Love Will Steer the Stars

  See the planets all lined up tonight!  

Seven of the planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (along with the Moon!) will align in the night sky just after dusk today.  (February 28th).  Isn't that wonderful?  This might be a bit later in other parts of the world, I think it is next week for Europe. Check out your part of the world to see when you may see this viewing!

Now, did this make anyone start singing a song? You know I did!  

"When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, Then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars". 

"Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In" was a huge hit in 1969. It spent six weeks at number one on the charts in the spring of that year. The song came from the musical "Hair".  Anyone else remember this? The 5th Dimension was the group behind the hit.  Two of the singers from that group, Billy Davis, Jr and Marilyn McCoo married and have been together for fifty years. Isn't that great? 

Reading just a bit about this couple, they released an album in 2021, "Blackbird Lennon -McCartney Icons". Just as the title suggests, they are singing songs by the Beatles!  Of course, you know that means that they have good taste. Just an aside here, I once saw them on a plane in the early 1980's.  We had stopped in Las Vegas, just for a stopover and they got off the plane in Vegas!  (I was on a plane headed to Reno. The only time I ever went there, and I got to see Lake Tahoe. I think that lake might be the prettiest lake ever- the clear, deep blue of that water! I have never forgotten it.)

Just a few sky photos for you above.  Hey, the planets don't have to align for me to look up.  I find the skies amazing all the time!

 (Another sky photo for you - it is a picture of a circumhorizontal arc! You may see it just here! It is from my blogging friend in Germany!)

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  Oh, that peace would guide the planets and love would steer the stars! 

When All the World Is a Hopeless Jumble ( Songs!)

 

(Not one but THREE videos here!)

You all know the lovely song "Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz" sung so wistfully by the young Judy Garland with her little dog Toto with her.  Did you know that the man who wrote the lyrics (the marvelous Yip Yarburg) also wrote an introductory verse that began with "When all the world is a hopeless jumble"? It is sometimes included in some theatrical productions of "The Wizard of Oz". Several artists have also recorded it with this verse and is in the original sheet music.  (Anybody remember sheet music? I do.)

"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song by a British band that I really like a lot, Keane.  The song "Somewhere Only We Know" was released in February 2004 as a single from their album, "Hopes and Fears".  The album was released in May of 2004 and went on to become one of the UK's best-selling albums.  You can spend a lot of time listening to covers of this song. (Ask me how I know!) I will save you a lot of time and tell you that one of my favorites is one that I have shared with you above.  All those dear children!  Did you know I love kids? I do!  I want to take every one of those kids home with me! There is a great feeling of hope that you sense when you listen to them sing.  (And I also loved those playing the piano, guitar, drums and violin in the background, also kids!) 

Did anybody watch the 50th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live?  It was 3 HOURS LONG.  We recorded it to watch later. Of course, it must have run over its allotted time because we didn't get Paul McCartney at the end!  Oh well, there's always YouTube!

Am I the only one to think that the show was mostly terrible? I didn't find any of the skits funny. I am old and perhaps a fuddy-duddy but I am okay with that.  I think maybe even using the word "fuddy-duddy" might just show you my personality. I just had my hair cut and the hairdresser cut my hair shorter on one side. It might not have been her fault. I think I am just looking at the world askance just now.  ("Askance- with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval.  Yep, that's me!)

Sir Paul McCartney's performance from the SNL 50th.  (We used to say our words but now "Saturday Night Live" is "SNL".) Gotta roll with the times and abbreviate everything now, I keep telling myself!

"If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why, can't I?"

So nice of these bluebirds to visit us just so I can have them in this post!

Keane from Glastonbury 2024.  You know I had to have this on here. The lead singer, Tom Chaplin, has such an amazing voice! And the crowd singing along!  Wish I could have been there.  I would have been singing too! 

HOPE you are all doing well and making it through February!  It is very cold here in the Metro Atlanta area today, it MIGHT make it above freezing! Supposed to be in the 70's next week though! Hoping that forecast is correct.

Hope is such a lovely thing, don't you agree?

The North Wind Doth Blow (And There Shall Be Snow)

    

The North wind doth blow

and we shall have snow.

And what will the robin do then, poor thing?

He will sit in a barn and keep himself warm

and hide his head in his wing, poor thing!

Mother Goose was a favorite of mine growing up and sometimes phrases come to me unexpectedly!  We are experiencing snow in the South for the second time this month.  This second snow, we didn't get nearly as much snow in Georgia as they did in Louisiana or Florida! (Did you see the photos from Pensacola Beach, Fl and New Orleans, La? Wow!) Still, because we had that cold, cold air already, once the snow fell, it made our roads in the Atlanta area very dangerous. Our temps have not gotten above freezing for the past 72 hours. We are being told to stay indoors here in our county as some roads that are very icy have been closed. 

So, what to do? Why, feed the birds, of course! And enjoy their antics! And that poem about the robin being cold?  Well, I am sure you all know that birds keep themselves warm by FLUFFING up their feathers! I remember seeing a robin in England that was so puffed up, it reminded me of a tennis ball! 

