What we sang at church today

We all know the story prompt "What we did on summer vacation" - well, this is "What we sang in church today". Many of you know we are in small church, but in that church are some folks with big hearts and voices. Today we sang as the entrance hymn "Praise my soul, the King of Heaven", which is one of my favorites, the the Episcopal church has a lovely accompaniment and descant to go along with the hymn singing. And I think our little church did quite well with it today.

However, we are not St. Paul's Cathedral in London - and this video is of the same hymn sung (albeit a different descant). We did not sing it at the same tempo as this one is sung more slowly, but for those of you who have sung in a cathedral understand that hymns usually are sung more slowly due to the nature of the large space, and to allow the sound to travel throughout the physical space.

However, without further comment, I share with you this video for your listening pleasure.

Book #17 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum was a free Kindle download and also on the top 100 chapter books (I would link to the original list, but School Library Journal has redesigned their website and I cannot locate it now) for children. It's one of my goals this summer to read a few more of these books so I can try and flesh out the books from children literature that are popular that I somehow missed the first time around (in my childhood). Of course some of the books on the list were not around while I was growing up, but I guess you could say I'm still growing up since I continue to enjoy children's literature. This was a quick read and one can certainly see the similarities to the movie  which I grew up watching yearly (no DVDs and VHS to watch it over and over again). Of course it was a long time before I could watch it in its entirety since that Wicked Witch was way too scary and I had to leave the room whenever she came into the picture.

It was also interesting to see the differences in the story and the movie as the movie did leave some of the story line out, but isn't that the case with all movies? Oh yeah, there were no ruby slippers, only silver. I always loved the ruby ones in the movie and still dream one day of having a pair. Wonder what it will take to get a pair? Hopefully not a tornado!

Holy Boredom

The last couple of days I have felt restless and bored. Yesterday, I could say it bordered on stir-crazy, but that is probably stretching it. The week of the beach is over, a little lull in the action (thank you), so yesterday I will consider it a day where I felt boredom settling into my system.

That is not necessarily something I consider useless - boredom, that is - as I try to look upon it as a time where our weary bodies can find refreshment of reorganizing, finding opportunities both within ourselves to regroup.

When this happens, I occasionally think - things are too quiet - what bomb is going to lower down upon me. But, if I can, I am going to allow this time of feeling bored be a time of rejuventation, of taking care of simple tasks which "have to wait until there is more time". And while those simple tasks (and believe me, if I think it is a big task, I will run away and hide) are being completed, perhaps I can find a time to find in it the sacred mystery of finding the holy in the ordinary.

So with that, I think I will take a small task, complete it (oh for a "P" on the MBTI can be so challenging) and move on, finding boredom as a good time, a thankful time, and a time to fill with the quotidian aspects of life. Amen.

Book #16 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel by Helen Simonson was one of my beach reads. Pettigrew, a retired British major and widower, lives in a small town in England. He meets a widowed woman, Mrs. Ali, originally from Pakistani descent and a relationship develops. Of course this causes a stir in their small community. In addition, Pettigrew's brother passes away, and the brothers have each inherited a valuable gun, both of which are part of a pair. Tension develops as to who actually inherits the gun of the deceased brother along with what to do with the gun becomes part of the plot, and it thickens quite well.

Very enjoyable read!!

Book #15 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is a book on the top 100 chapter books chosen by blog readers as the best. This particular book was ranked #2, so since I am a fan of her adult books, I knew this was long overdue on my "to be read" list.

Glad I read it - written in the 60s, there was the definite feeling of "good vs. evil" and the fear of the concerns of the day with communism.

This has no reflection on the quality or value of this book, however, I am not a fan of this genre of traveling to different planets, dimensions, that sort of thing. It has a little science fiction and fantasy, so that had some impact on what I thought of the book. Don't get me wrong. L'Engle is definitely and excellent writer, as I have read many of her adult books and cherished them.

Book #14 - Listening Below the Noise

Listening Below the Noise: The Transformative Power of Silence was a book I had started before going to the beach. It was on my Kindle, so I didn't intentionally bring it. But I intentionally finished it while I had a good bit of time.

Leclaire's account of her experience throughout the years of her intentionally chosen days of silence allowed me to view her time spent in the real world, her home, with her family, while choosing times where she would be silent. Two Mondays out of the month, she decided to make those her silent days - not so much that her world was silent, but she chose to be silent in her world.

It's not an easy experience - she comes up against her family who does not understand her choice to do this. Frustration that others have during this time are all a part of her experience. However, her choice last throughout the years, even during the times she comes to the conclusion that she is going to stop, she plows through it with keeping the silence, even though she really sees no reason to continue.

The author also shares times where silence can be abusive, as those who have not chosen silence, but when others choose silence and isolation for them. Examples include those who have been placed in solitary confinement, those who choose silence as a form to abuse others close to them.

However, the majority of her book addresses the importance of having time in one's life to experience silence at some level. At the end she shares ways of going about the silence in our noise filled world.

How do you make quiet time or periods of silence for yourself?

Week at the Beach

I return from a week at the beach feeling some refreshment and renewal. It offered me a time to rest, read, contemplate, and bask in the beauty of the waves, wind, rain, and heat. And... humidity.

Our place was an older home, which seems to feel right to me. There is the element of nostalgia of a time where simplicity seemed to be a part of what going to the beach offered. Slowing down to a pace where nothing was on the agenda -- there was no "what are we going to do today?"  Ah. . . bliss.

So... what did we do?

1. Ate pineapple sandwiches on white bread. Yeah, I know. But it brought back memories.
2. Completed a puzzle on a porch - with no air conditioning. Did I mention there was a breeze and the sound and sight of the ocean?
3. Sat outside in the evening and watched a four year old blow bubbles.
4. Took an outside shower where I could see all, but no one could see all of me (I hope!)
5. Read and completed several books.
6. Bought shrimp by the side of the road, came home, boiled and ate it. Devoured it.
7. Took naps. Daily.
8. Pirated wifi a few times, it was hit and miss.
9. Took turns praying from 100 Graces: Mealtime Blessings at mealtime.
10. ate a conch cake...  yum.

11. Saw a Portuguese man of war. It's about the size of my hand or smaller.  Didn't know what it was until I posted it on Facebook to inquire of its identity. 

It was a good week and it's good to be home.