September 21st is the United Nations Day of Peace. You can read more about its origins and this year’s theme here.
End racism
One of Peggy Seeger’s songs that I love is, “How I long for Peace.” I sing it loudly in the car and feel every word deeply.
I wish for peace for all of you and those you love, my Dear Readers.
“Sorry, I stole your car. Saved my family!” – an incredible story from a resident of Kyiv.
“I left the bomb shelter and saw a car with keys in the ignition near the store. I watched it for two hours, waited for the owner – I didn’t wait. I took my family, got in the car and drove to Vinnitsa to visit relatives. I found a phone number in the glove compartment and called the owner:– Sorry, I stole your car. Saved my family.– Thank God, don’t worry, I have 4 cars. I took my family out in my jeep. The rest of the cars I filled with fuel and left in different places with the keys in the ignition and the number in the glove compartment.I received calls back from all cars. There will be peace – see you. Take care of yourself!”There is kindness in the world! Ukrainians are heroes!
Our order from Sarah Raven arrived much earlier than we anticipated so we have had to empty the daffodil pot in order to plant the Sweet Peas. I cut the Daffs to bring in and we have buried the bulbs so that the leaves can die down naturally.
I have made a Ragu sauce with lentils instead of meat tonight and it was delicious. 
We have prepared the planting place for the Sweet Peas with their wigwam. I’ll put the beautiful looking little plants in tomorrow. 
Tonight my neighbours and I will be in the garden at 8.30 to sing for peace as people around the world will be doing. Join in if you would like to singing Peace, Salaam, Shalom.
It was on this day in 2004 that my lovely Dad died and he has been in my mind and my heart more than usual today. The following cutting was found by my Mum many, many years ago and clearly made her think of her Father, my Grandfather, The Rev W R Richards, whom I knew for only a couple of years when we lived in the Vicarage in Cockerham, Lancashire with him and my Granny.
If only – my lovely Dad was a very wise man.
The turkey is sitting in the brine I made yesterday. Isn’t it a beautiful colour?
These words from L R Knost touched me.
Temperatures of 97F (36C) meant we had to find refuge indoors today so off we went on the Metro Light Rail to the Museum of Art, stopping off to see a sculpture to Peace which was very moving, surrounded as it was both by weapons of death and words of Peace.
The Museum was full of beautiful works that we can show you as American museums encourage photos and the sharing of artistic delights. At home, photos are rarely allowed. Join us to see a few of our favourites.
Upside Down, Inside Out by Anish Kapoor
I loved this one, The White Rose by William Merritt Chase. My choirs sing a beautiful Cornish folk song of the same title. This photo is for all of them.
And in the children’s room……
The very best part of the exhibition though was Yayoi Kusama’s You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies which was a almost indescribable experience. If it comes near you, please don’t miss it. We stepped into a black space filled with tiny lights and couldn’t tell where the walls or the floor began or ended. It seemed as if we were stepping out into the universe to be surrounded by stars – quite magical and just a bit scary. The photo does not do it justice.
Our lunch/tea tonight was at Rice Paper, the Vietnamese restaurant attached to our hotel, The San Carlos. I had a vegetarian Tempura Spring Roll with a miso ginger sauce and it was truly scrumptious.
We fly home tomorrow, a ten hour flight arriving at Heathrow at 1.30pm UK time, then the train to Cornwall arriving home by 10pm if allgoesto plan.
An early start for a busy day of petroglyphs at V Bar V Heritage site, a lake at Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle – all sites linked to the Sinagua people in these places around 1100-1400. Do look them up, just fascinating. Then on to The Labyrinth and later a stroll around Sedona and sunset. I wish we had a whole week here, there is so much to see and we have too little time!
Here a mountain lion is attacking a deer.
This lake is a limestone sink hole and fed by continuously flowing springs. This gorgeous lizard was sunning himself on one of the rocks nearby. Just look at his toes and the wonderful colours.
This is a five storey, twenty room dwelling 100 feet above the valley built by Sinaguan farmers sometime between 1100 and 1300. Remarkable!
I walked this lovely labyrinth and as I did, a dove landed on the poles of the tepee and stayed there all the time I was walking.
I shall have to devote a post to the artwork around Sedona. I have never seen a town so full of delightful sculptures and wall paintings. Sunset was less spectacular than the other night but beautiful in a different way.
As I approached the Zed Shed for singing withThe Suitcase Singers this morning a truck pulled up with two seals aboard.
Every day I wish for Peace. When we sing we make some peace for each other and when we do concerts, and there are many at this time of year, we give the gift of peace for a while to our audiences. Singing certainly heals my soul. Thank you Claire for this gift.
We spent the afternoon in Highgate Woods and in the Pavilion Cafe in the park was a thin obelisk to Peace. It seemed particularly apt for this weekend.
Autumn leaves were everywhere and treasures to be found. This is one of Second Biggest Livewire’s that he brought to show me.
The gates to the woods are charming.
This was taken on one of our trips to Glasgow, a favourite city. We love the Rennie Mackintosh buildings and discovered this very pleasing sculpture on one of our many walks. The word Peace is all over it in many different languages. I’m sorry I don’t know the name of the sculptor. If any reader can help out, I’d be delighted.
Oct 2009 Glasgow peace sculpture
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1 Our Callianthus Acidanthera are coming into bloom just as some of the other flowers are fading. They are very elegant and lovely.
Callianthus Acidanthera
2 We went sailing today knowing that the wind was going to change and it did but we had a lovely sail and it was just a bit exciting!
Just a bit choppy for beginners!
3 This beautiful and moving poem came my way today. Thank you Bob #irememberthechildren
Travel Tickets
By Samih al-QasimTranslated by A.Z. Foreman
The day I’m killed,
my killer, rifling through my pockets,
will find travel tickets:
One to peace,
one to the fields and the rain,
and one
to the conscience of humankind.Dear killer of mine, I beg you:
Do not stay and waste them.
Take them, use them.
I beg you to travel.
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