Still, this cold weather makes it difficult to do our outdoor walking, so it seems that January has lasted forever. (We have walked in below freezing weather with a stiff wind upon us, and THAT is what made me think of that Mother Goose poem!)  Now, is there something that defines January going on for a very long time?  Surely there must be!

Thirty days hath September,

April, June and November.

Unless a leap year is its fate

February hath twenty -eight.

All the rest hath three days more,

excepting January,

which hath six thousand,

one hundred and eighty-four.     

Ha! Isn't that funny?  I swear that would not have made me laugh any other January except this one in 2025!   The poem is by Brian Bilston and he is a Brit! Personally, I think we need to find more things to make us laugh these days.  (Or at least giggle and guffaw a bit!)  Tee hee, if you look up that poet on his website, on the "about" section, he simply states, "I write poems".  There, enough said! Here is his website:   Brian Bilston   His list of unpublished poems is pretty funny.

These are photos of the first snow we had which was much better at making a snowman!  This poor guy was melting after 2 days in the sun but I bet he looked great when he was new! It was fun to drive past all the yards with the snowmen proudly still standing! You can just imagine how much fun the kids had in making them. 

I even made a very small snowman with sunflower seeds for eyes....

Can you see that the cardinal has found the "eyes" of the snowman? "Thank you!", the female cardinal seems to be saying!

Do you need to paint something white? I think "snowman's bone" would be very white, don't you? 

                          Stay warm!  And January will be over soon! 

Hey! I wrote a post in 2017 about the most snow that I had ever seen. We drove through a blizzard in South Georgia in 1973. You may read it just  here!

With Love and Respect -Jimmy Carter, Our 39th President

 

The State Funeral was held for Jimmy Carter today at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  I found it to be very moving.

 In case you missed it, it is on YouTube from several sources. I have it above for you. I think it was just over 3 1/2 hours, but it is absolutely worth watching every minute, I promise.  If you don't have time to watch it all, just go forward until you are at the 2:44 time.  That is when Andy Young delivered the Homily.  Please, be sure and listen to that. (For some reason, the camera is mostly on the ex-Presidents at that time, but it is Andy Young that I want you to hear.) As one of the TV announcers pointed out afterwards, Andy Young spoke most eloquently and without looking at any notes.

As you all know, Jimmy Carter was from Plains, Georgia. (Although he really was from a place even smaller, a community about 3 miles from Plains called "Archery".)  He wrote of his upbringing during the Depression in his book, "An Hour Before Daylight". I highly recommend it!

                  Washington, D.C.  -  Jan. 8, 2025  (When Jimmy Carter was lying in state at the Capitol) Richard got this photo from the TV because I asked him to take it! Look at the heavenly sunset.

With love and respect, that is one of the phrases that I remember from this service.  It is with love and respect that I will remember him. He is our longest living U.S. President and the only one from my home state.

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There was another service that they showed on the local Atlanta station this evening. It was from Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he taught Sunday School for many years.   Jimmy Carter will be laid to rest in Plains, Georgia, beside his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.  (I am thankful that all these services happened before tomorrow as Georgia will have a "weather event".  Snow is predicted!  Wish us luck, Southern folks can't handle snow.)

"Let There Be Peace on Earth (And Let It Begin with Me").

Can I hear an "Amen"?  AMEN!

Good Things! Happy 2025!

 

Had an eye exam lately? No? Well, you should!

I recently had one and was asked if I wanted to pay extra for a digital test to get a better picture of the retina. The machine is called "Octomap".  You know I said "yes"! (You look into the machine and have to push a button when you see the green light. I think I am remembering this correctly!)

The company that makes the machine is "OPTOS". It was invented by a man from Scotland named Douglas Anderson after his son lost all vision in his left eye in 1990.  Interesting to me, Douglas Anderson had nothing to do with the medical field. (His background was in industrial engineering design.)  He had been told by his son's doctors that with the available tests that they were able to get "only a glimpse" of his son's eye. Mr. Anderson is in the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.  You can read more about him here.  I also have a video for you!

I love finding out about people who have brought good things into the world.  I find it interesting that the company founded by Robert Anderson is based in Dunfermline, Scotland.  When I read that it rang a bell for me...isn't there someone else associated with that town? I looked it up, Dunfermline also is the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie! (I hope you know who he is, I have written about him before!)

Along with the theme of good things in the world, I'm sure you all must have heard that Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. What good work this former President of the United States has done! Perhaps all that he has done is not that well known in other countries, but it should be now that he has passed away. (Why do we never highlight a great person's life until they have left us?) I am very proud to say that he is a fellow Georgian, just like me. I thought he and his wife were just wonderful people. Wish we had more like them. 

We are almost into the new year now. I am wishing all of you good things.  I just read the last post I did last year, and I will echo that and say, "Here's to 2025 and all who sail in her!"

A few photos for you that Richard took at Christmas....

Good things? Custard creams really are!

My favorite ornaments: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors and Jacob's ladder that Christopher made at Sunday school when he was only 5. The little red bear came with a potholder but it didn't have a face. I sewed one for him! And I crocheted quite a few snowflakes too! (The black tea ornament is brand new this year from a dear friend.) 

