Live a Good Life

“Be nice to whites, they need you to rediscover their humanity.”
“When the missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them, we had the Bible, and they had the land.”
“Enemies are always friends waiting to be made.”

He lived
he laughed
he cried

He smiled
he served
he died

A little bit of Dad

On 21/09/2020 By Peter's ponderingIn ageing, community, Dads, Fact, family, farming, happiness, home, Living well, love, Mums, My life, Personal, The Bible30 Comments

In my final Lundi limerick yesterday I used the hamlet of Acton and linked it to the fact that it played a large part in my Dad’s life.

In the process of digging out a bit of real life background, rather than the normal wikipedia, or google sources, I rummaged through the suitcase that I brought away from Dad’s house after he died at the grand age of 96.

Mum had died nearly 11 years before and everyone expected Dad to follow fairly swiftly after. He was, after all, a hard working farm labourer, who had relied on Mum for meals, clean clothes, and a welcoming home. We had all, of course, forgotten his hard upbringing, his determination, and his adaptability.

Within a couple of weeks he had bought himself a microwave. “I’ve always wanted one of these but your Mother would never have one”, he said.

He went on to cook his own meals, wash, dry, and iron his clothes, vacuum the house, and thoroughly enjoy the whole new leaf that he’d turned over. My little sister (three years older than me), who lived a few miles away, kept an eye on him, had him over for Sunday lunch and, over the coming years, gradually helped him more, according to his needs.

Anyway, this isn’t meant to be a definitive history of Dad, purely an extension of the information about his link to Acton.

The suitcase I mentioned earlier has quite a few Bibles, and other books, in it, each one has a story to tell. Dad was a Methodist Local Preacher from the age of 20 until failing hearing, and health, caused him to retire, although he remained ‘on the books’ until his death, and received several certificates of Long Service, even up to 75 years service! It just could not be done nowadays!

Dad was a marvellous preacher. Inspiring, knowledgeable, plain speaking, always linking to everyday life, articulate but never verbose. In everyday life you would never dream that he was a gifted and effective preacher. He was a quiet, mild mannered man whose goodness shone out for all to see, always willing to help, support, and encourage all that he encountered.

Song Lyric Sunday 11/08/2019 – A song that includes somebody famous in it

On 11/08/201927/01/2026 By Peter's ponderingIn about me, Army, harmony, love, Music, Nostalgia, Personal, Song Lyric Sunday, Weekly prompts9 Comments

Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday. He gives us the chance to share familiar, and not so familiar, songs by setting us a challenge each week to submit a song that either fits in with a word, an idea, or specific criteria.

If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.

For this week we have to find a song that includes somebody famous.

I think I may be stretching the boundaries a little here. I’m not even sure that my inclusion can be called “somebody”! Is it a man? A woman? An entity? Human? Celestial? An alien?

It depends on your perception, your belief, where you live in the world, how you were brought up, what has happened to you since.

It is a song from The Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, released in July 1966.

Does it include somebody famous?

God Only Knows.

God Only Knows

The Beach Boys

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you

God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you

God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I’d be without you (what I’d be without you)
God only knows what I’d be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I’d be without you (what I’d be without you)
God only knows what I’d be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I’d be without you (what I’d be without you)
God only knows what I’d be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I’d be without you (what I’d be without you)
God only knows what I’d be without you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Brian Douglas Wilson / Tony Asher

This holds very fond memories for me as a special song for me and my first “true” love, Susan Margaret Wood. As I had left home at age 16, in 1964, to join the army, and left Susan behind, this became “our song” when it first came out!

Here is a version from 20 June 2008.

A version by David Bowie from 1984

and a version from Michael Bublé in 2016

Song Lyric Sunday 23/06/2019 – Cards /Dice /Gamble /Lose /Win

On 30/06/2019 By Peter's ponderingIn harmony, Music, Nostalgia, Poetry, Song Lyric Sunday, Weekly prompts21 Comments

img_1345-3 Thank you to Jim Adams, who tirelessly hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of favourite, and some not so familiar, songs.

Seems that Jim is very uncertain this week, as he’s set us a theme of Who /What /When /Where /Why /How.

If you fancy answering one of these questions, and also sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.

Most people are familiar with Leonard Cohen and his hit songs like “Hallelujah,” “Suzanne,” and “Bird on a Wire”, but, for your delight this week I am offering you a song from his album New Skin for the Old Ceremony, “Who by Fire.”

Leonard Cohen tackled different religions in his music. This song was Cohen’s own interpretation of the Hebrew prayer titled “Unetanneh Tokef”, part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy.

Who By Fire

Leonard Cohen

And who by fire, who by water
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial
Who in your merry merry month of may
Who by very slow decay
And who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt
Who by avalanche, who by powder
Who for his greed, who for his hunger
And who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident
Who in solitude, who in this mirror
Who by his lady’s command, who by his own hand
Who in mortal chains, who in power
And who shall I say is calling?

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Leonard Cohen

In case the video is unavailable for you I am attaching a couple of other versions. The first is the standard issue video when the song was released:

The second is a Live in Israel 2009 version which highlights the normal type of performance he used, with a 12 string guitar introduction, and marvellous orchestral accompaniment. Very appropriate, considering the songs roots.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!