Friday Ramble

Hi All,

The weather here's looking so good this morning, but as much as I'm feeling happy for the sunshine, I'm really also thinking deeply about all the havoc that storm Christoph left it its wake.

I just want to say that if any of our Care Community members have suffered damage and loss from the storm, I'm sending you my heartfelt best wishes and I'm thinking of you and hoping that you are getting as much help as is humanly possible. I just can't imagine how bad I'd be feeling at the moment with all that's currently being endured in life, to have this to deal with too. It's a real heartache.

For all of our members, well done on completing another week in trying circumstances. Keep on keeping on. The news of the pandemic seems endlessly depressing, but we can get through if we just take it one day at a time.

No I'm going very off-topic for the rest of my post.

I was a bit fed up myself last night and took to my usual remedy which is to visit YouTube and take a virtual journey to foreign lands to learn something new about another country.

Over recent months I've been very fascinated with all aspects of Russia, and last night I found what I thought was another little gem of a musical experience.

It's a performance by The Boys’ Choir of the Glinka Choir School (St Petersburg), (Thanks to you, Google Translate!) And it’s being performed at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, in Sokolniki, Moscow.

From reading through some of the comments I discovered that this is a song set to the words of one of Russia’s most famous poets, Alexander Pushkin.

The words roughly translate as:

The distant church bell ringing at the dawn

The old Dante book is falling out of my hands

The last words are still on my lips, but reading unfinished

And my soul flying far away…

This sound, so familiar and so vividly alive,

Which I’ve heard so many times,

Takes me to my childhood, to the place where I grew up

A long long time ago.

I liked that!

In the song, the boy soprano's voice represents the sound of the bell in the poem.

And the voice of the soloist took me completely by surprise.

Whether it’s your sort of music or not, it’s certainly a rather lovely poem and a fabulous performance!

I've added a link to the performance in case you would like to listen: (Don't forget to click on the white title at the top of the video and not the central button, or it may not play properly)

I hope that whatever all of you are doing, you can manage some happy moments this weekend and keep yourselves safe.

youtu.be/EFHQNgO3jTA(Not working as expected?)

[sassy59]

Hi Callendersgal, I too have been thinking about the poor people caught up in flooding. It’s truly awful and my heart goes out to them all. Loving heartfelt wishes to any members affected.

Thank you for the link, I will try and listen at some point. Sounds wonderful.

Pete is going for his vaccination locally very soon. He’ll go on his scooter but I’ll stay home. Hopefully I won’t have to wait too long.

Have a good, safe weekend everyone. Thinking of you all.

Carole xxx❤️❤️❤️

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

I'm so delighted for Pete, sassy59. It's a bonus that he's getting his close by! That's made my day! Enjoy your weekend!😊👍🔆💖xx

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Callendersgal, fingers crossed he’ll be ok. You’re very kind. Enjoy your weekend too 🥰👍🤗😘 xx

[sassy59 in reply to sassy59]

All good so far for Pete. It all went very smoothly. Xxxx

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Fantastic to hear sassy59! Great result! xx

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you xxx👍❤️

[Sara_2611]

Ive also been thinking about the poor people who are suffering with flooding particularly in manchester .Im gratful i dont live in tht part & am high up but I feel for my fellow mancunians (& of course hose others around the country)

[Goldenanny]

Good morning Callendersgal

I have just listened to the choir you recommended whilst I am still in bed waiting for my local church to stream Holy Mass (unusual times). It was so uplifting and the two solo voices were amazing!

We have had a bad week with my sister still in hospital and our friend and next door neighbour (60) endured a fall and died alone. 😢 He only attended to his father’s funeral 10 days ago! A young man has lost his dad and grandad within weeks of each other and will need lots of support and prayers.

On a lighter note, I was reading an article about ‘collecting buttons’ .... who else collected buttons in a little box or tin when they were younger? My grandmother used to remove all unwanted buttons from old clothes and collect them to recycle. I would spend many times with her asking about the buttons. I still have a little tin of buttons but never bother using them now but when I open my sewing box I still find looking at them brings back many memories and happy memories of my lovely grandmother.

The article I read said “you look and you see thirty four different buttons but I look and see thirty four different ways of holding things together!” Just like my grandmother did .....‘buttoning’ the family together in more ways than one. She was left a widow with five children at the age of 29 and we thank her for our lovely family.

Even a box of buttons can cheer you up!

Keep safe everyone and take care!

[Hidden in reply to Goldenanny]

Oh my goodness Goldenanny, what a horrible week for you, especially the shocking event with your friend and neighbour. I can't imagine how awful this is for the young man who has lost his grandfather and now his father in such a short space of time. Sometimes all we can do is to accept and not to ask '"why?".

I'm glad that you enjoyed the Russian's choir performance. I've learned, (and enjoyed), so much from my online 'travels'. Like your streamed worship during the pandemic, strange though our lives have become, I think it's remarkable how we've adapted and grown to deal with the situation.

I share your love of buttons, and yes, once upon a time, every household had a tin! One of my fondest memories is creeping up to the attic in my aunt's house where her enormous biscuit tin of buttons was kept. What treasures there were. Buttons of every colour and shape. I always thought of them as pirate's treasure and would spend many happy hours sorting through them and just enjoying looking at them and touching them.

You're right! Just the memories which your post brought back to me, has left me with a big smile on my face! So thank you for sharing that with us.

Stay safe and well yourself Goldenanny!