Note: I have a plaid blanket as a tree skirt and at the top of my tree is a "glitter" ink pen! They have very expensive "bits" that you can buy to go around the base of the Christmas tree, called "collars". I used bright red foil paper that stands up very nicely! Anybody wants to know how to save money, just ask me! HA!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Like Mr. Peanut says, "Let's SHELL-ebrate" and have "a nut to celebrate"!

OH!  Before I forget, the Wallace and Gromit film will be on Netflix on this Friday, January 3rd!  PLEASE, don't miss it!  I think I have read that it has gotten a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That is an amazingly rare thing!  (Those of you in the UK have already gotten to see this, you lucky people!)

If I can't bring good things into the world, it is my job to point them out!

Good King Wenceslas/ See Amid the Winter's Snow

 

"Good King Wenceslas" is a song that I never heard until I was an adult.  It was on a cassette tape of Christmas songs that I bought in England in 1985. That particular version is very similar to the one that I have here for you, with the one male voice very deep and strong and the other male voice, in a high child's voice. Listen to it and see if you think as I do, that it is most effective that way.

It is appropriate that I share this with you today as it is St. Stephen's Day! (Saint Stephen is the first martyr of Christianity.) In my generation, many of the guys had the name of Stephen, shortened to "Steve". Thinking back on my childhood, I am remembering that in one of my classes, we had four boys named "Steve"!  (Also, in that very same class, we had four Michaels, all called Mike too!)  I think those eight guys all liked it as the teacher tended to ask questions of the few boys who were not "Steve" or "Mike"! 

Now, where was I before I got to thinking about all those STEVES and MIKES? Oh yes, music, of course!

I hope you all know that I love so much of the Christmas music! I love all the hymns and all the popular songs, and I love even the obscure strange ones that no one else knows! 

Sometimes you might enjoy a song in a most unexpected place! We were watching an episode of "Eastenders" on TV. (It is a long running series on TV, and I remember seeing it when the very first one aired! Richard watches it with me, bless him, even though I think it is a struggle sometimes!) Anyway, I hope you can picture it, we are watching it, and Richard is trying his best to stay awake and appear interested when we hear a choir that began to sing "See, Amid the Winter's Snow".  It was beautiful! It was a choir called "Somewhere 2 Sing" and it is an amateur choir!  We both enjoyed the singing and thought they were very good. I don't have a video of this choir but I found a video of the song that I like very much.  (It was also on that same cassette tape from 1985!)

THIS video is from the Cambridge Choir of King's College. Here are the lyrics: 

 

See amid the winter's snow
Born for us on earth below
See the tender lamb appears
Promised from eternal years

Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies
He who throned in height sublime
Sits amid the cherubim

Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Say, ye holy shepherds, say
What your joyful news today
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?

Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

As we watched at dead of night
Lo, we saw a wondrous light
Angels singing "Peace on earth"
Told us of the Saviour's birth

Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Teach, oh teach us, holy child
By thy face so meek and mild
Teach us to resemble thee
In thy sweet humility

Hail, thou ever blessed morn
Hail, redemption's happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Feedback

 

Both of these hymns seem very English to me.  Therefore, I wanted to share them with you here since I am Georgia Girl with An English Heart!

And since I am from Georgia, did you know that the man who wrote "Jingle Bells" married a woman from Savannah, Georgia? Yes, indeed James Lord Pierpont was from Massachusetts but after he relocated to Savannah to be the organist and music director of the Unitarian Church of Savannah, he never returned North again! It is believed to have been written in 1857 so it is a very old Christmas tune for us Americans! (Although "Jingle Bells" is known all over the world.)

I really must visit Savannah again sometime; it is an interesting place to see!

No snowy photos for you but we have had some foggy days! All photos from the Monastery here in Rockdale County, Georgia.

Oh, and remember I told you I love touches of red! The amaryllis bloomed! Hope you all had a joyful Christmas and are looking forward to the new year.  

Last Christmas

 Hey!

Are y'all ready for Christmas? It's practically here!

"Last Christmas" by Wham was #1 last year in the UK and I just read on the BBC that it is #1 again this year!  In 1984, it did not go to number one, it was number two.  The song from Band Aid, "Do They Know It's Christmas" claimed the top spot that year.

Have I shared videos by Evan and James with you before?  Here is a video of them with their cover of "Last Christmas".

Really do like this song! I think these young guys do a fantastic job! George Michael was a genius songwriter, It is sad that he is no longer with us, but his music is much appreciated.

In my Christmas decorations, I love to have touches of red here and there. In honor of that, I am showing you a photo of the rose breasted grosbeak that visited us in October.  It is a juvenile; the fully grown male would have been bright red on his front side! (Rose breasted grosbeak, the name should tell you that!) 

Colorful umbrellas!  I've seen this done in several cities from around the world, but this is from the town of Conyers, Georgia, where my husband and I live!  Wherever you are in the world, hope you have a very merry Christmas.