Terrapin Station

Friday Five: We Who Sing Pray Twice

As posted by me at RevGals today:  Music is a part of the human experience, and part of religious traditions the world over. It is evocative and stirring, and many forms of worship are incomplete without it.

Our title comes from a quote popularly attributed to St. Augustine: "He who sings prays twice." A little Googling, however, indicates that Augustine didn't say exactly that. In fact, what he said just doesn't fit well onto a t-shirt. So we'll stick with what we have.

"Singing reduces stress and increases healthy breathing and emotional expression. Singing taps into a deep, age-old power available to all of us. When we find our voice, we find ourselves. Today, sing like you mean it." And let's talk about the role music plays in your life and worship.

1) Do you like to sing/listen to others sing? In worship, or on your own (or not at all?)  I love to sing.  I like to listen to others sing...but I really prefer when I can sing, too!  I've been singing all my life and have recently found my voice in a new way.  It's very satisfying.  (I hope those around me would agree...)
2) Did you grow up with music in worship, or come to it later in life? Tell us about it, and how that has changed in your experience.  Growing up in the Episcopal Church, there has always been music...hymns and liturgical settings of psalms and canticles; when I was a child, Folk Mass came to my church and my parents, sister and I all played guitar and sang.  The music of The Fisherfolk was very important in those years and onward, and much of the scripture I know, I know through music.  Scripture has a soundtrack in my mind...
3) Some people find worship incomplete without music; others would just as soon not have it. Where do you fall?  Probably clear that I prefer to have music...but I also love services like Morning Prayer and Compline and other worship that doesn't necessarily have music.  But I sing every day...
4) Do you prefer traditional music in worship, or contemporary? That can mean many different things!  Yes.  I prefer some of everything.  I'm not a fan of recent praise choruses, probably because they are outside my own experience.  One of my favorite things about RevGals is learning new music from others! 

5) What's your go-to music ... when you need solace or want to express joy? A video/recording will garner bonus points!  Right now I am rocking the Taizé:

I'm also loving this choir, which only has a few videos on Youtube:

SING badge and quote on singing from The Green Children Foundation blog

If you want to sing out

"Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live the Part"

Mehran Rafaat, 6, left, and her twin sisters, Benafsha, center and Beheshta, near their home in Badghis Province, Afghanistan. (New York Times photo)

Two friends that I respect (one of them an anthropologist) posted a link to this article on Facebook, noting that it was very interesting. 

I found this article interesting, indeed, but also deeply upsetting.  

Working in international education, I'm accustomed to trying not to judge other cultures against my own (practicing cultural relativism).  Comparisons are odious, you know.  However, I am very disturbed by the injustices perpetrated on the women in the article. 

I have no idea how that can be changed, or if it's my business.  I THINK it is.  You've got your UN Declaration of Human Rights, and your Millenium Development Goals.  And then there's the proposition by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in Nomad, which I mentioned in this post. 

Thoughts? 

Diaper Cake Redux

I loved making that diaper cake so much that I just had to repeat the photo for you: 

It was for my friend and then-colleague Peggy, whose first son was born in October of 2008.  She has just had her second!

http://marybethbutler.typepad.com/terrapin_station/2008/10/diaper-cake.html

 

Knitting is the saving of life

From Knitting Daily, an Interweave Press publication, which I receive via email. 

  Virginia Woolf (née Stephen)

NPG 5933. Virginia Woolf (née Stephen) by Vanessa Bell (née Stephen), 1912. Oil on board, 15 3⁄4 x 13 3⁄8 inches (400 x 340 mm). National Portrait Gallery, London. 

In 1911 or 1912, when Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) painted this small portrait of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), Virginia was working on the draft of what would be her first book, The Voyage Out, published in 1915.

The writer hated to pose and be looked at. The indistinctness of Virginia's features—the eyes and mouth are smudges—might suggest that Vanessa accommodated her sister's dislike of being scrutinized by neglecting to clearly delineate those features.

In fact, the simplified forms and strong colors typified Vanessa's style at the time. All elements of the painting are reduced to flat planes of color outlined in black, with virtually no modeling to suggest three-dimensionality. The colors are bold but not pure—mauves, greens, and blues, orange, turquoise, and gray-green—against which the pink of the knitting is shocking. It is likely that Vanessa experimented with these flat, strong colors after seeing paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cézanne in a small exhibition organized in 1910 by her then-lover, Roger Fry. Vanessa characterized her response to the exhibit as "a sudden liberation and encouragement to feel for oneself which were absolutely overwhelming."
It was well-known among her friends that Virginia was a knitter. After Virginia's death Dame Edith Sitwell reminisced: "I enjoyed talking to her, but thought nothing of her writing. I considered her 'a beautiful little knitter.'"

