wondered this evening as I watched one on the lawn, digging his beak into the ground for worms or insects. He came quite close to me and seemed quite unafraid.

Do we look giants to them?

Or do their eyes magnify so that we look in proportion?

Do they actually `see` in the way we see, or do they just define shapes?

I`m sure that if I was the size of the blackbird and something the size of me (and no, I`m not a heavyweight! or extra tall or wide!) came close I`d be very frightened.

So why aren`t they?

Sense of Direction

I was writing yesterday about how I enjoy driving.

Something that has surprised me since I learnt to drive, which is about 12 years ago now (wish I`d done it sooner), is how it`s greatly improved my sense of direction.

Although I`d lived here all my life I didn`t have any idea how to tell anyone the way to nearby villages or towns, because I didn`t know the roads or the way. I can remember when I was learning to drive in the city, I just followed the Instructors directions, turn right, turn left, straight ahead…etc., and I can remember how I used to think to myself however does he know how to get round here, I`m sure I`ll never manage to find my way as well as drive! But, I now merrily drive round all the country lanes and anywhere. I think its one of the best things I ever did, learning to drive.

Strange places

Going back to what I was writing the other day about stress, and thinking about it. I suppose in a way you could call it a fear of strange places, of unknown places. (is there such a phobia?) It`s almost a sort of feeling of being trapped and of not feeling in charge of what is happening. It`s not driving that worries me, I enjoy that. I`d happily drive anywhere. It`s irrational, and again I suppose it boils down to feeling insecure, self-conscious and lacking confidence. Perhaps that why I like driving, because that does give me confidence.

Why am I writing all this, I suppose to try and help myself to think out what it is that makes me get so worked up about holidays. And then, maybe, hopefully realise how stupid it is – but yet, can one change how one feels and reacts?

My Cathedral

Thinking about the poem which included the lines of being nearer to God in his garden, reminded me too of a favourite Jim Reeves song that I like, which has a similar sentiment…..

My cathedral has a ceiling of blue,
my cathedral `neath the sky
where I may lift up my eyes unto the hills
and hear music from a stream rippling by.

My cathedral has an alter of flowers,
their fragrant incense fills the air.

In my cathedral
I am closer to him than I could be anywhere.

For here I pray in a place so grand
the carpet I kneel on was made by his own hand.

My cathedral has candles lighted by the stars
and mighty pillars of trees.

No other cathedral is so beautiful
for God made my cathedral for me.


(lyrics found on www.sing365.com)

Spring in the Countryside

It was a nice sunny day so we went for a drive along the country lanes. How amazing to see the brown of the hedges from even a week or so ago, now turned to the beautiful fresh green of new growth. The daintyness of pink and white blossom on some of the fruit trees where before there had just been bare twigs. The air was alive with the sound of bird song, and a variety of wild life was to be seen, rabbits, pheasants, partridges, even a squirrel. So much beauty all around. So much new life.

There`s a well known verse that starts along the lines of.... You`re nearer to God`s heart in the garden ..... (the actual wording escapes me, but the meaning`s there, maybe someone will put me right on it).
I think that it could easily be said to be true of the countryside too, when one takes time to look around, and give thanks for it, and feel a sense of closeness there too to the Creator.

Nerves or Stress

Nerves or Stress?.... are they the same thing?
Is stress the `with it`, modern word for nerves?
Whichever it is, I get it badly over certain things, and one of them is starting to affect me now when I think about it, before I even get to the time of it - it`s going on holiday. I`m soon going on holiday for a few days and although I look forward to it and want to go, I get very nervous (or stressed?) about going anywhere and the nerves (stress?) gives me a real physical problem in the form of stomach upsets. It`s embarrassing to admit to, and I try to keep it to myself, but maybe writing this in my blog is someway to confess to it. But how to cope and deal with the stress or nerves is the problem and question.

More Music

As I sit writing this I have a CD of Pan pipes playing quietly in the background. If you read yesterdays blog that might surprise you. But, it`s playing quietly, softly, tunefully. It has no harsh screaming, shouting vocals on it. It`s gentle on the ear, and quite relaxing. Yes, I do enjoy music but, of this type and of gentle light classical pieces too.
I suppose as much as the seemingly tuneless thump of modern music, it’s the way the singer (if you can call them singers!) screams and shouts their way though a few words over and over that grates on me. Whereas this is unobtrusive, apart from getting my fingers tapping in tune to it at times!

It would be an interesting exercise for shops to try this type of music and see if it made the customers linger longer and buy more, instead of rushing to get out of the din!

Thump, thump, thump!.... is it music?

Why it is that wherever one goes now-a-days one is forced to listen to so called music?
Even in the shops and supermarkets pop music is blaring out. Do the staff think everyone wants to think they`re in a disco all day long. Alright, one would expect it in a record shop, but not in a food shop. The sound of the loud thump, thump, thump all the time rather than have a calming effect as music can do, instead sets me right on edge, makes me feel up tight and irritable – which makes me wonder – if it gets me feeling like that, are all the problems with teenagers and youngsters that become hooligans, caused by the music they listen to? Does it stir them up to such a state that they become so aggressive?

More on act of Worship

I`ve been thinking more about the phrase “an act of worship” since reading the comment left on my first one on the subject.
I think my dislike of the phrase was because I was using the interpretation of the word act in the sense of something not real. And to me that was wrong as worship is something real.
It`s something that is important to my life and not just something to be acted at on a superficial level which was the way the phrase had always seemed to me. I realise that worship is an activity involving heart, mind and soul… but body?.... (unless one is clapping, …) how? Or am I again thinking of a word in the wrong way of its meaning?
Notice the use of `was`, I think on this phrase I`ve now been converted!, but not on `lost`.

Strange isn`t it, how one can get a phrase and only look at it one way, and not see other possible meanings.
Think I shall have to study English better!

As I`ve been thinking about flowers a lot these last couple of days, here`s a favourite photo of mine.  

Act of Worship

I wrote the other day that there`s another phrase that I dislike to hear – it`s “an act of worship”.

I always wonder why people say, act of? To me, (and again, I`m probably odd in this!?) an act, means its not something real, so in that sense is the worship real, or is it just an act? Why not just say worship? Or even a time of worship? A play is an act, it`s not real. Worship is something real.
Yet, I know that the word `act` can mean doing something, an action, like an act of kindness. But then doing worship doesn`t sound right either. Worship seems somehow to be something more of a feeling than a physical doing thing – hard to explain in words what I mean. Am I confusing anyone reading this? I`m beginning to confuse myself now that I`m trying to write it into words!