I was phoned today from halfway across the world by someone who had just lost a loyal friend. He said he felt he had lost part of himself. After telling him how sorry I was I said I could do no more than read to him the words of John Donne who was Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London from 1621 to 1631. Please listen. You may have to turn up the volume. Thank you.
No man is an island
The full story is now online. Please click here. Thank you.
In 2019 my wife and I traveled to East Sussex in England to visit Anna and Rosanne (my wife’s cousin). It was there, where they live in a beautiful village, that we met Kiera, a dog from Romania, who lives with them. Of course “owner” is the wrong word. You cannot “own” a companion with whom you have a lifelong bond and love. Kiera is such a companion,
The story of how Kiera came into their lives is a remarkable one which brings to mind the words of Hamlet:
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I leave it to Anna to tell you how Kiera came into their lives. Be ready to be amazed.
Anna’s story in her own words
The passing of a dear friend
My beautiful labrador Muffin decided to cross Rainbow Bridge on the evening of my birthday June 23rd 2015. She was a very sensitive creature and after her departure, I was able to find her occasionally on the ‘other side’. Mindful of too much disturbance, I was careful not to do the communication regularly but often felt her serene presence anyway when out walking alone.
The search begins
After some travels to South Africa and settled once again at home, I began to feel the need for another canine companion. Another labrador? Perhaps a different colour this time? I began my search……I looked at breeders and costs but couldn’t seem to make up my mind.
Contact with Muffin
Finally, still not sure and now being in my 70s, it seemed perhaps a bit more prudent to offer a home to a more needy creature, ie a rescue. Still convinced I was looking for another labrador, I began my search in earnest. I visited all my local shelters and spent hours looking at dogs online but somehow could never quite see ‘ that special one’ who was to be my companion.
‘Time to call in Muffin’, I thought, and so the meditation began. After several attempts Muffin came through and showed me a pic of a beautiful dog, golden in colour, some sort of German Shepherd perhaps or Husky but certainly not a labrador! I was stunned! But I was also immediately in love!
The message
The image appeared around 11pm in the evening. Miraculously an email came through from a friend around the same time, advising me to look at a gallery of dogs from a shelter in Wales called ‘ Many Tears.’ I had never heard of them but took a look immediately. Once again, I was stunned, but even more so this time……..my heart raced….in fact jumped out of my body with surprise and shock!! For there, smiling at me, was the very image Muffin had sent me in the meditation!! I called to my friend to see and then with great excitement, I filled in the form online and sent it! Going to sleep after such an experience proved very difficult so in the night I sent a covering email to the shelter in a further effort to make sure I could secure this dog. She was from Romania and her name was Hera.
Anna and her darling Kiera meet
After various formalities, my friend and I travelled to Llanelli in South Wales to meet Hera and hopefully bring her home. She was as beautiful as in her photo and seemed very happy to come home with us……about 5 hours in the car. I changed her name to Kiera Cariad (cariad being Welsh for darling) and now she is known mostly as just Kiera. It has turned out she has quite a history…….
The full version of the story is now online. Please click here.
Thank you
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This is not a paid advertisement. I just want to share with you an enjoyable experience we had with friends this morning. It was a delicious breakfast at the Sherwood Garden Centre. It is a large nursery full of beautiful flowers and ideas for the garden. The people working there are friendly and helpful. Inside the Centre there is a restaurant and some interesting small shops. One of the shops is a second hand book shop with plenty of really interesting and valuable books.
Below are a number of pictures I took. Please scroll to the end (an exquisite miniature garden windmill).
When you arrive you are greeted by a cooling piano waterfall and by a naughty ant who was immediately put in its place! See the picture below.
I hope you enjoy the post.
Below:The Piano Waterfall
Below: The Naughty Ant
Below: Just some of the shops inside the large indoor area
Below: The excellent second hand book shop. The bookshop has many more books than you can see in the picture. Apparently there are more than 30 000 books to choose from.
Below: And of course – Some of the gorgeous flowers. There are plenty more.
The beautiful miniature windmill. Very South African. A great garden idea.
To repeat. I was not paid for this post. I just enjoyed myself.
Lozenzo Scupoli suggests that after praying and seeking God’s will, we should, with full dependence on God, labor more diligently to become worthy of receiving what we pray for. This means that the work of prayer should be followed by us applying all our strength to obtain what we pray for. If we fail to work hard and just sit back after praying, we are testing God, not praying.
Just something to think about ….Comments would be helpful.
Reflections on reading an expanded version “Unseen Warfare: The Spiritual Combat and Path to Paradise” by Lorenzo Scupoli (1530-1610).
Please read this post, think about it, and then play the music at the end.
Do you remember the classic film “Out of Africa”? Mozart’s Clarinet Concert: Adagio was played as Meryl Streep and Robert Redford flew over thousands of pink flamingos in Central Africa. Heart rending. The Concerto has inspired this post about Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) in the 1950s. I was massively privileged to grow up there then, in Bulawayo, Matabeleland.
Did you live in Zimbabwe in the 1950s? I invite you to quietly think back.
Do you remember? The hot summer days. Hotter and hotter towards lunch time. The clouds building up. Getting darker and darker. So dark you had to put the lights on in the house. Then, the searing crack of lightning.followed by a massive clap of thunder. Too close for comfort. The sudden deluge of rain pounding the corrugated iron roof of the house. And outside, the downpour so heavy it became a thick white curtain. Half an hour. The storm was over. Out came the sun. The bright African sun. Running water everywhere. The ditches full. Flowing muddy water. The rain drops shining like thousands of glinting diamonds on the green grass and on the tall green mealies at the back of the house. And the smell! The wonderful smell of fresh rain on the rich African soil. Look up. Towering massive white clouds fill the sky. And there, miles away high in the clouds is a slow moving dark dot. You look carefully. It is a slowly circling vulture. Thank you Africa for the gift of growing up in the palm of your hand.
There is so much more to write about. It is emotionally draining to write this post so I will stop. I hope you understand. You of course have your own memories. Treasure them.
How do I feel? Please let the music I am playing speak to you. Thank you
Thank you Africa. Thank you Mozart.
Two melodies which are and will remain close to the hearts of many South Africans.
Please scroll down for the music.
Sadly a serious fire has broken out on Jonkershoek mountain near Stellenbosch in South Africa. Below is a picture of the fire last night (26 Feb. 2021) Other mountain slopes are also burning Our thoughts are with everyone fighting the fire. May they keep safe.
The pictures of the Mountain Zebra Park near Cradock in the Eastern Cape in South Africa generated quite a bit of interest, Here are some more pictures taken by other friends recently. I will try and get more pictures that we took a while ago. The Park is a great place to visit. Question: Who have those four naughty junior zebras seen coming? See below.
This wonderful National Park is near Cradock in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. These pictures were taken by good friends in the Park this week. Enjoy
.Six pictures. Why are the two buck on full alert? Scroll down for the answer!
Do you enjoy playing chorded piano music? Here is a fun thing to do. Try free flowing improvising within a group of chords that go well together. Don’t make up a melody beforehand. Just play and enjoy. Let your hands just play automatically. Here is a fun example staying within C, G7, F, F7, Dm, E7 and Am. Give it a go! Also for fun with the classics, type CDI in the search box.
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