Virginia thought of knitting as therapy. Early in 1912 she reported to Leonard Woolf, before they were married and shortly after she had been in a rest home, that "Knitting is the saving of life." That salvation worked until 1941, when Virginia took her life.

—Fronia E. Wissman

All the miracles...

I have been having some medical tests to determine why I have such a lot of pain in my right shoulder and arm.  It turns out there are some issues (treatable ones) with my spine.  Researching it, I found the above video, which I think is gorgeous and shows so beautifully the miraculous way our spines are designed and function.  And the music is awesome too! 

This morning, we saw a show on the Science Channel called "Weird Nature" (from the BBC).  It was amazing to see the specialized ways in which animals have evolved to survive and thirve in their environments.  But what is MOST amazing to me is that we have such wonderful, clear, close-up film of things like this, available at 6 in the morning or just anytime on YouTube.  I wish, I wish, that my Bigdaddy could see it.  He died in 1991 and he loved shows like this...but I know that 20 years ago there was nothing like this.  I still remember how, in first grade, we used to watch those Disney movies of flowers opening in fast-motion photography, and what an amazing thing THAT was. 

I said to Ken, "I NEVER want to take this for granted...being able to see these things."

Watch this one: 

What's striking you as miraculous today?

World Suicide Prevention Day

My life has been touched by suicide twice...almost three times. 

1) A person dear to me attempted suicide, but did not succeed.  I am grateful and I believe that person is, too.  It has been many years ago now, but I will never forget visiting in the psych ward and seeing someone I loved so far out on the edge of reality. 

The good news, the good story, is that this person is still here, and making an amazing contribution to the world each day. 

2) My cousin, Beth, killed herself when I was in graduate school.  My parents called to tell me she was dead, and then told me she had committed suicide.  

3) My high school love killed himself just a few years ago.  I regret to this day not having stayed better in touch...not that I truly think that could have changed a thing, but I regret it. 

There is not good news or a good end to either of those stories.  THUNK.  The End.  It is horrible. 

I took a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training at my university a few years ago.  The very night I took it, I had dinner with someone I know very slightly...who had been depressed.  She told me she had been feeling like she didn't want to go on living....and I had words to say. 

I asked her, "Have you been thinking about killing yourself?"  (Question.)  She indicated she had, but didn't think she would now.   But I didn't stop there. 

I listened to her talk and got her to promise me (Persuade) that she would see a counselor the very next day.  I told her I would call to be sure she had done it.  

I checked with her the next day (Refer) and listened to her talk about what the counselor had said.  I found out when the next meeting was.  I followed up again over the following weeks. 

The better solution on "Refer" is actually to take the person to a mental health professional yourself.  My friend would not do that with me.  But I took the action for her that I could. 

I was so grateful to the training that provided me that plan of action, and the fact that I used it the very day I learned it was "a God thing."  I also was grateful to know that resources like 1-800-SUICIDE are available any time for advice and direction. 

We have to tell these stories.  We have to lose any stigma or shame associated with suicide, so that people know there are resources for help.  The world needs less broken hearts. 

Friday Five: Insomnia

("Hey! I was here first..." photo from the files of mompriest)

Mompriest posts at RevGals:  Last night was a restless night in my home. We are dog and cat sitting for our daughter, which means we have a combined household of three adult humans, four large dogs, two cats, and one kitten. And for some reason the dogs, cats, and kitten, all wanted to sleep in OUR bed. Did I mention that it's just a double bed? Did I mention that it was warm in our room - too cool to turn the air conditioning on but no breeze to blow the cool night air in....add to that my general age-related tendency toward insomnia, and it was a difficult night for sleeping.

A number of my facebook friends seem to have similar challenges sleeping....

So, on that note our Friday Five today will focus on sleep, or the lack there of.

1. Are you prone to sleep challenges? Insomnia, snoring, allergies? Other sleep challenges?

I seem to be able to sleep well at any time, maybe sometimes too much!  But I do wake up at 2, 3, or 4 am.  Usually because the dogs want to go out.  I can usually get back to sleep pretty well. 

