Singing was brilliant this morning! Claire phoned our friend and choir member, Paul, who is walking on a mission for Peace and Reconciliation from Rome to Jerusalem. I have told you about him before and many of you have now sent messages of peace to his website – thank you so very much from me and Paul. If anyone else would like to send a message, please do! Click on the website.
Back to the phone call! We sang a song of love and joy and peace for Paul and for ourselves and many of us had tears in our eyes. Here it is for you to listen to, kindly recorded by another good friend, J. You can hear some Choir-baby sounds at the start!
This delightful Gingerbread house was on the counter at Miss Peapod’s where we all have coffee after singing.
Gingerbread house
After singing today, it being the last this year, we all went out for lunch. Here is our beautiful choir leader, Claire, delighted with the Spa Day voucher we have just given to her in gratitude for all she gives us through her music.
Spa Day at St Michael’s Falmouth
On this day in 1273, Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic died. Many of his words are so very wise and resonate with me. On this day in 2004, my lovely Dad also died. He, too, was a man of letters, an author and a man of great wisdom and I miss him.
People from 100 countries read this blog! Can I please ask as many of you as possible reading today to leave messages of Peace for our friend, Paul, who is nearing the end of his amazing pilgrimage, walking from Rome to Jerusalem in the name of Peace and Reconciliation. (Last year he walked from Canterbury to Rome.) Please click on the link www.peacewalk2015.com to leave your message for peace. Know that Paul treasures every message of peace that he has with him, be it virtual or in the book he is carrying with him. They all add power to the message. Thank you very much to Patty B and to Nia for already doing so.
Paul’s information for you
We walked past a shop window today and the only ones in there were two delightful dogs! It was Pooch Perfections, a dog grooming parlour and they did indeed look beautifully groomed! The little one took particular interest when I stopped to take photos!
Customers
What are you doing? Who is that with you?
There are delicately yellow and very beautiful Primroses in our garden. It was so warm as we walked back up the hill from town that I had to take my coat off!
I bought our first Daffodils of the season yesterday, locally grown of course, and they are a beautiful bunch of brightness on a gloomy day.
First Cornish Daffodils
I have taken the glass grown Hyacinths out of the dark and into the daylight as they have very good roots now. I had hoped they might be in flower for my birthday in just over three weeks but I think that is unlikely. They will be with us in January brightening up those short days.
Hyacinth roots
We are going out to an evening with friends and music and shared food tonight and I have made a Tomato and Two Cheese Torte. Click the red link for the recipe. The evening is to raise money for Paul’s chosen charity, Children of Peace, and for which he is walking from Rome to Jerusalem.
The shadow thrown by our much loved quirky sculpture, by Jeremy Beswick, is pleasing this morning.
Man with a Dog by Jeremy Beswick
I have had a lovely afternoon away from the hoolie blowing outside curled up with books. I finished the very entertaining read, The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, this afternoon. What a delightful concept – our Queen Elizabeth discovers the City of Westminster Travelling Library in the grounds of Windsor Castle and she starts to borrow books recommended by the Librarian. Just as for the more common reader, reading can transform one’s life!
The Uncommon Reader
Paul, our friend who is doing a pilgrimage for Peace and Reconciliation, and is walking from Rome to Jerusalem spotted this charming piece of graffiti in Nicosia.
I love Winter dawns, not just because they are not too early in the morning but also because they are so beautiful.
Winter dawn
I have told you before about our friend Paul who is walking from Rome to Jerusalem on a Pilgrimage for Peace and Reconciliation. Today we received this email which I would like to pass on to you just in case you feel that you could visit his website and leave a message of peace, even support the charity that he is collecting for on his way, Children of Peace. I have put links at the end.
Hi All
Well it feels like this is the last part of the journey. I’m just about to get a ferry from Turkey to Cyprus and then in just over a week I hope to be going by boat from Limassol to Haifa. I’ll have roughly a month exploring Israel and Palestine, and spend Christmas there.
I won’t go in to great detail here other than to say that helping the refugees on Kastellorizo was a very moving and exhausting time but very worthwhile. When I left the island there were about 700 refugees, 250 local residents (and 250 military that took no part).
Please look in on my website, Facebook, Twitter and PLEASE leave your Message of Peace, and lastly please donate generously to the charity I’m supporting, Children of Peace. And, finally please pass this on to anyone you know that might be interested.
https://www.justgiving.com/peacewalk2015/ if you feel able to contribute to the Charity, Children of Peace, whichis a non-partisan children’s charity dedicated to building trust, friendship and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian children, aged 4 – 17, and their communities. Our aim is to develop a shared spirit via arts, education, health and sports programmes; so future generations might live and work peacefully side-by-side. We believe in working for peace. That’s why we don’t take sides.
Singing was particularly good today, uplifting on a grey day and afterwards just twelve singers in a brief rehearsal for a Humanist Wedding I am conducting on Monday. The small group sounded just wonderful and I think they will add something very special to the Ceremony. Singing together in harmony goes a long way to developing the heart……..
Develop the Heart by Dalai Lama
Paul, our friend who is walking for Peace from Rome to Jerusalem, has left for Rome today.
Paul at Gatwick with his sister
Here is another of the songs of Peace that we sang for him a couple of weeks ago. This one had me in tears! The words have never been so appropriate. If you read this Paul, we are all thinking of you and sending our love to you.
If you would like to know more about Paul’s Peace Walk please click the red link. He would love it if you could add a message of Peace for him to take along on his momentous walk.