'Grow old along with me,
The best is yet to be.
The end of life for which the first was made...' [Rabbi Ben Ezra]
These are the first lines of a long poem and I dedicate them to Prince William and his bride, Catherine Middleton, as they embark upon their married life.
So many marriages are short lived for a multitude of reasons. There's something very special about a long relationship that remains intact: wherein the couple still enjoy each other's company, still find pleasure in being together, caring and sharing, after the heightened flush of youth and youthful pursuits is over. At any age there are new experiences and things to discover about each other and about the world around us. We don't have to cling stubbornly to the things of youth. There are benefits and pleasures to be had in each decade of life. There are struggles too. And when the storm hits us we must be flexible. We should remember that the creatures who survive the longest are those that have the ability to adapt. I believe this applies to people and to marriages.
I wish the Royal couple, and other couples embarking on this adventure, lots of luck. We all need a bit of that.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
W is for Waiting and Watching
Life's busy. No doubt about it. But I'm setting myself a W challenge that I hope will allow me to step aside from the crowd and at the same time provide me with useful research material. I've come up with a mantra for myself.... WAIT AND WATCH. I suppose this idea was spawned by the River of Stones project in which we were encouraged to find something each day to which we would pay proper attention for a short time, and then write a piece that attempted to capture the essence of whatever it was. My new scheme will allow me to acknowledge when a situation is becoming heightened and to deliberately extract myself from it in order to wait and watch... the idea being that people-watching is a rich source of writing material.
I am prone to putting my two pennyworth into situations, and often the result is that I end up embroiled in something I could have done without. I don't have to be the first to put my hand up when volunteers are needed; or to speak at a meeting when no one else is choosing to participate; or to stick my neck out in an effort to sort out other people's problems. I'm going to wait and watch instead. I can always jump in later if I can't resist the urge, but my new project requires me, primarily, to observe other people's reactions. Closely.
I'm also going to use my wait and watch mantra with my camera. Sometimes you have to sit for a long time (preferably in a good coffee shop) with a long lens, waiting for the right shot to materialize from the situation you've recognized as having storytelling or emotional impact. This is sounding good to me. I can do this. One of the perks of having given up the paid job is being able fill your time with new projects... and if coffee shops just happen to feature rather frequently, well, that's a bonus.
And in my garden I will take the time to wait and watch for the pheasant family to appear; for the baby rabbits to buck up the courage to emerge from the protection of their warren underneath my shed; for the muncjac deer to creep through the back hedge; for the baby blue-tits to emerge from the nesting box.
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
[William Henry Davies 1871-1940]
I am prone to putting my two pennyworth into situations, and often the result is that I end up embroiled in something I could have done without. I don't have to be the first to put my hand up when volunteers are needed; or to speak at a meeting when no one else is choosing to participate; or to stick my neck out in an effort to sort out other people's problems. I'm going to wait and watch instead. I can always jump in later if I can't resist the urge, but my new project requires me, primarily, to observe other people's reactions. Closely.
I'm also going to use my wait and watch mantra with my camera. Sometimes you have to sit for a long time (preferably in a good coffee shop) with a long lens, waiting for the right shot to materialize from the situation you've recognized as having storytelling or emotional impact. This is sounding good to me. I can do this. One of the perks of having given up the paid job is being able fill your time with new projects... and if coffee shops just happen to feature rather frequently, well, that's a bonus.
And in my garden I will take the time to wait and watch for the pheasant family to appear; for the baby rabbits to buck up the courage to emerge from the protection of their warren underneath my shed; for the muncjac deer to creep through the back hedge; for the baby blue-tits to emerge from the nesting box.
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
[William Henry Davies 1871-1940]
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
V is for .... no 'V'
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
We take our alphabet a bit for granted. These are the symbols we use to make records of our language, our history, our government, our family, our lives.
But there is no letter V in the Maori alphabet because when their language first became written it was based on the sounds its spoken form created and the Maori language omits several sounds that we take for granted.
There is no B C D F J L Q S V X Y Z.
A 'WH' sounds as letter 'F'.
So when you see rugby players with a sir-name containing the letters F or L they are most likely not of Maori origin, despite being in the All Blacks and playing for New Zealand. Even though, to a non New Zealander, they may look very like Maori, physically, they are probably from one of the other Pacific Islands.
Just saying....
We take our alphabet a bit for granted. These are the symbols we use to make records of our language, our history, our government, our family, our lives.
But there is no letter V in the Maori alphabet because when their language first became written it was based on the sounds its spoken form created and the Maori language omits several sounds that we take for granted.
There is no B C D F J L Q S V X Y Z.
A 'WH' sounds as letter 'F'.
So when you see rugby players with a sir-name containing the letters F or L they are most likely not of Maori origin, despite being in the All Blacks and playing for New Zealand. Even though, to a non New Zealander, they may look very like Maori, physically, they are probably from one of the other Pacific Islands.
Just saying....
Saturday, April 23, 2011
U is for Ukulele Lady
As a complete non-musician, and a woman stubbornly hanging onto her very elasticated prime of life, I've started learning to play the ukulele. When I went to the shop to buy one I told the guy I was a complete beginner. 'There's no such thing as a beginner on the uke,' he said. 'Anyone can manage it.' I thought that was encouraging, and nice of him not to tell me my hands were too small or my fingernails too long. He didn't ask me was I nuts to contemplate annoying the neighbours at my time of life. He didn't forewarn me about the PAIN I'd suffer in my finger-tips.
