ANZAC REQUIEM

Today, Anzac Day, Australians and New Zealanders come together to remember and honour our soldiers who lost their lives at Gallipoli in defense of their families, their country, their ideals. The Anzac Requiem, written by Dr. Charles E W Bean, says what we all feel today.

The Anzac Requiem

On this day above all days we recall those who served in war and who did not return to receive the grateful thanks of the nation.

We remember those who still sleep where they were left - amid the holly scrub in the valleys and on the ridges of Gallipoli - on the rocky and terraced hills of Palestine - and in the lovely cemeteries of France.

We remember those who lie asleep in ground beneath the shimmering haze of the Libyan desert - at Bardia, Dema, Tobruk - and amid the mountain passes and olive groves of Greece and Crete, and the rugged, snow-capped hills of Lebanon and Syria.

We remember those who lie buried in the rank jungle of Malaya and Burma - in New Guinea - and in the distant isles of the Pacific.

We remember those who lie buried amid loving friends in our Motherland and in our own far North.

We remember those who lie in unknown resting places in almost every land, and those gallant men whose grave is the unending sea.

Especially do we remember those who died as prisoners of war remote from their homeland, and from the comforting presence of their kith and kin.

We think of those of our women's services who gave their lives in our own and foreign lands and at sea, and of those who proved to be, in much more than name, the sisters of our fighting men.

We recall, too, the staunch friends who fought beside our men on the first ANZAC Day - men of New Zealand who helped create the name of ANZAC.

We recall all those who gave their lives in the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Royal Air Force, the Merchant Service and in British Commonwealth and Allied Forces, and we think of those British men and women who fell, when, for the second time in history, their nation and its kindred stood alone against the overwhelming might of an oppressor; we think of every man and woman who in those crucial hours died so that the lights of freedom and humanity might continue to shine.

We think of those gallant men who died in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam and in peacekeeping and peace enforcing commitments assisting to defend the Commonwealth, and other countries of the Free World, against a common enemy.

May these all rest proudly in the knowledge of their achievement, and may we and our successors in that heritage prove worthy of their sacrifice.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Australian Christmas Wreath

Our beautiful Crimson Rosellas & King Parrots
Photo: Matthew Watt

Merry Christmas, Much Love & Best Wishes for 2010!!
Hearty wishes to all of the wonderful bloggers I've met since my first post on 19th December 2008! From the very beginning I had so much encouragement from a handful of 'seasoned bloggers' and that grew, although slowly, with more like-minded people following my journal of bits and pieces that interested me and, I thought, might be of interest to others.

I've so enjoyed working in this wonderful medium that has brought the world and many lovely people into my home, virtually! Sharing my little speck on the globe with you and being welcomed so warmly into yours has enriched my life in so many ways; I've learnt so much about the world through research, been introduced to many great artists and poets and laughed and cried reading your posts.

I'm going to take a break for a while and trace my Mother's family tree; something that I've always wanted to do. I have my Father's side and my paternal Grandmother's, with a lot of work by my cousin and now is the time to complete the picture.

I'll be reading your posts each morning with my coffee, toast and vegemite! Festive greetings to you all and blessings for 2010 and beyond.

Love,

THE FLOWER SELLER

Alexei Harlamoff, 1840-1922

All Stories Come True

The Algerian flower-seller beaten,
petals strewn on the French street -
always there is beauty to mark the blood in Paris.

She arrives at Gare du Nord on her way
somewhere else.
Before her next train, she sits
among the people in the Luxembourg gardens
in the shadow of the trees and Flaubert's bust,
eating a peach on a bench, slowly making
the afternoon hers.

She washes her hands and mouth, the hollow
of her throat and, on impulse, pours
the rest of the water over her feet.
A man comes running toward her
to make all the stories come true
and, looming, bends down.

With cool hands, he takes
the bottom of her foot and kisses
her ankle, the whole city pausing
for an instant. Then he runs away again
between the people, the gates, the trees.

Gabeba Baderoon

SUSAN, YOU LOOK ABFAB!

Susan Boyle has had her makeover and now we're waiting for the release of her first CD. Doesn't she look lovely! I first wrote about her on 17th April when she'd just won a round of 'Britain's Got Talent'. Since then she's had her problems but she's hanging in there and hope she can for a while longer. I'm looking forward to seeing what's on her first CD.

LISTENING TO THE QIN

I've recently discovered the ancient Chinese musical instrument, the Guqin and a lovely talented lady, Wang Fei. Wang Fei expertly plays and teaches the 'qin' and is founder and director of the North American Guqin Association (NAGA) and council member of the China Guqin Committee. She is a published writer and an international award winning digital artist.

The Guqin (pronounced ku-ch'in "ancient stringed instrument") is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with his qin or se without good reason," as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as "the father of Chinese music" or "the instrument of the sages".