2. When you can't sleep what do you do? Toss and turn? Get up and read? Play computer games?

Some of all of that.  I read in bed with a book light.  I pray.

3. When you do sleep do you remember your dreams? Or just snippets of them? 

Generally not.  I have to make a real effort, keep a notebook by the bed, TELL myself that I will remember my dreams. 

4. Can you share a funny or confusing dream you've had? Or a dream you have over and over? 

Lately I am sleeping hot a lot of the time (the cat insists on sleeping right ON me and she is like a furnace.  Ugh!  When I do that I wake up sweaty and often have dreamed bad things.  Lots of them come straight from the news that I try not to watch.  :(  I am starting an online class at Seminary of the Southwest soon on "Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear" and hope to find ways to address some of this. 

5. When you don't sleep how do you get through the day? Lots of coffee? or a nap later in the day? 

If I nap it has to be at least 2 hrs with an hour to wake back up.  So I don't nap on weekdays, usually.

BONUS:  Naps.  I love me some naps.  I am not willing to take crummy naps.  I love to get in bed witha good book and read until I drowse and then sleep...and then wake up slowly and read some more...lather rinse repeat...

Labor Day: Thinking about Work

H/T to internet friend and RevGal Ellen, who posted on Facebook:  This is in honor of all working people everywhere, and in memory of the many generations of peasants, artisans, domestics and factory workers in my own family whose labor helped build both Europe and the United States.

I think of my great-great grandfather, Henry Meadows Butler, who was a miller, and his wife Louisa, who was the daughter of a miller.  Henry's father was Richard Butler, a tallow chandler.  Louisa and her second husband, William Davy emigrated to Chicago in 1879 and they started a company burning clay ballast for railroad cars.  My Butler grandfather was still engaged in this family business when he married my grandmother in 1912 and they moved to Texas. 

Later the family owned a dry cleaner's, and after a financial reverse, my grandmother and great grandmother did ironing at home. 

I think of my Gramma Beth's grandfather, John Dawson, who left England for America to avoid debtor's prison.  He took his wife and daughter with him (my great-grandmother, Gramma Etta).  My Gramma Etta invented a thread cutter that pinned to the blouse of the seamstress for easy access.  It was patented. 

I'll be working this Labor Day, about which I have moaned somewhat.  Looking at it, I don't have much to complain about.  I am part of the "knowledge economy;" my tools are words and images, my workplace a computer station.  My office is cool and warm in approximately the right degrees at about the right times.  In  fact, I "suffer" from pain in my arm brought on by sitting still and using a computer for hours at a time. 

I am grateful for those who've gone before me. 

 

 

 

To read about the history of the song

 

Here are the lyrics:

 

As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,

A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,

Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,

For the people hear us singing: Bread and Roses! Bread and Roses!

 

As we go marching, marching, we battle too for men,

For they are women's children, and we mother them again.

Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.

 

As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead

Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.

Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.

Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too.

 

As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days,

The rising of the women means the rising of the race.

No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes,

But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses, bread and roses.

 

Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;

Hearts starve as well as bodies; bread and roses, bread and roses.

Friday Five: Storms of Life

Martha says at RevGals:  I'm listening this morning for word of Hurricane Earl. Is he coming to visit, or will he bypass my part of Maine and move further Downeast, or veer toward Nova Scotia? Should I buy those bottles of water, just in case wind brings branches and power lines down? And how many times will the tracking map change today?

Herewith, a Friday Five about the storms of life:

1) What's the most common kind of storm in your neck of the woods?  Tornadoes...that come with severe thunderstorms.  Fortunately we have the latter much more often than the former! 

2) When was the last time you dealt with a significant power outage?  Hmm.  One time when my mom was visiting a transformer blew on our street.  I'm not remembering a weather-related one though, not as an adult.  When I was growing up in Houston, yes, related to hurricanes. 

3) Are you prepared for the next one?  Well, not so much.  This very morning I walked out into the driveway and looked up...and saw several dead branches in a tall bois d'arc tree that need to come down NOW.  Those would not be good to have flying around loose! 

4) What's the weather forecast where you are this weekend?  Well, it's cloudy and 71 F here now, which feels miraculously good.  We've had two big thunderstorms this week.  The weekend is supposed to be really nice...lows in the low 60's (woo!) and highs in the high 80's.  Love it. 

5) How do you calm your personal storms?  I close my eyes and breathe (in and out) 50 times.  If really stressed, I put on music or take a walk.  There are less healthy means, too, but I'll not share those here.  ;)