A group of five like minded people gather at my house and we follow instructions from my husband, who plays well and spends hours on YouTube watching those who play better. He very patiently guides us through the tablature he's drawn up for us (and even transposed for one left-handed player) and we struggle through the pain barrier in an attempt to make the cheery, chirpy sounds we heard on stage when we went to see The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain perform. Of course, we're not
there yet. But I do have a few tunes under my belt.
I'm avoiding the George Formby sound. Not because I don't admire his skill, but because at my age I need to be taken more seriously if I'm ever going to convince the younger generation in the family that I might one day be able to join them in a jamming session.
I like some happy songs (oh, doesn't that sound sad) but I think the ukulele particularly lends itself to poignant and slightly mournful songs. Or maybe that's just because they're slower in tempo and therefore easier for me to keep up with everyone else.
So far I've mastered: The Tennessee Waltz
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
Oh Won't You Stay... (from Dirty Dancing)
The Peanut Vendor (don't laugh!)
Putting on the Style (Lonnie Donegan)
Oh, Lonesome Me
And I'm working on: A White Sports Coat and a Pink Carnation
I'll See You in My Dreams
Love Letters Straight from Your Heart
Lover Come Back to Me
Plus, I have tickets to see The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain once again... so I have to work on Beethoven's Ode to Joy for the audience participation section. That's what started this whole thing in the first place.
I've only been strumming for a couple of months and I've never had so much fun in my own front room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GLBI21X-aM UOGB at the Proms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02-gXysqDo8&feature=related Jake Shimabukuro plays Michael Jackson's THRILLER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqaYmQZgrB4 Jake Shimabukro's Let's Dance
T is for Talking News
No, not the gossip kind of news, but sometimes there's some of that as well. I'm a reader for my local Talking News for the Blind. About once a month I go to a small local recording studio where four of us sit around a table facing individual microphones and read, aloud, articles from the local newspaper. Sometimes we read articles from magazines and periodicals as well. We introduce ourselves to our listeners, and feedback has told us that they come to recognize individual voices. That's nice.
Volunteers are divided into Reading Groups, Copying Groups, Delivery and Collection Groups and we are rostered throughout the year. We also have volunteer editors and technicians and some people take on more than one role.
It's a fun thing to do and takes only a couple of hours at the most from a morning, once a month or as often as you like. Something will be being recorded every week.
As this is an activity usually undertaken by newly retired people who like to keep active and involved in the community, we are always losing members from the upper age group. This requires us to recruit. If you enjoy reading aloud, it's such a rewarding thing to do. Occasionally we have a social event where we meet some of our blind listeners who tell us that Talking News is a lifeline for them and keeps them involved in the local community.
Talking Books is another branch of the same type of work, but these are usually read by experienced actors.... I'm sure the authors appreciate their work being in professional hands.
If you're looking for voluntary work and enjoy the written word, why not find out the location of your local branch of Talking News? To be honest, it's the only time I get to read the local paper right through!
http://www.tnf.org.uk/ Talking News Federation
http://www.tnauk.org.uk/ Talking News Association of UK
Volunteers are divided into Reading Groups, Copying Groups, Delivery and Collection Groups and we are rostered throughout the year. We also have volunteer editors and technicians and some people take on more than one role.
It's a fun thing to do and takes only a couple of hours at the most from a morning, once a month or as often as you like. Something will be being recorded every week.
As this is an activity usually undertaken by newly retired people who like to keep active and involved in the community, we are always losing members from the upper age group. This requires us to recruit. If you enjoy reading aloud, it's such a rewarding thing to do. Occasionally we have a social event where we meet some of our blind listeners who tell us that Talking News is a lifeline for them and keeps them involved in the local community.
Talking Books is another branch of the same type of work, but these are usually read by experienced actors.... I'm sure the authors appreciate their work being in professional hands.
If you're looking for voluntary work and enjoy the written word, why not find out the location of your local branch of Talking News? To be honest, it's the only time I get to read the local paper right through!
http://www.tnf.org.uk/ Talking News Federation
http://www.tnauk.org.uk/ Talking News Association of UK
S is for Steps to the Beach
who can resist
the steps to the beach
bringing into view
what was previously hidden?
R is for Rambles in the Bush
One of the great pleasures of having given up the day job is that you have the time to do things that you previously only managed now and then. Our local Ramblers group, in the tiny town in NZ in which I am fortunate enough to spend part of my year, is mainly made up of retired people, albeit some of them early retired. We're none of us spring chickens. But a steady walk on the flat is not for us. Once a fortnight we head for the hills. As you get older, it's important to keep the moving bits moving.
We have experienced trampers in our group and we follow the rules of bush trekking, taking plenty of food and water with us. Mobile phones don't work in this environment and if anyone had a fall there'd be no suitable place for the emergency helicopter to land.
The bush has a therapeutic effect on mind, body and spirit and it's one of the things I miss most when I leave New Zealand. It's not a quiet place. It's alive with the sounds of cicadas and the calls of native birds. Curious Fantails flit around you as you walk, hoping you'll disturb some flying insect life. The Tui's throaty call pierces the air. There's a scent of something half recognized; a herb or sorts. And wild flowers in abundance where the sun breaks through the canopy of tree ferns. Small streams trickle down steep hillsides making rocks precariously slippery. Exposed tree roots lay in wait, ready to trip the unwary. Tracks become ambiguous and overgrown. The bush can be a dangerous place - a group of walkers insignificant in the face of thousands of acres of wilderness. The bush demands respect.
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