There is much symbology surrounding the instrument. For example, it measures 3'6.5" (Chinese feet and inches), to symbolise the 365 days of the year; the upper surface is rounded, representing the sky, the bottom is flat and represents the earth.

Rock carving of a bodhisattva playing a guqin,

found in Shanxi, Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534)

Musee Guimet, Paris

Guqin music has been enlisted as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.

Confucius was a master of this instrument. For thousands of years, Guqin has been regarded as a very important element for education, for the purpose of enriching the heart and elevating human spirit. However, being considered as a high-class art form it has never been very popular throughout history.

In Imperial China, a well educated scholar was expected to be skilled in four arts:

Qin (the guqin)

Qi (the game of Go)

Shu (calligraphy)

Hua (painting)

The U.S. spaceship "Voyager" was launched in 1977, a gold CD was placed on board to introduce the music of our planet to the rest of the universe. The guqin piece "Flowing Water" was included as one representative of the world's music.

HOW CAN I BE SURE?

This song was on my mind this morning; I was singing it in the shower! Then I remembered the late, great Dusty Springfield (her album gathering dust in the shed) and I had to share this. She had so many fabulous hits.

EVA, SOMEWHERE, LOVE YOU

THE NEW DAY

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day

As Sung by Cat Stevens - Lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

The view from my desk this morning

A GIFT

Marilyn Jones in 'Swan Lake'

Marilyn Jones OBE

One of our very own, Marilyn Jones, has been awarded the Green Room Lifetime Achievement Award for her service to dance. She has been described as "the greatest classical dancer Australia has produced". Congratulations, Marilyn.

I remember following Marilyn's career when a young girl, her romance with Garth Welch, her wedding and the wonderful career they shared as principal dancers.

At the age of 69, she has rejoined the Australian Ballet for her first performing role in 12 years. She will dance Clara the Elder in the Sydney season of Graeme Murphy's Nutcracker. Marilyn and Garth danced together in the Australian Ballet's production of Nutcracker in 1963.

In 1991 she set up the Australian Institute of Classical Dance to promote new choreographers and guide teachers and students. The Institute recently brought together eight young composers from the Sydney Conservatorium with eight first-time choreographers.

DOUBLE DELIGHT

I was complaining that I couldn't take close-ups of my Roses, they always turned out blurry.  DMJ showed me how to use macro on the Canon PowerShot he 'handed down' to me when he bought his you-beaut Canon EOS 400D with all attachments.  He also tells me that there is a macro lens I could have been using!  I'd better get the book out and read up.  I took the above shot just a few minutes ago.

SIREN PAINTER

British Museum London (eponymous vase c.480-470BC)

Siren painter is the nickname of an ancient Greek artist who decorated but did not sign Attic red-figured vases. His real name is unknown, as are the date of his birth and death.

Following to common scholar's practice, this artist's name was derived from the subject of one of his artworks, a red-figured stamnos which illustrates a scene from Homer's Odyssey (XII, 39): Odysseus is tied to the mast of his ship when he is passing along the island of the Sirens, dangerous bird-women. The Siren painter was presumably working in Athens in the years 480-470BC. Wikipedia

Some of his preserved vases are on public display at The British Museum and The Louvre, Paris.

All of the above was prompted by Grace's description of John William Waterhouse's painting, Miranda, The Tempest, 1916. I keep learning something every day.

Ulysses & The Sirens - John William Waterhouse 1891

I DREAMED A DREAM

It seems the whole world is talking about her. Susan Boyle, 47, stunned the judges and sent the audience wild with her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" on the TV show, Britain's Got Talent. It will be interesting to see if she gets the make-over and brings out a CD. Click HERE to see the video. Oh, I must add that I've watched it several times and wept.

DICKENS

John Charles Huffam Dickens 1812-1870

The former seaside home of English novelist Charles Dickens, where he wrote part of his classic David Copperfield, is for sale at $A4.1 million.

The cliffside house in Broadstairs, Kent, was built in 1801 and has six bedrooms and its own cells. It was the residence of the fort captain during the Napoleonic Wars and originally named Fort House.

This was later changed to Bleak House - the name of another famous Dickens work. He is thought to have planned that novel there and part-written David Copperfield in the sea-facing study.

Bleak House, Broadstairs, Kent

His later house, at Gad's Hill Place, Higham, Kent, is now a Visitors' Centre. There is a delightful story written in the early 1900s about Gadshill, as it is sometimes spelt, at this link.

Gad's Hill Place, Higham, Kent

As an aside, I remember my Mother saying to us children, "What the dickens are you doing?"; so I went to look up the saying and found this -

What the dickens - exclamation of surprise or puzzlement.

This has nothing to do with Charles Dickens, as is often assumed. Dickens actually comes from a 16th century euphemism for the Devil. It may be an altered pronunciation of devilkin, meaning related to the Devil and it was certainly in use long before Charles was born. Shakespeare's 1601 play The Merry Wives of Windsor contains the words 'I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.'